To provide for coverage under the beneficiary travel program of the Department of Veterans Affairs of certain disabled veterans for travel in connection with certain special disabilities rehabilitation.

SA 3998. Mr. TESTER (for himself and Mr. Moran) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 3896 proposed by Ms.
Collins (for herself, Mr. Kirk, Mr. Reed, and Mr. Tester) to the bill
H.R. 2577, making appropriations for the Departments of Transportation,
and Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies for the fiscal
year ending September 30, 2016, and for other purposes; which was
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end of title II of division B, add the following:

SEC. 251. COVERAGE UNDER DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
BENEFICIARY TRAVEL PROGRAM OF TRAVEL IN
CONNECTION WITH CERTAIN SPECIAL DISABILITIES
REHABILITATION.

(a) In General.--Section 111(b)(1) of title 38, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following
new subparagraph:
``(G) A veteran with vision impairment, a veteran with a
spinal cord injury or disorder, or a veteran with double or
multiple amputations whose travel is in connection with care
provided through a special disabilities rehabilitation
program of the Department (including programs provided by
spinal cord injury centers, blind rehabilitation centers, and
prosthetics rehabilitation centers) if such care is
provided--
``(i) on an in-patient basis; or
``(ii) during a period in which the Secretary provides the
veteran with temporary lodging at a facility of the
Department to make such care more accessible to the
veteran.''.
(b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the
Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of
Representatives a report on the beneficiary travel program
under section 111 of title 38, United States Code, as amended
by subsection (a), that includes the following:
(1) The cost of the program.
(2) The number of veterans served by the program.
(3) Such other matters as the Secretary considers
appropriate.
(c) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a)
shall take effect on the first day of the first fiscal year
that begins after the date of the enactment of this Act.

[[Page S2902]]

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