Title: Veteran Wellness Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Veteran Wellness Act
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a two-year pilot program under which the VA makes grants to nonprofit veterans services organizations (VSOs) to: (1) upgrade their community facilities into health and wellness centers in at least 10 different geographic locations, and (2) promote and expand complementary and integrative wellness programs.
In selecting grant recipients, the VA shall give priority to recipients that will use grant amounts in locations in economically depressed areas that are not in close proximity to VA medical centers.
A VSO, as a condition of receiving a grant, must agree to carry out the operation and maintenance of a facility that is repaired or constructed using grant funds for three years after completion of the repair or construction.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2506 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2506

   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 17, 2017

    Mr. Ryan of Ohio (for himself and Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   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.

    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 ``Veteran Wellness Act''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON TRANSFORMATION OF VETERANS SERVICES 
              ORGANIZATIONS FACILITIES 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 referred 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 complementary 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 integrative 
                medicine or wellness programs, and to pay the costs of 
                childcare during such programs, to veterans and family 
                members as such term is defined in section 1712A(h)(3) 
                of title 38, United States Code.
            (3) Limitation on use of funds.--The recipient 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 facilities 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 maintenance of the facility that is repaired or 
        constructed using grant funds for the three-year period 
        beginning on the date of the completion of the repair or 
        construction.
    (b) Duration of Pilot Program.--The pilot program shall be carried 
out during the two-year period beginning on the date of the 
commencement of the pilot program.
    (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 facilities located in at least ten 
different geographic locations. The Secretary shall give priority to 
locations in economically 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 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 duration of the pilot program, the 
                Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the 
                pilot program.
                    (B) Report elements.--Each report required by 
                subparagraph (A) shall include the following:
                            (i) The findings and conclusions of the 
                        Secretary with respect to the pilot program 
                        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 Secretary shall submit to 
        Congress a report detailing the recommendations of the 
        Secretary as to the advisability of continuing or expanding the 
        pilot program.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary such sums as may be necessary to carry 
out this section.
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