[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 917 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 917

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to permit eligible veterans to 
              receive direct access to chiropractic care.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 17, 2005

  Mr. Filner introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to permit eligible veterans to 
              receive direct access to chiropractic care.

    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 ``Better Access to Chiropractors to 
Keep our Veterans Healthy Act (BACK Veterans Health Act)''.

SEC. 2. EXPANDED CHIROPRACTOR SERVICES AVAILABLE TO VETERANS.

    (a) Medical Services.--Paragraph (6) of section 1701 of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph:
            ``(G) Chiropractic services.''.
    (b) Rehabilitative Services.--Paragraph (8) of such section is 
amended by inserting ``chiropractic,'' after ``counseling,''.
    (c) Preventive Health Services.--Paragraph (9) of such section is 
amended --
            (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (F) through (K) as 
        subparagraphs (G) through (L), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the following new 
        subparagraph (F):
            ``(F) periodic and preventative chiropractic examinations 
        and services;''.

SEC. 3. DIRECT ACCESS FOR VETERANS TO CHIROPRACTIC SERVICES.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after section 1710B the following new section:
``Sec. 1710C. Direct access to chiropractic services
    ``(a) The Secretary shall permit eligible veterans to receive 
needed medical services, rehabilitative services, and preventative 
health services from a licensed doctor of chiropractic on a direct 
access basis at the election of the eligible veteran, if such services 
are within the State scope of practice of such doctor of chiropractic.
    ``(b) The Secretary shall not discriminate among licensed health-
care providers in the determination of needed services.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
1710B the following new item:

``1710C. Direct access to chiropractic services.''.
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