Rural Veterans’ Improved Access to Benefits Act of 2024

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8881 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8881

  To amend title 38, United States Code, to permanently authorize the 
 performance of Department of Veterans Affairs disability examinations 
   by non-Department physicians pursuant to contracts, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 28, 2024

 Mr. Ciscomani (for himself, Ms. Perez, Mr. Scott Franklin of Florida, 
  Mr. Davis of North Carolina, and Mr. Carl) introduced the following 
     bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 38, United States Code, to permanently authorize the 
 performance of Department of Veterans Affairs disability examinations 
   by non-Department physicians pursuant to contracts, 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 ``Rural Veterans' Improved Access to 
Benefits Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. PERMANENT AUTHORITY FOR CONTRACT PHYSICIANS TO PERFORM 
              DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS DISABILITY EXAMINATIONS.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter I of chapter 51 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after section 5103A the following 
new section:
``Sec. 5103B. Performance of disability examinations by contract 
              physicians
    ``(a) Authority.--(1) A medical examination conducted under section 
5103A(d) of this title that is carried out through the Under Secretary 
for Benefits may be made by a person who is not an employee of the 
Department in accordance with this section.
    ``(2) Any examination authorized under paragraph (1) shall be 
performed pursuant to a contract entered into between the Under 
Secretary for Benefits and that person.
    ``(b) Licensure of Contract Health Care Professionals.--(1) 
Notwithstanding any provision of law regarding the licensure of health 
care professionals, a health care professional described in paragraph 
(2) may conduct an examination pursuant to a contract entered into 
under subsection (a) at any location in any State so long as the 
examination is within the scope of the authorized duties under such 
contract.
    ``(2) A health care professional described in this paragraph is a 
person who is eligible for appointment to a position in the Veterans 
Health Administration covered by section 7402(b) of this title, who--
            ``(A) has a current unrestricted license to practice the 
        health care profession of the health care professional;
            ``(B) is not barred from practicing such health care 
        profession in any State; and
            ``(C) is performing authorized duties for the Department 
        pursuant to a contract entered into under subsection (a).
    ``(c) Source of Funds.--Expenses of carrying out this section, 
including payments for examination travel and incidental expenses under 
the terms and conditions set forth by section 111 of this title, shall 
be reimbursed to the accounts available for the general operating 
expenses of the Veterans Benefits Administration and information 
technology systems from amounts available to the Secretary for payment 
of compensation and pensions.
    ``(d) Mechanism for Transmittal of Evidence Introduced by 
Applications During Examinations.--The Secretary shall establish a 
mechanism whereby a health care professional authorized to provide an 
examination under subsection (a) for an applicant for a benefit 
described in paragraph (1) of such subsection can transmit to the 
Secretary evidence introduced by the applicant during such 
examination.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections after the beginning 
of chapter 51 of such title is amended by inserting after the item 
relating to section 5103A the following new item:

``5103B. Performance of disability examinations by contract 
                            physicians.''.
    (c) Termination of Pilot Program.--The pilot program under section 
504(a) of the Veterans' Benefits Improvements Act of 1996 (Public Law 
104-275; 38 U.S.C. 5101 note) is hereby terminated.
    (d) Report to Congress.--Not later than three years after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
submit to Congress a report on the effect of the use of the authority 
provided by section 5103B of such title, as added by subsection (a), on 
the cost, timeliness, and thoroughness of medical disability 
examinations.
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