I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 2818 To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the amount paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to veterans for improvements and structural alterations furnished as part of home health services. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 25, 2023 Mr. BACON (for himself and Mr. PAPPAS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the amount paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to veterans for improvements and structural alterations fur- nished as part of home health services. 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 ‘‘Autonomy for Disabled 4 Veterans Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:51 May 01, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2818.IH H2818 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 2818 IH SEC. 2. INCREASE IN AMOUNT AVAILABLE TO DISABLED 1 VETERANS FOR IMPROVEMENTS AND STRUC- 2 TURAL ALTERATIONS FURNISHED AS PART 3 OF HOME HEALTH SERVICES. 4 (a) INCREASE.—Paragraph (2) of section 1717(a) of 5 title 38, United States Code, is amended— 6 (1) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking 7 ‘‘$6,800’’ and inserting ‘‘$10,000’’; and 8 (2) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking 9 ‘‘$2,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$5,000’’. 10 (b) APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made by sub- 11 section (a) shall apply with respect to a veteran who first 12 applies for benefits under section 1717(a)(2) of title 38, 13 United States Code, on or after the date of the enactment 14 of this Act. 15 (c) CLARIFICATION.—A veteran who exhausts the eli- 16 gibility of such veteran for benefits under section 17 1717(a)(2) of title 38, United States Code, before the date 18 of the enactment of this Act is not entitled to additional 19 benefits under such section by reason of the amendments 20 made by subsection (a). 21 SEC. 3. ADJUSTMENT FOR INFLATION. 22 Section 1717(a) of title 38, United States Code, is 23 further amended by adding at the end the following: 24 ‘‘(4) On an annual basis, the Secretary shall increase 25 the dollar amount in effect under subsection (a)(2) by a 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:51 May 01, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2818.IH H2818 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 2818 IH percentage equal to the percentage by which the Consumer 1 Price Index for all urban consumers (United States city 2 average) increased during the 12-month period ending 3 with the last month for which Consumer Price Index data 4 is available. In the event that such Consumer Price Index 5 does not increase during such period, the Secretary shall 6 maintain the dollar amount in effect under subsection 7 (a)(2) during the previous fiscal year.’’. 8 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:51 May 01, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H2818.IH H2818 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS