OFFICE OF SEN. MORAN
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) – Chairman and member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee – applaud the Senate passage of the Ryan Kules and Paul Benne Specially Adaptive Housing Improvement Act of 2019. This legislation, introduced by Sen. Moran and Sen. Sinema in July of 2019, will expand Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) eligibility for seriously injured, ill, or blind veterans.
This legislation is named after the late Spring Hill, Kansas, native Army Colonel (Ret.) Paul Benne and Army Captain (Ret.) Ryan Kules, both of whom were both stationed at Fort Riley.
“I am pleased to announce this legislation passed the Senate, but I do so with a heavy heart as Colonel Benne ultimately lost his battle to a rare degenerative disease on December 7, 2019,” said Chairman Moran. “Thank you to Colonel Benne, and his wife, Christine, for their decades of selfless service to our nation and for their advocacy, resiliency and willingness to share their story, which will undoubtedly help many veterans in the future.
"In addition, I want to thank Captain Kules for being a tireless advocate for this important legislation so veterans can better utilize their benefits in a way that best fits their needs. I urge the House to quickly approve this legislation in honor of Colonel Benne, so we can provide greater support and improve the quality of life for many of our nation’s veterans.”
“Many veterans carry wounds from military service that make everyday life more challenging. Our bill breaks down barriers and helps veterans access the specially adaptive housing benefits they’ve earned,” said Sen. Sinema.
“On the behalf of the Wounded Warrior Project, I thank Senator Moran for his great fidelity to our nation’s veterans and his leadership in passing the Specially Adaptive Housing Improvement Act of 2019,” said Ryan Kules, Director of Combat Stress Recovery Programs, Wounded Warrior Project.
“This important bill will help thousands of seriously wounded, injured, and ill veterans make necessary improvements to their homes to make them safer, more navigable, and more responsive to their needs. Having been stationed in the Great State of Kansas at Fort Riley, I appreciate Senator Moran’s bi-partisan approach and hard work to get this bill passed. We look forward to this important legislation being signed into law.”
In 2013, Col. Benne developed a medical condition that led to his retirement from the U.S. Army after 23 years of service. Col. Benne was rated 100 percent disabled at the time of his retirement.
In 2016, Col. Benne was fitted by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for a wheelchair and applied for an SAH grant, as neither the Benne’s home nor vehicle could accommodate his new wheelchair.
After more than a year of navigating the VA, Col. Benne and his wife, Christine, contacted Sen. Moran’s office for assistance. Within three months of Sen. Moran’s office working with Col. Benne to engage the VA, Col. Benne was given a favorable decision on his adaptive housing claim and provided SAH grants.
Col. Benne, a University of Kansas School of Pharmacy graduate, served on both Fort Riley and Fort Leavenworth during his 23 years of service in the United States Army, most recently as chief of the Department of Public Health at Irwin Army Medical Hospital on Fort Riley. Christine resides in Manhattan, Kansas, and is active with the Association of the United States Army, Fort Riley-Central Kansas Chapter.
This legislation – developed to prevent future difficulties similar to those Col. Benne faced while trying to access an SAH grant – would increase the grant amount to allow veterans to adapt their home to fit their disability; would double the maximum number of awarded grants from three to six per veteran; would allow blind veterans to access the grant; and would increase the number of authorized applications per Fiscal Year from 30 to 120.