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 ‘‘United States Olympic 
Committee Paralympic Program Act of 2008’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) In 1998, Congress enacted the Olympic and 
Amateur Sports Act Amendments of 1998 (33 U.S.C. 
101 note), which amended chapter 2205 of title 36, 
United States Code, and included a statement that 
the purpose of the Act was ‘‘to encourage and provide 
assistance to amateur athletic programs and competi-
tion for amateur athletes with disabilities, including, 
where feasible, the expansion of opportunities for 
meaningful participation by such amateur athletes in 
programs of athletic competition for able-bodied ama-
teur athletes’’. 
(2) The United States Olympic Committee man-
ages and administers the Paralympic Program for 
physically disabled athletes. 
(3) In 2005, the United States Olympic Com-
mittee entered into a memorandum of understanding 
with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to expand the 
Paralympic Program to provide special training and 
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rehabilitation to disabled veterans and disabled mem-
bers of the Armed Forces as part of their rehabilita-
tion and return to an active lifestyle. 
(4) The Paralympic Program has a significant 
positive effect on the quality of life of such veterans 
and servicemembers, including helping to improve the 
mobility, vitality, and physical, psychological, and 
social well-being of disabled veterans and disabled 
members of the Armed Forces who participate in the 
program and reducing the incidence of secondary 
medical conditions in those participants. 
(5) Because of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Op-
eration Enduring Freedom, the number of disabled 
veterans and disabled members of the Armed Forces 
has increased substantially and it is therefore nec-
essary to expand the scope and size of the Paralympic 
Program to provide rehabilitative services through 
sports to disabled veterans and members of the Armed 
Forces. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purposes of this Act are as follows: 
(1) To promote the lifelong health of disabled vet-
erans and disabled members of the Armed Forces 
through regular participation in physical activity 
and sports. 
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(2) To develop a system that promotes disabled 
sports from the local level through elite levels by cre-
ating partnerships among organizations specializing 
in supporting, training, and promoting programs for 
disabled athletes. 
(3) To provide training and support to local or-
ganizations to provide Paralympic sports training to 
disabled veterans and disabled members of the Armed 
Forces in their own communities. 
(4) To provide support to the United States 
Olympic Committee for the Paralympic Program to 
increase the participation of disabled veterans and 
disabled members of the Armed Forces in sports as 
part of their rehabilitation. 
SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PROVISION 
OF ASSISTANCE TO UNITED STATES OLYMPIC 
COMMITTEE PARALYMPIC PROGRAM. 
(a) PROVISION OF ASSISTANCE AUTHORIZED.—Sub-
chapter II of chapter 5 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after section 521 the following: 
‘‘§ 521A. Assistance for United States Olympic Com-
mittees Paralympic Program 
‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE.—The 
Secretary may make grants to the United States Olympic 
Committee to plan, develop, manage, and implement the 
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Paralympic Program for disabled veterans and disabled 
members of the Armed Forces. 
‘‘(b) OVERSIGHT BY SECRETARY.—As a condition of 
receiving a grant under this section, the United States 
Olympic Committee shall permit the Secretary to conduct 
such oversight of the use of grant funds as the Secretary 
determines is appropriate. 
‘‘(c) APPLICATION REQUIREMENT.—(1) Before the Sec-
retary may make a grant to the United States Olympic 
Committee under this section, the Committee shall submit 
to the Secretary an application that describes the activities 
to be carried out with the grant, including information on 
specific measurable goals and objectives to be achieved using 
grant funds. The application shall include a detailed de-
scription of all partnerships referred to in paragraph (2) 
at the national and local levels that will be participating 
in such activities and the amount of grant funds that will 
be made available for each of such partnerships. 
‘‘(2) PARTNERSHIPS.—Partnerships referred to in this 
paragraph are agreements between the United States Olym-
pic Committee and national organizations with significant 
experience in the training and support of disabled athletes 
and the promotion of disabled sports at the local and na-
tional levels. Such organizations include Disabled Sports 
USA, Blaze Sports, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and 
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Disabled American Veterans. The agreements shall detail 
the scope of activities and funding provided by the United 
States Olympic Committee to the partner. 
‘‘(d) USE OF FUNDS.—(1) The United States Olympic 
Committee, with the assistance and cooperation of the Sec-
retary and the heads of other appropriate Federal and State 
departments and agencies and partnerships referred to in 
subsection (c)(2), shall use a grant under this section to re-
cruit, support, encourage, schedule, facilitate, supervise, 
and implement the activities described in paragraph (3) for 
disabled veterans and disabled members of the Armed Forces 
either directly or by supporting a program described in 
paragraph (2). 
‘‘(2) A program described in this paragraph is a sport 
program that— 
‘‘(A) promotes basic physical activity, games, 
recreation, training, and competition; 
‘‘(B) is approved by the Secretary; and 
‘‘(C)(i) provides services and activities described 
in paragraph (3) for disabled veterans and disabled 
members of the Armed Forces; and 
‘‘(ii) may also provide services and activities de-
scribed in paragraph (3) for individuals with disabil-
ities who are not veterans or members of the Armed 
Forces, or both; except that funds made available to 
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carry out this section may not be used to support 
those individuals with disabilities who are not vet-
erans or members of the Armed Forces. 
