S.Amdt. 178

SA 178. Mr. KING (for himself and Mr. Rounds) submitted an amendment
intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 2226, to authorize
appropriations for fiscal year 2024 for military activities of the
Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense
activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel
strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place in title VII, insert the
following:

SEC. 7__. HEALTH CARE FROM DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR
MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES ON ACTIVE DUTY
DURING PERIOD PRIOR TO DISCHARGE, RELEASE,
RETIREMENT, OR SEPARATION.

(a) Care for Members of the Armed Forces on Active Duty.--
(1) In general.--Subchapter VIII of chapter 17 of title 38,
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following new section:

``Sec. 1790. Care for members of the Armed Forces on active
duty

``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall furnish hospital
care and medical services that the Secretary determines to be
needed--
``(1) to a member of the armed forces throughout the 90-day
period immediately preceding discharge or release of such
member from the armed forces upon completion by such member
of 180 or more continuous days of active duty; and
``(2) to a member of the armed forces throughout the 90-day
period immediately preceding retirement or separation of such
member from active duty for disability without regard to
duration of service of such member on active duty.
``(b) Manner of Providing Care.--In carrying out subsection
(a), the Secretary shall furnish hospital care and medical
services in the same or similar manner and subject to the
same or similar limitations as hospital care and medical
services furnished to veterans eligible for such care and
services, by--
``(1) establishing processes and procedures to complete
enrollment in the patient enrollment system under section
1705(a)(9) of this title of members of the armed forces
described in subsection (a) prior to the 90-day authorization
window for hospital care and medical services under such
subsection;
``(2) establishing access standards for furnishing hospital
care and medical services to such members; and
``(3) ensuring that such access standards mitigate the
absence of service-connected disability determinations for
such members.
``(c) Annual Report.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than April 30 of each year,
the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
of the House of Representatives a report on hospital care and
medical services furnished under subsection (a) during the
previous calendar year.
``(2) Elements.--Each report required under paragraph (1)
shall include, for the year covered by the report--
``(A) the number of individuals who received hospital care
or medical services under subsection (a);
``(B) demographic information for such individuals;
``(C) the types of such care or services furnished or paid
for by the Department; and
``(D) the total cost to the Department of providing such
care or services.
``(d) Armed Forces Defined.--In this section, the term
`armed forces' has the meaning given that term in section 101
of title 10.''.
(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the
beginning of such subchapter is amended by adding at the end
the following new item:

``1790. Care for members of the Armed Forces on active duty.''.

[[Page S2379]]

(b) Enrollment of Members.--Section 1705(a) of title 38,
United States Code, is amended--
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking
``enrollment of veterans'' and inserting ``enrollment of
individuals under such system''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(9) Members of the Armed Forces for purposes of
furnishing hospital care and medical services under section
1790(a) of this title.''.
(c) Implementation Date.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall begin furnishing care and services under section 1790
of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a),
by not later than one year after the date of the enactment of
this Act.
(d) Progress Briefing.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall
provide to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate
and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of
Representatives a briefing regarding the progress of the
Secretary in meeting the requirements under section 1790 of
title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a).
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