IB 
Union Calendar No. 170 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2874 
[Report No. 110–268] 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in 
the provision of health care to veterans, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 27, 2007 
Mr. MICHAUD (for himself, Mr. FILNER, Mr. HALL of New York, Ms. 
CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Mr. SALAZAR, Mr. RODRIGUEZ, Ms. 
HERSETH SANDLIN, Ms. BERKLEY, Mr. MAHONEY of Florida, Mr. 
LOEBSACK, Mr. BOSWELL, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mr. ARCURI, Mr. PATRICK 
J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania, Mr. DONNELLY, Mr. MITCHELL, Mr. WALZ 
of Minnesota, and Mr. HARE) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
JULY 27, 2007 
Additional sponsors: Mr. ALLEN, Mr. SPACE, Mrs. BOYDA of Kansas, Mr. 
WELCH of Vermont, Mr. ALTMIRE, and Mr. YOUNG of Alaska 
JULY 27, 2007 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on June 27, 2007] 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain 
improvements in the provision of health care to veterans, 
and for other purposes. 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Vet-
erans’ Health Care Improvement Act of 2007’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Grants for support of therapeutic readjustment programs for veterans. 
Sec. 3. Transportation grants for rural veterans service organizations. 
Sec. 4. Permanent treatment authority for participants in Department of Defense 
chemical and biological testing conducted by Deseret Test Center 
(including Project Shipboard Hazard and Defense). 
Sec. 5. Extension of expiring collections authorities. 
Sec. 6. Readjustment and mental health services for Operation Enduring Free-
dom and Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans. 
Sec. 7. Expansion and extension of authority for program of referral and coun-
seling services for at-risk veterans transitioning from certain in-
stitutions. 
Sec. 8. Permanent authority for domiciliary services for homeless veterans and 
enhancement of capacity of domiciliary care programs for fe-
male veterans. 
Sec. 9. Financial assistance for supportive services for very low-income veteran 
families in permanent housing. 
Sec. 10. Expansion of eligibility for dental care. 
Sec. 11. Technical amendments. 
SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR SUPPORT OF THERAPEUTIC READ-
JUSTMENT PROGRAMS FOR VETERANS. 
(a) GRANT PROGRAM.—Subchapter II of chapter 5 of 
title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting after 
section 521 the following new section: 
‘‘§ 521A. Assistance to therapeutic readjustment pro-
grams 
‘‘(a) GRANT PROGRAM.—The Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs may make grants to qualified entities described in sub-
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section (b) to conduct workshop programs that have been 
shown to assist in the therapeutic readjustment and reha-
bilitation of participants to assist in the therapeutic read-
justment of covered veterans. 
‘‘(b) QUALIFIED ENTITIES.—In order to qualify for 
grant assistance under subsection (a), a private nonprofit 
entity must have, as determined by the Secretary, experi-
ence and expertise in offering programs to assist in the 
therapeutic readjustment of participants and that such pro-
grams will likely assist covered veterans. 
‘‘(c) AMOUNT OF GRANT; USE OF FUNDS.—A grant 
under this section shall not exceed $100,000 for any cal-
endar year and shall be used by the recipient exclusively 
for the benefit of covered veterans. 
‘‘(d) APPLICATION.—An application for a grant under 
this section shall include details regarding the extent and 
nature of the proposed program, the therapeutic readjust-
ment and rehabilitation benefits expected to be achieved by 
participants, and any other information the Secretary de-
termines may be necessary to assist the Secretary in ensur-
ing that covered veterans receive therapeutic readjustment 
and rehabilitation benefits. 
‘‘(e) COVERED VETERANS.—For the purposes of this 
subsection, a ‘covered veteran’ is a veteran who served on 
active duty in a theater of combat operations (as deter-
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mined by the Secretary in consultation with the Secretary 
of Defense) during a period of war after the Persian Gulf 
War, or in combat against a hostile force during a period 
of hostilities (as defined in section 1712A(a)(2)(B) of this 
title) after November 11, 1998, and who is discharged or 
released from active military, naval, or air service on or 
after September 11, 2001. 
‘‘(f) REPORTS.—Not later than 60 days after the last 
day of a fiscal year, the Secretary shall submit to the Com-
mittees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of 
Representatives a report detailing the number and amount 
of grants made under this section during the previous fiscal 
year, the total number of covered veterans participating in 
workshop programs funded by such grants, a description 
of the programs, and the therapeutic benefits to covered vet-
erans of participation in the various programs funded. 
‘‘(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated for each of fiscal years 2008 
through 2011 $2,000,000 to carry out this section. 
‘‘(h) TERMINATION.—The authority of the Secretary to 
make a grant under subsection (a) shall terminate on Sep-
tember 30, 2011.’’. 
(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 to therapeutic readjustment programs.’’. 
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SEC. 3. TRANSPORTATION GRANTS FOR RURAL VETERANS 
SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS. 
(a) GRANT PROGRAM.—Subchapter I of chapter 17 of 
title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 1709. Grants for provision of transportation to De-
partment medical facilities for veterans 
in remote rural areas 
‘‘(a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—(1) The Secretary shall 
establish a grant program to provide innovative transpor-
tation options to veterans in remote rural areas. 
‘‘(2) Grants awarded under this section may be used 
by State veterans’ service agencies, veterans service organi-
zations, and private nonprofit entities to assist veterans in 
remote rural areas to travel to Department medical facili-
ties. 
‘‘(3) The amount of a grant under this section may 
not exceed $50,000. 
‘‘(4) The recipient of a grant under this section shall 
not be required to provide matching funds as a condition 
for receiving such grant. 
‘‘(b) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall prescribe 
regulations for— 
‘‘(1) evaluating grant applications under this 
section; and 
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