I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4556 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans 

Affairs to furnish dental care in the same manner as any other medical 

service, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 5, 2017 

Ms. SHEA-PORTER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish dental care in the 

same manner as any other medical service, 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. REQUIREMENT THAT SECRETARY OF VET4 ERANS AFFAIRS FURNISH DENTAL CARE IN 

5 THE SAME MANNER AS ANY OTHER MEDICAL 

6 SERVICE. 

7 (a) DENTAL BENEFITS.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Title 38, United States 

2 Code, is amended— 

3 (A) in section 1701(6), by striking ‘‘as de4 scribed in sections 1710 and 1712 of this title’’; 

5 (B) in section 1710(c), by striking the sec6 ond sentence; 

7 (C) in section 1712— 

8 (i) by striking subsections (a) and (b); 

9 (ii) by redesignating subsections (c), 

10 (d), (e), and (f) as subsections (a), (b), (c), 

11 and (d), respectively; and 

12 (iii) in subsection (a), as redesignated 

13 by subparagraph (B)— 

14 (I) by striking ‘‘Dental appli15 ances’’ and inserting ‘‘The Secretary 

16 may furnish dentures, dental appli17 ances’’; and 

18 (II) by striking ‘‘to be furnished 

19 by the Secretary under this section 

20 may be procured by the Secretary’’ 

21 and inserting ‘‘under this section and 

22 may procure such appliances’’; and 

23 (D) by striking section 2062. 

24 (2) PHASED ELIGIBILITY.—The amendments 

25 made by paragraph (1) shall apply as follows: 


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1 (A) In the case of an individual who is eli2 gible for dental services and appliances fur3 nished by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

4 under chapter 17 of title 38, United States 

5 Code, on the date of the enactment of this Act, 

6 beginning on the date of the enactment of this 

7 Act. 

8 (B) In the case of a veteran who is not so 

9 eligible on the date of the enactment of this Act 

10 and who is described in paragraph (1) or (2) of 

11 subsection (a) of section 1705 of such title, be12 ginning on the date that is one year after the 

13 date of the enactment of this Act. 

14 (C) In the case of a veteran who is not so 

15 eligible on the date of the enactment of this Act 

16 and who is described in paragraph (3) or (4) of 

17 subsection (a) of section 1705 of such title, be18 ginning on the date that is two years after the 

19 date of the enactment of this Act. 

20 (D) In the case of a veteran who is not so 

21 eligible on the date of the enactment of this Act 

22 and who is described in paragraph (5) or (6) of 

23 subsection (a) of section 1705 of such title, be24 ginning on the date that is three years after the 

25 date of the enactment of this Act. 


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1 (E) In the case of a veteran who is not so 

2 eligible on the date of the enactment of this Act 

3 and who is described in paragraph (7) or (8) of 

4 subsection (a) of section 1705 of such title, be5 ginning on the date that is four years after the 

6 date of the enactment of this Act. 

7 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Title 38, United 

8 States Code, is further amended— 

9 (1) in section 1525(a), by striking ‘‘medicines 

10 under section 1712(d)’’ and inserting ‘‘medicines 

11 under section 1712(b)’’; and 

12 (2) in section 1703(a)(7), by striking ‘‘, for a 

13 veteran described in section 1712(a)(1)(F) of this 

14 title’’. 

15 (c) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.—Such title is further 

16 amended— 

17 (1) in section 1712, in the heading for such sec18 tion, by striking ‘‘Dental care’’ and inserting 

19 ‘‘Appliances’’; 

20 (2) in the table of sections at the beginning of 

21 chapter 17, by striking the item relating to section 

22 1712 and inserting the following new item: 

‘‘1712. Appliances; drugs and medicines for certain disabled veterans; vaccines.’’; 

23 and 


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1 (3) in the table of sections at the beginning of 

2 chapter 20, by striking the item relating to section 

3 2062. 

Æ 


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