IIB 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4255 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
AUGUST 1, 2008 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
AN ACT 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide assistance to 
the Paralympic Program of the United States Olympic 
Committee, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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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 find-
ings: 
(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 state-
ment that the purpose of the Act was ‘‘to encourage 
and provide assistance to amateur athletic programs 
and competition for amateur athletes with disabil-
ities, including, where feasible, the expansion of op-
portunities for meaningful participation by such 
amateur athletes in programs of athletic competition 
for able-bodied amateur athletes’’. 
(2) The United States Olympic Committee 
manages 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 
rehabilitation to disabled veterans and disabled 
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members of the Armed Forces as part of their reha-
bilitation 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 dis-
abled members of the Armed Forces who participate 
in the program and reducing the incidence of sec-
ondary medical conditions in those participants. 
(5) Because of Operation Iraqi Freedom and 
Operation Enduring Freedom, the number of dis-
abled veterans and disabled members of the Armed 
Forces has increased substantially and it is therefore 
necessary to expand the scope and size of the 
Paralympic Program to provide rehabilitative serv-
ices through sports to disabled veterans and mem-
bers of the Armed Forces. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purposes of this Act are as fol-
lows: 
(1) To promote the lifelong health of disabled 
veterans 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 imple-
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ment the 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 
Secretary 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 
description 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 
Olympic Committee and national organizations with sig-
nificant experience in the training and support of disabled 
athletes and the promotion of disabled sports at the local 
and national levels. Such organizations include Disabled 
Sports USA, Blaze Sports, Paralyzed Veterans of Amer-
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ica, and 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 Olym-
pic Committee, with the assistance and cooperation of the 
Secretary 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 recruit, support, encourage, schedule, facilitate, super-
vise, 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 thera-
pists, instructors, Department employees, and other 
appropriate individuals; and 
‘‘(C) coordination, Paralympic classification of 
athletes, athlete assessment, sport-specific training 
techniques, program development (including pro-
grams at the local level), program-specific medical 
and personal care support, sports equipment, sup-
plies, program evaluation, and other activities re-
lated 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 adminis-
trative expenses, but not to exceed ten percent of the 
amount of the grant. 
‘‘(5) Funds made available by the United States 
Olympic Committee to a grantee under subsection (c) may 
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not be commingled with any other funds appropriated to 
the Department. 
‘‘(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 Pro-
gram.’’. 
(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 memo-
randum of understanding or cooperative agreement with 
the Secretary regarding implementation of the Paralympic 
Program. Such agreement shall be concluded not later 
than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
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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.— 
Chapter 3 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘§ 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 
Public 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 
programs and events; 
‘‘(2) may provide for sponsorship by the De-
partment 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 
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members of the Armed Forces in sporting events 
sponsored by the United States Olympic Committee 
and its subsidiaries. 
‘‘(c) QUALIFYING PROGRAM OR EVENT.—For pur-
poses of this section, a qualifying program or event is a 
sports program or other event in which disabled veterans 
and disabled members of the Armed Forces participate 
and that 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 vet-
eran 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 chapter. 
‘‘(3) Any amount of assistance paid to a veteran 
under this subsection shall be in addition to any other as-
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sistance 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 
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 
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(3) to support other similar activities or events 
as those described in this section and determined to 
be appropriate by the Secretary. 
Passed the House of Representatives July 31, 2008. 
Attest: 
LORRAINE C. MILLER, 
Clerk. 
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