[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 124 (Monday, July 21, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S4510]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2959. Mr. WELCH submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 2296, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2026 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:

       At the end of subtitle F of title X, add the following:

     SEC. 1067. SUPPLEMENTATION OF HEALTH RECORDS OF DECEASED 
                   VETERANS.

       (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense and the 
     Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly take actions 
     necessary to ensure that the health records of the Department 
     of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs may be 
     updated with observed health conditions and other relevant 
     health information of a deceased enrollee by--
       (1) an individual designated by such deceased enrollee; or
       (2) if no such individual is designated, an immediate 
     family member of such deceased enrollee.
       (b) Designation.--The Secretary of Defense and the 
     Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly provide for a 
     process by which an individual may make a designation for 
     purposes of subsection (a)(1).
       (c) No Modification of Health Information.--Any update 
     under subsection (a) shall supplement information contained 
     in the health records of a deceased enrollee and shall not 
     modify information contained in such records.
       (d) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Immediate family member.--The term ``immediate family 
     member'', with respect to a deceased enrollee, means--
       (A) the spouse, parent, brother, sister, or adult child of 
     the individual; or
       (B) an adult person to whom the individual stands in loco 
     parentis.
       (2) Deceased enrollee.--The term ``deceased enrollee'' 
     means any individual who, at the time of his or her death--
       (A) was enrolled in the patient enrollment system of the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs established and operated under 
     section 1705(a) of title 38, United States Code; or
       (B) was entitled to care under the TRICARE program, as 
     defined in section 1072 of title 10, United States Code.
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