,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #biff  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,december #c1  
#bjai,mr4 ,tester 7for himself1 ,mr4    
,cramer1 ,mrs4 ,murray1 ,mr4 ,hoeven1   
,mr4 ,manchin1 and ,ms4 ,collins7       
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a   
,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 to make permanent the    
authority of the ,secretary of ,veterans
 ,affairs to transport individuals to   
and from facilities of the ,department  
of ,veterans ,affairs in connection with
 rehabilitation1 counseling1            
examination1 treatment1 and care1 and   
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,rural   
,veterans ,travel ,enhancement ,act of  
#bjai4  #b4 ,treatment of ,vet ,centers 
as ,department of ,veterans ,affairs    
facilities for purposes of payments or  
allowances for beneficiary travel  7a7  
,in general ,section #aaa of title #ch1 

,united ,states ,code1 is amended by    
adding at the end the following new     
subsection3  7h7 7#a7 ,vet ,centers     
shall be treated as ,department         
facilities for purposes of providing    
payment of actual expenses of travel or 
allowance for travel to or from a       
,department facility under this section4
  7#b7 ,in this subsection1 the term    
,vet ,center means a center for         
readjustment counseling and related     
mental health services for veterans     
under section #agab;,a of this title4  4
  7b7 ,applicability ,section #aaa7;h7  
of such title1 as added by subsection   
7a71 shall apply with respect to travel 
occurring on or after the date of the   
enactment of this ,act4  #c4 ,making    
permanent authority for ,secretary of   
,veterans ,affairs to transport         
individuals to and from facilities of   
,department of ,veterans ,affairs       
,section #aaa;,a7a7 of title #ch1       
,united ,states ,code1 is amended-- 7#a7
 by striking paragraph 7#b72 and  7#b7  

in paragraph 7#a71 by striking 7#a74    
#d4 ,reauthorization of grants for      
veterans service organizations for      
transportation of highly rural veterans 
,section #cjg7;d7 of the ,caregivers and
 ,veterans ,omnibus ,health ,services   
,act of #bjaj 7,public ,law #aaa-afc2   
#ch ,u4,s4,c4 #agaj note7 is amended by 
striking through #bjbj and inserting    
through #bjbb4  #e4 ,medical examination
 protocol for volunteer drivers         
participating in program of             
transportation services for veterans    
,section #aaa;,a7b7 of title #ch1       
,united ,states ,code1 is amended-- 7#a7
 by inserting 7#a7 before ,the          
,secretary2 and  7#b7 by adding at the  
end the following new paragraph3  7#b7  
7,a7 ,not later than #ij days after the 
date of the enactment of the ,rural     
,veterans ,travel ,enhancement ,act of  
#bjai1 the ,secretary shall develop and 
establish a national protocol for the   
administration of medical examinations  
for volunteer drivers to participate in 

the program described in paragraph 7#a74
  7,b7 ,in developing the protocol      
required by subparagraph 7,a71 the      
,secretary shall consult with such      
persons as the ,secretary determines    
have an interest in the program         
described in paragraph 7#a74  7,c7 7i7  
,the ,secretary shall implement the     
protocol by first conducting a one year 
pilot program using the protocol4  7ii7 
,after conducting the pilot program     
required by clause 7i71 the ,secretary  
shall assess the pilot program and make 
such changes to the protocol as the     
,secretary considers appropriate4  7iii7
 ,after making changes to the protocol  
under clause 7ii71 the ,secretary shall 
implement the protocol in phases during 
the course of one year4  4  #f4         
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states report on transportation        
services for veterans  7a7 ,report      
required ,not later than one year after 
the date of the enactment of this ,act1 
the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united

 ,states shall submit to the ,committee 
on ,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate   
and the ,committee on ,veterans'        
,affairs of the ,house of               
,representatives a report on the program
 the establishment of which was         
facilitated under section #aaa;,a7b7 of 
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code4  7b7  
,contents ,the report submitted under   
subsection 7a7 shall include the        
following3 7#a7 ,a description of the   
program described in subsection 7a71    
including descriptions of the following3
  7,a7 ,the purpose of the program4     
7,b7 ,the activities carried out under  
the program4  7#b7 ,an assessment of the
 sufficiency of the program with respect
 to the purpose of the program4  7#c7   
,an assessment of the cost effectiveness
 of the program in relation to          
alternatives4  7#d7 ,an assessment of   
the health benefits for veterans who    
have participated in the program4  7#e7 
,an assessment of the sufficiency of    
staffing of employees of the department 

who are responsible for facilitating the
 maintenance of the program4  7#f7 ,an  
assessment1 with respect to the purpose 
of the program1 of the number of        
vehicles owned by and operating in      
conjunction with the program4  7#g7 ,an 
assessment of the awareness and usage of
 the program by veterans and their      
families4