VA Emergency Transportation Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3350 To amend title 38, United States Code, to reimburse veterans for the cost of emergency medical transportation to a Federal facility, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JUNE 19, 2019 Mrs. HARTZLER (for herself, Mr. CUNNINGHAM, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. MEADOWS, Mr. TURNER, Mr. BACON, Ms. GABBARD, Mr. KILMER, Mr. BYRNE, Mr. COLE, Mr. MAST, Mr. STEUBE, Mrs. RODGERS of Washington, Mr. HARDER of California, Ms. WILD, Mr. VAN DREW, Mr. TIPTON, Ms. SPANBERGER, and Ms. NORTON) introduced the fol- lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to reimburse veterans for the cost of emergency medical transportation to a Federal facility, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘VA Emergency Trans- 4 portation Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:25 Jun 22, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3350.IH H3350 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HR 3350 IH SEC. 2. REIMBURSEMENT OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL 1 TRANSPORTATION TO A FEDERAL FACILITY. 2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1725 of title 38, United 3 States Code, is amended— 4 (1) in the heading, by striking ‘‘EMERGENCY 5 TREATMENT’’ and inserting ‘‘EMERGENCY SERV- 6 ICES’’; 7 (2) by striking ‘‘the emergency treatment’’ each 8 place it appears and inserting ‘‘such emergency serv- 9 ices’’; 10 (3) by striking ‘‘such treatment’’ each place it 11 appears and inserting ‘‘such emergency services’’; 12 (4) by striking ‘‘that treatment’’ each place it 13 appears and inserting ‘‘such emergency services’’; 14 (5) by striking ‘‘the treatment’’ each place it 15 appears and inserting ‘‘such emergency services’’; 16 (6) by striking ‘‘in a non-Department facility’’ 17 each place it appears; 18 (7) by striking ‘‘same treatment’’ and inserting 19 ‘‘same emergency services’’; 20 (8) in subsection (a)(2)(A), by striking ‘‘health 21 care provider that furnished the treatment’’ and in- 22 serting ‘‘provider that furnished such emergency 23 services’’; 24 (9) in subsections (a) through (d), as amended 25 by the preceding paragraphs, by striking ‘‘emergency 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:25 Jun 22, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3350.IH H3350 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HR 3350 IH treatment’’ each place it appears and inserting 1 ‘‘emergency services’’; 2 (10) in subsection (b)(3)(B), by striking 3 ‘‘(f)(2)(B) or (f)(2)(C)’’ and inserting ‘‘(f)(4)(B) or 4 (f)(4)(C)’’; and 5 (11) in subsection (f)— 6 (A) by redesignating paragraph (1), (2), 7 and (3) as paragraphs (3), (4), and (5), respec- 8 tively; 9 (B) in paragraph (3), as redesignated, in- 10 sert ‘‘in a non-Department facility’’ after ‘‘serv- 11 ices furnished’’; and 12 (C) by inserting before paragraph (3), as 13 redesignated, the following new paragraphs (1) 14 and (2): 15 ‘‘(1) The term ‘emergency services’ includes 16 emergency treatment and emergency transportation. 17 ‘‘(2) The term ‘emergency transportation’ 18 means transportation of a veteran by ambulance or 19 air ambulance by a non-Department provider— 20 ‘‘(A) to a facility for emergency treatment; 21 or 22 ‘‘(B) from a non-Department facility where 23 such veteran received emergency treatment— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:25 Jun 22, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3350.IH H3350 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •HR 3350 IH ‘‘(i) to a Department or other Federal 1 facility; and 2 ‘‘(ii) at a time described in paragraph 3 (3)(C).’’. 4 (b) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 5 (1) DEFINITION OF EMERGENCY TREAT- 6 MENT.—Section 1728(c) of such title is amended by 7 striking ‘‘1725(f)(1)’’ and inserting ‘‘1725(f)’’. 8 (2) TABLE OF SECTIONS.—The table of sections 9 at the beginning of chapter 17 of such title is 10 amended by striking ‘‘emergency treatment’’ and in- 11 serting ‘‘emergency services’’. 12 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:25 Jun 22, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H3350.IH H3350 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS