(a)
(b)
(1) shall establish and carry out qualifying programs and events;
(2) may provide for sponsorship by the Department of qualifying programs and events;
(3) may provide for, facilitate, and encourage participation by disabled veterans in qualifying programs and events;
(4) shall, to the extent feasible, cooperate with entities with significant experience in managing large-scale adaptive sports programs;
(5) shall seek sponsorships and donations from the private sector to defray costs of carrying out the responsibilities of the Director to the maximum extent feasible; and
(6) may carry out such other responsibilities as the Secretary determines are appropriate.
(c)
(d)
(A) a veteran with a disability invited by the United States Olympic Committee to compete for a slot on, or selected for, the Paralympic Team for any month in which the veteran is training or competing in any event sanctioned by the United States Olympic Committee or who is residing at a United States Olympic Committee training center; and
(B) a veteran with a VA service-connected disability rated as 30 percent or greater by the Department of Veterans Affairs who is selected by the United States Olympic Committee for the United States Olympic Team for any month in which the veteran is competing in any event sanctioned by the National Governing Bodies of the United States Olympic Sports.
(2) The amount of the monthly assistance payable to a veteran under paragraph (1) shall be equal to the monthly amount of subsistence allowance that would be payable to the veteran under chapter 31 of this title if the veteran were eligible for and entitled to rehabilitation under such chapter.
(3) In providing assistance under this subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to veterans with service-connected disabilities.
(4) There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2022.
(e)
(1) American Samoa.
(2) Guam.
(3) Puerto Rico.
(4) The Northern Mariana Islands.
(5) The United States Virgin Islands.
(f)
(Added
The date of the enactment of this section, referred to in subsec. (f), is the date of enactment of
2020-Subsec. (d)(4).
2018-Subsec. (d)(4).
2017-Subsec. (d)(4).
2016-Subsec. (d)(1).
Subsec. (d)(4).
2015-Subsec. (d)(4).
2013-Subsec. (b)(4).
Subsec. (d)(1).
Subsec. (d)(4).
Subsecs. (e), (f).
References to the United States Olympic Committee deemed to refer to the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, see section 220502(c) of Title 36, Patriotic and National Observances, Ceremonies, and Organizations.
"(a)
"(b)
"(a)
"(1) In 1998, Congress enacted the Olympic and Amateur Sports Act Amendments of 1998 (33 [36] U.S.C. 101 note) [see Short Title of 1998 Amendment note set out under section 101 of Title 36, Patriotic and National Observances, Ceremonies, and Organizations], which amended chapter 2205 of title 36, United States Code, and included a statement that the purpose of the Act was 'to encourage and provide assistance to amateur athletic programs and competition for amateur athletes with disabilities, including, where feasible, the expansion of opportunities for meaningful participation by such amateur athletes in programs of athletic competition for able-bodied amateur athletes'.
"(2) The United States Olympic Committee [now United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee] manages and administers the Paralympic Program for physically disabled athletes.
"(3) The Department of Veterans Affairs provides health care to veterans and administers recreational activities for patients including the Golden Age Games, the National Veterans Wheelchair Games, and the Winter Sports Clinic.
"(4) In 2005, the United States Olympic Committee [now United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee] entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase interest in and access to Paralympic sports programs for veterans with physical disabilities by coordinating the activities of the United States Olympic Committee with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
"(5) The Paralympic Program has a significant positive effect on the quality of life of disabled veterans and disabled members of the Armed Forces who participate in the program, including helping to improve the mobility, vitality, and physical, psychological, and social well-being of such participants and reducing the incidence of secondary medical conditions in those participants.
"(6) Because of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, the number of disabled veterans and disabled members of the Armed Forces has increased substantially and it is therefore desirable to supplement the rehabilitation and recreation programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs through sports for disabled veterans and members of the Armed Forces.
"(b)
"(1) To promote the lifelong health of disabled veterans and disabled members of the Armed Forces through regular participation in physical activity and sports.
"(2) To enhance the recreation activities provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs by promoting disabled sports from the local level through elite levels and by creating partnerships among organizations specializing in supporting, training, and promoting programs for disabled veterans.
"(3) To provide training and support to national and local organizations to provide Paralympic sports training to disabled veterans and disabled members of the Armed Forces in their own communities.
"(4) To provide support to the United States Paralympics, Inc., to increase the participation of disabled veterans and disabled members of the Armed Forces in sports."