115 S2248 EAH: Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018
U.S. Senate
2018-12-10
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
115th CONGRESS2d Session
In the House of Representatives, U. S.,
December 10, 2018
AMENDMENT:
That the bill from the Senate (S. 2248) entitled An Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide certain burial benefits for spouses and children of veterans who are buried in tribal cemeteries, and for other purposes.
, do pass with the following Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:
1.Short title; table of contents
(a)This Act may be cited as the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018
. (b)The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Title I—Education
Sec. 101. Inclusion of certain additional periods of active duty service for purposes of suspension of charges to entitlement during periods of suspended participation in Department of Veterans Affairs vocational rehabilitation programs.
Sec. 102. Provision of monthly housing stipend information under Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program.
Sec. 103. Disapproval for purposes of educational assistance programs of Department of Veterans Affairs of certain courses of education that do not permit individuals to attend or participate in courses pending payment.
Sec. 104. Provision of information on required additional actions to allow individuals to stay enrolled in courses of education pending receipt of educational assistance from department of veterans affairs.
Sec. 105. Calculation of monthly housing stipend under high technology pilot program based on location of campus where veteran attends classes.
Sec. 106. Clarification regarding applicability of authority to use educational assistance to pursue independent study programs at certain educational institutions that are not institutions of higher learning.
Title II—Memorial affairs
Sec. 201. Eligibility of spouses and children of veterans buried in tribal cemeteries for certain Department of Veterans Affairs burial benefits.
Sec. 202. Department of Veterans Affairs provision of headstones and markers for, and interment in national cemeteries of, spouses and dependent children of members of the Armed Forces serving on active duty.
Title III—Civil relief
Sec. 301. Termination of leases of premises of deceased servicemembers who die while in military service.
Sec. 302. Residence of spouses of servicemembers for tax purposes.
Sec. 303. Residence of spouses of servicemembers for voting.
Sec. 304. Termination of multichannel video programming and internet access service contracts.
Title IV—Transition assistance
Sec. 401. Study of community-based transition assistance programs for members of the Armed Forces after separation, retirement, or discharge.
Title V—Departmental administration
Sec. 501. Misuse of Department of Veterans Affairs purchase cards by Department employees.
Sec. 502. Updating dependent information.
Sec. 503. Oversight of Electronic Health Record Modernization Program.
Sec. 504. Department of Veterans Affairs notice relating to debt collection activities.
Title VI—Medical facilities
Sec. 601. Authorization of major medical facility projects for fiscal year 2019.
Sec. 602. Plans to improve medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Title VII—Other matters
Sec. 701. Homeless veterans reintegration programs.
Sec. 702. Technical corrections.
Sec. 703. Medical Surgical Prime Vendor program.
Sec. 704. Report on expanding access to dental care for veterans eligible for health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
<enum>I</enum><header>Education</header>
<section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H2D873BD8D131429EAFADF532185D513B" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>101.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Inclusion of certain additional periods of active duty service for purposes of suspension of charges to entitlement during periods of suspended participation in Department of Veterans Affairs vocational rehabilitation programs</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 3105(e)(2) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking <quote>or 12304</quote> and inserting <quote>12304, 12304a, or 12304b</quote>.</text></section> <section id="H218D8CF276FD4EBDADA303D43550104B" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>102.</enum><header>Provision of monthly housing stipend information under Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 3313 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HE8D2B2D6406F4A5D8A67003675CFBAC8" style="USC">
<subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H1E28B0CDCF604D768D7DAFBF513FB6B7"><enum>(k)</enum><header>Provision of housing stipend payment information</header>
<paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H82B7D764A073469182C2271113F4C4B6"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary shall furnish to individuals receiving educational assistance under this chapter documentation that verifies the amount of the monthly housing stipend the individual receives under this section.</text></paragraph> <paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HE2D389C5BA4C46E6AAB760760DB79909"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Manner</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary shall make such documentation available to the individual using an internet website in the same manner the Secretary provides documentation verifying compensation and other benefits furnished by the Secretary to individuals.</text></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></section>
<section id="H909A7C475E9446BEB272E7FF1816393E" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>103.</enum><header>Disapproval for purposes of educational assistance programs of Department of Veterans Affairs of certain courses of education that do not permit individuals to attend or participate in courses pending payment</header>
<subsection id="HEAAD5845953F412A8AE5572793335C17"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 3679 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:</text> <quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H8A7F0AC2793A41D6B606CFC64841C793" style="USC"> <subsection id="HE1743AC340EF424AA40031C192A9CBAA"><enum>(e)</enum> <paragraph commented="no" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="H36F3E20EC1A44E7B8FFD3253950FCD3A"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, beginning on August 1, 2019, a State approving agency, or the Secretary when acting in the role of the State approving agency, shall disapprove a course of education provided by an educational institution that has in effect a policy that is inconsistent with any of the following:</text>
<subparagraph id="HAB3C5748C621433D8FFA021AF0C5C2A0" indent="up1"><enum>(A)</enum><text>A policy that permits any covered individual to attend or participate in the course of education during the period beginning on the date on which the individual provides to the educational institution a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance under chapter 31 or 33 of this title and ending on the earlier of the following dates:</text> <clause id="HF73F42D2BE6543CC8DE0CC76B66C1E1D"><enum>(i)</enum><text>The date on which the Secretary provides payment for such course of education to such institution.</text></clause>
<clause id="H4211B4A1BE884ACFBB9CE886EE9FF574"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The date that is 90 days after the date on which the educational institution certifies for tuition and fees following receipt from the student such certificate of eligibility.</text></clause></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="HAA95041F676F48F893869ACAD2723690" indent="up1"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A policy that ensures that the educational institution will not impose any penalty, including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities, or the requirement that a covered individual borrow additional funds, on any covered individual because of the individual’s inability to meet his or her financial obligations to the institution due to the delayed disbursement of a payment to be provided by the Secretary under chapter 31 or 33 of this title.</text></subparagraph></paragraph>
<paragraph id="H302FED349A9D420B953DD6A59343C0CF" indent="up1"><enum>(2)</enum><text>For purposes of this subsection, a covered individual is any individual who is entitled to educational assistance under chapter 31 or 33 of this title.</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H54A62308385D41FAB5C5B4E83245B991" indent="up1"><enum>(3)</enum><text>The Secretary may waive such requirements of paragraph (1) as the Secretary considers appropriate.</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="H0ADF523593B4453C99C8F3827522FB6A" indent="up1"><enum>(4)</enum><text>It shall not be inconsistent with a policy described in paragraph (1) for an educational institution to require a covered individual to take the following additional actions:</text> <subparagraph id="H25618FE4E30048BBACA4B808A8C783EC"><enum>(A)</enum><text>Submit a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance not later than the first day of a course of education for which the individual has indicated the individual wishes to use the individual's entitlement to educational assistance.</text></subparagraph>
