I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2555 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a pilot program 
to award grants to nonprofit veterans service organizations to upgrade 
the community facilities of such organizations. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 21, 2015 
Mr. RYAN of Ohio (for himself and Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Vet-
erans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a 
pilot program to award grants to nonprofit veterans serv-
ice organizations to upgrade the community facilities of 
such organizations. 
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 ‘‘Veteran Wellness Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON TRANSFORMATION OF VET-
ERANS SERVICES ORGANIZATIONS FACILI-
TIES INTO VETERAN HEALTH AND WELLNESS 
CENTERS. 
(a) PILOT PROGRAM REQUIRED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall carry out a pilot program under which 
the Secretary makes grants to nonprofit veterans 
services organizations (hereinafter in this section re-
ferred to as ‘‘VSOs’’) recognized by the Secretary in 
accordance with section 5902 of title 38, United 
States Code, to upgrade, through construction and 
repair, VSO community facilities into health and 
wellness centers and to promote and expand com-
plementary and integrative wellness programs. 
(2) USE OF FUNDS.—The recipient of a grant 
under this section shall use the grant— 
(A) to carry out the repair of a facility 
owned by the recipient or to construct a facility 
on property owned by the recipient; or 
(B) to provide complementary and integra-
tive medicine or wellness programs, to veterans 
and family members as such term is defined in 
section 1712A(h)(3) of title 38, United States 
Code. 
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(3) LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS.—The re-
cipient of a grant under this section may not use the 
grant to purchase real estate or to carry out repair 
of facilities leased by the recipient or to construct fa-
cilities on property leased by the recipient. 
(4) FACILITY OPERATION.—As a condition of 
the receipt of a grant under this section, a VSO 
shall agree to carry out the operation and mainte-
nance of the facility that is repaired or constructed 
using grant funds for the three-year period begin-
ning on the date of the completion of the repair or 
construction. 
(b) DURATION OF PILOT PROGRAM.—The pilot pro-
gram shall be carried out during the two-year period be-
ginning on the date of the commencement of the pilot pro-
gram. 
(c) LOCATIONS.—In selecting the recipients of grants 
under this section, the Secretary shall ensure that the 
grant recipients use grant funds to construct or repair fa-
cilities located in at least ten different geographic loca-
tions. The Secretary shall give priority to locations in eco-
nomically depressed areas that are not in close proximity 
to Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers. 
(d) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive a grant 
under this section, a VSO shall submit to the Secretary 
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an application in such form and in such manner as the 
Secretary may require. 
(e) REPORTS.— 
(1) PERIODIC REPORTS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, and every 180 days thereafter for the du-
ration of the pilot program, the Secretary shall 
submit to Congress a report on the pilot pro-
gram. 
(B) REPORT ELEMENTS.—Each report re-
quired by subparagraph (A) shall include the 
following: 
(i) The findings and conclusions of 
the Secretary with respect to the pilot pro-
gram during the 180-day period covered by 
the report. 
(ii) An assessment of the benefits of 
the pilot program to veterans and either 
family members during the 180-day period 
covered by the report. 
(2) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 180 days 
after the conclusion of the pilot program, the Sec-
retary shall submit to Congress a report detailing 
the recommendations of the Secretary as to the ad-
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visability of continuing or expanding the pilot pro-
gram. 
(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary such sums 
as may be necessary to carry out this section. 
Æ 
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