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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3560 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3560

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize pre-enrollment of 
  certain combat service members of the Armed Forces in the system of 
    annual patient enrollment of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 9, 2024

    Mr. King (for himself, Mr. Rounds, Mr. Cramer, and Mr. Manchin) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize pre-enrollment of 
  certain combat service members of the Armed Forces in the system of 
    annual patient enrollment of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Combat Veterans Pre-Enrollment Act 
of 2024''.

SEC. 2. PRE-ENROLLMENT OF CERTAIN COMBAT SERVICE MEMBERS OF THE ARMED 
              FORCES IN THE PATIENT ENROLLMENT SYSTEM OF THE DEPARTMENT 
              OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) In General.--Section 1705 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(e\\)(1) The Secretary may pre-enroll in the system of annual 
patient enrollment established and operated under subsection (a) a 
member of the Armed Forces during the 180-day period before the 
separation of such member from service in the Armed Forces if the 
Secretary determines such member would be eligible for enrollment under 
such subsection and would be described in section 1710(e)(1)(D) of this 
title upon separating from such service.
    ``(2) In this subsection, the term `pre-enroll' means, with respect 
to a member of the Armed Forces, all activities necessary to permit a 
final enrollment determination with respect to the enrollment of such 
member in the system of annual patient enrollment established and 
operated under subsection (a) immediately upon the separation of such 
member from the Armed Forces.''.
    (b) Establishment of Pre-Enrollment Mechanism.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
        and the Secretary of Defense shall establish a mechanism to 
        permit pre-enrollment of members of the Armed Forces in the 
        system of annual patient enrollment of the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs pursuant to section 1705(e) of title 38, 
        United States Code, as added by subsection (a).
            (2) Briefings on initial implementation.--
                    (A) In general.--Not later than each of 180 days, 
                one year, and two years after the date of the enactment 
                of this Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs-
                Department of Defense Joint Executive Committee 
                established under section 320 of title 38, United 
                States Code, shall provide to the appropriate 
                committees of Congress a briefing on the implementation 
                of the mechanism required under paragraph (1).
                    (B) Appropriate committees of congress defined.--In 
                this paragraph, the term ``appropriate committees of 
                Congress'' means--
                            (i) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and 
                        the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate; 
                        and
                            (ii) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and 
                        the Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
                        Representatives.
    (c) Annual Report.--Section 8111(f)(2) of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) and (F) as 
        subparagraphs (F) and (G), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following new 
        subparagraph (E):
            ``(E) With respect to the pre-enrollment of members of the 
        Armed Forces in the system of annual patient enrollment of the 
        Department under section 1705(e) of this title during the 
        preceding fiscal year, the following:
                    ``(i) The number of such members who pre-enrolled 
                in such system.
                    ``(ii) The number of such members who applied for 
                pre-enrollment but were denied final enrollment in such 
                system.
                    ``(iii) Aggregated demographic information for such 
                members, including age, ethnicity, length of service, 
                military rank, and branch of service.''.
                                 <all>
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