Title: VA Community Infrastructure Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
VA Community Infrastructure Act
This bill authorizes a 10-year pilot program under which the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) may assist state and local governments in addressing deficiencies in community infrastructure that is supportive of VA medical facilities by making grants, concluding cooperative agreements, and supplementing funds available under other federal programs. Community infrastructure includes any (1) transportation project; (2) flood or natural disaster mitigation project; (3) hospital, police, fire, emergency response, or other community support facility; or (4) utility infrastructure projects owned by a state or local government.
Assistance shall be available where the VA determines such assistance will enhance the resilience of the medical facility or quality of life of veterans eligible to receive care at such facilities.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2866 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2866

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of 
  Veterans Affairs to enter into grants or other agreements to assist 
State and local governments with community infrastructure projects that 
   support medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 21, 2019

Mr. Cunningham (for himself and Mr. Bilirakis) introduced the following 
     bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of 
  Veterans Affairs to enter into grants or other agreements to assist 
State and local governments with community infrastructure projects that 
   support medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

    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 ``VA Community Infrastructure Act''.

SEC. 2. VETERAN COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE PILOT PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--Chapter 81 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after section 8117 the following new section:
``Sec. 8117A. Veteran community infrastructure pilot program
    ``(a) Authority.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may make 
grants, conclude cooperative agreements, and supplement funds available 
under Federal programs administered by agencies other than the 
Department of Veterans Affairs to assist State and local governments to 
address deficiencies in community infrastructure supportive of medical 
facilities if the Secretary determines that such assistance will 
enhance the resilience of the medical facility or the quality of life 
of veterans eligible to receive care at such medical facility.
    ``(b) Criteria.--The Secretary shall establish criteria for the 
selection of community infrastructure projects to receive assistance 
under subsection (a). The criteria shall include a preference toward 
medical facilities in areas with large veteran populations or areas 
experiencing high rates of growth in the veteran population.
    ``(c) Funds.--Amounts appropriated or otherwise made available for 
assistance under subsection (a) may remain available until expended.
    ``(d) Termination.--The authority under this section shall 
terminate on the date that is 10 years after the date of the enactment 
of this section.
    ``(e) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The term `community infrastructure' means any--
                    ``(A) transportation project;
                    ``(B) flood or natural disaster mitigation project;
                    ``(C) hospital, police, fire, emergency response, 
                or other community support facility; or
                    ``(D) water, waste-water, telecommunications, 
                electric, gas, or other utility infrastructure project 
                that is owned by a State or local government.
            ``(2) The term `medical facility' has the meaning given in 
        section 8101 of this title.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
8117 the following new item:

``8117A. Veteran community infrastructure pilot program.''.
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