Veterans Access to Care Act

Veterans Access to Care Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to designate medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) automatically as health professional shortage areas.

Prohibits an individual from participating in both the VA's Health Professionals Education Assistance Program and the National Health Service Corps scholarship or loan repayment programs.

Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in carrying out the National Health Service Corps Program, to consult with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs regarding health professional shortage areas that are VA medical facilities.

[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3554 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3554

  To amend the Public Health Service Act to designate certain medical 
facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs as health professional 
                shortage areas, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 20, 2013

Mr. Braley of Iowa introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                  the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Public Health Service Act to designate certain medical 
facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs as health professional 
                shortage areas, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Access to Care Act''.

SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF MEDICAL FACILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
              AFFAIRS AS HEALTH PROFESSIONAL SHORTAGE AREAS.

    (a) HPSA.--Section 332(a)(1) of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 254e(a)(1)) is amended in the second sentence by inserting ``and 
medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs (including 
State homes, as defined in section 101(19) of title 38, United States 
Code)'' after ``(42 U.S.C. 1395x(aa)),''.
    (b) Concurrent Benefits.--
            (1) Scholarship program.--Section 338A(b) of the Public 
        Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254l(b)) is amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (3), by striking ``and'';
                    (B) in paragraph (4), by striking the period and 
                inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
            ``(5) not be participating in the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs Health Professionals Educational Assistance Program 
        under chapter 76 of title 38, United States Code.''.
            (2) Debt reduction program.--Section 338B(b) of the Public 
        Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254l-1(b)) is amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'';
                    (B) in paragraph (3), by striking the period and 
                inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
            ``(4) not be participating in the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs Health Professionals Educational Assistance Program 
        under chapter 76 of title 38, United States Code.''.
    (c) Consultation.--In carrying out the National Health Service 
Corps Program under subpart II of part D of title III of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254d et seq.), the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services shall consult with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
with respect to health professional shortage areas that are medical 
facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs (including State 
homes, as defined in section 101(19) of title 38, United States Code).
    (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect on the date that is 90 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act.
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