In the Senate of the United States, 

March 17 (legislative day, March 16), 2021. 

Resolved, That the bill from the House of Representatives (H.R. 1276) entitled ‘‘An Act to authorize the Secretary 

of Veterans Affairs to furnish COVID–19 vaccines to certain 

individuals, and for other purposes.’’, do pass with the following 

AMENDMENT: 

Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 

following: 

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Strengthening and Am3 plifying Vaccination Efforts to Locally Immunize All Vet4 erans and Every Spouse Act’’ or the ‘‘SAVE LIVES Act’’. 
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1 SEC. 2. AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 

2 TO FURNISH COVID–19 VACCINE TO CERTAIN 

3 INDIVIDUALS NOT ENROLLED IN PATIENT EN4 ROLLMENT SYSTEM OF DEPARTMENT OF VET5 ERANS AFFAIRS. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

7 may furnish a vaccine for COVID–19 to a covered indi8 vidual during the COVID–19 public health emergency. 

9 (b) PRIORITIZATION.—In furnishing vaccines for 

10 COVID–19 under the laws administered by the Secretary, 

11 the Secretary shall— 

12 (1) prioritize the vaccination of veterans who are 

13 enrolled in the patient enrollment system, veterans 

14 who receive hospital care and medical services pursu15 ant to subsection (c)(2) of section 1705 of title 38, 

16 United States Code, and accompanying caregivers of 

17 such veterans before the vaccination of covered indi18 viduals not otherwise described in this paragraph; 

19 and 

20 (2) only furnish vaccines for COVID–19 to cov21 ered individuals under this section to the extent that 

22 such vaccines are available. 

23 (c) TIMING OF VACCINES PROVIDED TO SPOUSES OF

24 VETERANS.—The Secretary may determine the timing for 

25 offering a vaccine for COVID–19 to the spouse of a veteran 

26 from the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
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† HR 1276 EAS 

1 (d) VACCINE ALLOCATION.—It is the sense of Congress 

2 that, to the extent practicable based on the current national 

3 supply chain, the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

4 should adjust the allocation for the Department of Veterans 

5 Affairs for the vaccine for COVID–19 based on the addi6 tional eligibility of covered individuals under this section. 

7 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

8 (1) ACCOMPANYING CAREGIVER.—The term ‘‘ac9 companying caregiver’’ means a caregiver described 

10 in subparagraph (D), (E), or (F) of paragraph (2) 

11 who is accompanying a veteran who is receiving a 

12 vaccine for COVID–19 furnished by the Department. 

13 (2) COVERED INDIVIDUAL.—The term ‘‘covered 

14 individual’’ means any of the following individuals: 

15 (A) A veteran who is not eligible to enroll 

16 in the patient enrollment system. 

17 (B) A veteran who is eligible for care under 

18 section 1724 of title 38, United States Code. 

19 (C) A beneficiary under section 1781 of 

20 such title. 

21 (D) A family caregiver of a veteran partici22 pating in the program of comprehensive assist23 ance for family caregivers under section 

24 1720G(a) of such title. 
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† HR 1276 EAS 

1 (E) A caregiver of a veteran participating 

2 in the program of general caregiver support serv3 ices under section 1720G(b) of such title. 

4 (F) A caregiver of a veteran participating 

5 in the Medical Foster Home Program, Bowel 

6 and Bladder Program, Home Based Primary 

7 Care Program, or Veteran Directed Care Pro8 gram of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

9 (G) A spouse of a veteran. 

10 (3) COVERED PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.— 

11 The term ‘‘covered public health emergency’’ means 

12 an emergency with respect to COVID–19 declared by 

13 a Federal, State, or local authority. 

14 (4) COVID–19.—The term ‘‘COVID–19’’ means 

15 the coronavirus disease 2019. 

16 (5) PATIENT ENROLLMENT SYSTEM.—The term 

17 ‘‘patient enrollment system’’ means the system of an18 nual patient enrollment of the Department of Vet19 erans Affairs established and operated under section 

20 1705(a) of title 38, United States Code. 
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1 (6) VETERAN.—The term ‘‘veteran’’ has the 

2 meaning given that term in section 101(2) of title 38, 

3 United States Code. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 
117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H.R. 1276 

AMENDMENT