SHIRLEY, Maine (AP) — A pair of U.S. senators from Maine and West Virginia has introduced a proposal to reduce the cost of special adaptive vehicle equipment for severely disabled veterans.
Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia said their proposal would make the veterans eligible to receive a grant to help them purchase their equipment once every ten years. Adaptive vehicles, which some disabled people need to be able to drive safely, can cost from $40,000 to $65,000.
Collins said she was motivated to propose the law change in part by the story of a disabled veteran in Shirley, Maine, who will soon need a new van that will cost more than he paid for his home.
Manchin said the veterans “fought for our freedoms and deserve support here at home.”