<subparagraph id="H267E72B824664DD88FF6A364B2246D43"><enum>(B)</enum><text>Submit a written request to use such entitlement.</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="HE58EE1BA76124288B43CB6444C855989"><enum>(C)</enum><text>Provide additional information necessary to the proper certification of enrollment by the educational institution.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection>
<subsection id="HDCAD93C140384E82AD1B5BB943C23DF4"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Prompt payments</header>
<paragraph id="H0919C7BBB21D4BCBB2EC09E09EF248B2"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall take such actions as may be necessary to ensure that the Secretary makes a payment to an educational institution on behalf of an individual, who is entitled to educational assistance under chapter 31 or 33 of title 38, United States Code, and who is using such assistance to pursue a program of education at the educational institution, not later than 60 days after the date on which the educational institution certifies to the Secretary the applicable tuition and fees for the individual.</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H246208674AD14078962E03BB52BC90B5"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Semiannual reports</header><text>Not later than May 1 and October 1 of each year, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a semiannual report summarizing any cases in which the Secretary failed to make a payment described in paragraph (1) within the period set forth in such paragraph and an explanation for each delayed disbursement of payment.</text></paragraph></subsection>
<subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H94DA03D7EC524CCB9119414F9F1B1BB9"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Rule of construction</header><text>In a case in which an individual is unable to meet a financial obligation to an educational institution due to the delayed disbursement of a payment to be provided by the Secretary under chapter 31 or 33 of such title and the amount of such disbursement is less than anticipated, nothing in section 3679(e) of such title, as added by subsection (a), shall be construed to prohibit an educational institution from requiring additional payment or imposing a fee for the amount that is the difference between the amount of the financial obligation and the amount of the disbursement.</text></subsection></section> <section id="H8EBDABC0DA9540768B6245B3BEF07E21"><enum>104.</enum><header>Provision of information on required additional actions to allow individuals to stay enrolled in courses of education pending receipt of educational assistance from department of veterans affairs</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 3698(c)(1)(C) of title 38, United States Code, is amended—</text>
<paragraph id="HD6E157717F21482E9B6E582EE72DCAFB"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in clause (x), by striking <quote>; and</quote> and inserting a semicolon;</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H74787CCFFCEB4879923D8BDF55C63932"><enum>(2)</enum><text>in clause (xi), by striking the period at the end and inserting <quote>; and</quote>; and</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="H14B86E531F0248829BC0EE9249D2EB41"><enum>(3)</enum><text>by adding at the end the following new clause:</text> <quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H9E90C8974E604BD7B82D5D1CCC0C661E" style="OLC"> <clause id="H94A1903B454847A390A7371B988386F7" indent="up1"><enum>(xii)</enum><text>information on whether the institution requires a covered individual to take additional action pursuant to section 3679(e)(4) of this title to stay enrolled in a course pending receipt of educational assistance under a law administered by the Secretary.</text></clause><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph></section>
<section id="H87C69AF85518464DA0D63D182D989584" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>105.</enum><header>Calculation of monthly housing stipend under high technology pilot program based on location of campus where veteran attends classes</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 116(d)(1) of the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 (<external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/115/48">Public Law 115–48</external-xref>, <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/38/3001">38 U.S.C. 3001</external-xref> (note)), is amended—</text> <paragraph id="H2631D51CDB714E3AB7C6D42846A08850"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in subparagraph (A), by striking <quote>the institution at which the individual is enrolled</quote> and inserting <quote>the campus of the institution where the individual physically participates in a majority of classes</quote>; and</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="HA07AF1D8F074433FAF5736CD7BDBD02B"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in subparagraph (B), by striking <quote>the amount payable</quote> and all that follows through <quote>subparagraph (A)</quote> and inserting <quote>the national average of the monthly amount of the basic allowance for housing payable under section 403 of title 37, United States Code, for a member with dependents in pay grade E–5</quote>.</text></paragraph></section> <section id="HE915A34A8EE94677920E4DBA34624B33"><enum>106.</enum><header>Clarification regarding applicability of authority to use educational assistance to pursue independent study programs at certain educational institutions that are not institutions of higher learning</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">The section heading for section 302 of the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 (<external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/115/48">Public Law 115–48</external-xref>; 131 Stat. 990) is amended to read as follows (and the table of contents for such Act is conformed accordingly):</text>
<quoted-block id="H2FDCFBDFE0B34866AD3513B508EC14A9" style="OLC">
<section id="HEA1B7FCAD3D048B38612805892D54528"><enum>302.</enum><header>Authorization for use of educational assistance under any of the educational assistance programs of the department of veterans affairs to pursue independent study programs at certain educational institutions that are not institutions of higher learning</header></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></section>
<enum>II</enum><header>Memorial affairs</header>
<section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H222A99A2637E41E1880FFCAD8197C467" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>201.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Eligibility of spouses and children of veterans buried in tribal cemeteries for certain Department of Veterans Affairs burial benefits</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 2306 of title 38, United States Code, is amended—</text> <paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H8EC80947C4544CC0BF140FBA6DF39CD7"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in subsection (a)(4), by inserting <quote>or a veterans’ cemetery owned by a tribal organization or on land owned by or held in trust for a tribal organization</quote> after <quote>State</quote>;</text></paragraph>
<paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H6DEF7A5C0F0F414F8BCDFE6137B76A17"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in subsection (b)(1), by inserting <quote>, a veterans’ cemetery of a tribal organization or on land owned by or held in trust for a tribal organization</quote> after <quote>owned by a State</quote>;</text></paragraph> <paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H51D67B90819E4FC3914CFF28DC86758B"><enum>(3)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in subsection (f)—</text>
<subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HEEA897E2BA094C379EA77DC0C643A350"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively;</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H74DEA10ADD5F4918B675FBC45D094443"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by striking <quote>The Secretary</quote> and inserting <quote>(1) The Secretary</quote>;</text></subparagraph>
<subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H148656D1C46F4E6091CE0E80C7D730A1"><enum>(C)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by striking <quote>a national cemetery or in a veterans cemetery of a State or tribal organization for which the Department has provided a grant under section 2408 of this title</quote> and inserting <quote>a covered cemetery</quote>; and</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H496D9EEA45F34FABB6A99A82699AA28C"><enum>(D)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by adding at the end the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H665FAB0E87E24DE0B469A9388E1FD561" style="USC">
<paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H64427C1D3A924C4CB7272F696FA5B0D7" indent="up1"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <term>covered cemetery</term> means any of the following:</text> <subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H3344181A63374CB3B99B121455531A22"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A national cemetery.</text></subparagraph>
<subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HB3CC85256F0941C79A786C0C26CAE52A"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A veterans’ cemetery of a State for which the Department has provided a grant under section 2408 of this title.</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H5802247F694246E7A4AEADFF2D6E7F50"><enum>(C)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A veterans’ cemetery of a tribal organization or on land owned by or held in trust for a tribal organization for which the Department has provided a grant under subsection (f) of such section.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><after-quoted-block>; and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph></paragraph>
<paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HDD14C3E710D64E07972F0683F2D040DC"><enum>(4)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by adding at the end the following new subsection:</text> <quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H730E0F7227DF4814B8581D9A064D0519" style="OLC"> <subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H1DA09C6BD953478FA3D7FA11C5467655"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In this section, the term <term>tribal organization</term> has the meaning given such term in section 3765 of this title.</text></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph></section>
<section id="H972ECB787DFB47938B6CCA572B6B08A3"><enum>202.</enum><header>Department of Veterans Affairs provision of headstones and markers for, and interment in national cemeteries of, spouses and dependent children of members of the Armed Forces serving on active duty</header>
<subsection id="H65552F93D18748858F7419019D24CBBA"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Headstones and markers</header><text>Section 2306(b)(2) of title 38, United States Code, is amended—</text> <paragraph id="HAD36536C400A49A0848058B1DA0C431D"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in subparagraph (B), by inserting <quote>, or the spouse of a member of the Armed Forces serving on active duty under conditions other than dishonorable, as shown by a statement from a general court-martial convening authority, at the time of the spouse’s death if such death occurs before October 1, 2024</quote> after <quote>veteran</quote>; and</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="HF3E2F967281948A9A850A7595AAF6B3E"><enum>(2)</enum><text>in subparagraph (C), by inserting <quote>, or the eligible dependent child of a member of the Armed Forces serving on active duty under conditions other than dishonorable, as shown by a statement from a general court-martial convening authority, at the time of the child’s death if such death occurs before October 1, 2024</quote> after <quote>veteran</quote>.</text></paragraph></subsection> <subsection id="H15886B37E1FA4562B7A7B6B2CEB0DA84"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Interment in national cemeteries</header><text>Section 2402(a)(5) of such title is amended by inserting <quote>, and the spouse, minor child, and, in the discretion of the Secretary, unmarried adult child of a member of the Armed Forces serving on active duty under conditions other than dishonorable, as shown by a statement from a general court-martial convening authority, at the time of the spouse’s or child’s death if such death occurs before October 1, 2024</quote> after <quote>paragraph (7)</quote>.</text></subsection></section>
<enum>III</enum><header>Civil relief</header>
<section id="H084201B162DE432198D43D88383F8FD5"><enum>301.</enum><header>Termination of leases of premises of deceased servicemembers who die while in military service</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 305(a) of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/50/3955">50 U.S.C. 3955</external-xref>) is amended—</text> <paragraph id="H55EDB3560FE64F088B3BFF4094D1DE0C"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in the subsection heading, by striking <quote><header-in-text level="subsection" style="OLC">by lessee</header-in-text></quote>;</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="H096446B78C8347C5A91F6A0D2AC1FAF1"><enum>(2)</enum><text>in the heading for paragraph (1), by striking <quote><header-in-text level="paragraph" style="OLC">In general</header-in-text></quote> and inserting <quote><header-in-text level="paragraph" style="OLC">Termination by lessee</header-in-text></quote>; and</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H55F040D523724F77868027EC23BC3102"><enum>(3)</enum><text>by adding at the end the following new paragraph:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HC5B9D5B58D394223A75CD470FEE1D67C" style="OLC">
<paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H4B05D2D6609D4252B4312C093CD6C3E2"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Death of lessee</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The spouse of the lessee on a lease described in subsection (b)(1) may terminate the lease during the one-year period beginning on the date of the death of the lessee, if the lessee dies while in military service or while performing full-time National Guard duty, active Guard and Reserve duty, or inactive-duty training (as such terms are defined in section 101(d) of title 10, United States Code).</text></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph></section> <section id="H418C542E935C4D978B381271629B5715"><enum>302.</enum><header>Residence of spouses of servicemembers for tax purposes</header> <subsection id="HF18D8AB6AE2C40E3AA5D2888675E17DA"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Residence for tax purposes</header><text>Section 511(a)(2) of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/50/4001">50 U.S.C. 4001(a)(2)</external-xref>) is amended—</text>
<paragraph id="H39C32D7669FE482289DE99EC67014128"><enum>(1)</enum><text>by striking <quote>A spouse</quote> and inserting the following:</text> <quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HE0ECA4E75BAA448D879DD137B3618A07" style="OLC"> <subparagraph id="H8BF7D59993DF4C298A1BFB0CCB47D0BA"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>A spouse</text></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>; and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph>
<paragraph id="HF80912698BDB456390058D10C44CB2C2"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:</text> <quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H8991F575B3A8433AA1490C6B70956D47" style="OLC"> <subparagraph id="H362B71DECA7A4CAF83849047512879A9"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Election</header><text>For any taxable year of the marriage, the spouse of a servicemember may elect to use the same residence for purposes of taxation as the servicemember regardless of the date on which the marriage of the spouse and the servicemember occurred.</text></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph></subsection>
<subsection id="HF03379E8FEF442708D666357B768BED9"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Applicability</header><text>The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to any return of State or local income tax filed for any taxable year beginning with the taxable year that includes the date of the enactment of this Act.</text></subsection></section> <section id="HD936D0DC62CD4B459F4FCEC7E0B54AD0"><enum>303.</enum><header>Residence of spouses of servicemembers for voting</header> <subsection id="HCB512BA25B754816BAB2AE993B78CCD7"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Section 705(b) of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/50/4025">50 U.S.C. 4025(b)</external-xref>) is amended—</text>
<paragraph id="H99AD97C049C24D02A3AC6115A9B73BE3"><enum>(1)</enum><text>by striking <quote>State or local office</quote> and all that follows through the period at the end of paragraph (3) and inserting <quote>State or local office—</quote>; and</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H113519012E174BA9B11AF89C7210E7CF"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H6D69A10D2F9C44E5A1A243B012CF93A5" style="OLC">
<paragraph id="H3E1FB8D4FE204D029312592D762BDC7B"><enum>(1)</enum><text>a person who is absent from a State because the person is accompanying the person's spouse who is absent from that same State in compliance with military or naval orders shall not, solely by reason of that absence—</text> <subparagraph id="H53E459B61E6641DF9CBA71EAF612F73B"><enum>(A)</enum><text>be deemed to have lost a residence or domicile in that State, without regard to whether or not the person intends to return to that State;</text></subparagraph>
<subparagraph id="H52234BAC30DE4843ADE0A3BAE1F546FB"><enum>(B)</enum><text>be deemed to have acquired a residence or domicile in any other State; or</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="HF3B860E6A81441EFBF9D2BC08D452F24"><enum>(C)</enum><text>be deemed to have become a resident in or a resident of any other State; and</text></subparagraph></paragraph>
<paragraph id="H26E1601B065248D09CA1EDD1A98137B2"><enum>(2)</enum><text>the spouse of a servicemember may elect to use the same residence as the servicemember regardless of the date on which the marriage of the spouse and the servicemember occurred.</text></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph></subsection> <subsection id="HA7FE1E1518574CA2BA4B209B0090CC9B"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Effective date</header><text>The amendments made by subsection (a) shall take effect on the date that is 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.</text></subsection></section>
