,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #gach  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,november #ae1       
#bjah,mr4 ,smith of ,new ,jersey 7for   
himself and ,mr4 ,smith of ,washington7 
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
direct the ,secretary of ,veterans      
,affairs to establish an inter-agency   
task force on the use of ,federal lands 
for medical treatment and therapy       
through outdoor recreation for veterans4
  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be    
cited as the ,accelerating ,veterans    
,recovery ,outdoors ,act4  #b4          
,inter-agency ,task ,force on ,outdoor  
,recreation for ,veterans  7a7          
,establishment ,not later than #ahj days
 after the date of the enactment of this
 ,act1 the ,secretary of ,veterans      
,affairs shall establish a task force to
 be known as the ,task ,force on        
,outdoor ,recreation for ,veterans 7in  
this ,act referred to as the ,task      

,force74  7b7 ,composition ,the ,task   
,force shall be composed of the         
following members or their designees3   
7#a7 ,the ,secretary of ,veterans       
,affairs4  7#b7 ,the ,secretary of the  
,interior4  7#c7 ,the ,secretary of     
,health and ,human ,services4  7#d7 ,the
 ,secretary of ,agriculture4  7#e7 ,the 
,secretary of ,defense4  7#f7 ,the      
,chief of the ,army ,corps of           
,engineers4  7#g7 ,any other members    
that the ,secretary of ,veterans        
,affairs determines to be appropriate4  
7c7 ,chairpersons ,the ,secretary of    
,veterans ,affairs and the ,secretary of
 the ,interior shall serve as           
co-chairpersons of the ,task ,force4    
7d7 ,duties  7#a7 ,task ,force ,the     
duties of the ,task ,force shall be--   
7,a7 to identify opportunities to       
formalize coordination between the      
,department of ,veterans ,affairs1      
public land agencies1 and partner       
organizations regarding the use of      
,federal lands for medical treatment and

 therapy for veterans2  7,b7 to identify
 barriers that exist to providing       
veterans with opportunities for medical 
treatment and therapy through the use of
 outdoor recreation on ,federal lands2  
and  7,c7 to develop recommendations to 
better facilitate the use of ,federal   
lands for preventative care1 medical    
treatment1 and therapy for veterans4    
7#b7 ,consultation ,the ,task ,force    
shall carry out such responsibilities in
 consultation with appropriate veterans 
outdoor recreation groups4  7e7 ,reports
  7#a7 ,preliminary report ,not later   
than #ahj days after the date on which  
the ,task ,force is established1 the    
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
submit to ,congress a report on the     
preliminary findings of the ,task       
,force4  7#b7 ,final report ,not later  
than one year after the submission of   
the preliminary report under paragraph  
7#a71 the ,secretary of ,veterans       
,affairs shall submit to ,congress a    
report on the findings of the ,task     

,force1 which shall include the         
recommendations developed under         
subsection 7d77#a77;,c74  7f7 ,duration 
,the ,task ,force shall terminate on the
 date that is one year after the date of
 the submission of the final report     
under in subsection 7e77#b74  7g7       
,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,the   
term ,federal lands means--  7,a7 lands 
that are under the administration of the
 ,secretary of ,agriculture2 or  7,b7   
lands that are under the administration 
of the ,secretary of ,interior4  7#b7   
,the term veteran has the meaning given 
such term in section #aja7b7 of title   
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code4