[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1798 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1798

To provide for the automatic enrollment of demobilizing members of the 
 National Guard and Reserve in health care and dental care programs of 
      the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 19, 2009

  Mr. Sanders introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide for the automatic enrollment of demobilizing members of the 
 National Guard and Reserve in health care and dental care programs of 
      the Department of Veterans Affairs, 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 ``Automatic Reserve Component 
Enrollment Act of 2009''.

SEC. 2. AUTOMATIC ENROLLMENT OF DEMOBILIZING MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL 
              GUARD AND RESERVE IN HEALTH CARE AND DENTAL CARE PROGRAMS 
              OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall jointly take appropriate actions to provide for 
the automatic enrollment of members of the National Guard and Reserve 
who are being discharged or released from active duty in the Armed 
Forces in the health care and dental care programs for veterans of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs during the participation of such members 
in the demobilization and discharge process used for members of the 
Reserve components of the Armed Forces.
    (b) Enrollment.--
            (1) Protection of privacy.--Any enrollment activities 
        required of members under subsection (a) shall provide 
        appropriate protections for the privacy of such members and 
        their personal information in accordance with applicable 
        requirements of law.
            (2) Assistance.--
                    (A) In general.--In providing for the enrollment of 
                members as described in subsection (a), the Secretary 
                of Veterans Affairs shall provide members assistance in 
                the completion of any enrollment activities required 
                under such subsection. Such assistance shall be 
                provided during the demobilization and discharge 
                process of such members utilizing such personnel of the 
                Department of Veterans Affairs, including personnel of 
                the Veterans Health Administration and the Veterans 
                Benefits Administration, as the Secretary shall assign 
                for such purposes.
                    (B) Education and outreach.--When providing 
                assistance under subparagraph (A) to members described 
                in subsection (a), the personnel of the Department 
                providing such assistance shall also provide 
                information to such members about the programs, 
                benefits, and services of the Department for which they 
                may be eligible, including how such members can apply 
                for and access such programs, benefits, and services.
            (3) Facilities and other resources.--The Secretary of 
        Defense shall ensure that the facilities and other resources 
        (including space and computer facilities) for the 
        demobilization and discharge process used for members of 
        Reserve components of the Armed Forces include adequate 
        facilities and resources for the performance by members of any 
        enrollment activities required under subsection (a) and any 
        assistance in the performance of such activities under 
        paragraph (2).
    (c) Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be construed to 
require a member of a Reserve component of the Armed Forces to 
participate in any health care or dental care program or use any 
service of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
    (d) Reports.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act and each year thereafter for five 
        years, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans 
        Affairs shall jointly submit a report on the implementation of 
        the requirements of this section to--
                    (A) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the 
                Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and
                    (B) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the 
                Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
                Representatives.
            (2) Contents.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall 
        include the following:
                    (A) A description of the activities undertaken by 
                the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans 
                Affairs to carry out the requirements of this section.
                    (B) An assessment of the effect of such activities 
                on--
                            (i) the enrollment of members of the 
                        Reserve components of the Armed Forces in 
                        health care and dental care programs for 
                        veterans of the Department of Veterans Affairs; 
                        and
                            (ii) the participation of such members in 
                        such programs.
                    (C) An assessment of the potential budgetary impact 
                and demand for services that actions taken under 
                subsection (a) may have on the Department of Veterans 
                Affairs and any need for additional staff or resources 
                to meet that demand.
                    (D) Such recommendations for legislative or 
                administrative action as the Secretary of Defense and 
                the Secretary of Veterans Affairs jointly consider 
                appropriate in order to improve or enhance the 
                requirements of this section so as to further 
                facilitate the enrollment of members of the Reserve 
                components of the Armed Forces in health care and 
                dental care programs for veterans of the Department of 
                Veterans Affairs.
                    (E) Such other matters with respect to the 
                requirements of this section as Secretary of Defense 
                and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs jointly consider 
                appropriate.
    (e) Enrollment Defined.--In this section, the term ``enrollment'' 
means, with respect to enrolling a member of a Reserve component of the 
Armed Forces in a health care or dental care program for veterans of 
the Department of Veterans Affairs, collecting and recording 
appropriate information about such member in the record keeping system 
of the Department of Veterans Affairs to facilitate participation of 
such member in such program if such member elects such participation 
and is eligible for such participation.
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