To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a grant program for the transportation of veterans who reside in highly rural areas to medical facilities.
This bill establishes a new federal grant program to help veterans living in remote rural areas access medical care by covering their transportation costs to Veterans Affairs facilities. The legislation authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to award grants of up to $50,000 each to state veterans service agencies and recognized veterans organizations that provide transportation assistance to eligible veterans. The bill defines highly rural areas as counties with fewer than seven people per square mile, as well as certain U.S. territories like Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The program requires $3 million in annual funding for six years, from fiscal years 2025 through 2030, with no requirement that grant recipients provide matching funds. This program aims to remove a significant barrier to healthcare access for veterans in geographically isolated communities where distance and lack of transportation infrastructure often prevent them from receiving needed medical services.
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