[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5693 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5693

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of 
    Veterans Affairs to enter into contracts and agreements for the 
   placement of veterans in non-Department medical foster homes for 
         certain veterans who are unable to live independently.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 7, 2018

   Mr. Higgins of Louisiana introduced the following bill; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

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                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of 
    Veterans Affairs to enter into contracts and agreements for the 
   placement of veterans in non-Department medical foster homes for 
         certain veterans who are unable to live independently.

    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 ``Long-Term Care Veterans Choice 
Act''.

SEC. 2. SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS CONTRACT AUTHORITY FOR PLACEMENT 
              OF VETERANS IN NON-DEPARTMENT MEDICAL FOSTER HOMES.

    (a) Authority.--Section 1720 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(h)(1) During the three-year period beginning on October 1, 2019, 
and subject to paragraph (2), at the request of a veteran for whom the 
Secretary is required to provide nursing home care under section 1710A 
of this title, the Secretary may place the veteran in a medical foster 
home that meets Department standards, at the expense of the United 
States, pursuant to a contract or agreement entered into between the 
Secretary and the medical foster home for such purpose. A veteran who 
is placed in a medical foster home under this subsection shall agree, 
as a condition of such placement, to accept home health services 
furnished by the Secretary under section 1717 of this title.
    ``(2) Not more than 900 veterans placed in a medical foster home, 
whether placed before or after the date of the enactment of this 
subsection, may have their care covered at the expense of the United 
States under subsection (a).
    ``(3) In this subsection, the term `medical foster home' means a 
home designed to provide non-institutional, long-term, supportive care 
for veterans who are unable to live independently and prefer a family 
setting.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--Subsection (h) of title 38, United States 
Code, as added by subsection (a), shall take effect on October 1, 2019.
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