<section id="H059ED5E594724121888D7A934C1B9739" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>304.</enum><header>Termination of multichannel video programming and internet access service contracts</header>
<subsection id="H0F1D3E832A504DD28E1FCBD0D097CD4C"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 305A of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/50/3956">50 U.S.C. 3956</external-xref>) is amended—</text> <paragraph id="HD6431EAD60014F58B650C2E5B29C7CA3"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in the section heading, by inserting <quote><header-in-text level="section" style="OLC">, multichannel video programming, and internet access</header-in-text></quote> after <quote><header-in-text level="section" style="OLC">telephone</header-in-text></quote>;</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="HFDC0B8D226874E30A7EE35E08DC2D7AA"><enum>(2)</enum><text>in subsection (b), by striking <quote>cellular telephone service or telephone exchange service</quote> and inserting <quote>commercial mobile service, telephone exchange service, internet access service, or multichannel video programming service</quote>;</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="HF400D5AAF06245FD9E2D803B0BC527EE"><enum>(3)</enum><text>in subsection (c), by inserting <quote>for commercial mobile service or telephone exchange service</quote> before <quote>terminated</quote>;</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="H3372AFAB535944EFBC4C8C05D0E33374"><enum>(4)</enum><text>in subsection (d), in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking <quote>cellular telephone service</quote> and inserting <quote>commercial mobile service</quote>;</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H29FABB58BB3648888F5A0B42D735C955"><enum>(5)</enum><text>in subsection (e)—</text>
<subparagraph id="H9BD45675234F4E9599CE507351650856"><enum>(A)</enum><text>by striking <quote>For any</quote> and inserting the following:</text> <quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H397F870947BF40FC9F019DC42442E4E3" style="OLC"> <paragraph id="H20D11E323E134201B1F899D6577F22E4"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>For any</text></paragraph><after-quoted-block>;</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph>
<subparagraph id="HAE850CE5CBB54DA6A77C496ADC8A8FB4"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by striking <quote>If the</quote> and inserting the following:</text> <quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H1001C63A5AF34644A676BC4F989EB284" style="OLC"> <paragraph id="HD6C67436991F4C6D893249B71A704F07"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Reinstatement of service</header><text>If the</text></paragraph><after-quoted-block>; and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph>
<subparagraph id="HDD4D9510204046AC8582D7993C055234"><enum>(C)</enum><text>by adding at the end the following:</text> <quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H28E036EBAB1B495E8BF311DA3FB841A4" style="OLC"> <paragraph id="H985F419933C940EC97155D9D1C28739B"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Return of provider-owned equipment</header><text>If a servicemember terminates a contract under subsection (a), the servicemember shall return any provider-owned consumer premises equipment to the service provider not later than 10 days after the date on which service is disconnected.</text></paragraph><after-quoted-block>; and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph></paragraph>
<paragraph id="HE0CF8E0B99634A87B526D838CFD72DB6"><enum>(6)</enum><text>in subsection (g)—</text> <subparagraph id="HFF9819A2BF9C4EA48C2AF0DDF984E5E4"><enum>(A)</enum><text>by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (4); and</text></subparagraph>
<subparagraph id="HA129137C48184801891987B78EB9E738"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:</text> <quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H2FDEB5A822844237825C67D10FA4007D" style="OLC"> <paragraph id="H4D6620B113B94CF9ADC473E300A186C9"><enum>(1)</enum><text>The term <term>commercial mobile service</term> has the meaning given that term in section 332(d) of the Communications Act of 1934 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/47/332">47 U.S.C. 332(d)</external-xref>).</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="HAFBD1293D6FC4728942B5265D7008232"><enum>(2)</enum><text>The term <term>multichannel video programming service</term> means a subscription video service offered by a multichannel video programming distributor, as that term is defined in section 602 of the Communications Act of 1934 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/47/522">47 U.S.C. 522</external-xref>), over a system the distributor owns or controls.</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H9926B7B842C348548D0FE966FDB9E22D"><enum>(3)</enum><text>The term <term>provider-owned consumer premises equipment</term> means any equipment that a provider of internet access service or multichannel video programming service rents or loans to a customer during the provision of that service, including gateways, routers, cable modems, voice-capable modems, CableCARDs, converters, digital adapters, remote controls, and any other equipment provided.</text></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection>
<subsection id="H6E79E8C69ECF41EDB7E641D639D41303"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Clerical amendments</header>
<paragraph id="H7AD640AA7A0D4F8A8ECBAA1260FBA37E"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Title heading</header><text>The heading for title III of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act is amended by striking <quote><header-in-text level="title" style="OLC">telephone</header-in-text></quote> and inserting <quote><header-in-text level="title" style="OLC">communications</header-in-text></quote>.</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H88759D455B6F418C83B2A8150589B140"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Table of contents</header><text>The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act is amended—</text>
<subparagraph id="HA6DAE3E7FCD94D7EABB0F2D1B33F8AA9"><enum>(A)</enum><text>by striking the item relating to title III and inserting the following new item:</text> <quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H36A3333680474D0D816BB0E243D86A32" style="OLC"> <toc> <toc-entry bold="off" level="title">TITLE III—RENT, INSTALLMENT CONTRACTS, MORTGAGES, LIENS, ASSIGNMENT, LEASES, COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE CONTRACTS</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block>;</after-quoted-block></quoted-block><continuation-text continuation-text-level="subparagraph">and</continuation-text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H80FD0344BBB74FCCB631BF28CB7F7E53"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by striking the item relating to section 305A and inserting the following new item:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HCBB813391C3644CE95EB4CC3F34439F5" style="OLC">
<toc>
<toc-entry bold="off" level="section">Sec. 305A. Termination of telephone, multichannel video programming, and internet access service contracts.</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection></section>
<enum>IV</enum><header>Transition assistance</header>
<section id="HB4E5BA4240B6418A976033472B323E7E"><enum>401.</enum><header>Study of community-based transition assistance programs for members of the Armed Forces after separation, retirement, or discharge</header>
<subsection commented="no" id="H016A28B6A40440169B80E9F7B42D554A"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Study</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with State entities that serve members of the Armed Forces who are retired, separated, or discharged from the Armed Forces, shall enter into an agreement with an appropriate non-Federal entity to carry out a study to identify community-based programs—</text> <paragraph commented="no" id="HEF278C90CB844ED5B4BA5B2D6316980B"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">that provide transition assistance to such members; and</text></paragraph>
<paragraph commented="no" id="H6E79A4FCCE0E45A883A09132080C0376"><enum>(2)</enum><text>operated by nonprofit entities.</text></paragraph></subsection> <subsection commented="no" id="H76F8E0C8CC574D1FAEE7847757CD2EDF"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Transmission to members</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall transmit the list of programs identified under this section to the Secretary of Defense so the Secretaries of the military departments may provide information in the list to members of the Armed Forces who participate in the Transition Assistance Program under sections 1142 and 1144 of title 10, United States Code.</text></subsection>
<subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HC7D15A16886A4EC88CA2054DE2B0D5D9"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Online publication</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall publish the most recent version of the list of programs identified under this section on a public website of the Department of Veterans Affairs.</text></subsection></section> <enum>V</enum><header>Departmental administration</header> <section id="H745930F3EAB5472FB57FE7BC5613B179"><enum>501.</enum><header>Misuse of Department of Veterans Affairs purchase cards by Department employees</header> <subsection id="HF8185BA260374173902EFF69B457DD80"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subchapter I of <external-xref legal-doc="usc-chapter" parsable-cite="usc-chapter/38/7">chapter 7</external-xref> of title 38, United States Code, is further amended by adding at the end the following new section:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H50283E7156FF4669B080BA31594032D3" style="USC">
<section id="H7A8AE80D231B46DDA9ADC7C13FBC9B36"><enum>728.</enum><header>Misuse of Department purchase cards</header>
<subsection id="HF2851E599A844A51A07A74CA52BD25DD"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header>
<paragraph commented="no" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="H405D4516B69442879E7ADE9EF5CA4828"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary shall prohibit any employee of the Department who the Secretary or the Inspector General of the Department determines has knowingly misused a purchase card from serving as a purchase card holder or approving official.</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H48D5477326E7407EAC4763D65D225872" indent="up1"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Such a prohibition shall be in addition to any other applicable penalty.</text></paragraph></subsection>
<subsection id="H4FD89A53CD9C4DDAACC434831D2C0094"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Misuse</header><text>For purposes of this section, the term <term>misuse</term> means—</text> <paragraph id="H93B4F22D16FF410490F9FC2773F7F872"><enum>(1)</enum><text>splitting purchases;</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="H9B79A6E7F2DF4DAEB2088E527BE78296"><enum>(2)</enum><text>exceeding applicable purchase card limits or purchase thresholds;</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="HA7EB418059ED4E3D962AB27FF8D3B5EA"><enum>(3)</enum><text>purchasing any unauthorized item;</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="H3A8200F2CDD9446D90DB47A1E6AA23B7"><enum>(4)</enum><text>using a purchase card without being an authorized purchase card holder; or</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H8534A92888CB4B7B92693C1ACBE9E96F"><enum>(5)</enum><text>violating ethics standards.</text></paragraph></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection>
<subsection id="HAB520439D8654B048895F458644CF244"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Clerical amendment</header><text>The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 728 the following new item:</text> <quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H3D82D91E154B4C59BFD5E92AB79EE522" style="USC"> <toc regeneration="no-regeneration"> <toc-entry level="section">728. Misuse of Department purchase cards.</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection></section> <section id="H40806C1AF28445D2B7981F020C2072BC"><enum>502.</enum><header>Updating dependent information</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall make such changes to such information technology systems of the Department of Veterans Affairs, including the eBenefits system or successor system, as may be necessary so that whenever the Secretary records in such systems information about a dependent of a person, the person is able to review and revise such information.</text></section>
<section id="HBA237C05334D4106AFEB558C4ABDA898" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>503.</enum><header>Oversight of Electronic Health Record Modernization Program</header>
<subsection id="H3FA271BCAF744DF0AA26308A19C34816"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Program documents</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees the following documents concerning the Electronic Health Record Modernization Program:</text> <paragraph id="HA2099B705D844CD9A655C8F8D3D559EA"><enum>(1)</enum><text>Integrated Master Plan.</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="HBF5C2BAE68A44BB9B8A3ABBD2E8DB00D"><enum>(2)</enum><text>Integrated Master Schedule.</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="HDB44473E5BBB418C9E0053D2B6AA3C02"><enum>(3)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Program Management Plan.</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="H862DA4F90CFB4A3DAAD79BA2B806D242"><enum>(4)</enum><text>Annual and lifecycle cost estimates, including, at a minimum, cost elements relating to—</text> <subparagraph id="H80FAA375068C43B4B11B4698DF4205E9"><enum>(A)</enum><text>Federal Government labor;</text></subparagraph>
<subparagraph id="HF1471CB41ECB4C41A5382EEE0F07B47D"><enum>(B)</enum><text>contractor labor;</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H1B0F0717AB3649E5B38936081CAC13F1"><enum>(C)</enum><text>hardware;</text></subparagraph>
<subparagraph id="H93FEF9A32D4D426683620C5204C143AB"><enum>(D)</enum><text>software; and</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="HF398D2BF986C417AB81BDDBF88070D08"><enum>(E)</enum><text>testing and evaluation.</text></subparagraph></paragraph>
<paragraph id="HE2DB3B7FC2414524883DBA55B20C283D"><enum>(5)</enum><text>Cost baseline.</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H0FDC347D056B446C9F32BD1421136A1F"><enum>(6)</enum><text>Risk Management Plan.</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="H4684F6FCD0BB469F988385971D35E6DE"><enum>(7)</enum><text>Health IT Strategic Architecture Plan.</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H38117FB53D5443F581E5715E18C6DA2A"><enum>(8)</enum><text>Transition Plan for implementing updated architecture.</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="HA829E3CDE06542A7B4AF8F49CDFE0CCC"><enum>(9)</enum><text>Data Migration Plan.</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H0A8AF881DF19471B8B723569198F24C2"><enum>(10)</enum><text>System and Data Security Plan.</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="H8740FDAD722B43168E59E3336D5CA053"><enum>(11)</enum><text>Application Implementation Plan.</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H072AC0819B6A4992AC324346EE6EB6D3"><enum>(12)</enum><text>System Design Documents.</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="H027EA4057901455D951FACCBB40A0AEA"><enum>(13)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Legacy Veterans Information Systems and Technology Architecture Standardization, Security Enhancement, and Consolidation Project Plan.</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="HEDD111A7CD5241548B7D5218F4D5FC68"><enum>(14)</enum><text>Health Data Interoperability Management Plan.</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="H2719ED2C07484F03AEE03396343C1C16"><enum>(15)</enum><text>Community Care Vision and Implementation Plan, including milestones and a detailed description of how complete interoperability with non-Department health care providers will be achieved.</text></paragraph></subsection> <subsection id="H51FA979E70D74AFCAE4E9ABAD43DEAC2"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Quarterly updates</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Not later than 30 days after the end of each fiscal quarter during the period beginning with the fiscal quarter in which this Act is enacted and ending on the date on which the Electronic Health Record Modernization Program is completed, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees the most recent updated versions, if any exist, of the following documents:</text>
<paragraph id="H25DEA1DAA9B44E80B2885B34492998E1"><enum>(1)</enum><text>Integrated Master Schedule.</text></paragraph> <paragraph commented="no" id="H71A9F9C50CE3464DA7B1006ECED286DD"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Program Management Plan, including any written Program Management Review material developed for the Program Management Plan during the fiscal quarter covered by the submission.</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="H80562152401D4CB08D2D5CE8DF3B0B67"><enum>(3)</enum><text>Each document described in subsection (a)(4).</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="HBC05CCB955E045539C46206CC4865D56"><enum>(4)</enum><text>Performance Baseline Report for the fiscal quarter covered by the submission or for the fiscal quarter ending the fiscal year prior to the submission.</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="H963154355FAD47CBAD182D25487B7581"><enum>(5)</enum><text>Budget Reconciliation Report.</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H258C585EAD03452E8B8B20536008CE5D"><enum>(6)</enum><text>Risk Management Plan and Risk Register.</text></paragraph></subsection>
