[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1913 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1913

 To expand access to health care for veterans in the Freely Associated 
                    States, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 8, 2023

 Mr. Schatz (for himself, Ms. Murkowski, Ms. Hirono, and Mr. Boozman) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To expand access to health care for veterans in the Freely Associated 
                    States, 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 ``Care for COFA Veterans Act''.

SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF EXISTING AUTHORITIES TO PROVIDE HEALTH CARE TO 
              VETERANS IN THE FREELY ASSOCIATED STATES.

    (a) Health Care Abroad.--Section 1724 of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``subsections (b) and 
        (c)'' and inserting ``subsections (b), (c), and (f)''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(f)(1) The Secretary may furnish hospital care and medical 
services in the Freely Associated States for any service-connected 
disability or non-service-connected disability.
    ``(2) In furnishing care and services under paragraph (1), the 
Secretary may furnish such care and services through contracts or other 
agreements, through reimbursement, or through the direct provision of 
care by health care personnel of the Department.
    ``(3) In this subsection, the term `Freely Associated States' means 
the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the 
Federated States of Micronesia, which have each entered into a Compact 
of Free Association with the United States.''.
    (b) Beneficiary Travel for Treatment of Service-Connected 
Disabilities.--Section 111 of such title is amended by adding at the 
end the following new subsection:
    ``(h)(1) The Secretary may make payments provided for in this 
section to or for any person specified in subsection (b)(1)(A) for 
travel specified in that subsection to, from, or within the Freely 
Associated States.
    ``(2) In this subsection, the term `Freely Associated States' means 
the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the 
Federated States of Micronesia, which have each entered into a Compact 
of Free Association with the United States.''.
    (c) Legal Issues.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in 
consultation with the Secretary of State, shall work with the 
governments of the Freely Associated States to facilitate the 
furnishing of health services, including telehealth, under the laws 
administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to veterans in the 
Freely Associated States, such as by addressing--
            (1) licensure, certification, registration, and tort issues 
        relating to health care personnel; and
            (2) matters relating to deliveries of pharmaceutical 
        products and medical surgical products, including deliveries of 
        such products through the pharmacy of the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs, to the Freely Associated States.
    (d) Outreach and Assessment of Options.--During the one-year period 
beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall--
            (1) conduct robust outreach to and engage with each 
        government of the Freely Associated States; and
            (2) assess options about the best way to furnish care under 
        section 1724(f) of title 38, United States Code, as added by 
        subsection (a).
    (e) Report on Provision of Health Care to Veterans in the Freely 
Associated States.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit 
to Congress a report on the implementation of the authorities provided 
pursuant to the amendments made by this section and any additional 
authorities and resources needed by the Secretary to carry out those 
authorities, including to carry out the following:
            (1) Reimbursement of care for non-service-connected 
        disabilities in the Freely Associated States under section 
        1724(f) of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection 
        (a).
            (2) Contracts with local clinics and federally qualified 
        health centers (as defined in section 1905(l)(2)(B) of the 
        Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396d(l)(2)(B))) in the Freely 
        Associated States to provide care and services such section 
        1724(f), as so added.
            (3) Furnishing of telehealth services and technologies to 
        veterans in the Freely Associated States by providers of the 
        Department under such section 1724(f), as so added.
            (4) Payment under section 111(h) of title 38, United States 
        Code, as added by subsection (b), for travel to, from, or 
        within the Freely Associated States for veterans seeking health 
        care for service-connected disabilities.
            (5) Construction of clinics in the Freely Associated States 
        or leasing of space at military installations, embassy 
        compounds, or consulate facilities to provide care under 
        section 1724(f) of title 38, United States Code, as added by 
        subsection (a).
            (6) Such other matters as the Secretary considers 
        appropriate.
    (f) Freely Associated States Defined.--In this section, the term 
``Freely Associated States'' means the Republic of Palau, the Republic 
of the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia, which 
have each entered into a Compact of Free Association with the United 
States.
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