Title: Accelerating Veterans Recovery Outdoors Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Accelerating Veterans Recovery Outdoors Act
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish the Task Force on Outdoor Recreation for Veterans to report on and make recommendations regarding the use of federal lands for medical treatment and therapy for veterans.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7138 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7138

   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish an inter-
agency task force on the use of Federal lands for medical treatment and 
            therapy through outdoor recreation for veterans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 15, 2018

   Mr. Smith of New Jersey (for himself and Mr. Smith of Washington) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish an inter-
agency task force on the use of Federal lands for medical treatment and 
            therapy through outdoor recreation for veterans.

    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 ``Accelerating Veterans Recovery 
Outdoors Act''.

SEC. 2. INTER-AGENCY TASK FORCE ON OUTDOOR RECREATION FOR VETERANS.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
establish a task force to be known as the ``Task Force on Outdoor 
Recreation for Veterans'' (in this Act referred to as the ``Task 
Force'').
    (b) Composition.--The Task Force shall be composed of the following 
members or their designees:
            (1) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
            (2) The Secretary of the Interior.
            (3) The Secretary of Health and Human Services.
            (4) The Secretary of Agriculture.
            (5) The Secretary of Defense.
            (6) The Chief of the Army Corps of Engineers.
            (7) Any other members that the Secretary of Veterans 
        Affairs determines to be appropriate.
    (c) Chairpersons.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the 
Secretary of the Interior shall serve as co-chairpersons of the Task 
Force.
    (d) Duties.--
            (1) Task force.--The duties of the Task Force shall be--
                    (A) to identify opportunities to formalize 
                coordination between the Department of Veterans 
                Affairs, public land agencies, and partner 
                organizations regarding the use of Federal lands for 
                medical treatment and therapy for veterans;
                    (B) to identify barriers that exist to providing 
                veterans with opportunities for medical treatment and 
                therapy through the use of outdoor recreation on 
                Federal lands; and
                    (C) to develop recommendations to better facilitate 
                the use of Federal lands for preventative care, medical 
                treatment, and therapy for veterans.
            (2) Consultation.--The Task Force shall carry out such 
        responsibilities in consultation with appropriate veterans 
        outdoor recreation groups.
    (e) Reports.--
            (1) Preliminary report.--Not later than 180 days after the 
        date on which the Task Force is established, the Secretary of 
        Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress a report on the 
        preliminary findings of the Task Force.
            (2) Final report.--Not later than one year after the 
        submission of the preliminary report under paragraph (1), the 
        Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress a report 
        on the findings of the Task Force, which shall include the 
        recommendations developed under subsection (d)(1)(C).
    (f) Duration.--The Task Force shall terminate on the date that is 
one year after the date of the submission of the final report under in 
subsection (e)(2).
    (g) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) The term ``Federal lands'' means--
                    (A) lands that are under the administration of the 
                Secretary of Agriculture; or
                    (B) lands that are under the administration of the 
                Secretary of Interior.
            (2) The term ``veteran'' has the meaning given such term in 
        section 101(2) of title 38, United States Code.
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