II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 3020 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to modify the eligibility of 

veterans for treatment as a low-income family for purposes of enrollment 

in the patient enrollment system of the Department of Veterans Affairs 

and to guarantee health care benefits for veterans enrolled in such 

system, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 20, 2021 

Mr. SANDERS introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to modify the 

eligibility of veterans for treatment as a low-income family for purposes of enrollment in the patient enrollment 

system of the Department of Veterans Affairs and to 

guarantee health care benefits for veterans enrolled in 

such system, 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 State Eligi5 bility Standardization Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. MODIFICATION OF DETERMINATION OF ELIGI2 BILITY OF VETERANS FOR TREATMENT AS A 

3 LOW-INCOME FAMILY FOR PURPOSES OF EN4 ROLLMENT IN THE PATIENT ENROLLMENT 

5 SYSTEM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 

6 AFFAIRS. 

7 (a) AREAS OF RESIDENCE.—The Secretary of Vet8 erans Affairs shall modify the areas in which veterans re9 side as specified for purposes of determining whether vet10 erans qualify for treatment as low-income families for en11 rollment in the patient enrollment system of the Depart12 ment of Veterans Affairs under section 1705(a)(7) of title 

13 38, United States Code, to meet the requirements as fol14 lows: 

15 (1) Any area so specified shall be within only 

16 one State. 

17 (2) Any area so specified shall be coextensive 

18 with one or more counties (or similar political sub19 divisions) in the State concerned. 

20 (b) VARIABLE INCOME THRESHOLDS.—The Sec21 retary shall modify the thresholds for income as specified 

22 for purposes of determining whether veterans qualify for 

23 treatment as low-income families for enrollment in the pa24 tient enrollment system referred to in subsection (a) to 

25 meet the requirements as follows: 


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1 (1) There shall be one income threshold for 

2 each State, equal to 100 percent of the highest in3 come threshold among— 

4 (A) the counties or metropolitan statistical 

5 areas within such State; and 

6 (B) any metropolitan statistical area that 

7 encompasses territory of such State and one or 

8 more other States. 

9 (2) The calculation of the highest income 

10 threshold of a county or metropolitan statistical area 

11 shall be consistent with the calculation used for pur12 poses of section 3(b) of the United States Housing 

13 Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)). 

14 (3) The timing and methodology for imple15 menting any modifications in geographic income 

16 thresholds pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be deter17 mined by the Secretary in such a manner as to per18 mit the Department to build capacity for enrolling 

19 such additional veterans in the patient enrollment 

20 system of the Department as become eligible for en21 rollment as a result of such modifications, except 

22 that all required modifications shall be completed 

23 not later than five years after date of the enactment 

24 of this Act. 


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1 (c) METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA.—In this sec2 tion, the term ‘‘metropolitan statistical area’’ has the 

3 meaning given that term by the Office of Management and 

4 Budget. 

5 SEC. 3. GUARANTEE OF HEALTH CARE BENEFITS FOR EN6 ROLLED VETERANS. 

7 The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that 

8 all veterans, once enrolled in the patient enrollment system 

9 of the Department of Veterans Affairs under section 

10 1705(a) of title 38, United States Code, remain enrolled 

11 in such system and may continue receiving health care fur12 nished by the Department if they choose, subject to such 

13 cost-sharing requirements as may apply to the veteran 

14 under existing provisions of law. 

Æ 


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