II 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1096 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide certain housing benefits 

to disabled members of the Armed Forces, to expand certain benefits 

for disabled veterans with severe burns, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 12, 2007 

Mr. CORNYN (for himself, Mr. CRAIG, Mr. AKAKA, and Mrs. HUTCHISON) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide certain 

housing benefits to disabled members of the Armed 

Forces, to expand certain benefits for disabled veterans 

with severe burns, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Veterans’ Housing 

5 Benefits Enhancement Act of 2007’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. HOME IMPROVEMENTS AND STRUCTURAL ALTER2 ATIONS FOR TOTALLY DISABLED MEMBERS 

3 OF THE ARMED FORCES BEFORE DISCHARGE 

4 OR RELEASE FROM THE ARMED FORCES. 

5 Section 1717 of title 38, United States Code, is 

6 amended by adding at the end the following new sub7 section: 

8 ‘‘(d)(1) In the case of a member of the Armed Forces 

9 who, as determined by the Secretary, has a total disability 

10 permanent in nature incurred or aggravated in the line 

11 of duty in the active military, naval, or air service, the 

12 Secretary may furnish improvements and structural alter13 ations for such member for such disability or as otherwise 

14 described in subsection (a)(2) while such member is hos15 pitalized or receiving outpatient medical care, services, or 

16 treatment for such disability if the Secretary determines 

17 that such member is likely to be discharged or released 

18 from the Armed Forces for such disability. 

19 ‘‘(2) The furnishing of improvements and alterations 

20 under paragraph (1) in connection with the furnishing of 

21 medical services described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of 

22 subsection (a)(2) shall be subject to the limitation speci23 fied in the applicable subparagraph.’’. 


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1 SEC. 3. SPECIALLY ADAPTED HOUSING ASSISTANCE FOR 

2 DISABLED VETERANS WITH SEVERE BURNS. 

3 Section 2101 of title 38, United States Code, is 

4 amended— 

5 (1) in subsection (a)(2), by adding at the end 

6 the following new subparagraph: 

7 ‘‘(E) The disability is due to a severe burn in8 jury (as determined pursuant to regulations pre9 scribed by the Secretary).’’; and 

10 (2) in subsection (b)(2)— 

11 (A) by striking ‘‘either’’ and inserting 

12 ‘‘any’’; and 

13 (B) by adding at the end the following new 

14 subparagraph: 

15 ‘‘(C) The disability is due to a severe burn in16 jury (as so determined).’’. 

17 SEC. 4. REPORT ON SPECIALLY ADAPTED HOUSING FOR 

18 DISABLED VETERANS. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than December 31, 

20 2007, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to 

21 the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the 

22 Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep23 resentatives a report that contains an assessment of the 

24 adequacy of the authorities available to the Secretary 

25 under law to assist disabled veterans in acquiring— 


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1 (1) suitable housing units with special fixtures 

2 or movable facilities required for their disabilities, 

3 and necessary land therefor; 

4 (2) such adaptations to their residences as are 

5 reasonably necessary because of their disabilities; or 

6 (3) residences already adapted with special fea7 tures determined by the Secretary to be reasonably 

8 necessary as a result of their disabilities. 

9 (b) FOCUS ON PARTICULAR DISABILITIES.—The re10 port required by subsection (a) shall pay particular atten11 tion to the needs of veterans who have disabilities that 

12 are not described in subsections (a)(2) and (b)(2) of sec13 tion 2101 of title 38, United States Code. 

14 SEC. 5. ELIGIBILITY OF DISABLED VETERANS AND MEM15 BERS OF THE ARMED FORCES WITH SEVERE 

16 BURN INJURIES FOR AUTOMOBILES AND 

17 ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT. 

18 Section 3901(1) of title 38, United States Code, is 

19 amended— 

20 (1) in subparagraph (A)— 

21 (A) in the matter preceding clause (i), by 

22 striking ‘‘or (iii)’’ and inserting ‘‘(iii), or (iv)’’; 

23 and 

24 (B) by adding at the end the following new 

25 clause: 


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1 ‘‘(iv) A severe burn injury (as determined 

2 pursuant to regulations prescribed by the Sec3 retary); or’’; and 

4 (2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘or (iii)’’ 

5 and inserting ‘‘(iii), or (iv)’’. 

6 SEC. 6. ADAPTED HOUSING ASSISTANCE FOR DISABLED 

7 MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES RESIDING 

8 TEMPORARILY IN HOUSING OWNED BY A 

9 FAMILY MEMBER. 

10 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (a) of section 2102A 

11 of title 38, United States Code, is amended— 

12 (1) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ before ‘‘In the case’’; 

13 (2) by striking ‘‘disabled veteran who is de14 scribed in subsection (a)(2) or (b)(2) of section 2101 

15 of this title and’’ and inserting ‘‘person described in 

16 paragraph (2)’’; 

17 (3) by striking ‘‘such veteran’s’’ and inserting 

18 ‘‘the person’s’’; 

19 (4) by striking ‘‘the veteran’’ and inserting ‘‘the 

20 person’’; 

21 (5) by striking ‘‘the veteran’s’’ and inserting 

22 ‘‘the person’s’’; and 

23 (6) by adding at the end the following new 

24 paragraph: 

25 ‘‘(2) A person described in this paragraph is— 


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1 ‘‘(A) a veteran who is described in subsection 

2 (a)(2) or (b)(2) of section 2101 of this title; or 

3 ‘‘(B) a member of the Armed Forces who— 

4 ‘‘(i) has, as determined by the Secretary, a 

5 disability permanent in nature described in sub6 section (a)(2) or (b)(2) of section 2101 of this 

7 title that has incurred in the line of duty in the 

8 active military, naval, or air service; 

9 ‘‘(ii) is hospitalized or receiving outpatient 

10 medical care, services, or treatment for such 

11 disability; and 

12 ‘‘(iii) is likely to be discharged or released 

13 from the Armed Forces for such disability.’’. 

14 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Such section is 

15 further amended— 

16 (1) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘veteran’’ 

17 both places it appears and inserting ‘‘person with a 

18 disability’’; and 

19 (2) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘veteran’’ and 

20 inserting ‘‘person’’. 

21 (c) REPORT ON ASSISTANCE FOR DISABLED VET22 ERANS AND MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES WHO RE23 SIDE IN HOUSING OWNED BY FAMILY MEMBER ON PER24 MANENT BASIS.—Not later than December 31, 2007, the 

25 Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the ComVerDate Aug 31 2005 19:10 Apr 13, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1096.IS S1096

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1 mittee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Com2 mittee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representa3 tives a report on the advisability of providing assistance 

4 under section 2102A of title 38, United States Code, to 

5 veterans and members of the Armed Forces described in 

6 subsection (a) of such section, as amended by subsection 

7 (a) of this section, who reside with family members on a 

8 permanent basis. 

Æ 


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