,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #aiea  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,october #e1   
#bjag,mr4 ,coons introduced the         
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
direct the ,secretary of ,veterans      
,affairs to establish a pilot program to
 award grants to nonprofit veterans     
service organizations to upgrade the    
community facilities of such            
organizations4  #a4 ,short title ,this  
,act may be cited as the ,veteran       
,wellness ,act4  #b4 ,pilot program on  
transformation of veterans services     
organizations facilities into veteran   
health and wellness centers  7a7 ,pilot 
program required  7#a7 ,in general ,the 
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
carry out a pilot program under which   
the ,secretary makes grants to nonprofit
 veterans services organizations        
recognized by the ,secretary for the    
representation of veterans under section

 #eijb of title #ch1 ,united ,states    
,code 7in this section referred to as   
,v,s,os71 to upgrade1 through           
construction and repair1 community      
facilities of ,v,s,os into health and   
wellness centers and to promote and     
expand complementary and integrative    
wellness programs4  7#b7 ,use of amounts
 ,the recipient of a grant under this   
section shall use the grant amounts--   
7,a7 to carry out the repair of a       
facility owned by the recipient or to   
construct a facility on property owned  
by the recipient2 or  7,b7 to provide   
complementary and integrative medicine  
or wellness programs1 and to pay the    
costs of childcare during such programs1
 to veterans and family members1 as such
 term is defined in section             
#agab;,a7h77#c7 of title #ch1 ,united   
,states ,code4  7#c7 ,limitation on use 
of amounts ,the recipient of a grant    
under this section may not use the grant
 amounts to purchase real estate or to  
carry out repair of facilities leased by

 the recipient or to construct          
facilities on property leased by the    
recipient4  7#d7 ,facility operation ,as
 a condition of the receipt of a grant  
under this section1 a ,,vso shall agree 
to carry out the operation and          
maintenance of the facility that is     
repaired or constructed using grant     
amounts for the three-year period       
beginning on the date of the completion 
of the repair or construction4  7b7     
,duration of pilot program ,the pilot   
program shall be carried out during the 
two-year period beginning on the date of
 the commencement of the pilot program4 
7c7 ,locations  7#a7 ,in general ,in    
selecting the recipients of grants under
 this section1 the ,secretary shall     
ensure that the grant recipients use    
grant amounts to construct or repair    
facilities located in not fewer than ten
 different geographic locations4  7#b7  
,priority ,the ,secretary shall give    
priority in the selection of locations  
under paragraph 7#a7 to locations in    

economically depressed areas that are   
not in close proximity to medical       
centers of the ,department of ,veterans 
,affairs4  7d7 ,eligibility ,to be      
eligible to receive a grant under this  
section1 a ,,vso shall submit to the    
,secretary an application in such form  
and in such manner as the ,secretary may
 require4  7e7 ,reports  7#a7 ,periodic 
reports  7,a7 ,in general ,not later    
than #ahj days after the date of the    
enactment of this ,act1 and every #ahj  
days thereafter for the duration of the 
pilot program1 the ,secretary shall     
submit to ,congress a report on the     
pilot program4  7,b7 ,report elements   
,each report required by subparagraph   
7,a7 shall include the following3 7i7   
,the findings and conclusions of the    
,secretary with respect to the pilot    
program during the #ahj-;day period     
covered by the report4  7ii7 ,an        
assessment of the benefits of the pilot 
program to veterans and family members  
of veterans during the #ahj-;day period 

covered by the report4  7#b7 ,final     
report ,not later than #ahj days after  
the conclusion of the pilot program1 the
 ,secretary shall submit to ,congress a 
report detailing the recommendations of 
the ,secretary as to the advisability of
 continuing or expanding the pilot      
program4  7f7 ,authorization of         
appropriations ,there is authorized to  
be appropriated to the ,secretary such  
sums as may be necessary to carry out   
this section4