I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 5938 

To amend the Veterans’ Benefits Improvements Act of 1996 and the Johnny 

Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits 

Improvement Act of 2020 to improve the temporary licensure requirements for contract health care professionals who perform medical disability examinations for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 12, 2023 

Mr. CISCOMANI (for himself and Mrs. CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK) introduced 

the following bill 

OCTOBER 25, 2023 

Referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend the Veterans’ Benefits Improvements Act of 1996 

and the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 

2020 to improve the temporary licensure requirements 

for contract health care professionals who perform medical disability examinations for the Department of Veterans Affairs, 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Exam Expan3 sion Act of 2023’’. 

4 SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO TEMPORARY LICENSURE RE5 QUIREMENTS FOR CONTRACT HEALTH CARE 

6 PROFESSIONALS WHO PERFORM MEDICAL 

7 DISABILITY EXAMINATIONS FOR THE DE8 PARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

9 (a) EXPANSION.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 504(c)(2) of the 

11 Veterans’ Benefits Improvements Act of 1996 (Pub12 lic Law 104–275; 38 U.S.C. 5101 note), as amended 

13 by paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of section 2002 

14 of the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Vet15 erans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 

16 2020 (Public Law 116–315; 38 U.S.C. 5101 note), 

17 is further amended, subject to the sunset in para18 graph (4) of such subsection, by striking ‘‘or psy19 chologist’’ both places it appears and inserting ‘‘psy20 chologist, podiatrist, dentist, or optometrist’’. 

21 (2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Paragraph (2) 

22 of such subsection is amended by striking ‘‘and psy23 chologists’’ and inserting ‘‘psychologists, podiatrists, 

24 dentists, and optometrists’’. 

25 (b) EXTENSION.—Section 2002(a)(4) of the Johnny 

26 Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care 


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1 and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 (Public Law 116– 

2 315; 38 U.S.C. 5101 note) is amended by striking ‘‘three 

3 years’’ and inserting ‘‘five years’’. 

4 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 15 months after the 

5 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet6 erans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ 

7 Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a re8 port regarding the use of the authority under section 504 

9 of the Veterans’ Benefits Improvements Act of 1996 (Pub10 lic Law 104–275; 38 U.S.C. 5101 note), as temporarily 

11 amended by section 2002(a)(1) of the Johnny Isakson and 

12 David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits 

13 Improvement Act of 2020 (Public Law 116–315; 38 

14 U.S.C. 5101 note) and by subsection (a). Such report shall 

15 include, with respect to the one-year period after the date 

16 of the enactment of this Act, the following elements: 

17 (1) The number of examinations conducted pur18 suant to a contract under such authority. 

19 (2) The number of such examinations con20 ducted in each State, the District of Columbia, or a 

21 Commonwealth, territory, or possession of the 

22 United States. 

23 (3) The numbers of each kind of health care 

24 professionals who conducted such examinations. 


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1 (4) The number of examinations that were erro2 neously conducted by a health care professional— 

3 (A) without such a contract; or 

4 (B) unauthorized to enter into such a con5 tract. 

6 (5) The plan of the Secretary to correct errors 

7 in the use of such authority. 

Æ 


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