<subsection id="HA5D088A9A31C4F7D82800EAEC24F6498"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Contracts</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Not later than 5 days after awarding a contract, order, or agreement, including any modifications thereto, under the Electronic Health Record Modernization Program, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a copy of the entire such contract, order, agreement, or modification.</text></subsection> <subsection id="H06C4C844EF8E4C7092D9408D2C68A74B"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Notification</header> <paragraph id="H28DADDDC865A40F6BDE8CA27150D9376"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Requirement</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Not later than 10 days after an event described in paragraph (2) occurs, the Secretary shall notify the appropriate congressional committees of such occurrence, including a description of the event and an explanation for why such event occurred.</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="HBE609736D6FC446591B7139C06468F78"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Event described</header><text>An event described in this paragraph is any of the following events regarding the Electronic Health Record Modernization Program:</text> <subparagraph id="HDBE272DD7E3845BC932A34EF740BE663"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The delay of any milestone or deliverable by 30 or more days.</text></subparagraph>
<subparagraph id="H18B47E2BD2E641B4804BB745536902AC"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A request for equitable adjustment, equitable adjustment, or change order exceeding $1,000,000 (as such terms are defined in the Federal Acquisition Regulation).</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H5FD49CD2C0CD442BB8655B8BE54B0C39"><enum>(C)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The submission of any protest, claim, or dispute, and the resolution of any protest, claim, or dispute (as such terms are defined in the Federal Acquisition Regulation).</text></subparagraph>
<subparagraph id="H9BF8F58BF87A43B4A2482DF1A656AC31"><enum>(D)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A loss of clinical or other data.</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="HDB2DA83B685A4B148E8D6903F7676BBE"><enum>(E)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A breach of patient privacy, including any—</text>
<clause id="HC391F14B44074680A68C6164A200171C"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">disclosure of protected health information that is not permitted under regulations promulgated under section 264(c) of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (<external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/104/191">Public Law 104–191</external-xref>; <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/1320d-2">42 U.S.C. 1320d–2</external-xref> note); and</text></clause> <clause id="HAE4CCC73F27D477A9C2B7AB409EE7FF6"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">breach of sensitive personal information (as defined in section 5727 of title 38, United States Code).</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection>
<subsection id="HC2C4FE78B83F414BAB9BEF74785DE366"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Definitions</header><text>In this section:</text> <paragraph id="H0623AC67DBA340B8A54022BE496A24EE"><enum>(1)</enum><text>The term <term>appropriate congressional committees</term> means—</text>
<subparagraph id="H2B40BC3CBD45431F8631E95739D73B71"><enum>(A)</enum><text>the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate; and</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H1FED2FB8E8604F51B388C52EC87510F6"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate.</text></subparagraph></paragraph>
<paragraph id="HC33A54B73FB645ABAC772CD5ABF41726"><enum>(2)</enum><text>The term <term>Electronic Health Record Modernization Program</term> means—</text> <subparagraph id="H0C759798480C40BB8DC88C153504FEF7"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">any activities by the Department of Veterans Affairs to procure or implement an electronic health or medical record system to replace any or all of the Veterans Information Systems and Technology Architecture, the Computerized Patient Record System, the Joint Legacy Viewer, or the Enterprise Health Management Platform; and</text></subparagraph>
<subparagraph id="HCD52DAA0677947E483A04BF40663BFE9"><enum>(B)</enum><text>any contracts or agreements entered into by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out, support, or analyze the activities under subparagraph (A).</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection></section> <section id="H1C3949387111419A89CE5716DADE67F5" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>504.</enum><header>Department of Veterans Affairs notice relating to debt collection activities</header> <subsection id="H667C3954AA3A427484E34FD82243A364"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Debt notification letter formats</header><text>The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall collaborate with veterans service organizations to develop a standard format for any letter provided to an individual who the Secretary determines is indebted to the United States by virtue of such individual's participation in a benefits program administered by the Secretary. Such letter shall be written in plain language and shall include a notice of the debt and a clear explanation of—</text>
<paragraph id="H269201AAA9F948C1BCF98C9765992C30"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">why the individual is indebted to the United States by virtue of such person's participation in a benefits program administered by the Secretary; and</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H52BBFBDACE8F4593B3384A4977B16357"><enum>(2)</enum><text>the options available to the individual.</text></paragraph></subsection>
<subsection id="H7C3F92471867401EA864263782D3516E"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Delivery of debt notices by standard mail and electronic means</header><text>The Secretary shall develop a method by which individuals may elect to receive notice of debt by electronic means and shall ensure, to the extent practicable, that the letter developed under subsection (a) is delivered—</text> <paragraph id="H050DEF2A532E4E749BAFF66607624958"><enum>(1)</enum><text>by both standard mail and by electronic means to intended recipients who have made such an election; and</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="H441A5549E2474AED803F6C9FC7525537"><enum>(2)</enum><text>only by standard mail to intended recipients who have not made such an election.</text></paragraph></subsection> <subsection id="HB8A627EBEF5B436E822010C29D193369"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Notice to Congress</header> <paragraph id="H11BA462F69FA41D6B467799DB9777578"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Notices of completion</header><text>Upon completion of the development of the standard letter format required under subsection (a) and upon completion of development of the method by which individuals may elect to receive notice of debt by electronic means under subsection (b), the Secretary shall submit to Congress notice of the completion of the respective development.</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="HD9BB32476D0C4ECA81F3389464DD6CD0"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Progress reports</header><text>If the Secretary has not submitted each notice required by paragraph (1) by the date that is 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall—</text> <subparagraph id="HAF3BE52AEBB54E2C8BAD885500947D28"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">submit to Congress a report describing the progress of the Secretary toward implementing subsections (a) and (b) and an explanation for why the respective development has not been completed; and</text></subparagraph>
<subparagraph id="H75E7C52621B448BAB71A1620427EE1FE"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">every 30 days thereafter until all of the notices required by paragraph (1) have been submitted, submit to Congress an update to the report under subparagraph (A) that includes an additional explanation for the failure to complete the respective development.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection> <subsection id="H157A3C4C2FD446698D97686EF22B34D0"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Study and report</header> <paragraph id="H73D9DDFE307D46EEA8ACB97A4B72426C"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Study</header><text>The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury, shall conduct a study on the process by which individuals who are indebted to the United States by virtue of their participation in a benefits program administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs are notified of debt collection efforts relating to such indebtedness.</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="HD9AEF07296E0480890EC72653FBCB26C"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Elements</header><text>The study required by paragraph (1) shall include the following:</text> <subparagraph id="H955E54FB2E8D4DE08E406176A22BC32F"><enum>(A)</enum><text>An analysis of the scope of the problem of individuals who are indebted to the United States by virtue of their participation in a benefits program administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs not receiving debt collection notices relating to such indebtedness.</text></subparagraph>
<subparagraph id="HDCF95AFE88D74609866D697F8CC26295"><enum>(B)</enum><text>Identification of administrative actions the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of the Treasury can carry out to reduce the number of incorrect or unknown addresses of such individuals in the databases of the Department Veterans Affairs and the Department of the Treasury and a timeline for carrying out such actions.</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H1564A35C23A8411F85C3716B098C33F6"><enum>(C)</enum><text>An estimate of the costs associated with sending debt collection notices to such individuals by certified mail.</text></subparagraph>
