S1644-119

2. Modification to authority of Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish improvements and structural alterations as part of home health services for disabled veterans Paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of section 1717 of title 38, United States Code, is amended— in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting in the case of a veteran before the em dash; and by striking subparagraphs (A) and (B) and inserting the following: who first applied for benefits under this paragraph for a non-service-connected disability before the date of the enactment of the Autonomy for Disabled Veterans Act and whose disability the Secretary determines is service-connected after such date, $6,800; or who first applied for benefits under this paragraph on or after the date of the enactment of the Autonomy for Disabled Veterans Act, $10,000. Such subsection is further amended— by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (5); and by inserting after paragraph (2) the following new paragraphs: On the first day of each fiscal year, the dollar amounts in effect under paragraph (2) shall— increase by a percentage equal to the percentage by which the residential home cost of construction index established under section 2102(e)(3) of this title increased during the previous fiscal year; or if such index did not increase during such previous fiscal year, remain the same. The Secretary may not furnish more than three improvements or structural alterations under paragraph (2) to a veteran. A veteran who, before the date of the enactment of this Act, exhausted the eligibility of such veteran for benefits under section 1717 of title 38, United States Code, shall not be entitled to additional benefits under such section by reason of the amendments made by this Act. (A) who first applied for benefits under this paragraph for a non-service-connected disability before the date of the enactment of the Autonomy for Disabled Veterans Act and whose disability the Secretary determines is service-connected after such date, $6,800; or (B) who first applied for benefits under this paragraph on or after the date of the enactment of the Autonomy for Disabled Veterans Act, $10,000. . (3) On the first day of each fiscal year, the dollar amounts in effect under paragraph (2) shall— (A) increase by a percentage equal to the percentage by which the residential home cost of construction index established under section 2102(e)(3) of this title increased during the previous fiscal year; or (B) if such index did not increase during such previous fiscal year, remain the same. (4) The Secretary may not furnish more than three improvements or structural alterations under paragraph (2) to a veteran. .