VA Act of 2018

Veterans Awareness Act or VA Act of 2018

This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a pilot program under which a qualifying veteran shall be notified of a change of service reducing or eliminating a medical service provided to such veteran at a medical facility of the VA.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6151 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6151

   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to notify qualifying 
   veterans of a covered change of service reducing or eliminating a 
  medical service provided at a medical facility of the Department of 
               Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 19, 2018

 Mr. Donovan introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to notify qualifying 
   veterans of a covered change of service reducing or eliminating a 
  medical service provided at a medical facility of the Department of 
               Veterans Affairs, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Awareness 
Act'' or ``VA Act of 2018''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM TO NOTIFY QUALIFYING VETERANS OF A COVERED CHANGE 
              OF SERVICE.

    (a) Pilot Program.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry 
out a three-year pilot program under which the Secretary shall notify 
qualifying veterans of a covered change of service.
    (b) Notification.--Not later than 60 days prior to making a covered 
change of service, the Secretary shall mail to qualifying veterans at 
the physical address on file with the Department of Veterans Affairs a 
letter notifying the veteran of such change. Additionally, not later 
than 60 days prior to making a covered change of service, the Secretary 
shall mail to the Congressional representative a letter notifying them 
of such change in their district.
    (c) Selection of Medical Facilities.--The Secretary shall select 
medical facilities of the Department at which to carry out the pilot 
program, of which 50 percent shall be located in rural areas and 50 
percent shall be located in urban areas.
    (d) Forum.--Not later than 30 days prior to making a covered change 
of service at a medical facility participating in the pilot program, 
the Director of the medical facility of the Department, or a designee, 
shall hold an in-person forum to provide veterans who receive hospital 
care or medical treatment at such medical facility an opportunity to 
comment on such change.
    (e) Report.--Not later than nine months after the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the results of 
the pilot program.
    (f) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``covered change of service'' means the 
        reduction or elimination of a medical service provided at a 
        medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 
        including a service related to inpatient care, outpatient care, 
        mental health care, orthopedic care, or physical therapy.
            (2) The term ``qualifying veteran'' means a veteran who has 
        received within a six-month period preceding a covered change 
        of service hospital care or medical treatment from a medical 
        facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs participating in 
        the pilot program.
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