<subparagraph id="HD6B53ECC253149A5AB64D61E580972AD"><enum>(D)</enum><text>An analysis of whether, or to what extent, sending debt collection notices to such individuals by certified mail would address the problem analyzed under subparagraph (A).</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="HB53C00079C4241E6B8E6E0EE9DB3BFDF"><enum>(E)</enum><text>An analysis of the requirements and resources that would be necessary for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a method for the Secretary to display in one consolidated document the details regarding all of the debts of an individual to the United States by virtue of such individual’s participation in a benefits program administered by the Secretary.</text></subparagraph>
<subparagraph id="HA4E8DF6DF12F4A63805649880C4BAEC8"><enum>(F)</enum><text>An analysis of the extent to which such individuals are so indebted by reason of actions by the Secretary or by actions of the individual, including any trends relating to whether the actions of the individual may be by reason of error, misrepresentation, or fraud.</text></subparagraph></paragraph> <paragraph id="HAA6DD5FF3CD44A5A9984EB58DD6117E5"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Report</header><text>Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury, shall submit to Congress a report on the findings of the Secretaries with respect to the study conducted under paragraph (1).</text></paragraph></subsection></section>
<enum>VI</enum><header>Medical facilities</header>
<section id="HE14E6A62EF724A859F55B8DB8E793953"><enum>601.</enum><header>Authorization of major medical facility projects for fiscal year 2019</header>
<subsection id="HBBDBC82CA1844B3C992B4E0904A2DF71"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may carry out the following major medical facility projects in fiscal year 2019 at the locations specified and in an amount for each project not to exceed the amount specified for such location:</text> <paragraph id="HC3758738D9B94123A27BDAF65D3D23A4"><enum>(1)</enum><text>Construction of a community living center and renovation of domiciliary and outpatient facilities in Canandaigua, New York, in an amount not to exceed $351,980,000 (an increase of $193,000,000 as compared to the previous authorization for such project).</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="HEE736E088C014F0891D9C8DEC41EB3DD"><enum>(2)</enum><text>Renovation of space for a simulation training education center in North Chicago, Illinois, in an amount not to exceed $15,980,000.</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H0C691715942F4F67B98CE69727CE0F20"><enum>(3)</enum><text>Construction of a surgical intensive care unit and renovation to expand the operating room suite in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in an amount not to exceed $29,461,000.</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="H6E81E505550E43CEA5954B8891BE9B55"><enum>(4)</enum><text>Construction of a new medical facility in Louisville, Kentucky, in an amount not to exceed $450,000,000 (an increase of $300,000,000 as compared to the previous authorization for such project).</text></paragraph></subsection> <subsection id="H223DD2A7E5EA44E2BEA9156DF0ABFD23"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Authorization of appropriations</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2019 or the year in which funds are appropriated for the Construction, Major Projects account, $847,421,000 for the projects authorized in subsection (a).</text></subsection></section>
<section id="HB907BD8AD56B407CB2D53677FCF0CEC1" display-inline="no-display-inline" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>602.</enum><header>Plans to improve medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs</header>
<subsection id="H49B45A532BD34F499B6F6BB5178CA9AD"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Plans required</header>
<paragraph id="HF45FB831A3F74F1BA6F76878A7B28B1D"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Plans of directors of medical facilities</header><text>Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall require each director of a medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs to submit to the director of the Veterans Integrated Service Network that covers the facility a plan to improve such facility.</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="HED935B44C09D45A3B3DF08B450993EF8"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Plans of directors of Veterans Integrated Service Networks</header><text>The Secretary shall require each director of a Veterans Integrated Service Network to submit to the Secretary, not later than 60 days after receiving all of the plans under paragraph (1), a plan, based on the plans received under paragraph (1), to improve the facilities within that Veterans Integrated Service Network in such a fashion that would improve the ability of all facilities within that network to provide the best and most efficient care to patients.</text></paragraph></subsection>
<subsection id="HCF93E01D463B428B96C41A664D079643"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Regular reports</header><text>The Secretary shall ensure that each director of a Veterans Integrated Service Network submits to the Secretary, not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act and not less frequently than once every two years thereafter, a report on the actions taken by the director to improve the facilities within that Veterans Integrated Service Network and what further such actions might be necessary.</text></subsection> <subsection id="H378ECE3E2949411DB1E474D6596789FE"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Sense of Congress on use of authorities to investigate medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs</header><text>It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs should make full use of the authorities provided by section 2 of the Enhancing Veteran Care Act (<external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/115/95">Public Law 115–95</external-xref>; <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/38/1701">38 U.S.C. 1701</external-xref> note).</text></subsection></section>
<enum>VII</enum><header>Other matters</header>
<section id="H9533FB9CABFF460E9CA988AFE0010EE5" commented="no"><enum>701.</enum><header>Homeless veterans reintegration programs</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 2021(a) of title 38, United States Code, is amended—</text> <paragraph id="H0752D7A85EB746669FCB2C4BE256A36B" commented="no"><enum>(1)</enum><text>by striking <quote>reintegration of homeless veterans into the labor force.</quote> and inserting the following: <quote>reintegration into the labor force of—</quote>; and</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="HA6EDF6CC3DF64E91A8E097D2FF828786" commented="no"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:</text> <quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H501D415EAA1F41D8B3B2BC6C296BA25B" style="OLC"> <paragraph id="H1F6518FE67BF41E388D0735A51CBC16A" commented="no"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">homeless veterans (including veterans who were homeless but found housing during the 60-day period preceding the date on which the veteran begins to participate in a program under this section);</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="H5796EF52B76C46BFBAED113A99147239" commented="no"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">veterans participating in the Department of Veterans Affairs supported housing program for which rental assistance is provided pursuant to section 8(o)(19) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/1437f">42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19)</external-xref>) or the Tribal HUD–VA Supportive Housing (Tribal HUD–VASH) program;</text></paragraph> <paragraph commented="no" id="HD80A3DA1DEBA42C287731F1FE34F5F7F"><enum>(3)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Indians who are veterans and receiving assistance under the Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act of 1996 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/25/4101">25 U.S.C. 4101</external-xref> et seq.);</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="HD53E435EB9C043C99190DD6C9CADC6E0" commented="no"><enum>(4)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">veterans described in section 2023(e) of this title or any other veterans who are transitioning from being incarcerated; and</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="HAB787F1247724AD89ECB804E3BF5FCEE" commented="no"><enum>(5)</enum><text>veterans participating in the Department of Veterans Affairs rapid rehousing and prevention program authorized in section 2044 of this title.</text></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph></section>
<section id="HAC56ACAF6523411587B83B8C06E0EA9D" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>702.</enum><header>Technical corrections</header>
