[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4415 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4415

 To require the Secretary of Defense to establish a medical readiness 
      program in the Indo-Pacific region, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 23, 2024

 Ms. Duckworth introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
              referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Secretary of Defense to establish a medical readiness 
      program in the Indo-Pacific region, 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 ``Access to Care for Overseas Military 
Act''.

SEC. 2. MEDICAL READINESS PROGRAM OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE IN INDO-
              PACIFIC REGION.

    (a) Establishment.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than January 1, 2027, the 
        Secretary of Defense shall establish a medical readiness 
        program (referred to in this section as the ``Program'') to 
        develop relationships with partner nations in the Indo-Pacific 
        region and to facilitate engagement designed to improve medical 
        care during peacetime and wartime and maintain strategies and 
        policies of the Department of Defense for medical readiness in 
        that region.
            (2) Organization.--The Secretary of Defense shall be 
        responsible for and oversee the Program in consultation with 
        the Secretary of each military department, the commanders of 
        the combatant commands, the Director of the Defense Health 
        Agency, and any other official the Secretary of Defense 
        considers appropriate.
            (3) Objectives.--The objectives of the Program shall be to 
        promote the medical readiness of the Armed Forces for missions 
        during peacetime and wartime operations by--
                    (A) reducing potential requirements for long-
                distance medical evacuation to receive definitive 
                patient care in the Indo-Pacific region;
                    (B) managing the patient medical evacuation 
                enterprise during contingency operations, including 
                planning, policies, resourcing, and coordination;
                    (C) increasing the medical capacity and 
                capabilities of the Department of Defense by expanding, 
                where and when appropriate, patient access to public, 
                private, and military foreign medical treatment 
                facilities and foreign medical providers across the 
                Indo-Pacific region;
                    (D) in collaboration with partner nations, 
                improving the standard of medical care by either--
                            (i) accrediting foreign medical treatment 
                        facilities, which will standardize medical 
                        procedures, patient care, and policies similar 
                        to military medical treatment facilities of the 
                        Department of Defense; or
                            (ii) developing standardized procedures for 
                        medical procedures, patient care, and policies 
                        when using foreign medical treatment 
                        facilities; and
                    (E) enhancing and promoting interoperability and 
                interchangeability, wherever feasible, through shared 
                patient record management techniques, medical equipment 
                commonality, and coordination of medical care.
            (4) Activities.--In carrying out the Program, the Secretary 
        of Defense shall seek to conduct the following activities:
                    (A) Assess and integrate current medical 
                capabilities and capacities of the Department of 
                Defense in the Indo-Pacific region into the Program.
                    (B) Select a lead to coordinate the Program and 
                activities associated with the functions of the 
                Program.
                    (C) Select an appropriate accreditation 
                organization to either--
                            (i) accredit a public, private, or military 
                        foreign medical treatment facility; or
                            (ii) provide technical expertise to develop 
                        standardization procedures for medical 
                        procedures, patient care, and policies when 
                        using foreign medical treatment facilities.
                    (D) Coordinate with partner nations to identify and 
                evaluate medical facilities for the Program.
                    (E) Establish agreements with foreign medical 
                facilities for potential use of the Program.
                    (F) To the greatest extent practicable, establish 
                policies and procedures--
                            (i) to reduce patient movement times in 
                        various countries in the Indo-Pacific region 
                        during peacetime and wartime operations;
                            (ii) to standardize medical procedures, 
                        patient care, and policies;
                            (iii) to securely share patient data with 
                        partner nations when appropriate to do so, such 
                        as during a contingency operation;
                            (iv) with respect to medical equipment 
                        commonality and interchangeability;
                            (v) with respect to the coordination of 
                        medical care;
                            (vi) with respect to translators and 
                        language standardization;
                            (vii) with respect to foreign blood 
                        products; and
                            (viii) with respect to medical malpractice 
                        liability and procedures.
                    (G) Integrate the Program into operational plans of 
                the combatant commands.
                    (H) Identify mutually beneficial training 
                opportunities for military medical personnel.
    (b) Strategy.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than September 30, 2025, the 
        Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness shall 
        submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and 
        the House of Representatives a strategy for the implementation 
        of the Program.
            (2) Elements.--The strategy required by paragraph (1) shall 
        include the following:
                    (A) A governance structure for the Program, 
                including--
                            (i) the officials tasked to oversee the 
                        Program;
                            (ii) the format of the governing body of 
                        the Program;
                            (iii) the functions and duties of such 
                        governing body with respect to establishing and 
                        maintaining the Program; and
                            (iv) mechanisms for coordinating with 
                        partner countries selected to participate in 
                        the Program.
                    (B) With respect to the initial selection of 
                partner countries to participate in the Program--
                            (i) an identification of each such country;
                            (ii) the rationale for selecting each such 
                        country; and
                            (iii) any other information the Secretary 
                        considers appropriate.
                    (C) An identification of objectives for the first 
                three fiscal years of the Program, including--
                            (i) a description of, and a rational for 
                        selecting, such objectives;
                            (ii) an identification of milestones toward 
                        achieving such objectives; and
                            (iii) metrics for evaluating success in 
                        achieving such objectives.
                    (D) A description of opportunities and potential 
                timelines for future expansion of the Program, as 
                appropriate.
                    (E) A list of additional authorities, 
                appropriations, or other legislative action necessary 
                to ensure the success of the Program.
                    (F) Any other information the Secretary considers 
                appropriate.
            (3) Form.--The strategy required by paragraph (1) shall be 
        submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified 
        annex.
    (c) Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than September 20th of each of 
        2025 through 2035, the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel 
        and Readiness shall submit to the congressional defense 
        committees a report on the Program.
            (2) Elements.--Each report required by paragraph (1) shall 
        include the following:
                    (A) A narrative summary of activities conducted as 
                part of the Program during the preceding fiscal year.
                    (B) Except in the case of the initial report, an 
                assessment of progress toward the objectives 
                established for the preceding fiscal year described in 
                the preceding report under this subsection using the 
                metrics established in such report.
                    (C) An identification of objectives for the three 
                fiscal years following the date of submission of the 
                report, including--
                            (i) a description of, and a rational for 
                        selecting, such objectives;
                            (ii) an identification of milestones toward 
                        achieving such objectives; and
                            (iii) metrics for evaluating success in 
                        achieving such objectives.
                    (D) A description of opportunities and potential 
                timelines for future expansion of the Program, as 
                appropriate.
                    (E) Any other information the Under Secretary 
                considers appropriate.
            (3) Form.--Each report required by paragraph (1) shall be 
        submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified 
        annex.
                                 <all>