‘‘(3) Activities described in this paragraph are— 
‘‘(A) instruction, participation, and competition 
in Paralympic sports; 
‘‘(B) training and technical assistance to pro-
gram administrators, coaches, recreational therapists, 
instructors, Department employees, and other appro-
priate individuals; and 
‘‘(C) coordination, Paralympic classification of 
athletes, athlete assessment, sport-specific training 
techniques, program development (including programs 
at the local level), program-specific medical and per-
sonal care support, sports equipment, supplies, pro-
gram evaluation, and other activities related to the 
implementation and operation of the program. 
‘‘(4) A grant made under this section may include, at 
the discretion of the Secretary, an amount for administra-
tive expenses, but not to exceed ten percent of the amount 
of the grant. 
‘‘(5) Funds made available by the United States Olym-
pic Committee to a grantee under subsection (c) may in-
clude an amount for administrative expenses, but not to 
exceed ten percent of the amount of such funds. 
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‘‘(i) LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS.—Except as pro-
vided in subsections (d)(4) and (d)(5), funds appropriated 
to carry out this section may not be used to support or 
provide services to individuals who are not disabled vet-
erans or disabled members of the Armed Forces.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections at 
the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after 
the item relating to section 521 the following new item: 
‘‘521A. Assistance for United States Olympic Committees Paralympic Program.’’. 
(c) DEADLINE
FOR
MEMORANDUM
OF
UNDER-
STANDING.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may not 
award a grant under section 521A of title 38, United States 
Code, as added by subsection (a), until the United States 
Olympic Committee has entered into a memorandum of un-
derstanding or cooperative agreement with the Secretary re-
garding implementation of the Paralympic Program. Such 
agreement shall be concluded not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 4. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFICE OF 
NATIONAL 
VETERANS 
SPORTS 
PROGRAMS 
AND SPECIAL EVENTS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE OF NATIONAL VET-
ERANS SPORTS PROGRAMS AND SPECIAL EVENTS.—Chap-
ter 3 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
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‘‘§ 321. Office of National Veterans Sports Programs 
and Special Events 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is in the Department 
an Office of National Veterans Sports Programs and Spe-
cial Events. There is at the head of the Office a Director, 
who shall report directly to the Assistant Secretary for Pub-
lic and Intergovernmental Affairs of the Department. 
‘‘(b) RESPONSIBILITIES OF DIRECTOR.—Subject to the 
direction of the Secretary, the Director— 
‘‘(1) shall establish and carry out qualifying pro-
grams and events; 
‘‘(2) may provide for sponsorship by the Depart-
ment of qualifying programs and events; 
‘‘(3) may provide for, facilitate, and encourage 
participation by disabled veterans in qualifying pro-
grams and events; and 
‘‘(4) shall cooperate with the United States 
Olympic Committee and its subsidiaries to promote 
the participation of disabled veterans and disabled 
members of the Armed Forces in sporting events spon-
sored by the United States Olympic Committee and 
its subsidiaries. 
‘‘(c) QUALIFYING PROGRAM OR EVENT.—For purposes 
of this section, a qualifying program or event is a sports 
program or other event in which disabled veterans and dis-
abled members of the Armed Forces participate and that 
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is approved by the Secretary as being consistent with the 
goals and missions of the Department. 
‘‘(d) MONTHLY ASSISTANCE ALLOWANCE.—(1) The 
Director may provide a monthly assistance allowance to a 
veteran with a disability invited by the United States 
Olympic Committee to compete for a slot on, or selected for, 
the Paralympic Team for any month in which the veteran 
is training or competing in any event sanctioned by the 
United States Olympic Committee or who is residing at a 
United States Olympic Committee training center. 
‘‘(2) The amount of the monthly assistance payable to 
a veteran under paragraph (1) shall be equal to the monthly 
amount of subsistence allowance that would be payable to 
the veteran under chapter 31 of this title if the veteran were 
eligible for and entitled to rehabilitation under such chap-
ter. 
‘‘(3) Any amount of assistance paid to a veteran under 
this subsection shall be in addition to any other assistance 
available to the veteran under any other provision of law. 
‘‘(4) There is authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this subsection $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2009 and each 
fiscal year thereafter. 
‘‘(e) LIMITATION
ON STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION.— 
Nothing in this section shall be construed as a limitation 
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on current disabled sports and special events supported by 
the Department.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections at 
the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the 
end the following new item: 
‘‘321. Office of National Veterans Sports Programs and Special Events.’’. 
(c) RESPONSIBILITIES OF UNDER SECRETARY FOR 
HEALTH.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall direct 
the Under Secretary for Health of the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs— 
(1) to make available, to the maximum extent 
possible, recreational therapists, physical therapists, 
and other medical staff to facilitate participation of 
veterans in sporting events conducted under the aus-
pices of the United States Olympic Committee; 
(2) to allow such personnel to participate in the 
United States Olympic Committee Paralympic Pro-
gram without requiring the use of personal leave; and 
(3) to support other similar activities or events 
as those described in this section and determined to 
be appropriate by the Secretary. 
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Union Calendar No. 493 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4255 
[Report No. 110–774] 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to author-
ize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide 
assistance to the Paralympic Program of the 
United States Olympic Committee, and for other 
purposes. 
JULY 24, 2008 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
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