To amend title 10, United States Code, to support disabled veterans by extending military commissary and exchange store privileges to such veterans and their dependents and by authorizing space-available travel on military aircraft for such veterans and their dependents.

March 9, 2005

Mr. FILNER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

To amend title 10, United States Code, to support disabled veterans by extending military commissary and exchange store privileges to such veterans and their dependents and by authorizing space-available travel on military aircraft for such veterans and their dependents.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Disabled Veterans Right to Commissaries and Space Available Travel Act'.

SEC. 2. COMMISSARY AND EXCHANGE STORE PRIVILEGES FOR DISABLED VETERANS AND THEIR DEPENDENTS.

(a) Extension of Privileges- Chapter 54 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

`Sec. 1065. Use of commissary and exchange stores: disabled veterans and their dependents

`(a) Disabled Veterans- A veteran with a service-connected disability rated by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs at 30 percent or more shall be permitted to use commissary and exchange stores on the same basis as a member of the armed forces entitled to retired or retainer pay.

`(b) Dependents- A dependent of a veteran described in subsection (a) shall be permitted to use commissary and exchange stores on the same basis as a dependent of a member of the armed forces entitled to retired or retainer pay.

`(c) Definitions- In this section, the terms `veteran' and `service-connected' have the meanings given those terms in section 101 of title 38.'.

(b) Clerical Amendment- The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

`1065. Use of commissary and exchange stores: disabled veterans and their dependents.'.

SEC. 3. TRANSPORTATION ON MILITARY AIRCRAFT ON A SPACE-AVAILABLE BASIS FOR DISABLED VETERANS AND THEIR DEPENDENTS.

(a) Availability of Transportation- Chapter 157 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 2641a the following new section:

`Sec. 2641b. Space-available travel on Department of Defense aircraft: disabled veterans and their dependents

`(a) Disabled Veterans- The Secretary of Defense shall provide transportation on Department of Defense aircraft on a space-available basis for any veteran with a service-connected disability rated by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs at 50 percent or more on the same basis as such transportation is provided to members of the armed forces entitled to retired or retainer pay.

`(b) Dependents- A dependent of a veteran described in subsection (a) shall be permitted to travel on Department of Defense aircraft on a space-available basis on the same basis as a dependent of a member of the armed forces entitled to retired pay or retainer pay.

`(c) Definitions- In this section, the terms `veteran' and `service-connected' have the meanings given those terms in section 101 of title 38.'.

(b) Clerical Amendment- The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 2641a the following new item:

`2641b. Space-available travel on Department of Defense aircraft: disabled veterans and their dependents.'.

SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.

Sections 1065 and 2641b of title 10, United States Code, as added by this Act, shall take effect at the end of the 90-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.

END