I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3441 

To provide for automatic enrollment of veterans returning from combat zones 

into the VA medical system, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 31, 2009 

Mr. ARCURI (for himself, Mr. MAFFEI, Mr. SIRES, Mr. MASSA, Mr. BOCCIERI, 

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania, Mr. KAGEN, Mr. MINNICK, 

and Mr. FILNER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To provide for automatic enrollment of veterans returning 

from combat zones into the VA medical 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. AUTOMATIC ENROLLMENT OF VETERANS RE4 TURNING FROM COMBAT ZONES INTO THE VA 

5 MEDICAL SYSTEM. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 45 days after the 

7 date on which a veteran described in section 

8 1710(e)(1)(D) of title 38, United States Code, is dis9 charged or separated from service in the active military, 


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1 naval, or air service, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 

2 in cooperation with the Secretary of Defense, shall— 

3 (1) enroll such veteran in the patient enroll4 ment system maintained by the Secretary under sec5 tion 1705 of that title; and 

6 (2) provide such veteran with— 

7 (A) a veterans identification card that— 

8 (i) demonstrates that such veteran is 

9 enrolled in such system; and 

10 (ii) allows such veteran to access hos11 pital care and medical services at Depart12 ment of Veterans Affairs medical facilities; 

13 (B) a list of Department of Veterans Af14 fairs medical facilities (including hospitals, out15 patient centers, and mental health clinics) lo16 cated within 100 miles of the home of the vet17 eran; and 

18 (C) a description of available Federal vet19 erans benefits and programs, including edu20 cational benefits and job training and place21 ment programs, which the veteran may be eligi22 ble for due to the veteran’s service in the active 

23 military, naval, or air service. 

24 (b) OPT OUT PROVISIONS.— 

25 (1) PRIOR TO ENROLLMENT.— 


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1 (A) OPTION NOT TO ENROLL.—During the 

2 discharge or separation process for a person 

3 from active military, naval, or air service, and 

4 prior to enrolling the person pursuant to sub5 section (a)(1), the Secretary of Veterans Af6 fairs, in coordination with the Secretary of De7 fense, shall provide the person with the option 

8 to decline such enrollment. 

9 (B) NOTICE TO SECRETARY; PROHIBITION

10 ON ENROLLMENT.—If a person provides notice 

11 to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs that the 

12 person is declining enrollment under subpara13 graph (A), the Secretary may not enroll the 

14 person pursuant to subsection (a)(1). 

15 (2) SUBSEQUENT TO ENROLLMENT.— 

16 (A) NOTICE TO SECRETARY.—Not later 

17 than 6 months after the date on which a vet18 eran is enrolled under section 1705 of title 38, 

19 United States Code, pursuant to subsection 

20 (a)(1), a veteran so enrolled may disenroll from 

21 the patient enrollment system under such sec22 tion by providing notice to the Secretary of Vet23 erans Affairs. 

24 (B) DISENROLLMENT.—Not later than 60 

25 days after receiving notice from a veteran under 


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1 subparagraph (A), the Secretary of Veterans 

2 Affairs shall disenroll such veteran from such 

3 patient enrollment system. 

4 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall take effect 

5 on the date that is 90 days after the date of the enactment 

6 of this Act. 

Æ 


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