1.This Act may be cited as
the Automatic Reserve Component
Enrollment Act of 2009
.
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)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)
(1)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)
(A)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)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 resourcesThe 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)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)
(1)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)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)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.