I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3665 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to provide adaptive housing assistance to disabled veterans resid-
ing temporarily in housing owned by a family member and to make 
direct housing loans to Native American veterans, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 7, 2005 
Mr. BOOZMAN (for himself, Ms. HERSETH, Mr. FILNER, and Mr. EVANS) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Vet-
erans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide adaptive housing 
assistance to disabled veterans residing temporarily in 
housing owned by a family member and to make direct 
housing loans to Native American veterans, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Housing Im-
provement Act of 2005’’.
SEC. 2. ADAPTIVE HOUSING ASSISTANCE FOR DISABLED 
VETERANS 
RESIDING 
TEMPORARILY 
IN 
HOUSING OWNED BY FAMILY MEMBER. 
(a) ASSISTANCE AUTHORIZED.—Chapter 21 of title 
38, United States Code, is amended by inserting after sec-
tion 2102 the following new section: 
‘‘§ 2102A. Assistance for veterans residing tempo-
rarily in housing owned by family mem-
ber 
‘‘(a) In the case of a disabled veteran who is de-
scribed in subsection (a)(2) or (b)(2) of section 2101 of 
this title and who is residing, but does not intend to per-
manently reside, in a residence owned by a member of 
such veteran’s family, the Secretary may assist the veteran 
in acquiring such adaptations to such residence as are de-
termined by the Secretary to be reasonably necessary be-
cause of the veteran’s disability. 
‘‘(b) The assistance authorized under subsection (a) 
may not exceed— 
‘‘(1) $10,000, in the case of a veteran described 
in section 2101(a)(2) of this title; or 
‘‘(2) $2,000, in the case of a veteran described 
in section 2101(b)(2) of this title. 
‘‘(c) The assistance authorized by subsection (a) shall 
be limited in the case of any veteran to one residence.
‘‘(d) Assistance under this section shall be provided 
in accordance with such regulations as the Secretary may 
prescribe.’’. 
(b) LIMITATIONS ON ADAPTIVE HOUSING ASSIST-
ANCE.—Section 2102 of such title is amended— 
(1) in the matter in subsection (a) preceding 
paragraph (1)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘shall be limited in the 
case of any veteran to one housing unit, and 
the necessary land therefor, and’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘veteran but shall not ex-
ceed $50,000 in any one case—’’ and inserting 
‘‘veteran—’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(d)(1) The aggregate amount of assistance available 
to a veteran under sections 2101(a) and 2102A of this 
title shall be limited to $51,000. 
‘‘(2) The aggregate amount of assistance available to 
a veteran under sections 2101(b) and 2102A of this title 
shall be limited to $10,500. 
‘‘(3) No veteran may receive more than three grants 
of assistance under this chapter.’’.
(c) COORDINATION OF ADMINISTRATION OF BENE-
FITS.—Chapter 21 of such title is further amended by 
adding at the end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 2107. Coordination of administration of benefits 
‘‘The Secretary shall provide for the coordination of 
the administration of programs to provide specially adapt-
ed housing that are administered by the Under Secretary 
for Health and such programs that are administered by 
the Under Secretary for Benefits under this chapter, chap-
ter 17, and chapter 31 of this title.’’. 
(d) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of such chapter of such title is amend-
ed— 
(1) by inserting after the item relating to sec-
tion 2102 the following new item: 
‘‘2102A. Assistance for veterans residing temporarily in housing owned by fam-
ily member.’’ 
; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new 
item: 
‘‘2107. Coordination of administration of benefits.’’. 
SEC. 3. PERMANENT AUTHORITY TO MAKE DIRECT HOUS-
ING LOANS TO NATIVE AMERICAN VETERANS. 
(a) PERMANENT AUTHORITY.—Section 3761 of title 
38, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)—
(A) by striking ‘‘establish and implement a 
pilot program under which the Secretary may’’ 
in the first sentence; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘shall establish and imple-
ment the pilot program’’ in the third sentence 
and inserting ‘‘shall make such loans’’; 
(2) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘In carrying 
out the pilot program under this subchapter, the’’ 
and inserting ‘‘The’’; 
(3) by striking subsection (c); and 
(4) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(d) In making loans under this section, the Sec-
retary shall consider the views and recommendations, if 
any, of the Advisory Committee on Native-American Vet-
erans established under section 19032 of the Veterans’ 
Health-Care Amendments of 1986 (title XIX of Public 
Law 99–272).’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) Section 3762 of such title is amended— 
(A) in subsection (a), by inserting ‘‘under 
this subchapter’’ after ‘‘to a Native American 
veteran’’; 
(B) in subsection (b)(1)(E), by striking 
‘‘the pilot program established under this sub-
chapter is implemented’’ and inserting ‘‘loans 
under this subchapter are made’’; 
(C) in subsection (c)(1)(B), by striking 
‘‘carry out the pilot program under this sub-
chapter in a manner that demonstrates the ad-
visability of making direct housing loans’’ in the 
second sentence and inserting ‘‘make direct 
housing loans under this subchapter’’; 
(D) in subsection (i)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘the pilot program pro-
vided for under this subchapter and’’ in 
paragraph (1); 
(ii) by striking ‘‘under the pilot pro-
gram and in assisting such organizations 
and veterans in participating in the pilot 
program’’ in paragraph (2)(A) and insert-
ing ‘‘under this subchapter and in assisting 
such organizations and veterans with re-
spect to such housing benefits’’; and 
(iii) by striking ‘‘in participating in 
the pilot program’’ in paragraph (2)(E) 
and inserting ‘‘with respect to such bene-
fits’’; 
(E) in subsection (j)—
(i) in the matter preceding paragraph 
(1)— 
(I) by striking ‘‘through 2006’’; 
and 
(II) by striking ‘‘relating to the 
implementation of the pilot program’’ 
and inserting ‘‘activities conducted’’; 
and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘pilot program’’ each 
place it appears in paragraphs (3), (4), 
and (5) and inserting ‘‘housing benefits 
under this subchapter’’. 
