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<PRE>[DOCID: f:s984is.txt]






107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 984

To improve the Veterans Beneficiary Travel Program of the Department of 
                           Veterans Affairs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 5, 2001

  Mr. Enzi (for himself and Ms. Snowe) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To improve the Veterans Beneficiary Travel Program of the Department of 
                           Veterans Affairs.

    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 ``Veterans Road to Health Care Act of 
2001''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENT OF VETERANS BENEFICIARY TRAVEL PROGRAM.

    (a) Payments for Certain Additional Medical Care.--(1) Section 
111(b)(1) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new subparagraph:
            ``(G) A veteran whose travel is in connection with 
        treatment or care for a non-service-connected disability at 
        non-Department facility if the treatment or care--
                    ``(i) is provided upon the recommendation of 
                medical personnel of the Department; and
                    ``(ii) is not available at the Department facility 
                at which such recommendation is made.''.
    (2) The amendment made by paragraph (1) shall take effect on 
October 1, 2001, and shall apply with respect to fiscal years after 
fiscal year 2001.
    (b) Calculation of Expenses of Travel.--(1) Notwithstanding any 
other provision of law, in calculating expenses of travel for purposes 
of the Veterans Beneficiary Travel Program, the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall utilize the current mileage reimbursement rates for the 
use on official business of privately owned vehicles prescribed by the 
Administrator of General Services under section 5707(b) of title 5, 
United States Code.
    (2) In this subsection, the term ``Veterans Beneficiary Travel 
Program'' means the program of payment or reimbursement for necessary 
expenses of travel of veterans and their beneficiaries prescribed under 
sections 111 and 1728 of title 38, United States Code, and under any 
other provisions of law administered by the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs for payment or reimbursement for such expenses of travel.
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