II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 682 

To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish a vaccine for 

COVID–19 to certain individuals who are not enrolled in the patient 

enrollment system of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 10, 2021 

Mr. TESTER (for himself, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr. MORAN, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. 

SANDERS, Mr. TILLIS, Mr. BROWN, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Ms. SINEMA, Ms. 

HASSAN, Mr. TUBERVILLE, Mr. COONS, Mr. CRAMER, and Mr. ROUNDS) 

introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish 

a vaccine for COVID–19 to certain individuals who are 

not enrolled in the patient enrollment system of the 

Department of Veterans Affairs. 

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 ‘‘Strengthening and 

5 Amplifying Vaccination Efforts to Locally Immunize all 

6 Veterans and Every Spouse Act’’ or the ‘‘SAVE LIVES 

7 Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 

2 TO FURNISH COVID–19 VACCINE TO CERTAIN 

3 INDIVIDUALS NOT ENROLLED IN PATIENT 

4 ENROLLMENT SYSTEM OF DEPARTMENT OF 

5 VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

7 may furnish a vaccine for COVID–19 to a covered indi8 vidual during the COVID–19 public health emergency. 

9 (b) PRIORITIZATION.—In furnishing vaccines for 

10 COVID–19 under the laws administered by the Secretary, 

11 the Secretary shall— 

12 (1) prioritize the vaccination of veterans who 

13 are enrolled in the patient enrollment system, vet14 erans who receive hospital care and medical services 

15 pursuant to subsection (c)(2) of section 1705 of title 

16 38, United States Code, and accompanying care17 givers of such veterans before the vaccination of cov18 ered individuals not otherwise described in this para19 graph; and 

20 (2) only furnish vaccines for COVID–19 to cov21 ered individuals under this section to the extent that 

22 such vaccines are available. 

23 (c) TIMING OF VACCINES PROVIDED TO SPOUSES OF

24 VETERANS.—To the extent practicable, the Secretary may 

25 offer a vaccine for COVID–19 under this section to the 

26 spouse of a veteran to permit the provision of the vaccine 


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1 to the spouse near the same time that the veteran receives 

2 such vaccine from the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

3 (d) VACCINE ALLOCATION.—It is the sense of Con4 gress that, to the extent practicable based on the current 

5 national supply chain, the Secretary of Health and Human 

6 Services should adjust the allocation for the Department 

7 of Veterans Affairs for the vaccine for COVID–19 based 

8 on the additional eligibility of covered individuals under 

9 this section. 

10 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

11 (1) ACCOMPANYING CAREGIVER.—The term 

12 ‘‘accompanying caregiver’’ means a caregiver de13 scribed in subparagraph (D), (E), or (F) of para14 graph (2) who is accompanying a veteran who is re15 ceiving a vaccine for COVID–19 furnished by the 

16 Department. 

17 (2) COVERED INDIVIDUAL.—The term ‘‘covered 

18 individual’’ means any of the following individuals: 

19 (A) A veteran who is not eligible to enroll 

20 in the patient enrollment system. 

21 (B) A veteran who is eligible for care 

22 under section 1724 of title 38, United States 

23 Code. 

24 (C) A beneficiary under section 1781 of 

25 such title. 


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1 (D) A family caregiver of a veteran partici2 pating in the program of comprehensive assist3 ance for family caregivers under section 

4 1720G(a) of such title. 

5 (E) A caregiver of a veteran participating 

6 in the program of general caregiver support 

7 services under section 1720G(b) of such title. 

8 (F) A caregiver of a veteran participating 

9 in the Medical Foster Home Program, Bowel 

10 and Bladder Program, Home Based Primary 

11 Care Program, or Veteran Directed Care Pro12 gram of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

13 (G) A spouse of a veteran. 

14 (3) COVERED PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.— 

15 The term ‘‘covered public health emergency’’ means 

16 an emergency with respect to COVID–19 declared 

17 by a Federal, State, or local authority. 

18 (4) COVID–19.—The term ‘‘COVID–19’’ 

19 means the coronavirus disease 2019. 

20 (5) PATIENT ENROLLMENT SYSTEM.—The term 

21 ‘‘patient enrollment system’’ means the system of 

22 annual patient enrollment of the Department of Vet23 erans Affairs established and operated under section 

24 1705(a) of title 38, United States Code. 


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1 (6) VETERAN.—The term ‘‘veteran’’ has the 

2 meaning given that term in section 101(2) of title 

3 38, United States Code. 

Æ 


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