[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5938 Reported in House (RH)]

<DOC>





                                                 Union Calendar No. 492
118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5938

                          [Report No. 118-592]

To amend the Veterans' Benefits Improvements Act of 1996 and the Johnny 
   Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits 
Improvement Act of 2020 to improve the temporary licensure requirements 
 for contract health care professionals who perform medical disability 
  examinations for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 12, 2023

Mr. Ciscomani (for himself and Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick) introduced the 
                             following bill

                            October 25, 2023

             Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

                             July 18, 2024

     Additional sponsors: Ms. Brownley, Mr. Murphy, and Mr. Moylan

                             July 18, 2024

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on October 
                               12, 2023]


_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Veterans' Benefits Improvements Act of 1996 and the Johnny 
   Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits 
Improvement Act of 2020 to improve the temporary licensure requirements 
 for contract health care professionals who perform medical disability 
  examinations for the Department of Veterans Affairs, 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 Exam Expansion Act of 
2023''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO TEMPORARY LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTRACT 
              HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS WHO PERFORM MEDICAL DISABILITY 
              EXAMINATIONS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) Expansion.--
            (1) In general.--Section 504(c)(2) of the Veterans' 
        Benefits Improvements Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-275; 38 
        U.S.C. 5101 note), as amended by paragraph (1) of subsection 
        (a) of section 2002 of the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, 
        M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 
        (Public Law 116-315; 38 U.S.C. 5101 note), is further amended, 
        subject to the sunset in paragraph (4) of such subsection--
                    (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by 
                striking ``or psychologist'' and inserting 
                ``psychologist, podiatrist, dentist, optometrist, or 
                other health care professional specified in regulations 
                prescribed by the Secretary''; and
                    (B) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``the 
                physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, 
                audiologist, or psychologist, as the case may be'' and 
                inserting ``such health care professional''.
            (2) Conforming amendment.--Section 2002(a)(2) of the Johnny 
        Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and 
        Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 (Public Law 116-315; 38 U.S.C. 
        5101 note) is amended by striking ``physicians assistants, 
        nurse practitioners, audiologists, and psychologists'' and 
        inserting ``health care professionals''.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 15 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit 
to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of 
Representatives a report regarding the use of the authority under 
section 504 of the Veterans' Benefits Improvements Act of 1996 (Public 
Law 104-275; 38 U.S.C. 5101 note), as temporarily amended by section 
2002(a)(1) of the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health 
Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 (Public Law 116-315; 38 
U.S.C. 5101 note) and by subsection (a). Such report shall include, 
with respect to the one-year period after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the following elements:
            (1) The number of examinations conducted pursuant to a 
        contract under such authority.
            (2) The number of such examinations conducted in each 
        State, the District of Columbia, or a Commonwealth, territory, 
        or possession of the United States.
            (3) The numbers of each kind of health care professionals 
        who conducted such examinations.
            (4) The number of examinations that were erroneously 
        conducted by a health care professional--
                    (A) without such a contract; or
                    (B) unauthorized to enter into such a contract.
            (5) The plan of the Secretary to correct errors in the use 
        of such authority.
                                                 Union Calendar No. 492

118th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 5938

                          [Report No. 118-592]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To amend the Veterans' Benefits Improvements Act of 1996 and the Johnny 
   Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits 
Improvement Act of 2020 to improve the temporary licensure requirements 
 for contract health care professionals who perform medical disability 
  examinations for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other 
                               purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                             July 18, 2024

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed