[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 23, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3079-S3080]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 5934. Mr. WELCH submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction,

[[Page S3080]]

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 D of title VII add the following:

     SEC. 771. 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.--Notwithstanding 
     the privacy regulations promulgated under the Health 
     Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (Public 
     Law 104-191), at part 160 of title 45, Code of Federal 
     Regulations, and subparts A, C, and E of part 164 of such 
     title (or any successor regulations), 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) 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.
       (2) 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.
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