,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #abfc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #a1       
#bjai,ms4 ,cortez ,masto 7for herself   
and ,mr4 ,daines7 introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
require the ,secretary of ,veterans     
,affairs to establish an interagency    
task force on the use of public lands to
 provide medical treatment and therapy  
to veterans through outdoor recreation4 
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,accelerating ,veterans         
,recovery ,outdoors ,act4  #b4          
,interagency ,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 section 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      
,secretary of ,homeland ,security4  7#g7
 ,the ,chief of the ,army ,corps of     
,engineers4  7#h7 ,any other member 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 ,force 7in 
this section referred to as the         
,chairpersons74  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 public lands or other outdoor spaces 
for medical treatment and recreational  
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 public lands or  
other outdoor spaces2 and  7,c7 to      
develop recommendations to better       
facilitate the use of public lands or   
other outdoor spaces for preventative   
care1 medical treatment1 and therapy for
 veterans4  7#b7 ,consultation ,the     
,task ,force shall carry out the duties 
under paragraph 7#a7 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 ,chairpersons
 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 date of the     

submittal of the preliminary report     
under paragraph 7#a71 the ,chairpersons 
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 submittal of the  
final report under in subsection        
7e77#b74  7g7 ,definitions ,in this     
section3 7#a7 ,the term public lands    
means any recreational lands under the  
jurisdiction of the ,federal ,government
 or a ,state or local government4  7#b7 
,the term veteran has the meaning given 
that term in section #aja of title #ch1 
,united ,states ,code4