[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 58 (Wednesday, April 3, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2241-S2243]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
By Mr. THUNE (for himself and Mr. Rounds):
S. 1001. A bill to amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to
allow the Indian Health Service to cover the cost of a copayment of an
Indian or Alaska Native veteran receiving medical care or services from
the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes; to the
Committee on Indian Affairs.
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of
the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 1001
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 ``Tribal Veterans Health Care
Enhancement Act''.
SEC. 2. LIABILITY FOR PAYMENT.
Section 222 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25
U.S.C. 1621u) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(d) Veterans Affairs Copayments.--The Service may pay, in
accordance with section 412, the cost of a copayment assessed
by the Department of Veterans Affairs to an eligible Indian
veteran (as defined in section 412) for covered medical care
(as defined in such section).''.
SEC. 3. COPAYMENTS FOR TRIBAL VETERANS RECEIVING CERTAIN
MEDICAL SERVICES.
Title IV of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25
U.S.C. 1641 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``SEC. 412. PAYMENTS FOR ELIGIBLE INDIAN VETERANS RECEIVING
COVERED MEDICAL CARE AT VA FACILITIES.
``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term
`appropriate committees of Congress' means--
``(A) in the Senate--
``(i) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs; and
[[Page S2242]]
``(ii) the Committee on Indian Affairs; and
``(B) in the House of Representatives--
``(i) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs; and
``(ii) the Committee on Natural Resources.
``(2) Covered medical care.--The term `covered medical
care' means any medical care or service that is--
``(A) authorized for an eligible Indian veteran under the
contract health service and referred by the Service; and
``(B) administered at a facility of the Department of
Veterans Affairs, including any services rendered under a
contract with a non-Department of Veterans Affairs health
care provider.
``(3) Eligible indian veteran.--The term `eligible Indian
veteran' means an Indian or Alaska Native veteran who is
eligible for assistance from the Service.
``(b) Memorandum of Understanding.--
``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, except as provided in paragraph (3), the Secretary (or a
designee, including the director of any area office of the
Service), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (or a designee),
and any tribal health program, as applicable, shall enter
into a memorandum of understanding, in consultation with
Indian tribes to be impacted by the memorandum of
understanding (on a national or regional basis), that
authorizes the Secretary or tribal health program, as
applicable, to pay to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs any
copayments owed to the Department of Veterans Affairs by
eligible Indian veterans for covered medical care.
``(2) Factors for consideration.--In entering into a
memorandum of understanding under paragraph (1), the
Secretary, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and any tribal
health program, as applicable, shall take into consideration
any findings contained in the report under subsection (e).
``(3) Exception.--The Secretary, the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs, and any tribal health program, as applicable, shall
not be required to enter into a memorandum of understanding
under paragraph (1) if the Secretary, the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs, and any tribal health program, as
applicable, jointly certify to the appropriate committees of
Congress that such a memorandum of understanding would--
``(A) decrease the quality of health care provided to
eligible Indian veterans;
``(B) impede the access of those veterans to health care;
or
``(C) substantially decrease the quality of, or access to,
health care by individuals receiving health care from the
Department of Veterans Affairs or beneficiaries of the
Service.
``(c) Payment by Service.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of law and in accordance with the relevant
memorandum of understanding described in subsection (b), the
Service may cover the cost of any copayment assessed by the
Department of Veterans Affairs to an eligible Indian veteran
receiving covered medical care.
``(d) Authorization To Accept Funds.--Notwithstanding
section 407(c), section 2901(b) of the Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act (25 U.S.C. 1623(b)), or any other
provision of law, and in accordance with the relevant
memorandum of understanding described in subsection (b), the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs may accept a payment from the
Service under subsection (c).
``(e) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
enactment of this section, the Secretary and the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs shall submit to the appropriate committees
of Congress a report that describes--
``(1) the number of veterans, disaggregated by State, who--
``(A) are eligible for assistance from the Service; and
``(B) have received health care at a medical facility of
the Department of Veterans Affairs;
``(2) the number of veterans, disaggregated by State and
calendar year, who--
``(A) are eligible for assistance from the Service; and
``(B) were referred to a medical facility of the Department
of Veterans Affairs from a facility of the Service during the
period--
``(i) beginning on January 1, 2013; and
``(ii) ending on December 31, 2018; and
``(3) an update regarding efforts of the Secretary and the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to streamline health care for
veterans who are eligible for assistance from the Service and
have received health care at a medical facility of the
Department of Veterans Affairs and at a facility of the
Service, including a description of--
``(A) any changes to the provision of health care required
under this Act; and
``(B) any barriers to efficiently streamline the provision
of health care to veterans who are eligible for assistance
from the Service.''.
______
By Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Mr. Kaine):
S. 1017. A bill to amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 in order to
address the needs of caregivers, and for other purposes; to the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of
the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 1017
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 ``Supporting America's
Caregivers and Families Act''.
SEC. 2. ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF CAREGIVERS.
(a) Authorization of Appropriations for Family Caregiver
Support.--Section 303(e) of the Older Americans Act of 1965
(42 U.S.C. 3023(e)) is amended by striking ``$154,336,482''
and all that follows through the period at the end and
inserting ``$360,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020
through 2024''.
