Title: Paul Benne Specially Adaptive Housing Improvement Act of 2019
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Paul Benne Specially Adaptive Housing Improvement Act of 2019
This bill revises the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Specially Adapted Housing Program, which provides grants to veterans and service members with certain service-connected disabilities to assist with constructing, purchasing, or remodeling homes to fit their needs. The program is comprised of two grants: the Specially Adapted Housing grant (for acquisition of housing with special features), and the Special Housing Adaptation grant (for adaptations to a veteran's residence).
Specifically, the bill establishes grant priority for seriously ill veterans and directs the VA to define such term.
The bill raises the cap on grants that may be issued per veteran from three to six and raises the number of applications that may be approved for the Specially Adapted Housing grant from 30 to 120. The bill increases the maximum amount of assistance available under the Special Housing Adaptation grant and also increases the aggregate amount of assistance available under both grant programs.
The bill also authorizes certain veterans to apply for additional assistance under both grants, subject to specified limitations.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2022 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2022

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for improvements to 
  the specially adapted housing program of the Department of Veterans 
                    Affairs, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 27, 2019

 Mr. Moran (for himself and Ms. Sinema) 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 provide for improvements to 
  the specially adapted housing program of the Department of Veterans 
                    Affairs, 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 ``Paul Benne Specially Adaptive 
Housing Improvement Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. PRIORITY IN AWARD OF SPECIALLY ADAPTED HOUSING GRANTS TO 
              SERIOUSLY ILL VETERANS.

    (a) In General.--Section 2101 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(d) Priority for Seriously Ill Veterans.--(1) In providing 
assistance under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to 
seriously ill veterans.
    ``(2) In this section, the term `seriously ill veteran' shall have 
the meaning given such term by the Secretary.''.
    (b) Definition of Seriously Ill Veteran.--
            (1) In general.--By not later than 90 days after the date 
        of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
        shall--
                    (A) determine the meaning of the term ``seriously 
                ill veteran'' for purposes of subsection (d) of section 
                2101 of title 38, United States Code, as added by 
                subsection (a); and
                    (B) submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs 
                of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of 
                the House of Representatives the meaning of such term 
                as so determined.
            (2) Applicability.--The definition of ``seriously ill 
        veteran'' as determined under paragraph (1) shall apply for 
        purposes of such subsection (d) beginning on the date that is 
        30 days after the date on which the Secretary submits to the 
        Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of 
        Representatives the definition of such term as so determined.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect on October 1, 2020, and apply with respect to assistance 
provided on or after that date.

SEC. 3. INCREASE IN AMOUNTS OF ASSISTANCE PROVIDED.

    (a) Increase in Number of Grants Per Veteran.--Section 2102(d)(3) 
of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking ``three'' and 
inserting ``six''.
    (b) Increase in Number of Applications Authorized To Be Approved.--
Section 2101(a)(4) of such title is amended by striking ``30 
applications'' and inserting ``120 applications''.
    (c) Increase in Maximum Amount of Assistance for Adaptation to 
Veteran's Residence.--Section 2102(b)(2) of such title is amended by 
striking ``$12,000'' and inserting ``$19,733''.
    (d) Increase in Aggregate Amount of Assistance for Acquisition of 
Housing With Special Features.--Section 2102(d)(1) of such title is 
amended by striking ``$63,780'' and inserting ``$98,492''.
    (e) Increase in Aggregate Amount of Assistance for Adaptations to 
Veterans' Residences.--Section 2102(d)(2) of such title is amended by 
striking ``$12,756'' and inserting ``$19,733''.
    (f) Effective Date and Application.--The amendments made by this 
section shall take effect on October 1, 2020. The amendments made by 
subsections (c) and (d) shall apply with respect to individuals who 
have not received the maximum amount of assistance under section 2101 
of title 38, United States Code, before such date.

SEC. 4. PROVISION OF ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS OF SPECIALLY ADAPTED HOUSING 
              ASSISTANCE FOR CERTAIN VETERANS.

    Section 2102 of such title is amended by adding at the end the 
following new subsection:
    ``(f)(1) Notwithstanding the aggregate amounts specified in 
subsection (d), a covered veteran may apply for and receive an 
additional amount of assistance under subsection (a) or (b) of section 
2101 of this title in an amount that does not exceed half of the amount 
specified in subsection (d).
    ``(2) In this subsection, a covered veteran is a veteran who--
            ``(A) is described in section 2101(a)(2) of this title;
            ``(B) first receives assistance under this chapter on or 
        after October 1, 2020;
            ``(C) as of the date of the veteran's application for 
        assistance under paragraph (1), most recently received 
        assistance under this chapter more than ten years before such 
        date; and
            ``(D) lives in a home that the Secretary determines does 
        not have adaptations that are reasonably necessary because of 
        the veteran's disability.''.
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