§ 322. Office of National Veterans Sports Programs and Special Events
(a)
Establishment.—
There is in the Department an Office of National Veterans Sports Programs and Special Events. There is at the head of the Office a Director, who shall report to an appropriate official of the Veterans Benefits Administration, as determined by the Secretary, or to the Deputy Secretary or Secretary.
(b)
Responsibilities of Director.—
Subject to the direction of the Secretary, the Director—
(3)
may provide for, facilitate, and encourage participation by disabled veterans in qualifying programs and events;
(4)
shall, to the extent feasible, cooperate with the United States Paralympics, Inc., and its partners to promote the participation of disabled veterans and disabled members of the Armed Forces in sporting events sponsored by the United States Paralympics, Inc., and its partners;
(c)
Qualifying Program or Event.—
For purposes of this section, a qualifying program or event is a sports program or other event in which disabled veterans and disabled members of the Armed Forces participate and that is approved by the Secretary as being consistent with the goals and missions of the Department.
(d)
Monthly Assistance Allowance.—
(1)
Subject to the availability of appropriations for such purpose, the Secretary may provide a monthly assistance allowance to a veteran with a disability invited by the United States Paralympics, Inc., 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 Paralympics, Inc., or who is residing at a United States Paralympics, Inc., training center.
(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.
(e)
Limitation on Statutory Construction.—
Nothing in this section shall be construed as a limitation on disabled sports and special events supported by the Department as of the date of the enactment of this section.