[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 82 (Tuesday, May 24, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S3111]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 4101. Mrs. FISCHER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
by her to the bill S. 2943, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2017 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
On page 423, strike lines 16 and 17 and insert the
following:
(a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (c), not
later than 90 days after submitting the report required by
subsection (d), or one year after the date of the enactment
of this Act, whichever occurs first, the Secretary of Defense
On page 425, strike lines 10 through 18 and insert the
following:
(5) The Secretary shall ensure that any covered beneficiary
who may be affected by modifications, reductions, or
eliminations implemented under this section will be able to
receive through the purchased care component of the TRICARE
program any medical services that will not be available to
such covered beneficiary at a military treatment facility as
a result of such modifications, reductions, or eliminations.
(c) Exception.--The Secretary is not required to implement
measures under subsection (a) with respect to overseas
military health care facilities in a country if the Secretary
determines that medical services in addition to the medical
services described in subsection (b)(2) are necessary to
ensure that covered beneficiaries located in that country
have access to a similar level of care available to covered
beneficiaries located in the United States.
(d) Report on Modifications.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 270 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall
submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and
the House of Representatives a report on the modifications to
medical services, military treatment facilities, and
personnel in the military health system to be implemented
pursuant to subsection (a).
(2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall
include, at a minimum, the following:
(A) A description of the medical services and associated
personnel capacities necessary for the military medical force
readiness of the Department of Defense.
(B) A comprehensive plan to modify the personnel and
infrastructure of the military health system to exclusively
provide medical services necessary for the military medical
force readiness of the Department of Defense, including the
following:
(i) A description of the planned changes or reductions in
medical services provided by the military health system.
(ii) A description of the planned changes or reductions in
staffing of military personnel, civilian personnel, and
contractor personnel within the military health system.
(iii) A description of the personnel management authorities
through which changes or reductions described in clauses (i)
and (ii) will be made.
(iv) A description of the planned changes to the
infrastructure of the military health system.
(v) An estimated timeline for completion of the changes or
reductions described in clauses (i), (ii), and (iv) and other
key milestones for implementation of such changes or
reductions.
(e) Comptroller General Report.--
On page 428, between lines 15 and 16, insert the following:
(3) The terms ``covered beneficiary'' and ``TRICARE
program'' have the meanings given those terms in section 1072
of title 10, United States Code.
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