Studying Veterans Access to Care During COVID–19 Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 8758 To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to submit a report on changes in the use of the beneficiary travel program of the Depart- ment of Veterans Affairs during COVID–19, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NOVEMBER 17, 2020 Ms. ADAMS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs A BILL To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to submit a report on changes in the use of the beneficiary travel program of the Department of Veterans Affairs during COVID–19, 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 ‘‘Studying Veterans Ac- 4 cess to Care During COVID–19 Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:47 Nov 28, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8758.IH H8758 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 8758 IH SEC. 2. COMPTROLLER GENERAL REPORT ON CHANGES IN 1 USE OF BENEFICIARY TRAVEL PROGRAM OF 2 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 3 (a) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 4 of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of 5 the United States shall prepare and submit to the Com- 6 mittees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representa- 7 tives and the Senate a report on the following: 8 (1) The year-over-year change in the number of 9 payments and allowances provided pursuant to the 10 beneficiary travel program of the Department of 11 Veterans Affairs under section 111 of title 38, 12 United States Code during the COVID–19 public 13 health emergency period. 14 (2) The year-over-year change in the total dol- 15 lar amount of payments and allowances provided 16 pursuant to such program during such period. 17 (3) The anticipated costs associated with ex- 18 panding eligibility to receive payments and allow- 19 ances pursuant to such program to veterans whose 20 total annual income is below 400 percent of the pov- 21 erty line. 22 (b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 23 (1) The term ‘‘COVID–19 public health emer- 24 gency period’’ means the period during which there 25 exists the public health emergency declared by the 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:47 Nov 28, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8758.IH H8758 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 8758 IH Secretary of Health and Human Services pursuant 1 to section 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 2 U.S.C. 247d) on January 31, 2020, entitled ‘‘Deter- 3 mination that a Public Health Emergency Exists 4 Nationwide as the Result of the 2019 Novel 5 Coronavirus’’ (including any renewal of such dec- 6 laration pursuant to such section). 7 (2) The term ‘‘poverty line’’ has the meaning 8 given such term in section 673 of the Community 9 Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9902). 10 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:47 Nov 28, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H8758.IH H8758 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS