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Disabled Veterans Shopping Benefit

Starting January 1, 2020, the Department of Defense is expanding in-store military exchange and commissary shopping privileges as well as MWR resale facility use to:

All Veterans with service-connected disabilities
Purple heart recipients
Former prisoners of war
Caregivers or family caregivers registered as the primary caregiver for a veteran in the Department of Veterans Affairs Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers

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SEC. 621. Extension of certain morale, welfare and recreation privileges to certain veterans and their caregivers. Read more

(a) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the ‘‘Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018’’.

(b) COMMISSARY STORES AND MWR FACILITIES PRIVILEGES FOR CERTAIN VETERANS AND VETERAN CAREGIVERS.—

(1) EXTENSION OF PRIVILEGES.—Chapter 54 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

‘‘§ 1065. Use of commissary stores and MWR facilities: certain veterans and caregivers for veterans

‘‘(a) ELIGIBILITY OF VETERANS AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART.— A veteran who was awarded the Purple Heart shall be permitted to use commissary stores and MWR facilities on the same basis as a member of the armed forces entitled to retired or retainer pay.

‘‘(b) ELIGIBILITY OF VETERANS WHO ARE MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS.—A veteran who is a Medal of Honor recipient shall be permitted to use commissary stores and MWR facilities on the same basis as a member of the armed forces entitled to retired or retainer pay.

‘‘(c) ELIGIBILITY OF VETERANS WHO ARE FORMER PRISONERS OF WAR.—A veteran who is a former prisoner of war shall be permitted to use commissary stores and MWR facilities on the same basis as a member of the armed forces entitled to retired or retainer pay. ‘‘(d) ELIGIBILITY OF VETERANS WITH SERVICE-CONNECTED

DISABILITIES.—A veteran with a service-connected disability shall be permitted to use commissary stores and MWR facilities on the same basis as a member of the armed forces entitled to retired or retainer pay.

‘‘(e) ELIGIBILITY OF CAREGIVERS FOR VETERANS.—A caregiver or family caregiver shall be permitted to use commissary stores and MWR facilities on the same basis as a member of the armed forces entitled to retired or retainer pay.'‘(f) USER FEE AUTHORITY.—(1) The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe regulations that impose a user fee on individuals who are eligible solely under this section to purchase merchandise at a commissary store or MWR retail facility.

10 USC 1065.

10 USC 101 note.

Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 10:36 May 17, 2019 Jkt 089139 PO 00232 Frm 00164 Fmt 6580 Sfmt 6581 E:PUBLAWPUBL232.115 PUBL232 PUBLIC LAW 115–232—AUG. 13, 2018 132 STAT. 1799

‘‘(2) The Secretary shall set the user fee under this subsection at a rate that the Secretary determines will offset any increase in expenses arising from this section borne by the Department of the Treasury on behalf of commissary stores associated with the use of credit or debit cards for customer purchases, including expenses related to card network use and related transaction processing fees.

‘‘(3) The Secretary shall deposit funds collected pursuant to a user fee under this subsection in the General Fund of the Treasury.

‘‘(4) Any fee under this subsection is in addition to the uniform surcharge under section 2484(d) of this title.

‘‘(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:

‘‘(1) The term ‘MWR facilities’ includes—

‘‘(A) MWR retail facilities, as that term is defined in section 1063(e) of this title; and

‘‘(B) military lodging operated by the Department of Defense for the morale, welfare, and recreation of members of the armed forces.

‘‘(2) The term ‘Medal of Honor recipient’ has the meaning given that term in section 1074h(c) of this title.

‘‘(3) The terms ‘veteran’, ‘former prisoner of war’, and ‘service-connected’ have the meanings given those terms in section 101 of title 38.

‘‘(4) The terms ‘caregiver’ and ‘family caregiver’ have the meanings given those terms in section in section 1720G(d) of title 38.’’.

(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 54 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

‘‘1065. Use of commissary stores and MWR facilities: certain veterans and caregivers for veterans.’’.

(3) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Section 1065 of title 10, United States Code, as added by paragraph (1), shall take effect on

January 1, 2020.

(4) BRIEFING REQUIRED.—Not later than October 1, 2019, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives a briefing on the plan of the Secretary to implement section 1065 of title 10, United States Code, as added by paragraph (1).

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Questions and Answers

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Implementation of the Purple Heart and Disabled Veteran Equal Access Act of 2018 – FAQs

Who is eligible?

Q:Are disabled veterans eligible for privileges at commissaries, military exchanges and morale, welfare and recreation activities?

Yes. Veterans with a Department of Veterans Affairs-documented service-connected disability rating will be eligible for Department of Defense and Coast Guard commissary, exchange and MWR retail privileges beginning Jan. 1, 2020, under the Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018. During the first phase of rollout of these privileges, veterans eligible solely under this act (Purple Heart recipients, former prisoners of war, or veterans with VAdocumented service-connected disability ratings of 0-90 percent) who have been issued a Veteran Health Identification Card from VA can present their VHIC to gain entry to DoD and Coast Guard installations and some commissary stores; and at point of sale at commissaries, exchanges and MWR retail activities to complete their transactions. The VHIC must display the Veteran’s eligibility status (i.e., PURPLE HEART, FORMER POW or SERVICE CONNECTED).

Veterans eligible solely under this act who are not enrolled in or are not eligible to enroll in VA health care, or who are enrolled in VA health care, but do not possess a VHIC will not have access to DoD and Coast Guard installations for in-person commissary, exchange, and MWR retail privileges, but will have full access to online exchanges and American Forces Travel. Visit https://www.va.gov/healthbenefits/vhic for information regarding eligibility for the VHIC and the application process.

Q:If I don’t have a service-connected disability, but I meet one of the other new user categories, will I be eligible for privileges?

Yes. If you don’t have a service-connected disability, but you are a veteran who was awarded the Purple Heart, a veteran who was a former prisoner of war, or an individual approved and designated as the primary family caregiver of an eligible veteran under the Department of Veterans Affairs Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers, you will be eligible for privileges provided for under the Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018. During the first phase of rollout of these privileges, veterans who are Purple Heart recipients or former prisoners of war who have been issued a Veteran Health Identification Card from the VA can present their VHIC to gain entry to DoD and Coast Guard installations and some commissary stores; and at point of sale at commissaries, exchanges and morale, welfare and recreation retail activities to complete their transactions, The VHIC must display the Veteran’s eligibility status (i.e., PURPLE HEART, FORMER POW or SERVICE CONNECTED).

Veterans eligible solely under this act who are not enrolled in or are not eligible to enroll in VA health care, or are enrolled in VA health care, but do not possess a VHIC will not have access to DoD and Coast Guard installations for inperson commissary, exchange, and MWR retail privileges, but will have full access to online exchanges and American Forces Travel. Visit https://www.va.gov/healthbenefits/vhic for information regarding eligibility for the VHIC and the application process.

Primary family caregivers must present an eligibility letter to facilitate Department of Defense and Coast Guard installation and privilege access. Eligibility letters will be mailed to enrolled primary family caregivers from the VA’s Office of Community Care.

Q:What’s the definition of a service-connected disability?

A service-connected disability is an injury or illness that was incurred or aggravated during active military service, as determined by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Q:I was in the Reserves, am I included?

Yes. Reserve members who are veterans who were awarded the Purple Heart, veterans who are former prisoners of war, or veterans with a Department of Veterans Affairs-documented service-connected disability will be eligible for privileges provided for under the Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018. During the first phase of rollout of these privileges, veterans eligible solely under this act (Purple Heart recipients, former prisoners of war, or veterans with VA-documented service-connected disability ratings of 0-90 percent) who have been issued a Veteran Health Identification Card from VA can present their VHIC to gain entry to Department of Defense and Coast Guard installations and some commissary stores; and at point of sale at commissaries, exchanges and morale, welfare and recreation retail activities to complete their transactions, The VHIC must display the Veteran’s eligibility status (i.e., PURPLE HEART, FORMER POW or SERVICE CONNECTED).