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H.R. 4154House116th Congress (2019-2021)In Committee

Leave no Veteran Behind Act

Sponsored by Susie LeeRep. Susie Lee (D-NV)
Introduced August 2, 2019

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 14, 2026 at 7:55 AM UTC

The Leave no Veteran Behind Act directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to contact veterans who have not used VA health services in the past two years and encourage them to obtain comprehensive physical, mental‑health, eye, and hearing exams. It also arranges same‑day scheduling, allows community‑care options, and provides travel assistance for rural veterans. The law requires a report to Congress on how many veterans respond to the outreach.

Key Provisions

  • Within 90 days of the law’s enactment, the VA’s Under Secretary of Health must reach out by mail, phone, or email to each “covered veteran” and encourage them to get a comprehensive physical, mental‑health, eye (if not done in the past year), and audiology exam (if not done in the past year).
  • If a veteran chooses to have more than one exam at a VA health‑care facility, the VA will try to schedule all of those exams on the same day.
  • Veterans may also receive the exams from community providers as allowed under existing VA law.
  • The VA may pay travel costs for rural covered veterans to reach a VA facility, and the Under Secretary will work with nonprofit groups to provide shuttle services for those veterans.
  • The VA Secretary must report to Congress within 18 months on how many covered veterans scheduled exams after receiving the outreach.
  • A “covered veteran” is someone enrolled in the VA’s annual patient enrollment system who has not received VA‑provided or paid health care in the prior two years; a “rural covered veteran” lives in an area served by the VA Office of Rural Health and needs travel assistance.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions
HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Health Subcommittee

August 22, 2019

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

August 2, 2019

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

August 2, 2019

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Health Subcommittee

August 22, 2019

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued August 2, 2019

I

116th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 4154

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

August 2, 2019

Mrs. Lee of Nevada (for herself and Mr. Watkins) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

A BILL

To direct the Under Secretary of Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs to contact certain veterans to encourage such veterans to receive medical examinations furnished or paid for by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Leave no Veteran Behind Act.

2.

Medical examinations for certain veterans

(a)

Notice

Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs shall seek to contact each covered veteran by mail, telephone, or email to encourage each covered veteran to receive medical examinations including the following:

(1)

A comprehensive physical examination.

(2)

A comprehensive mental health examination.

(3)

A comprehensive eye examination if the covered veteran has not received such an examination in the year immediately preceding the date of such examination.

(4)

A comprehensive audiological examination if the covered veteran has not received such an examination in the year immediately preceding the date of such examination.

(b)

Examinations

(1)

VA health care facilities

If a covered veteran elects to receive more than one examination described in subsection (a) at a health care facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Under Secretary of Health shall seek to furnish all such scheduled examinations on the same day.

(2)

Community care

Pursuant to subsection (d) or (e) of section 1703 of title 38, United States Code, a covered veteran may receive an examination described in subsection (a) from a health care provider described in subsection (c) of that section.

(c)

Transportation

(1)

Beneficiary travel program

Pursuant to section 111 of title 38, United States Code, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may pay for a rural covered veteran to travel to a health care facility to receive an examination described in subsection (a).

(2)

Shuttle service

The Under Secretary of Health shall seek to enter into agreements with non-profit organizations to provide shuttle service to rural covered veterans for examinations described in subsection (a).

(d)

Report required

Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress a report regarding how many covered veterans scheduled examinations described in subsection (a) after receiving a letter, telephone call, or email under that subsection.

(e)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

The term covered veteran means a veteran who—

(A)

is enrolled in the system of annual patient enrollment under section 1705 of title 38, United States Code; and

(B)

has not received health care furnished or paid for by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs during the two years immediately preceding the date in subsection (a)(1).

(2)

The term rural covered veteran means a covered veteran—

(A)

who lives in an area served by the Office of Rural Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs; and

(B)

whom the Under Secretary of Health determines requires assistance to travel to a health care facility to receive an examination described in subsection (a).

(3)

The term veteran has the meaning given that term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code.