I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2037 

To amend the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 

to expand and make permanent the Veterans Choice Program, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 6, 2017 

Mr. LANCE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability 

Act of 2014 to expand and make permanent the Veterans 

Choice Program, 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 ‘‘Veterans Health Care 

5 Freedom Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. MODIFICATION TO VETERANS CHOICE PROGRAM. 

7 (a) EXPANSION.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (b) of section 

9 101 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and AccountVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:58 Apr 14, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2037.IH H2037

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1 ability Act of 2014 (38 U.S.C. 1701 note) is amend2 ed to read as follows: 

3 ‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE VETERANS.—A veteran is an eligible 

4 veteran for purposes of this section if the veteran is en5 rolled in the patient enrollment system of the Department 

6 of Veterans Affairs established and operated under section 

7 1705 of title 38, United States Code, including any such 

8 veteran who has not received hospital care or medical serv9 ices from the Department and has contacted the Depart10 ment seeking an initial appointment from the Department 

11 for the receipt of such care or services.’’. 

12 (2) CHOICE OF PROVIDER.—Such section is 

13 amended— 

14 (A) in subsection (a)— 

15 (i) by striking paragraph (2); and 

16 (ii) by redesignating paragraph (3) as 

17 paragraph (2); and 

18 (B) by striking subsection (c) and insert19 ing the following new subsection (c): 

20 ‘‘(c) CHOICE OF PROVIDER.—An eligible veteran who 

21 receives hospital care or medical services under this sec22 tion may select a provider of such care or services from 

23 among the entities specified in paragraph (1)(B) that are 

24 accessible to the veteran.’’. 


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1 (3) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Such section 

2 is further amended— 

3 (A) in subsection (f)(1), by striking ‘‘sub4 section (b)(1)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (b)’’; 

5 (B) in subsection (g)(3), by striking 

6 ‘‘under subparagraph (B), (C), or (D) of sub7 section (b)(2)’’; and 

8 (C) in subsection (q)(2)(A)— 

9 (i) by striking ‘‘, disaggregated by—’’ 

10 and inserting a period; and 

11 (ii) by striking clauses (i) through 

12 (iv). 

13 (b) PERMANENT PROGRAM.— 

14 (1) REMOVAL OF SUNSET.—Subsection (p) of 

15 such section is amended to read as follows: 

16 ‘‘(p) AUTHORITY TO FURNISH CARE AND SERV17 ICES.—The Secretary may furnish care and services under 

18 this section subject to the availability of funds in the Vet19 erans Choice Fund established by section 802 or otherwise 

20 appropriated to carry out this section.’’. 

21 (2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 101 

22 of such Act is further amended— 

23 (A) in subsection (i)(2), by striking ‘‘is au24 thorized to carry out this section pursuant to 


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1 subsection (p)’’ and inserting ‘‘carries out this 

2 section’’; and 

3 (B) in subsection (q)(2), as amended by 

4 subsection (a)(2)(D) of this section, by striking 

5 subparagraph (F). 

6 (c) ANNUAL REPORTS.—Not later than one year 

7 after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually 

8 thereafter, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit 

9 to Congress a report that includes the following: 

10 (1) With respect to each medical facility of the 

11 Department of Veterans Affairs, any increase or de12 crease in the number of veterans seeking hospital 

13 care or medical services at such facility during the 

14 one-year period covered by the report. 

15 (2) In light of the increase or decrease of vet16 erans seeking hospital care or medical services at 

17 each medical facility of the Department as identified 

18 under paragraph (1), recommendations by the Sec19 retary with respect to the proposed budget for such 

20 facility for the fiscal year following the date of the 

21 report. 

22 (3) How the Secretary is ensuring compliance 

23 with all requirements of chapter 39 of title 31, 

24 United States Code (commonly referred to as the 


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1 ‘‘Prompt Payment Act’’), including, for the one-year 

2 period covered by the report— 

3 (A) the average amount of time taken by 

4 the Secretary to pay a non-Department health 

5 care provider after receiving an invoice; and 

6 (B) a description of each instance in which 

7 the Secretary paid interest to such a non-De8 partment health care provider pursuant to such 

9 chapter 39. 

Æ 


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