Bill Summary
The "Rural Veterans Transportation to Care Act" aims to enhance and modify the existing transportation grant program provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for veterans residing in rural and highly rural areas. The legislation proposes several key changes:
1. **Expanded Definition**: The act specifically includes "rural or highly rural" areas to clarify the focus of the grant program.
2. **Eligible Organizations**: It broadens the types of organizations eligible for grants by including county veterans service organizations and tribal organizations alongside existing ones.
3. **Grant Amounts**: The maximum grant amount is set at $60,000, with the possibility of increasing this to $80,000 if the funds are used to purchase a vehicle that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
4. **Updated Terminology**: It defines "rural" and "highly rural" based on the Rural-Urban Commuting Areas (RUCA) coding system used by the Department of Agriculture.
5. **Funding Flexibility**: Instead of a fixed budget of $3 million for fiscal years 2010 through 2022, the act allows for adjustable funding based on necessity.
Overall, this legislation is designed to improve transportation options for veterans in remote areas, ensuring they have better access to care and services.
Possible Impacts
The "Rural Veterans Transportation to Care Act" could impact people in several significant ways:
1. **Improved Access to Healthcare**: Veterans living in highly rural areas often face challenges in accessing healthcare services due to limited transportation options. This legislation expands the grant program to provide innovative transportation solutions, which could help veterans reach medical facilities more easily, reducing missed appointments and improving overall health outcomes.
2. **Support for Local Organizations**: By including county veterans service organizations and tribal organizations as eligible recipients for grants, the Act empowers local entities to develop transportation services that cater specifically to the needs of veterans in their communities. This could foster community engagement and ensure that transportation options are culturally sensitive and appropriately designed for rural veterans.
3. **Financial Assistance for Vehicle Purchases**: The Act allows for increased grant amounts for recipients required to purchase vehicles that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. This provision can directly benefit veterans with disabilities by ensuring they have access to transportation that meets their needs, promoting independence and mobility for those who may otherwise struggle to travel for essential services.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 784 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 784
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.
_______________________________________________________________________
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.
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 ``Rural Veterans Transportation to
Care Act''.
SEC. 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''.
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