(2) Section 8(b) of the Veterans Home Loan 
Program Amendments of 1992 (Public Law 102– 
547) is repealed. 
(c) ESTABLISHMENT
OF MAXIMUM AMOUNT
OF 
LOANS.— 
(1) 
MAXIMUM
LOAN
AMOUNT.—Subsection 
(c)(1)(B) of section 3762 of such title is amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘(B) The’’ and inserting 
‘‘(B)(i) Subject to clause (ii), the’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
clause: 
‘‘(ii) The amount of a loan made by the Secretary 
under this subchapter may not exceed the maximum loan
amount authorized for loans guaranteed under section 
3703(a)(1)(C) of this title.’’. 
(2) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Subsection 
(j)(1) of such section is amended by inserting ‘‘re-
ferred to in subsection (c)(1)(A)’’ before the period 
at the end. 
(d) TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.—Subsection (c)(1)(A) 
of section 3762 of such title is amended by inserting ‘‘vet-
eran’’ after ‘‘Native American’’. 
(e) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) SUBCHAPTER HEADING.—The heading for 
subchapter V of chapter 37 of such title is amended 
to read as follows: 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER V—DIRECT HOUSING LOANS 
FOR NATIVE AMERICAN VETERANS’’. 
(2) SECTION HEADING.—The heading for sec-
tion 3761 of such title is amended to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘§ 3761. Direct housing loans to Native American vet-
erans; program authority’’. 
(3) SECTION HEADING.—The heading for sec-
tion 3762 of such title is amended to read as fol-
lows:
‘‘§ 3762. Direct housing loans to Native American vet-
erans; program administration’’. 
(4) TABLE OF SECTIONS.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of chapter 37 of such title is 
amended by striking the items relating to subchapter 
V and sections 3761 and 3762 and inserting the fol-
lowing new items: 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER V—DIRECT HOUSING LOANS FOR NATIVE AMERICAN VETERANS 
‘‘3761. Direct housing loans to Native American veterans; program authority. 
‘‘3762. Direct housing loans to Native American veterans; program administra-
tion.’’. 
SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR DIRECT LOANS 
FOR NATIVE AMERICAN VETERANS TO A VET-
ERAN WHO IS THE SPOUSE OF A NATIVE 
AMERICAN. 
(a) EXTENSION.—Subchapter V of chapter 37 of title 
38, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) by redesignating section 3764 as section 
3765; and 
(2) by inserting after section 3763 the following 
new section: 
‘‘§ 3764. Qualified non-Native American veterans 
‘‘(a) Subject to the succeeding provisions of this sec-
tion, for purposes of this subchapter— 
‘‘(1) a qualified non-Native American veteran is 
deemed to be a Native American veteran; and
‘‘(2) for purposes of applicability to a non-Na-
tive American veteran, any reference in this sub-
chapter to the jurisdiction of a tribal organization 
over a Native American veteran is deemed to be a 
reference to jurisdiction of a tribal organization over 
the Native American spouse of the qualified non-Na-
tive American veteran. 
‘‘(b) In making direct loans under this subchapter to 
a qualified non-Native American veteran by reason of eli-
gibility under subsection (a), the Secretary shall ensure 
that the tribal organization permits, and the qualified non- 
Native American veteran actually holds, possesses, or pur-
chases, using the proceeds of the loan, jointly with the Na-
tive American spouse of the qualified non-Native American 
veteran, a meaningful interest in the lot, dwelling, or both, 
that is located on trust land. 
‘‘(c) Nothing in subsection (b) shall be construed as 
precluding a tribal organization from imposing reasonable 
restrictions on the right of the qualified non-Native Amer-
ican veteran to convey, assign, or otherwise dispose of such 
interest in the lot or dwelling, or both, if such restrictions 
are designed to ensure the continuation in trust status of 
the lot or dwelling, or both. Such requirements may in-
clude the termination of the interest of the qualified non- 
Native American veteran in the lot or dwelling, or both,
upon the dissolution of the marriage of the qualified non- 
Native American veteran to the Native American spouse.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 3765 of 
such title, as redesignated by subsection (a), is amended 
by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(5) The term ‘qualified non-Native American 
veteran’ means a veteran who— 
‘‘(A) is the spouse of a Native American, 
but 
‘‘(B) is not a Native American.’’. 
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of chapter 37 of such title is amended 
by striking the item relating to section 3764 and inserting 
the following new items: 
‘‘3764. Qualified non-Native American veterans. 
‘‘3765. Definitions.’’. 
SEC. 5. TERMINOLOGY AMENDMENTS TO REVISE REF-
ERENCES TO CERTAIN VETERANS IN PROVI-
SIONS RELATING TO ELIGIBILITY FOR COM-
PENSATION OR DEPENDENCY AND INDEM-
NITY COMPENSATION. 
Title 38, United States Code, is amended as follows: 
(1) Section 1114(l) is amended by striking ‘‘so 
helpless’’ and inserting ‘‘with such significant dis-
abilities’’.
(2) Section 1114(m) is amended by striking ‘‘so 
helpless’’ and inserting ‘‘so significantly disabled’’. 
(3) 
Sections 
1115(1)(E)(ii), 
1115(b)(2), 
1122(b)(2), 1311(c)(2), 1315(g)(2), and 1502(b)(2) 
are amended by striking ‘‘helpless or blind, or so 
nearly helpless or blind as to’’ and inserting ‘‘blind, 
or so nearly blind or significantly disabled as to’’. 
Æ