I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4532 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans 

Affairs to make certain grants to assist nursing homes for veterans 

located on tribal lands. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 26, 2019 

Mr. O’HALLERAN (for himself, Mr. COLE, and Mr. GALLEGO) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the 

Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make certain grants 

to assist nursing homes for veterans located on tribal 

lands. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Nursing Home Care 

5 for Native American Veterans Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR STATE HOMES LOCATED ON TRIBAL 

2 LANDS. 

3 (a) STATE HOME DEFINED.—Section 101(19) of 

4 title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting ‘‘or 

5 Indian tribe (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self6 Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 

7 5304))’’ after ‘‘(other than a possession)’’. 

8 (b) PAYMENTS TO STATE HOMES.—Section 1741 of 

9 title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 

10 end the following new subsection: 

11 ‘‘(h) In this subchapter, the term ‘State’ means each 

12 of the several States and each Indian tribe (as defined 

13 in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Edu14 cation Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)).’’. 

15 (c) STATE HOME CONSTRUCTION.— 

16 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 8131(2) of title 38, 

17 United States Code, is amended by inserting ‘‘in18 cludes each Indian tribe (as defined in section 4 of 

19 the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assist20 ance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)) but’’ before ‘‘does not’’. 

21 (2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 8132 

22 of such title is amended by striking ‘‘several’’. 

23 (d) ADDITIONAL LEGISLATIVE OR ADMINISTRATIVE

24 ACTION.— 

25 (1) CONSULTATION WITH INDIAN TRIBES.—Not 

26 later than 180 days after the date of the enactment 


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1 of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 

2 consult with Indian tribes to determine if any legis3 lative or administrative action is necessary to modify 

4 the State home program to function efficiently in 

5 support of State homes operated by Indian tribes 

6 pursuant to the amendments made by this section. 

7 (2) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 90 

8 days after completing consultations under paragraph 

9 (1), the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate 

10 committees of Congress a report recommending leg11 islative action that the Secretary considers appro12 priate to modify the State home program described 

13 in such paragraph in light of those consultations. 

14 (3) MODIFICATIONS.—Not later than 180 days 

15 after completing consultations under paragraph (1), 

16 the Secretary shall make any modifications to regu17 lations implementing the State home program, for 

18 which legislative action is not necessary, as the Sec19 retary considers appropriate in light of those con20 sultations. 

21 (e) TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE.—The 

22 Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall provide technical sup23 port and assistance to Indian tribes in carrying out the 

24 State home program at State homes operated by Indian 

25 tribes pursuant to the amendments made by this section. 


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1 (f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

2 (1) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CON3 GRESS.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Con4 gress’’ means— 

5 (A) the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

6 and the Committee on Indian Affairs of the 

7 Senate; and 

8 (B) the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

9 and the Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples 

10 of the United States of the Committee on Nat11 ural Resources of the House of Representatives. 

12 (2) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian tribe’’ 

13 has the meaning given that term in section 4 of the 

14 Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 

15 Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 

16 (3) STATE HOME.—The term ‘‘State home’’ has 

17 the meaning given that term in section 101(19) of 

18 title 38, United States Code. 

19 (4) STATE HOME PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘State 

20 home program’’ means the program of the Depart21 ment of Veterans Affairs for which payments are 

22 made under subchapter V of chapter 17 of title 38, 

23 United States Code, and assistance is provided 

24 under subchapter III of chapter 81 of such title. 

Æ 


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