To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve health care programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs and to extend certain expiring authorities.

October 29, 2003

Mr. EVANS (for himself and Mr. RODRIGUEZ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve health care programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs and to extend certain expiring authorities.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; REFERENCES TO TITLE 38.

This Act may be cited as the `Veterans Health Programs Improvement Act of 2003'.

(b) REFERENCES TO TITLE 38- Except as otherwise expressly provided, whenever in this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provision, the reference shall be considered to be made to a section or other provision of title 38, United States Code.

SEC. 2. CARE FOR NEWBORN CHILDREN OF WOMEN VETERANS RECEIVING MATERNITY CARE.

(a) AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE NEWBORN INFANT CARE- Subchapter VIII of chapter 17 is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

`Sec. 1785. Care for newborn children of women veterans receiving maternity care

`The Secretary may furnish care to a newborn child of a woman veteran who is receiving maternity care furnished by the Department for up to 14 days after the birth of the child if the veteran delivered the child in a Department facility or in a non-Department facility under a Department contract for the delivery services.'.

(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT- The table of sections at the beginning of such subchapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 1784 the following new item:

`1785. Care for newborn children of women veterans receiving maternity care.'.

SEC. 3. ENHANCEMENT OF REHABILITATIVE SERVICES.

(a) REHABILITATIVE SERVICES THROUGH MEDICAL CARE AUTHORITY- Section 1701(8) is amended by striking `(other than those types of vocational rehabilitation services provided under chapter 31 of this title)'.

(b) Section 1718 is amended--

(1) in subsection (c)(1)--

(A) by striking `subsection (b) of this section' and inserting `subsection (b) or (d)'; and

(B) by striking `paragraph (2) of such subsection' and inserting `subsection (b)(2)';

(2) by redesignating subsections (d), (e), and (f) as subsections (e), (f), and (g), respectively; and

(3) by inserting after subsection (c) the following new subsection (d):

`(d) In providing to a veteran rehabilitative services under this chapter, the Secretary may furnish the veteran with the following:

`(1) Work skills training and development services.

`(2) Employment support services.

`(3) Job development and placement services.'.

SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF EXPIRED SPECIAL TREATMENT AUTHORITIES.

(a) VIETNAM-ERA HERBICIDE-EXPOSED VETERANS- Section 1710(e)(3)(A) is amended by striking `December 31, 2002' and inserting `December 31, 2008'.

(b) PERSIAN GULF VETERANS- Section 1710(e)(3)(B) is amended by striking `December 31, 2002' and inserting `December 31, 2008'.

SEC. 5. REQUIREMENT FOR PATIENTS TO PROVIDE CERTAIN HEALTH-PLAN INFORMATION.

(a) Subchapter I of chapter 17 is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

`Sec. 1709. Provision of health-plan contract information

`(a) An individual who applies for or is in receipt of hospital, nursing home, or domiciliary care, medical, rehabilitative, or preventive health services, or other medical care under laws administered by the Secretary shall, at the time of such application, or otherwise when requested by the Secretary, furnish the Secretary with such current information as the Secretary may require to identify any health-plan contract, as defined in section 1729(i)(1) of this title, under which such individual is covered. Such identifying information may include, as applicable, the name, address, and telephone number of such health-plan contract, the name of the individual's spouse, if the individual's coverage is under the spouse's health-plan contract, the plan number, and the plan's group code.

`(b) The Secretary shall deny the individual's application for, or terminate the individual's enrollment in, the system of patient enrollment established by the Secretary under section 1705 of this title if the individual does not provide the health-plan contract identifying information required or requested to be furnished pursuant to subsection (a). The Secretary, following such denial or termination, may, upon receipt of the information required or requested, approve the individual's application or reinstate the individual's enrollment (if otherwise in order), for such medical care and services provided on and after the date of such receipt of information.

`(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed as authority to deny medical care or treatment to an individual in a medical emergency.'.

(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT- The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 1708 the following new item:

`1709. Provision of health-plan contract information.'.

SEC. 6. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY FOR LEASE TO NONPROFITS OR STATES OF PROPERTIES ON WHICH VETERANS HAVE DEFAULTED ON GUARANTEED HOME LOANS.

(a) EXTENSION- Section 2041(c) is amended by striking `December 31, 2003' and inserting `December 31, 2008'.

(b) TECHNICAL CORRECTION- The first sentence of section 2041(a)(2) is amended by striking `this chapter' and inserting `chapter 37 of this title'.

SEC. 7. FIVE-YEAR EXTENSION OF CERTAIN ANNUAL REPORTS.

(a) REPORT ON COMMITTEE ON CARE OF SEVERELY CHRONICALLY MENTALLY ILL VETERANS- Section 7321(d)(2) is amended by striking `February 1, 1998, and February 1 of each of the six following years' and inserting `February 1 of each year through 2009'.

(b) PTSD REPORT- Section 110(e)(2) of the Veterans Health Care Act of 1984 (38 U.S.C. 1712A note) is amended by striking `February 1, 2001, and February 1 of each of the three following years' and inserting `February 1 of each year through 2009'.

SEC. 8. FIVE-YEAR EXTENSION OF READJUSTMENT COUNSELING FOR VIETNAM-ERA VETERANS.

Section 1712(a)(1)(B)(ii) is amended by striking `January 1, 2004' and inserting `January 1, 2009'.

SEC. 9. PERMANENT AUTHORITY FOR SEXUAL TRAUMA COUNSELING.

Section 1720D(a) is amended--

(1) in paragraph (1), by striking `During the period through December 31, 2004, the' and inserting `The'; and

(2) in paragraph (2), by striking `, during the period through December 31, 2004,'.

END