[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 131 (Wednesday, July 30, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S4931]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 3151. Mrs. SHAHEEN (for herself and Ms. Hassan) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by her 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. AVAILABILITY OF FULL-SERVICE HOSPITAL OF THE 
                   VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION IN CERTAIN 
                   STATES AND CONTINUED ACCESS TO COMMUNITY CARE.

       (a) Access by Veterans to Full-service Hospitals.--
       (1) In general.--Chapter 17 of title 38, United States 
     Code, is amended by inserting after section 1716 the 
     following new section:

     ``Sec. 1716A. Access to full-service hospitals in certain 
       States

       ``(a) Requirement.--With respect to each of the 48 
     contiguous States, the Secretary shall ensure that veterans 
     in the State eligible for hospital care and medical services 
     under section 1710 of this title may receive such care and 
     services at not fewer than one full-service hospital of the 
     Veterans Health Administration located within the geographic 
     boundaries of the State.
       ``(b) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in subsection (a) 
     shall be construed to restrict the ability of the Secretary 
     to provide enhanced care to a veteran who resides in one 
     State in a hospital of the Veterans Health Administration in 
     another State.''.
       (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the 
     item relating to section 1716 the following new item:

``1716A. Access to full-service hospitals in certain States.''.
       (b) Continued Access to Care Under Veterans Community Care 
     Program.--Section 1703(d)(1) of such title is amended in 
     subparagraph (B) by inserting ``as of the date of the 
     enactment of the Veterans Full-Service Care and Access Act of 
     2025'' before the semicolon at the end.
       (c) Report on Implementation.--Not later than one year 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress a report describing 
     the extent to which the Secretary has complied with the 
     requirement imposed by section 1716A of title 38, United 
     States Code, as added by subsection (a), including the effect 
     of such requirement on improving the quality and standards of 
     care provided to veterans.
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