[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1463 Considered and Passed Senate (CPS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1463

To amend the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to 
 modify the distance requirement for expanded availability of hospital 
 care and medical services for veterans through the use of agreements 
           with non-Department of Veterans Affairs entities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 22, 2015

Mr. Moran (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Brown, Mr. King, 
 Ms. Collins, and Mr. Hoeven) introduced the following bill; which was 
        read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to 
 modify the distance requirement for expanded availability of hospital 
 care and medical services for veterans through the use of agreements 
           with non-Department of Veterans Affairs entities.

    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 ``Access to Community Care for 
Veterans Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. MODIFICATION OF DISTANCE REQUIREMENT FOR EXPANDED AVAILABILITY 
              OF HOSPITAL CARE AND MEDICAL SERVICES FOR VETERANS 
              THROUGH THE USE OF AGREEMENTS WITH NON-DEPARTMENT OF 
              VETERANS AFFAIRS ENTITIES.

    (a) In General.--Subparagraph (B) of section 101(b)(2) of the 
Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (Public Law 
113-146; 38 U.S.C. 1701 note) is amended to read as follows:
                    ``(B) resides more than 40 miles (calculated based 
                on distance traveled) from a medical facility of the 
                Department, including a community-based outpatient 
                clinic, that is the closest such medical facility to 
                the residence of the veteran that is able to provide to 
                the veteran the hospital care or medical services that 
                the veteran needs;''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect on the date that is 60 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act and shall apply with respect to care and services provided 
under section 101 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability 
Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-146; 38 U.S.C. 1701 note) on and after such 
effective date.
    (c) Emergency Designations.--
            (1) In general.--The amendment made by subsection (a) is 
        designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 4(g) 
        of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (2 U.S.C. 933(g)).
            (2) Designation in senate.--In the Senate, the amendment 
        made by subsection (a) is designated as an emergency 
        requirement pursuant to section 403(a) of S. Con. Res. 13 
        (111th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for 
        fiscal year 2010.
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