I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 5525 

To amend title 38 and title 5, United States Code, to require the Secretary 

of Veterans Affairs and other officials of the Department of Veterans 

Affairs to receive health care from the Department, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 19, 2019 

Mr. RICE of South Carolina introduced the following bill; which was referred 

to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38 and title 5, United States Code, to require 

the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and other officials of 

the Department of Veterans Affairs to receive health 

care from the Department, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Providing Account5 ability for Veterans Affairs Executives Act of 2019’’ or 

6 ‘‘PAVE Act of 2019’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. HEALTH CARE FOR OFFICIALS OF THE DEPART2 MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1710 of title 38, United 

4 States Code, is amended— 

5 (1) in subsection (a)(3)— 

6 (A) by inserting ‘‘(A)’’ before ‘‘In’’; 

7 (B) by inserting ‘‘or in the case of an offi8 cial of the Department listed in subparagraph 

9 (B),’’ before ‘‘the Secretary’’; and 

10 (C) by adding at the end the following new 

11 subparagraph: 

12 ‘‘(B) As a condition of office and employment, 

13 and for the duration of such term of office or em14 ployment, each of the following officials of the De15 partment may not receive any hospital care or med16 ical services (other than emergency medical services) 

17 except under this section: 

18 ‘‘(i) The Secretary. 

19 ‘‘(ii) The Deputy Secretary. 

20 ‘‘(iii) The Under Secretary for Health. 

21 ‘‘(iv) The Under Secretary for Benefits. 

22 ‘‘(v) The Under Secretary for Memorial 

23 Affairs. 

24 ‘‘(vi) Each Assistant Secretary, includ25 ing— 


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1 ‘‘(I) the Assistant Secretary for Man2 agement; 

3 ‘‘(II) the Assistant Secretary for 

4 Human Resources and Administration; 

5 ‘‘(III) the Assistant Secretary for 

6 Public and Intergovernmental Affairs; and 

7 ‘‘(IV) the Assistant Secretary for Op8 erations, Security, and Preparedness. 

9 ‘‘(vii) Each Deputy Assistant Secretary. 

10 ‘‘(viii) The Chief Financial Officer. 

11 ‘‘(ix) The Chief Information Officer. 

12 ‘‘(x) The General Counsel. 

13 ‘‘(xi) The Inspector General. 

14 ‘‘(xii) The Director of Construction and 

15 Facilities Management. 

16 ‘‘(xiii) The Chief of Staff. 

17 ‘‘(xiv) The Chairman of the Board of Vet18 erans’ Appeals. 

19 ‘‘(xv) The Vice Chairman of the Board of 

20 Veterans’ Appeals.’’; 

21 (2) in subsection (f), by inserting ‘‘or official of 

22 the Department’’ after ‘‘veteran’’ each place it ap23 pears; and 


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1 (3) in subsection (g), by inserting ‘‘or official of 

2 the Department’’ after ‘‘veteran’’ each place it ap3 pears. 

4 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

5 (1) TITLE 38.—Section 1705(a) of title 38, 

6 United States Code, is amended— 

7 (A) by inserting ‘‘and officials of the De8 partment’’ after ‘‘veterans’’; and 

9 (B) in paragraph (8) by inserting ‘‘and of10 ficials of the Department’’ after ‘‘veterans’’. 

11 (2) TITLE 5.—Section 8901(1) of title 5, 

12 United States Code, is amended in the matter fol13 lowing subparagraph (J)— 

14 (A) by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end of clause 

15 (iii); 

16 (B) by adding ‘‘or’’ after the semicolon at 

17 the end of clause (iv); and 

18 (C) by adding at the end the following new 

19 clause: 

20 ‘‘(v) an official of the Department of Vet21 erans Affairs listed in section 1710(a)(3)(B) of 

22 title 38;’’. 

Æ 


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