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[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1276 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.R.1276

                    One Hundred Seventeenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America

                          AT THE FIRST SESSION

           Begun and held at the City of Washington on Sunday,
          the third day of January, two thousand and twenty-one

                                 An Act

 
   To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish COVID-19 
        vaccines to certain individuals, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
    This Act may be cited as the ``Strengthening and Amplifying 
Vaccination Efforts to Locally Immunize All Veterans and Every Spouse 
Act'' or the ``SAVE LIVES Act''.
SEC. 2. AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO FURNISH COVID-19 
VACCINE TO CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS NOT ENROLLED IN PATIENT ENROLLMENT 
SYSTEM OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may furnish a 
vaccine for COVID-19 to a covered individual during the COVID-19 public 
health emergency.
    (b) Prioritization.--In furnishing vaccines for COVID-19 under the 
laws administered by the Secretary, the Secretary shall--
        (1) prioritize the vaccination of veterans who are enrolled in 
    the patient enrollment system, veterans who receive hospital care 
    and medical services pursuant to subsection (c)(2) of section 1705 
    of title 38, United States Code, and accompanying caregivers of 
    such veterans before the vaccination of covered individuals not 
    otherwise described in this paragraph; and
        (2) only furnish vaccines for COVID-19 to covered individuals 
    under this section to the extent that such vaccines are available.
    (c) Timing of Vaccines Provided to Spouses of Veterans.--The 
Secretary may determine the timing for offering a vaccine for COVID-19 
to the spouse of a veteran from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
    (d) Vaccine Allocation.--It is the sense of Congress that, to the 
extent practicable based on the current national supply chain, the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services should adjust the allocation for 
the Department of Veterans Affairs for the vaccine for COVID-19 based 
on the additional eligibility of covered individuals under this 
section.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
        (1) Accompanying caregiver.--The term ``accompanying 
    caregiver'' means a caregiver described in subparagraph (D), (E), 
    or (F) of paragraph (2) who is accompanying a veteran who is 
    receiving a vaccine for COVID-19 furnished by the Department.
        (2) Covered individual.--The term ``covered individual'' means 
    any of the following individuals:
            (A) A veteran who is not eligible to enroll in the patient 
        enrollment system.
            (B) A veteran who is eligible for care under section 1724 
        of title 38, United States Code.
            (C) A beneficiary under section 1781 of such title.
            (D) A family caregiver of a veteran participating in the 
        program of comprehensive assistance for family caregivers under 
        section 1720G(a) of such title.
            (E) A caregiver of a veteran participating in the program 
        of general caregiver support services under section 1720G(b) of 
        such title.
            (F) A caregiver of a veteran participating in the Medical 
        Foster Home Program, Bowel and Bladder Program, Home Based 
        Primary Care Program, or Veteran Directed Care Program of the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs.
            (G) A spouse of a veteran.
        (3) Covered public health emergency.--The term ``covered public 
    health emergency'' means an emergency with respect to COVID-19 
    declared by a Federal, State, or local authority.
        (4) COVID-19.--The term ``COVID-19'' means the coronavirus 
    disease 2019.
        (5) Patient enrollment system.--The term ``patient enrollment 
    system'' means the system of annual patient enrollment of the 
    Department of Veterans Affairs established and operated under 
    section 1705(a) of title 38, United States Code.
        (6) Veteran.--The term ``veteran'' has the meaning given that 
    term in section 101(2) of title 38, United States Code.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.
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