I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1783 

To revive and expand the Intermediate Care Technician Pilot Program of 

the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 29, 2017 

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri (for himself, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, and Ms. ROYBALALLARD) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed 

Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 

each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To revive and expand the Intermediate Care Technician Pilot 

Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 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 ‘‘Improving Veterans 

5 Access to Quality Care Act of 2017’’. 


lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 1783 IH

1 SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF AVAILABILITY OF PROSTHETIC AND 

2 ORTHOTIC CARE FOR VETERANS. 

3 (a) ESTABLISHMENT OR EXPANSION OF ADVANCED

4 DEGREE PROGRAMS TO EXPAND AVAILABILITY OF

5 CARE.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall work with 

6 institutions of higher education to develop partnerships for 

7 the establishment or expansion of programs of advanced 

8 degrees in prosthetics and orthotics in order to improve 

9 and enhance the availability of high quality prosthetic and 

10 orthotic care for veterans. 

11 (b) REPORT.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year 

13 after the effective date specified in subsection (d), 

14 the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Vet15 erans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on 

16 Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a 

17 report setting forth a plan for carrying out sub18 section (a). 

19 (2) DEVELOPMENT OF PLAN.—The Secretary 

20 shall develop the plan required under paragraph (1) 

21 in consultation with veterans service organizations, 

22 institutions of higher education with accredited de23 gree programs in prosthetics and orthotics, and rep24 resentatives of the prosthetics and orthotics field. 

25 (c) FUNDING.— 


lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 1783 IH

1 (1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

2 There is authorized to be appropriated for fiscal 

3 year 2017 for the Department of Veterans Affairs, 

4 $5,000,000 to carry out this section. 

5 (2) AVAILABILITY.—The amount authorized to 

6 be appropriated by paragraph (1) shall remain avail7 able for expenditure until September 30, 2020. 

8 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall take effect 

9 on the date that is one year after the date of the enact10 ment of this Act. 

11 SEC. 3. PROVISION OF FULL PRACTICE AUTHORITY FOR 

12 ADVANCED PRACTICE REGISTERED NURSES, 

13 PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS, AND OTHER HEALTH 

14 CARE PROFESSIONALS OF THE DEPARTMENT 

15 OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

16 (a) FULL PRACTICE AUTHORITY.—The Secretary of 

17 Veterans Affairs shall provide full practice authority to ad18 vanced practice registered nurses, physician assistants, 

19 and such other licensed health care professionals of the 

20 Department of Veterans Affairs as is consistent with the 

21 education, training, and certification of such health care 

22 professionals. 

23 (b) INAPPLICABILITY OF STATE LIMITATIONS.—Full 

24 practice authority shall be provided by the Secretary under 

25 subsection (a) to health care professionals described in 


lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 1783 IH

1 that subsection without regard to any limitation that 

2 would otherwise be imposed on the health care practice 

3 of such professionals by a licensing or credentialing body 

4 of a State or otherwise under State law. 

5 (c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

6 (1) The term ‘‘advanced practice registered 

7 nurse’’ has the meaning given that term in section 

8 5509(e)(1) of Public Law 111–148 (42 U.S.C. 

9 1395ww note). 

10 (2) The term ‘‘full practice authority’’ means— 

11 (A) with respect to an advanced practice 

12 registered nurse, the full scope of practice for 

13 the area of nursing practiced by the advanced 

14 practice registered nurse as determined by the 

15 national professional association or organiza16 tion, a successor association or organization, or 

17 any other appropriate entity as determined by 

18 the Secretary for such area of nursing; 

19 (B) with respect to a physician assistant, 

20 the full scope of practice for the area of medi21 cine practiced by the physician assistant as de22 termined by the national professional associa23 tion or organization, a successor association or 

24 organization, or any other appropriate entity as 


lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 1783 IH

1 determined by the Secretary for such area of 

2 medicine; and 

3 (C) with respect to any other licensed 

4 health care professional not specified in sub5 paragraph (A) or (B), the full scope of practice 

6 for the area of medicine practiced by the li7 censed health care professional as determined 

8 by the national professional association or orga9 nization, a successor association or organiza10 tion, or any other appropriate entity as deter11 mined by the Secretary for such area of medi12 cine. 

13 (3) The term ‘‘physician assistant’’ has the 

14 meaning given that term in section 1861(aa)(5)(A) 

15 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

16 1395x(aa)(5)(A)). 

17 SEC. 4. TRANSFER OF HEALTH CARE PROVIDER 

18 CREDENTIALING DATA FROM SECRETARY OF 

19 DEFENSE TO SECRETARY OF VETERANS AF20 FAIRS. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—In a case in which the Secretary 

22 of Veterans Affairs hires a covered health care provider, 

23 the Secretary of Defense shall, after receiving a request 

24 from the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for the 

25 credentialing data of the Secretary of Defense relating to 


lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 1783 IH

1 such health care provider, transfer to the Secretary of Vet2 erans Affairs such credentialing data. 

3 (b) COVERED HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS.—For pur4 poses of this section, a covered provider is a health care 

5 provider who— 

6 (1) is or was employed by the Secretary of De7 fense; 

8 (2) provides or provided health care related 

9 services as part of such employment; and 

10 (3) was credentialed by the Secretary of De11 fense. 

12 (c) POLICIES AND REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of 

13 Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Defense shall estab14 lish such policies and promulgate such regulations as may 

15 be necessary to carry out this section. 

16 (d) CREDENTIALING DEFINED.—In this section, the 

17 term ‘‘credentialing’’ means the systematic process of 

18 screening and evaluating qualifications and other creden19 tials, including licensure, required education, relevant 

20 training and experience, and current competence and 

21 health status. 

22 (e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall take effect 

23 on the date that is one year after the date of the enact24 ment of this Act. 

Æ 


lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS