I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2997 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that certain veterans 

receive in-patient psychiatric care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 23, 2019 

Mr. LOEBSACK (for himself, Mr. STIVERS, Mrs. BUSTOS, Ms. FINKENAUER, 

Mrs. AXNE, Mr. VELA, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. MCCAUL, Ms. GABBARD, Mrs. 

DINGELL, Mr. SOTO, Mr. GAETZ, Mr. COOPER, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. 

RYAN, Mr. KATKO, Mr. GIBBS, Mr. HIMES, Mr. COX of California, Mr. 

SWALWELL of California, Ms. SHERRILL, Mr. QUIGLEY, Mr. LUJA ́N, Mr. 

CA ́RDENAS, Mr. GALLEGO, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Mr. GARAMENDI, Mr. 

OLSON, Mr. YOUNG, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. LOFGREN, and Mr. VEASEY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that certain veterans receive in-patient psychiatric care provided 

by the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

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 ‘‘Sgt. Brandon Ketchum 

5 Never Again Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PROVISION OF IN-PATIENT PSYCHIATRIC CARE FOR 

2 VETERANS. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 17 of title 38, United 

4 States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1720I 

5 the following new section: 

6 ‘‘§ 1720J. Provision of in-patient psychiatric care 

7 ‘‘(a) REQUIREMENT TO FURNISH CARE.—Except as 

8 provided by subsection (b), upon the request of a covered 

9 veteran, the Secretary shall furnish, or continue to fur10 nish, to the covered veteran in-patient psychiatric care at 

11 the facility of the Department that— 

12 ‘‘(1) is closest to where the veteran resides; and 

13 ‘‘(2) has the capacity and capability to provide 

14 such care. 

15 ‘‘(b) NON-DEPARTMENT FACILITIES.—(1) If the 

16 Secretary determines, on a case-by-case basis, that a facil17 ity of the Department does not have the capability or ca18 pacity to furnish in-patient psychiatric care to a covered 

19 veteran pursuant to subsection (a), the Secretary shall 

20 furnish such care to such veteran at a non-Department 

21 facility. 

22 ‘‘(2) The Secretary shall determine the rates of pay23 ment for a non-Department facility that furnishes in-pa24 tient psychiatric care pursuant to paragraph (1) in accord25 ance with the rates paid by the United States under sec26 tion 1703(i) of this title. 


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1 ‘‘(c) COVERED VETERAN DEFINED.—In this section, 

2 the term ‘covered veteran’ means a veteran who is— 

3 ‘‘(1) enrolled in the health care system estab4 lished under section 1705(a) of this title; and 

5 ‘‘(2) entitled to in-patient psychiatric care fur6 nished by the Secretary under this chapter.’’. 

7 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

8 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 

9 after the item relating to section 1720I the following new 

10 item: 

‘‘1720J. Provision of in-patient psychiatric care.’’. 

Æ 


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