II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1721 

To require the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

to establish a joint uniform formulary with respect to systemic pain 

and psychotropic drugs that are critical for the transition of an individual 

from receiving health care services furnished by the Secretary of Defense 

to health care services furnished by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 8, 2015 

Mr. BLUMENTHAL (for himself and Mr. MCCAIN) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of 

Veterans Affairs to establish a joint uniform formulary 

with respect to systemic pain and psychotropic drugs 

that are critical for the transition of an individual from 

receiving health care services furnished by the Secretary 

of Defense to health care services furnished by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Joint Formularies for 

3 Veterans Act of 2015’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF STRATEGIC UNIFORM DRUG 

2 FORMULARY FOR THE PROVISION OF 

3 HEALTH CARE SERVICES TO MEMBERS OF 

4 THE ARMED FORCES UNDERGOING SEPARA5 TION FROM THE ARMED FORCES. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense and the 

7 Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly establish a proc8 ess to make available to individuals undergoing the transi9 tion from the receipt of health care services through the 

10 Department of Defense to the receipt of such services 

11 through the Department of Veterans Affairs systemic pain 

12 and psychotropic drugs that are critical to the Department 

13 of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs for 

14 the appropriate and effective provision of health care serv15 ices to such individuals. 

16 (b) STRATEGIC UNIFORM FORMULARY.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out subsection 

18 (a), the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of 

19 Veterans Affairs shall jointly establish, and from 

20 time to time update, a strategic, evidence-based, uni21 form formulary for the Department of Defense and 

22 the Department of Veterans Affairs that includes all 

23 appropriate systemic pain and psychotropic drugs 

24 that the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of 

25 Veterans Affairs jointly determine are critical to the 

26 Department of Defense and the Department of VetVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:24 Jul 09, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1721.IS S1721

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1 erans Affairs for the appropriate and effective provi2 sion of health care services to individuals described 

3 in such subsection. 

4 (2) INAPPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN PROVISIONS

5 OF LAW.—Section 1074g of title 10, United States 

6 Code, shall not apply to the establishing and updat7 ing of the formulary required by paragraph (1). 

8 (c) PRESERVATION OF AUTHORITY.—Nothing in this 

9 section shall be construed to prohibit the Secretary of De10 fense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from each 

11 maintaining their own formularies. 

12 (d) REPORT.— 

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 

14 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec15 retary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Af16 fairs shall jointly submit to the appropriate commit17 tees of Congress a report on the establishment of the 

18 formulary under subsection (b). 

19 (2) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS

20 DEFINED.—In this subsection, the term ‘‘appro21 priate committees of Congress’’ means— 

22 (A) the Committee on Armed Services and 

23 the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Sen24 ate; and 


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1 (B) the Committee on Armed Services and 

2 the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 

3 House of Representatives. 

Æ 


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