An Act to amend title 38 of the United States Code to provide that veterans who are 70 years of age or older shall be deemed to be unable to defray the expenses of necessary hospital or domiciliary care, and for other purposes
PL 91-500 (H.R.693), enacted 10/22/1970

1096 
PUBLIC LAW 91-500-OCT. 22, 1970 
[84 STAT. 
Sale or ex-
change. 
Limitation. 
Expenses. 
SEC. 3. Beginning three years after the effective date of this Act, the 
Commissioner is authorized to sell, or to exchange for other real prop-
erty suitable for use by the District, all or any part of so much of the 
balance of the property described in the first section, not including the 
wetlands, as has not been transferred to the jurisdiction of the Depart-
ment of the Interior, pursuant to section 2, within three years after 
enactment of this Act. Any such sale or exchange may either be on the 
basis of competitive bids or by negotiation, as the Commissioner deter-
mines is in tlie best interest of the District of Columbia, The Commis-
sioner is further authorized to pay the reasonable and necessary ex-
penses of the sale or exchange of such land, and shall deposit the net 
proceeds of any such sale in the Treasury of the United States to the 
credit of the District of Columbia. 
Approved October 22, 1970. 
- ^f • i^- 5«i>c 
October 22, 1970 
[H. R. 693] 
Public Law 91-500 
AN ACT 
To amend title 38 of the United States Code to provide that veterans who are 
seventy-two years of age or older shall be deemed to be unable to defray the 
expenses of necessary hospital or domiciliary care, and for other purposes. 
Older veterans. 
Medical care, 
expenses. 
72 Stat. 1144. 
78 Stat. 504. 
81 Stat. 183. 
72 Stat. 1141, 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assenibled^ That section 622 of 
title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting " (a)" immediately 
before "For", and by adding at the end thereof the following new 
subsection: 
"(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this sec-
tion, the receipt of pension under any law administered by the Vet-
erans' Administration shall constitute sufficient evidence of inability to 
defray necessary expenses, and any veteran in receipt of such pension 
shall be exempt from making any statement under oath regarding his 
inability to defray necessary expenses." 
SEC. 2. Subsection (g) of section 612 of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended to read as follows: 
"(g) Where any veteran is in receipt of increased pension or addi-
tional compensation or allowance based on the need of regular aid and 
attendance or by reason of being permanently housebound, or who, 
but for the receipt of retired pay, would be in receipt of such pension, 
compensation, or allowance, the Administrator may furnish the 
veteran such medical services as he finds to be reasonably necessary." 
SEC. 3. Subsection (h) of section 612 of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended by inserting immediately after the words "by reason of 
being" the following: "permanently housebound or". 
SEC. 4. Subsection (a) of section 610 of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended (1) by striking out "and" at the end of clause (2); (2) 
by striking out the period at the end of clause (3) and inserting in 
lieu thereof "; and"; and (3) by adding at the end thereof the 
following: 
" (4) any veteran for a non-service-connected disability if such 
veteran is sixty-five years of age or older." 
Approved October 22, 1970. 
( 1 .i<S.) ET