[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1913 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1913
To expand access to health care for veterans in the Freely Associated
States, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 8, 2023
Mr. Schatz (for himself, Ms. Murkowski, Ms. Hirono, and Mr. Boozman)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To expand access to health care for veterans in the Freely Associated
States, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Care for COFA Veterans Act''.
SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF EXISTING AUTHORITIES TO PROVIDE HEALTH CARE TO
VETERANS IN THE FREELY ASSOCIATED STATES.
(a) Health Care Abroad.--Section 1724 of title 38, United States
Code, is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ``subsections (b) and
(c)'' and inserting ``subsections (b), (c), and (f)''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(f)(1) The Secretary may furnish hospital care and medical
services in the Freely Associated States for any service-connected
disability or non-service-connected disability.
``(2) In furnishing care and services under paragraph (1), the
Secretary may furnish such care and services through contracts or other
agreements, through reimbursement, or through the direct provision of
care by health care personnel of the Department.
``(3) In this subsection, the term `Freely Associated States' means
the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the
Federated States of Micronesia, which have each entered into a Compact
of Free Association with the United States.''.
(b) Beneficiary Travel for Treatment of Service-Connected
Disabilities.--Section 111 of such title is amended by adding at the
end the following new subsection:
``(h)(1) The Secretary may make payments provided for in this
section to or for any person specified in subsection (b)(1)(A) for
travel specified in that subsection to, from, or within the Freely
Associated States.
``(2) In this subsection, the term `Freely Associated States' means
the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the
Federated States of Micronesia, which have each entered into a Compact
of Free Association with the United States.''.
(c) Legal Issues.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in
consultation with the Secretary of State, shall work with the
governments of the Freely Associated States to facilitate the
furnishing of health services, including telehealth, under the laws
administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to veterans in the
Freely Associated States, such as by addressing--
(1) licensure, certification, registration, and tort issues
relating to health care personnel; and
(2) matters relating to deliveries of pharmaceutical
products and medical surgical products, including deliveries of
such products through the pharmacy of the Department of
Veterans Affairs, to the Freely Associated States.
(d) Outreach and Assessment of Options.--During the one-year period
beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs shall--
(1) conduct robust outreach to and engage with each
government of the Freely Associated States; and
(2) assess options about the best way to furnish care under
section 1724(f) of title 38, United States Code, as added by
subsection (a).
(e) Report on Provision of Health Care to Veterans in the Freely
Associated States.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit
to Congress a report on the implementation of the authorities provided
pursuant to the amendments made by this section and any additional
authorities and resources needed by the Secretary to carry out those
authorities, including to carry out the following:
(1) Reimbursement of care for non-service-connected
disabilities in the Freely Associated States under section
1724(f) of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection
(a).
(2) Contracts with local clinics and federally qualified
health centers (as defined in section 1905(l)(2)(B) of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396d(l)(2)(B))) in the Freely
Associated States to provide care and services such section
1724(f), as so added.
(3) Furnishing of telehealth services and technologies to
veterans in the Freely Associated States by providers of the
Department under such section 1724(f), as so added.
(4) Payment under section 111(h) of title 38, United States
Code, as added by subsection (b), for travel to, from, or
within the Freely Associated States for veterans seeking health
care for service-connected disabilities.
(5) Construction of clinics in the Freely Associated States
or leasing of space at military installations, embassy
compounds, or consulate facilities to provide care under
section 1724(f) of title 38, United States Code, as added by
subsection (a).
(6) Such other matters as the Secretary considers
appropriate.
(f) Freely Associated States Defined.--In this section, the term
``Freely Associated States'' means the Republic of Palau, the Republic
of the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia, which
have each entered into a Compact of Free Association with the United
States.
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