[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5431 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5431

   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a pilot 
program to award grants to health care entities to lease, purchase, or 
 build health care facilities for female patients to provide hospital 
        care and medical services to qualified female veterans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 9, 2016

Mr. Israel (for himself and Mr. Zeldin) introduced the following bill; 
        which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a pilot 
program to award grants to health care entities to lease, purchase, or 
 build health care facilities for female patients to provide hospital 
        care and medical services to qualified female veterans.

    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 ``Expanding Care for Female Veterans 
Act''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE HOSPITAL CARE AND MEDICAL SERVICES TO 
              QUALIFIED FEMALE VETERANS.

    (a) Pilot Program Established.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall establish a pilot program to award grants to health care entities 
to lease, purchase, or build health care facilities for female patients 
to provide hospital care and medical services to qualified female 
veterans.
    (b) Duration of Pilot Program.--The pilot program shall terminate 
three years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (c) Application.--To be selected to receive a grant under the pilot 
program, a health care entity shall submit to the Secretary an 
application at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the Secretary may require.
    (d) Nature of Facilities Leased, Purchased, or Built Through Use of 
Pilot Program Grant Funds.--For purposes of providing hospital care and 
medical services to qualified female veterans, a health care facility 
leased, purchased, or built under the pilot program shall be deemed to 
be--
            (1) an entity specified in section 101(a)(1)(B) of the 
        Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (38 
        U.S.C. 1701 note); or
            (2) if the authority to carry out the program established 
        under section 101 of such Act is terminated, an entity 
        otherwise authorized to provide hospital care and medical 
        services pursuant to an agreement entered into by the 
        Secretary.
    (e) Report.--Not later than three years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit a 
report to Congress that includes the following:
            (1) The number of grants awarded under the pilot program.
            (2) The amount of each grant awarded under the pilot 
        program.
            (3) A list of the health care entities awarded grants under 
        the pilot program.
            (4) An assessment of the pilot program.
            (5) A recommendation as to whether the duration of the 
        pilot program should be extended.
    (f) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Hospital care.--The term ``hospital care'' has the 
        meaning given such term in section 1701 of title 38, United 
        States Code.
            (2) Medical services.--The term ``medical services'' has 
        the meaning given such term in section 1701 of title 38, United 
        States Code.
            (3) Qualified female veteran.--The term ``qualified female 
        veteran'' means a female veteran enrolled in the patient 
        enrollment system of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
        established and operated under section 1705 of title 38, United 
        States Code.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs $10,000,000 for 
fiscal year 2017 to carry out the pilot program.
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