<subsection id="H27CC295FDE744E5193552D9BC47793CB"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Title 38</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Title 38, United States Code, is amended as follows:</text> <paragraph id="HC52E80E30F694E66B23929FD97D6191C"><enum>(1)</enum><text>In the table of sections at the beginning of chapter 55, by inserting a period at the end of the item relating to section 5501A.</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="H5FDA298FD0A74484BCD986FB61B71AF7"><enum>(2)</enum><text>In section 7463(c)(2)(B), by striking <quote>to answer to answer</quote> and inserting <quote>to answer</quote>. </text></paragraph></subsection> <subsection id="HA7C6540149D1434C82FA6670D953AF2A"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Veterans’ Benefits Improvements Act of 1996</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 504 of the Veterans’ Benefits Improvements Act of 1996 (<external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/104/275">Public Law 104–275</external-xref>; <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/38/5101">38 U.S.C. 5101</external-xref> note) is amended by redesignating the second subsection (c) as subsection (d). </text></subsection></section>
<section id="H3482115F05D54483BD63FE8C72680EE5" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>703.</enum><header>Medical Surgical Prime Vendor program</header>
<subsection id="HB89F180774954BF183D550C86E431133"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Vendors</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In procuring certain medical, surgical, and dental supplies or laboratory supplies for medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out the Medical Surgical Prime Vendor program, or successor program, in a manner that—</text> <paragraph id="H50F6C4050D5E4115ADB70512326A5659"><enum>(1)</enum><text>requires the Secretary to award contracts to multiple regional prime vendors instead of a single nationwide prime vendor; and</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="HAA6AD66FD76A47D9A5F334CF10FBD3F7"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">prohibits a prime vendor from solely designing the formulary of such supplies.</text></paragraph></subsection> <subsection commented="no" id="HF16E7F1C97EA4EA8AEDE7354C78F3EB4"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Clinically driven sourcing</header> <paragraph id="H1520A95D16114FC990A7D1CCAEB0902E"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Expertise</header><text>In carrying out the formulary of supplies under the Medical Surgical Prime Vendor program, or successor program, the Secretary shall ensure that each employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs who conducts formulary analyses or makes decisions with respect to including items on the formulary has medical expertise relevant to the items for which the employee conducts such analyses or makes such decisions.</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="H92DE5CC335634D94B5272C6B9D6B6174"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Lists</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every six months thereafter with respect to any updates, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a list of each employee described in paragraph (1) and the relevant medical expertise of the employee, listed by the categories of items in the formulary described in such paragraph.</text></paragraph></subsection></section> <section id="H7B12B03DD5F045B9B9E9AB6764E4AFC0"><enum>704.</enum><header>Report on expanding access to dental care for veterans eligible for health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs</header> <subsection id="H7CE05A4C8A9F4EF1A93479C329D53A3A"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Not later than 360 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the feasibility and advisability of expanding access to dental care for eligible veterans.</text></subsection>
<subsection id="HE5BEFF565EE843AFA6CAC41A74552CBB"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Elements</header><text>The report required by subsection (a) shall include the following:</text> <paragraph id="HB54AAE41AF31491A926182D8F7F29362"><enum>(1)</enum><text>An analysis of access to dental care for eligible veterans outside of the Department, including—</text>
<subparagraph id="HB1C3E8B07FB04FAAA6ECC4AD0F0050F4"><enum>(A)</enum><text>the percentage of eligible veterans currently enrolled in dental insurance through a third-party payer, including—</text> <clause id="HD4135D4A85674B5B881068905A970A9F"><enum>(i)</enum><text>the dental insurance plan for veterans and survivors and dependents of veterans under section 1712C of title 38, United States Code;</text></clause>
<clause id="HE08FEE737253458B802087C792250BA4"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the Medicaid program under title XIX of the Social Security Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/1396">42 U.S.C. 1396</external-xref> et seq.); and</text></clause> <clause id="HB30A3FC6C1D94984AB42E18E15E7E135"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>employer-sponsored dental insurance;</text></clause></subparagraph>
<subparagraph id="H7B550B627CFD437392B43533FF9F05AA"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the affordability of dental insurance described in subparagraph (A); and</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H855630960B774A508FE7B93D6AC4DFF2"><enum>(C)</enum><text>the comprehensiveness of benefits of dental insurance described in subparagraph (A).</text></subparagraph></paragraph>
<paragraph id="HBD46279A439B4799B95AE26AA06522C1"><enum>(2)</enum><text>An analysis of the current oral health needs of eligible veterans, including an estimate of the number of eligible veterans who—</text> <subparagraph id="HF1A039BF9E8B495F8D383FB2EF2A6E5B"><enum>(A)</enum><text>experience untreated cavities or decay;</text></subparagraph>
<subparagraph id="H1C89D0C8990E45ADBAB2F0AE1FBCEEE1"><enum>(B)</enum><text>require dentures, implants, or other restorative dental services; or</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H81D7B550977440C381A610C7470F823F"><enum>(C)</enum><text>have not received regular dental cleanings within the two-year period preceding the report.</text></subparagraph></paragraph>
<paragraph id="H09DB06BED4A44CD3BE8F5907A6B8A83D"><enum>(3)</enum><text>An analysis of the financial impact to the Department of Veterans Affairs of providing dental care to eligible veterans, including—</text> <subparagraph id="H2E7F283E15D6407DB3E3BDA4C18D104E"><enum>(A)</enum><text>whether the provision of such services would result in a reduction in total health care costs;</text></subparagraph>
<subparagraph id="H2D2FD21D645E473AB6F63DCD39C601AC"><enum>(B)</enum><text>a cost-benefit analysis that indicates potential cost savings to the Department over a 5-, 10-, and 20-year period; and</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H2F7E7A4D65564259B38C295C0D29A5FB"><enum>(C)</enum><text>projected cost savings to the Department and across the broader health care system.</text></subparagraph></paragraph>
<paragraph id="H3016151B391842838FCB333A0B02EB6D"><enum>(4)</enum><text>An analysis of the number and types of dental providers necessary to treat eligible veterans, including—</text> <subparagraph id="HE969455882B54384803C7C17DE74B147"><enum>(A)</enum><text>dentists;</text></subparagraph>
<subparagraph id="H2248B97B89DE473AAF38D35E26211531"><enum>(B)</enum><text>hygienists;</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H846A5A664BA5488D8C2C5658D6656448"><enum>(C)</enum><text>dental technicians; and</text></subparagraph>
<subparagraph id="H72EC0C25519540CCBABE68C29584807B"><enum>(D)</enum><text>dental therapists.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection> <subsection id="H9E80598EF7E14D0B9DE6F21BD79A7639"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Categories of eligible veterans</header><text>The report required by subsection (a) shall be disaggregated by each of the following categories of eligible veterans:</text>
<paragraph id="H9AD866E62C4445EF9E7E9C9F1060340E"><enum>(1)</enum><text>Veterans enrolled in the system of annual patient enrollment of the Department pursuant to the priority group under subsection (a)(6) of section 1705 of such title.</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H880B2D56A8BA4D18AC2477908C571FA9"><enum>(2)</enum><text>Veterans enrolled in such system pursuant to the priority group under subsection (a)(5) of such section.</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="H556637716FF64532AB888BBF76F93750" commented="no"><enum>(3)</enum><text>Veterans enrolled in such system pursuant to a priority group under any of subsections (a)(1) through (a)(4) of such section.</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H6DA6FC071BF44643BA22D356FD9D49A2"><enum>(4)</enum><text>Veterans enrolled in such system pursuant to a priority group under subsection (a)(7) or (a)(8) of such section.</text></paragraph></subsection>
<subsection id="H4ADBE5909641499FB29D7D53C1C53370"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Eligible veterans defined</header><text>In this section, the term <term>eligible veterans</term> means veterans enrolled in the system of annual patient enrollment of the Department of Veterans Affairs established and operated under section 1705 of title 38, United States Code.</text></subsection></section> Karen L. HaasClerk.