I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7975 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand eligibility for care from 

the Department of Veterans Affairs to include members of the reserve 

components of the Armed Forces, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 12, 2024 

Mr. NEGUSE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand eligibility 

for care from the Department of Veterans Affairs to 

include members of the reserve components of the Armed 

Forces, 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 ‘‘Reserve Component 

5 Healthcare Access and Expansion Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF HEALTH CARE FROM DEPARTMENT 

2 OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO INCLUDE MEM3 BERS OF THE RESERVE COMPONENTS OF 

4 THE ARMED FORCES WHO ARE NOT ON AC5 TIVE ORDERS. 

6 (a) EXPANSION OF CARE.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1789 of title 38, 

8 United States Code, is amended to read as follows: 

9 ‘‘§ 1789. Health care for members of the reserve com10 ponents of the Armed Forces 

11 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary (subject to sub12 section (b)) shall furnish hospital care and medical serv13 ices, including mental health services, to any member of 

14 the reserve components of the Armed Forces during any 

15 period in which the member is not entitled to benefits 

16 under TRICARE Prime (as defined in section 1072(14) 

17 of title 10). 

18 ‘‘(b) LIMITATION.—The requirement in subsection 

19 (a) shall be effective in any fiscal year only to the extent 

20 and in the amount provided in advance in appropriations 

21 Acts for such purpose. 

22 ‘‘(c) CONSULTATION WITH SECRETARY OF DE23 FENSE.—The Secretary shall carry out this section in con24 sultation with the Secretary of Defense.’’. 

25 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec26 tions at the beginning of subchapter VIII of chapter 


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1 17 of such title is amended by striking the item re2 lating to section 1789 and inserting the following 

3 new item: 

‘‘1789. Health care for members of the reserve components of the Armed 

Forces.’’. 

4 (b) ENROLLMENT IN PATIENT ENROLLMENT SYS5 TEM.— 

6 (1) PRIORITY FOR ENROLLMENT.—Section 

7 1705(a) of title 38, United States Code, is amend8 ed— 

9 (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 

10 by striking ‘‘enrollment of veterans’’ and insert11 ing ‘‘enrollment of individuals under such sys12 tem’’; and 

13 (B) in paragraph (7)— 

14 (i) by striking ‘‘Veterans’’ and insert15 ing ‘‘(A) Veterans’’; and 

16 (ii) by adding at the end the following 

17 new subparagraph: 

18 ‘‘(B) Members of the reserve components of the 

19 Armed Forces for purposes of furnishing hospital 

20 care and medical services under section 1789(a) of 

21 this title.’’. 

22 (2) INITIAL ENROLLMENT.— 

23 (A) PHASED APPROACH.—The Secretary of 

24 Veterans Affairs shall implement a phased apVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:22 Apr 23, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7975.IH H7975

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1 proach under subparagraphs (B) and (C) to en2 roll all members of the reserve components of 

3 the Armed Forces in the patient enrollment sys4 tem. 

5 (B) UNINSURED.—The Secretary shall en6 sure that all members of the reserve compo7 nents of the Armed Forces who are uninsured 

8 are enrolled in the patient enrollment system by 

9 not later than December 31, 2023. 

10 (C) OTHER MEMBERS.—The Secretary 

11 shall ensure that all members of the reserve 

12 components of the Armed Forces not covered by 

13 subparagraph (B) are enrolled in the patient 

14 enrollment system by not later than December 

15 31, 2024. 

16 (3) ONGOING ENROLLMENT.—After December 

17 31, 2023, the Secretary shall automatically enroll in 

18 the patient enrollment system all new members of 

19 the reserve components of the Armed Forces upon 

20 those members joining the reserve components. 

21 (4) STUDY.— 

22 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 

23 conduct a study to evaluate options for improv24 ing access to health care for members of the re25 serve components of the Armed Forces, includVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:22 Apr 23, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7975.IH H7975

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1 ing by conducting a review of priority groups 

2 for enrollment in the patient enrollment system. 

3 (B) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days 

4 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 

5 Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on 

6 the study conducted under subparagraph (A). 

7 (5) CONSULTATION WITH SECRETARY OF DE8 FENSE.—The Secretary shall carry out this sub9 section and the amendments made by this subsection 

10 in consultation with the Secretary of Defense. 

11 (6) PATIENT ENROLLMENT SYSTEM DE12 FINED.—In this subsection, the term ‘‘patient enroll13 ment system’’ means the system of annual patient 

14 enrollment of the Department of Veterans Affairs 

15 established and operated under section 1705(a) of 

16 title 38, United States Code. 

Æ 


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