[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 146 (Monday, September 8, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S6406]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 3799. Mr. HAWLEY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to 
amendment SA 3748 proposed by Mr. Wicker (for himself and Mr. Reed) 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 B of title VII, add the following:

     SEC. 718. PROVISION OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES AT FORT LEONARD 
                   WOOD, MISSOURI.

       (a) Assessment.--The Secretary of Defense, in consultation 
     with the Secretary of the Army, shall conduct an assessment 
     of the adequacy of health care services available to covered 
     beneficiaries under the TRICARE program located at Fort 
     Leonard Wood, Missouri.
       (b) Elements.--The assessment required by subsection (a) 
     shall include the following elements:
       (1) An evaluation of the ability of the local area to 
     provide adequate access to care for the covered beneficiary 
     population surrounding Fort Leonard Wood.
       (2) An evaluation of potential impacts to access and 
     quality of care for such beneficiaries if the General Leonard 
     Wood Army Community Hospital were to be realigned, 
     downgraded, or have its scope of services reduced.
       (3) An evaluation of the ability to establish additional 
     partnerships with the Department of Veterans Affairs for the 
     provision of health care service at the General Leonard Wood 
     Army Community Hospital.
       (4) Such other matters as the Secretary considers relevant 
     for determining the continued viability of the General 
     Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital.
       (c) Prohibition.--The Secretary of Defense may not close, 
     downgrade, or reduce the scope of care offered by the General 
     Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital unless--
       (1) the Secretary--
       (A) completes the assessment required by subsection (a) and 
     delivers such assessment to the Committees on Armed Services 
     of the Senate and the House of Representatives; and
       (B) certifies to the Committees on Armed Services of the 
     Senate and the House of Representatives that any such changes 
     would not reduce or degrade the health care services 
     available to covered beneficiaries and the local community; 
     and
       (2) the Chief of Staff of the Army certifies to the 
     Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of 
     Representatives that there will be no degradation of medical 
     readiness of units assigned to Fort Leonard Wood as a result 
     of any changes to the status of the General Leonard Wood Army 
     Community Hospital.
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