[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2601 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2601


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            November 8, 2017

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
To amend the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to 
  improve the access of veterans to organ transplants, 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 ``Veterans Increased Choice for 
Transplanted Organs and Recovery Act of 2017'' or the ``VICTOR Act of 
2017''.

SEC. 2. ORGAN TRANSPLANTS UNDER THE VETERANS CHOICE PROGRAM.

    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--
            (1) in subparagraph (C)(ii), by striking ``or'';
            (2) in subparagraph (D)(ii)(II)(dd), by striking the period 
        and inserting ``; or''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(E)(i) requires an organ or bone marrow 
                transplant; and
                    ``(ii)(I) has, in the opinion of the primary health 
                care provider of the veteran, a medically compelling 
                reason to travel outside the region of the Organ 
                Procurement and Transplantation Network, established 
                under section 372 of the National Organ Transplantation 
                Act (Public Law 98-507; 42 U.S.C. 274), in which the 
                veteran resides to receive such transplant at a medical 
                facility of the Department; or
                    ``(II) faces an unusual or excessive burden in 
                receiving such transplant at a medical facility of the 
                Department, including--
                            ``(aa) geographical challenges;
                            ``(bb) environmental factors, including 
                        roads that are not accessible to the general 
                        public, traffic, or hazardous weather;
                            ``(cc) a medical condition of the veteran 
                        that affects the ability to travel; or
                            ``(dd) other factors the Secretary 
                        determines appropriate, including the 
                        preference of the veteran to receive such 
                        transplant at a non-Department facility.''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall take effect on the later of--
            (1) October 1, 2018; and
            (2) the date of the enactment of this Act.

            Passed the House of Representatives November 7, 2017.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.