Title: Rural Veterans Travel Enhancement Act of 2017
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Rural Veterans Travel Enhancement Act of 2017
This bill requires Vet Centers (centers for readjustment counseling and related mental health services for veterans) to be treated as Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities for purposes of payment of medical-related expenses or allowances for travel to or from a VA facility.
The bill makes permanent VA authority to transport individuals to and from VA facilities in connection with vocational rehabilitation or counseling or for examination, treatment, or care.
The Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 is amended to reauthorize through FY2020 grants to state veterans service organizations to assist veterans in highly rural areas to travel to VA medical centers.
The VA shall: (1) establish a national protocol to administer medical examinations for volunteer drivers to participate in the veterans transportation program, and (2) implement the protocol by first conducting a one-year pilot program.  The Government Accountability Office shall report to Congress on such program.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1775 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1775

To amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent the authority 
 of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to transport individuals to and 
  from facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs in connection 
with rehabilitation, counseling, examination, treatment, and care, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 7, 2017

Mr. Tester (for himself and Mrs. Murray) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent the authority 
 of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to transport individuals to and 
  from facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs in connection 
with rehabilitation, counseling, examination, treatment, and care, and 
                          for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Rural Veterans Travel Enhancement 
Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. TREATMENT OF VET CENTERS AS DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
              FACILITIES FOR PURPOSES OF PAYMENTS OR ALLOWANCES FOR 
              BENEFICIARY TRAVEL.

    (a) In General.--Section 111 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(h)(1) Vet Centers shall be treated as Department facilities for 
purposes of providing payment of actual expenses of travel or allowance 
for travel to or from a Department facility under this section.
    ``(2) In this subsection, the term `Vet Center' means a center for 
readjustment counseling and related mental health services for veterans 
under section 1712A of this title.''.
    (b) Applicability.--Section 111(h) of such title, as added by 
subsection (a), shall apply with respect to travel occurring on or 
after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 3. MAKING PERMANENT AUTHORITY FOR SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO 
              TRANSPORT INDIVIDUALS TO AND FROM FACILITIES OF 
              DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    Section 111A(a) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking paragraph (2); and
            (2) in paragraph (1), by striking ``(1)''.

SEC. 4. REAUTHORIZATION OF GRANTS FOR VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS 
              FOR TRANSPORTATION OF HIGHLY RURAL VETERANS.

    Section 307(d) of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health 
Services Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-163; 38 U.S.C. 1710 note) is 
amended by striking ``through 2017'' and inserting ``through 2020''.

SEC. 5. MEDICAL EXAMINATION PROTOCOL FOR VOLUNTEER DRIVERS 
              PARTICIPATING IN PROGRAM OF TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FOR 
              VETERANS.

    Section 111A(b) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(1)'' before ``The Secretary''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(2)(A) Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of 
the Rural Veterans Travel Enhancement Act of 2017, the Secretary shall 
develop and establish a national protocol for the administration of 
medical examinations for volunteer drivers to participate in the 
program described in paragraph (1).
    ``(B) In developing the protocol required by subparagraph (A), the 
Secretary shall consult with such persons as the Secretary determines 
have an interest in the program described in paragraph (1).
    ``(C)(i) The Secretary shall implement the protocol by first 
conducting a one year pilot program using the protocol.
    ``(ii) After conducting the pilot program required by clause (i), 
the Secretary shall assess the pilot program and make such changes to 
the protocol as the Secretary considers appropriate.
    ``(iii) After making changes to the protocol under clause (ii), the 
Secretary shall implement the protocol in phases during the course of 
one year.''.

SEC. 6. COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES REPORT ON 
              TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FOR VETERANS.

    (a) Report Required.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and 
the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a 
report on the program the establishment of which was facilitated under 
section 111A(b) of title 38, United States Code.
    (b) Contents.--The report submitted under subsection (a) shall 
include the following:
            (1) A description of the program described in subsection 
        (a), including descriptions of the following:
                    (A) The purpose of the program.
                    (B) The activities carried out under the program.
            (2) An assessment of the sufficiency of the program with 
        respect to the purpose of the program.
            (3) An assessment of the cost effectiveness of the program 
        in relation to alternatives.
            (4) An assessment of the health benefits for veterans who 
        have participated in the program.
            (5) An assessment of the sufficiency of staffing of 
        employees of the department who are responsible for 
        facilitating the maintenance of the program.
            (6) An assessment, with respect to the purpose of the 
        program, of the number of vehicles owned by and operating in 
        conjunction with the program.
            (7) An assessment of the awareness and usage of the program 
        by veterans and their families.
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