REVAMP Act of 2019

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3231 To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to provide grants to veterans service organizations for upgrading local chapter facilities, including technology at such facilities, in rural areas, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JUNE 12, 2019 Mr. COLLINS of New York (for himself and Mr. KING of New York) intro- duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Vet- erans’ Affairs A BILL To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to provide grants to veterans service organizations for upgrading local chapter facilities, in- cluding technology at such facilities, in rural areas, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Renovate and Enhance 4 Veterans Meeting Halls and Posts Act of 2019’’ or the 5 ‘‘REVAMP Act of 2019’’. 6 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:27 Jun 17, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3231.IH H3231 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 3231 IH SEC. 2. GRANTS TO VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS 1 FOR FACILITY REHABILITATION AND TECH- 2 NOLOGY IN RURAL AREAS. 3 (a) PILOT PROGRAM.—The Secretary of Veterans Af- 4 fairs shall carry out a pilot program to award grants to 5 eligible veterans service organizations. 6 (b) ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES AND USES.—An eligible 7 veterans service organization may use a grant made under 8 this section only for— 9 (1) repairs or rehabilitation of a facility in a 10 rural area of an eligible veterans service organiza- 11 tion; and 12 (2) acquiring or upgrading computers and tech- 13 nology for such a facility. 14 (c) APPLICATIONS.—An application for a grant under 15 this section— 16 (1) shall be in such form and submitted in ac- 17 cordance with such procedures as the Secretary shall 18 establish; and 19 (2) shall include a plan for the proposed repair, 20 rehabilitation, or technology upgrading and acquisi- 21 tion activities to be conducted using the grant 22 amounts. 23 (d) SELECTION CRITERIA.—The Secretary shall se- 24 lect applications to receive grants under the pilot program 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:27 Jun 17, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3231.IH H3231 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 3231 IH pursuant to a competition and using criteria that in- 1 clude— 2 (1) the extent of need for such grants; 3 (2) the quality of the plan proposed for repair 4 or rehabilitation of the facility involved or for acquir- 5 ing or upgrading computers and technology for such 6 a facility; 7 (3) the capacity or potential capacity of the ap- 8 plicant to successfully carry out the plan; and 9 (4) other factors as the Secretary determines 10 appropriate. 11 (e) LIMITATIONS.— 12 (1) AMOUNT.—An eligible veterans service or- 13 ganization may not receive a grant under this sec- 14 tion during any fiscal year in an amount exceeding 15 the lesser of— 16 (A) the aggregate cost of the proposed ac- 17 tivities and uses under subsection (b) for which 18 the grant amounts will be used; or 19 (B) $75,000. 20 (2) TIMING.—An eligible veterans service orga- 21 nization that receives a grant under this section for 22 a fiscal year shall be ineligible for any grant under 23 this section for any of the succeeding five fiscal 24 years. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:27 Jun 17, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3231.IH H3231 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 3231 IH (f) PROHIBITION OF NEW CONSTRUCTION OR ACQUI- 1 SITION.—A grant under this section may not be used for 2 the construction or acquisition of a new facility. 3 (g) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall prescribe 4 regulations necessary to carry out the pilot program not 5 later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this 6 Act. 7 (h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 8 authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 9 out this section— 10 (1) for fiscal year 2020, $5,000,000; and 11 (2) for subsequent fiscal years, such sums as 12 may be necessary to carry out the pilot program. 13 (i) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section, the 14 term ‘‘eligible veterans service organization’’ means a local 15 or area chapter, post, or other unit— 16 (1) of any organization that is chartered under 17 part B of subtitle II of title 36, United States Code, 18 and that has as among its primary purposes hon- 19 oring, promoting, advocating for, providing services 20 for, or providing assistance to veterans or any group 21 of veterans, as determined by the Secretary; and 22 (2) that is located in a rural area, as deter- 23 mined by the Secretary. 24 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:27 Jun 17, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H3231.IH H3231 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS