[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 42 (Friday, March 5, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1321-S1322]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1135. Mr. LEE submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to 
amendment SA 891 proposed by Mr. Schumer (for himself, Mr. Wyden, Mrs. 
Murray, Mr. Brown, Mr. Peters, Mr. Cardin, Ms. Cantwell, Ms. Stabenow, 
Mr. Tester, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Carper, Mr. Leahy, and Mr. 
Sanders) to the bill H.R. 1319, to provide for reconciliation pursuant 
to title II of S. Con. Res. 5; which was ordered to lie on the table; 
as follows:

        At the end of title VIII, add the following:

     SEC. 8___. WAIVER OF INCOME LIMITATIONS THAT PRECLUDE 
                   VETERANS FROM RECEIVING COST-FREE COVID-19 
                   VACCINE AT FACILITIES OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
                   AFFAIRS.

       (a) Waiver of Income Limitations.--During the period 
     specified in subsection (b), the Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs--

[[Page S1322]]

       (1) for purposes of providing cost-free vaccines for COVID-
     19 to veterans, shall waive any income limitation that would 
     otherwise preclude a veteran from receiving such a cost-free 
     vaccine at a facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs; 
     and
       (2) may not charge a copayment or other cost sharing for a 
     veteran to receive such a vaccine at a facility of the 
     Department.
       (b) Period Specified.--The period specified in this 
     subsection is the period that--
       (1) begins on the date of the enactment of this Act; and
       (2) ends on the date on which the national emergency 
     terminates under section 202 of the National Emergencies Act 
     (50 U.S.C. 1622).
       (c) National Emergency.--The term ``national emergency'' 
     means the national emergency declared by the President under 
     the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) with 
     respect to COVID-19.

     SEC. 8___. FLEXIBILITY FOR SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO 
                   USE HEALTH CARE ENROLLMENT PRIORITY SYSTEM FOR 
                   PROVISION OF COVID-19 VACCINE.

       In distributing the vaccine for COVID-19 to veterans during 
     any period in which the supply of such vaccine is limited, as 
     determined by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the 
     Secretary may use the priority groups for enrollment of 
     veterans in the patient enrollment system of the Department 
     of Veterans Affairs under section 1705(a) of title 38, United 
     States Code, in determining priority for receipt of such 
     vaccine.
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