[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2632 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2632
To amend title 10, United States Code, to improve the administration of
the TRICARE program in Puerto Rico, and for other purposes.
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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 3, 2025
Mr. Hernandez (for himself, Ms. Brownley, and Ms. Norton) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed
Services
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A BILL
To amend title 10, United States Code, to improve the administration of
the TRICARE program in Puerto Rico, 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 ``TRICARE Equality Act''.
SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO ADMINISTRATION OF TRICARE PROGRAM IN
PUERTO RICO.
(a) Improvements.--Chapter 55 of title 10, United States Code, is
amended by inserting after section 1076f the following new section (and
conforming the table of sections at the beginning of such chapter
accordingly):
``Sec. 1076g. TRICARE program: administration in Puerto Rico
``(a) Availability of TRICARE Prime.--In designating geographical
areas under section 1097(b)(3) of this title, the Secretary of Defense
shall designate such areas in Puerto Rico in a similar manner used to
designate such areas in the several States.
``(b) Expansion of Travel Benefits.--(1) In providing travel and
transportation allowances under section 1074i of this title, the
Secretary of Defense shall ensure that individuals located in Puerto
Rico who, but for such location, would be eligible to receive such
allowances pursuant to such section are eligible to receive such
allowances.
``(2) The Secretary may revise the regulations prescribed under
section 464 of title 37, or prescribe such new regulations, as may be
necessary for the administration of paragraph (1).
``(c) Health Information Exchange.--The Director of the Federal
Electronic Health Record Modernization Office shall coordinate with the
Director of the Department of Health of Puerto Rico for the purpose of
sharing health information through the Joint Health Information
Exchange, or such successor initiative.
``(d) Federal Electronic Health Record Modernization Office
Defined.--In this section, the term `Federal Electronic Health Record
Modernization Office' means the Office established under section
1635(b) of the Wounded Warrior Act (title XVI of Public Law 110-181; 10
U.S.C. 1071 note).''.
(b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the
Committees on Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the
Senate a report on the progress of the Secretary in implementing the
requirements of section 1076g of title 10, United States Code, as added
by subsection (a).
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