(b) Improving Caregiver Assessment.--
(1) Increasing use of caregiver assessment tools.--Section
202 of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3012) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``(h) By not later than January 1, 2021, the Assistant
Secretary shall--
``(1) in consultation with caregivers, older individuals,
the aging network, and other experts and stakeholders,
develop and implement a strategy to increase the use of
comprehensive caregiver assessment tools that--
``(A) are standardized across a planning and service area;
``(B) assess the specific problems, needs, strengths, and
resources of caregivers--
``(i) as identified by a recognized caregiver, as
appropriate, through voluntary participation;
``(ii) through direct contact with the caregiver, which may
include in-person, phone, or online contact; and
``(iii) at appropriate intervals, including to accommodate
significant changes in the caregiving situation;
``(C) determine whether a caregiver would benefit from
support services; and
``(D) lead to providing targeted caregiver support services
to best benefit caregivers, where appropriate and available
based upon identified unmet needs, including through
referrals;
``(2) conduct a study on the best practices and potential
considerations regarding mandatory use of comprehensive
caregiver assessment tools standardized across a planning and
service area by an area agency on aging, which shall
examine--
``(A) the current use of caregiver assessments, as of the
date of the study;
``(B) the efficacy and feasibility of mandatory use of
comprehensive caregiver assessment tools standardized across
a planning and service area, including the value to
caregivers and the older individuals to whom they provide
care; and
``(C) the potential impact on the aging network of using
such assessments; and
``(3) prepare and submit to Congress a report regarding the
study under paragraph (2) that provides recommendations for
the appropriate use of comprehensive caregiver assessments
standardized across a planning and service area by an area
agency on aging, and a proposed budget, based on the
Assistant Secretary's professional judgment, for
appropriately implementing the recommendations.''.
(2) Assessing needs of caregivers.--Section 373(e)(3) of
the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3030s-1(e)(3)) is
amended by inserting ``assess the needs of family caregivers
or older relative caregivers and'' before ``provide''.
(3) Family caregiver resource center and technical
assistance.--Section 202(b) of the Older Americans Act of
1965 (42 U.S.C. 3012(b)) is amended--
(A) in paragraph (10), by striking ``and'' after the
semicolon;
(B) by redesignating paragraph (11) as paragraph (12); and
(C) by inserting after paragraph (10) the following:
``(11) establish and operate the National Family Caregiver
Resource and Technical Assistance Center, which will--
``(A) by grant or contract with a public or private
nonprofit entity, provide information and assistance to State
agencies, area agencies on aging, and community-based service
providers funded under this Act, including--
``(i) through technical assistance, research, training,
program analysis, and data collection;
``(ii) activities described in section 411(a)(11); and
``(iii) dissemination of best practices, including best
practices for conducting assessments of caregiver needs using
comprehensive assessment tools standardized across a planning
and service area; and
``(B) directly or through grant or contract, provide
information, education, and assistance to family caregivers
in a manner that is accessible and understandable to the
family caregivers.''.
(c) Business Acumen Provisions.--
(1) Assistance relating to growing and sustaining
capacity.--Section 202(b)(9) of the Older Americans Act of
1965 (42 U.S.C. 3012(b)(9)) is amended--
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``and'' after the
semicolon;
(B) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``and'' after the
semicolon; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(C) business acumen, capacity building, organizational
development, innovation, and other methods of growing and
sustaining the capacity of the aging network to serve older
adults and caregivers most effectively;''.
(2) Clarifying partnerships for area agencies on aging.--
Section 306 of the Older
[[Page S2243]]
Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3026) is amended by adding
at the end the following:
``(g) Nothing in this Act shall restrict an area agency on
aging from providing services not provided or authorized
under this Act, including through--
``(1) contracts with health care payers;
``(2) consumer private pay programs; or
``(3) other arrangements with entities or individuals that
increase the availability of home and community-based
services and supports in the planning and service area
supported by the area agency on aging.''.
______
By Mr. McCONNELL:
S. 1021. A bill to amend the Intermodal Surface Transportation
Efficiency Act of 1991 with respect to a portion of the Wendell H. Ford
(Western Kentucky) Parkway, and for other purposes; to the Committee on
Environment and Public Works.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text
of the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 1021
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. WENDELL H. FORD (WESTERN KENTUCKY) PARKWAY.
(a) Designation as High Priority Corridor.--Section 1105(c)
of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of
1991 (Public Law 102-240; 105 Stat. 2032; 131 Stat. 797) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``(91) The Wendell H. Ford (Western Kentucky) Parkway from
the interchange with the William H. Natcher Parkway in Ohio
County, Kentucky, west to the interchange of the Western
Kentucky Parkway with the Edward T. Breathitt (Pennyrile)
Parkway.''.
(b) Designation as Future Interstate.--Section
1105(e)(5)(A) of the Intermodal Surface Transportation
Efficiency Act of 1991 (Public Law 102-240; 109 Stat. 597;
131 Stat. 797) is amended in the first sentence by striking
``and subsection (c)(90)'' and inserting ``subsection
(c)(90), and subsection (c)(91)''.
(c) Numbering of Parkway.--Section 1105(e)(5)(C)(i) of the
Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991
(Public Law 102-240; 109 Stat. 598; 126 Stat. 426; 131 Stat.
797) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``The
route referred to in subsection (c)(91) is designated as
Interstate Route I-369.''.
(d) Operation of Vehicles.--Section 127(l)(3)(A) of title
23, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in the matter preceding clause (i), in the first
sentence, by striking ``clause (i) or (ii)'' and inserting
``clauses (i) through (iii)''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(iii) The Wendell H. Ford (Western Kentucky) Parkway (to
be designated as a spur of Interstate Route 69) from the
interchange with the William H. Natcher Parkway in Ohio
County, Kentucky, west to the interchange of the Western
Kentucky Parkway with the Edward T. Breathitt (Pennyrile)
Parkway.''.
____________________