Rural Veterans Transportation to Care Act

Bill: 119-s-784
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Ossoff, Jon [D-GA]
Introduced: 2025-02-27
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Rural conditions and development

Transportation costs

Veterans' medical care

Veterans' organizations and recognition
Latest action: action_date: 2025-05-21
text: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held.

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-02-27
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Rural Veterans Transportation to Care Act</strong></p><p>This bill expands and makes permanent the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) grant program that provides transportation options to veterans for medical purposes.</p><p>First, the bill expands the program to cover transportation for veterans in rural areas, in addition to veterans in highly rural areas (who are already eligible under the program).</p><p>The bill also authorizes the VA to award such grants to county veterans service organizations and tribal organizations to assist veterans with transportation for medical care.</p><p>Further, the bill increases the maximum grant amount to $60,000. However, if a grant recipient is required to purchase a vehicle to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, such grant amount may be increased to not more than $80,000.</p><p>Finally, the bill defines<em> rural</em> and <em>highly rural </em>in the same manner as the terms are given under the Rural-Urban Commuting Areas (RUCA) coding system of the Department of Agriculture. RUCA uses population density and commuting patterns to assign designations.&nbsp;</p>

tv_txt: II 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 784 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 27, 2025 Mr. Ossoff (for himself and Ms. Collins ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs A BILL To expand and modify the grant program of the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide innovative transportation options to veterans in highly rural areas, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Rural Veterans Transportation to Care Act . 2. Expansion and modification of transportation grant program of Department of Veterans Affairs Section 307 of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 ( Public Law 111–163 ; 38 U.S.C. 1710 note) is amended— (1) in the section heading, by inserting rural or before highly ; (2) in subsection (a)— (A) by inserting rural or before highly each place it appears; (B) in paragraph (2)— (i) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C); (ii) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following new subparagraph (B): (B) County veterans service organizations. ; and (iii) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: (D) Tribal organizations. ; (C) in paragraph (3), by striking A State veterans service agency or veterans service organization awarded and inserting A recipient of ; and (D) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the following new paragraph (4): (4) Maximum amount (A) In general Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the amount of a grant under this section may not exceed $60,000. (B) Additional amount to purchase a vehicle The amount of a grant under this section to a recipient may be increased to an amount not to exceed $80,000 if the recipient is required to purchase a vehicle to comply with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq. ) in carrying out this section. ; (3) in subsection (c), by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following: (1) Rural; highly rural The terms rural and highly rural have the meanings given those terms under the Rural-Urban Commuting Areas (RUCA) coding system of the Department of Agriculture. ; and (4) in subsection (d), by striking $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2022 and inserting such sums as may be necessary .