[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4374 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4374

  To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide that health-care 
 benefits shall be furnished by the Department of Veterans Affairs to 
    veterans with tobacco-related illnesses in accordance with the 
   standards in effect under Department of Veterans Affairs General 
  Counsel opinions issued before the enactment of the Transportation 
                    Equity Act for the 21st Century.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 31, 1998

      Mr. Kennedy of Rhode Island (for himself and Mr. English of 
Pennsylvania) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide that health-care 
 benefits shall be furnished by the Department of Veterans Affairs to 
    veterans with tobacco-related illnesses in accordance with the 
   standards in effect under Department of Veterans Affairs General 
  Counsel opinions issued before the enactment of the Transportation 
                    Equity Act for the 21st Century.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. MEDICAL CARE FOR VETERANS WITH TOBACCO-RELATED ILLNESSES.

    (a) Health-Care Eligibility.--Subsection (a)(2)(F) of section 1710 
of title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting ``or who has a 
tobacco-related illness,'' after ``hazard,''.
    (b) Terms of Eligibility.--Subsection (e)(1) of such section is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(D) A veteran who has a tobacco-related illness (as determined 
under regulations prescribed by the Secretary) is eligible for hospital 
care, medical services, and nursing home care under subsection 
(a)(2)(F) for that illness if, and to the extent that, the veteran 
would have been eligible for such care and services under the laws and 
regulations (including Department General Counsel opinions) in effect 
before the enactment of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st 
Century.''.
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