I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1152 
To eliminate the sunset date for the Veterans Choice Program of the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs, to expand eligibility for such program, and 
to extend certain operating hours for pharmacies and medical facilities 
of the Department, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 16, 2017 
Mr. HUDSON (for himself and Mr. RUPPERSBERGER) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To eliminate the sunset date for the Veterans Choice Pro-
gram of the Department of Veterans Affairs, to expand 
eligibility for such program, and to extend certain oper-
ating hours for pharmacies and medical facilities of the 
Department, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Care Veterans Deserve 
Act of 2017’’. 
SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF VETERANS CHOICE PROGRAM. 
(a) ELIMINATION OF SUNSET.— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
18:50 Feb 24, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1152.IH
H1152
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 101 of the Veterans 
Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 
(Public Law 113–146; 38 U.S.C. 1701 note) is 
amended— 
(A) by striking subsection (p); and 
(B) by redesignating subsections (q), (r), 
(s), and (t) as subsections (p), (q), (r), and (s), 
respectively. 
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Such section 
is amended— 
(A) in subsection (i)(2), by striking ‘‘dur-
ing the period in which the Secretary is author-
ized to carry out this section pursuant to sub-
section (p)’’; and 
(B) in subsection (p)(2), as redesignated 
by paragraph (1)(B), by striking subparagraph 
(F). 
(b) EXPANSION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Subsection (b)(2) of such 
section is amended— 
(A) in subparagraph (C)(ii), by striking 
‘‘or’’; 
(B) in subparagraph (D)(ii)(II), by strik-
ing the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; 
and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
18:50 Feb 24, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1152.IH
H1152
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph: 
‘‘(E) has a service-connected disability 
rated at 50 percent or more.’’. 
(2) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Subsection 
(g)(3) of such section is amended by striking ‘‘or 
(D)’’ and inserting ‘‘, (D), or (E)’’. 
SEC. 3. ACCESS OF VETERANS TO WALK-IN CLINICS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter I of chapter 17 of title 
38, United States Code, is amended by inserting after sec-
tion 1703 the following new section: 
‘‘§ 1703A. Hospital care and medical services at walk- 
in clinics 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall enter into 
a contract with a national chain of walk-in clinics to pro-
vide the hospital care and medical services offered in such 
clinics to veterans enrolled in the system of annual patient 
enrollment established and operated under section 1705 
of this title. 
‘‘(b) NO
AUTHORIZATION
OR
COPAYMENT
RE-
QUIRED.—In receiving hospital care or medical services at 
a walk-in clinic under subsection (a), a veteran is not re-
quired— 
‘‘(1) to obtain authorization before receiving 
such care or services at the clinic; or 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
18:50 Feb 24, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1152.IH
H1152
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘(2) to pay a copayment to the clinic or the De-
partment in connection with the receipt of such care 
or services. 
‘‘(c) LOCATIONS.—The Secretary may not require a 
national chain of walk-in clinics to expand their locations 
as a condition of a contract entered into under subsection 
(a). 
‘‘(d) TRANSMITTAL OF INFORMATION.—(1) The na-
tional chain of walk-in clinics with which the Secretary 
has entered into a contract under subsection (a) shall es-
tablish an automated system that transmits to the Sec-
retary on a weekly basis information regarding the hos-
pital care or medical services provided to veterans under 
this section during such week. 
‘‘(2) The automated system under paragraph (1) 
shall be established in a manner that allows the system 
to securely transmit information to the electronic health 
record of a veteran regarding the hospital care and med-
ical services provided to the veteran under this section. 
‘‘(3) Transmittal of information under paragraph (1) 
may not be required as a condition of payment for hospital 
care or medical services provided under this section.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of chapter 17 of such title is amended 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
18:50 Feb 24, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1152.IH
H1152
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
by inserting after the item relating to section 1703 the 
following new item: 
‘‘1703A. Hospital care and medical services at walk-in clinics.’’. 
SEC. 4. LICENSURE OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS OF 
THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
PROVIDING TREATMENT VIA TELEMEDICINE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter III of chapter 17 of 
title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting after 
section 1730A the following new section: 
‘‘§ 1730B. Licensure of health care professionals pro-
viding treatment via telemedicine 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any provision 
of law regarding the licensure of health care professionals, 
a covered health care professional may practice the health 
care profession of the health care professional at any loca-
tion in any State, regardless of where such health care 
professional or the patient is located, if the health care 
professional is using telemedicine to provide treatment to 
an individual under this chapter. 
‘‘(b) LOCATION OF CARE.—Subsection (a) shall apply 
to a covered health care professional providing treatment 
to a patient regardless of whether such health care profes-
sional or patient is located in a facility owned by the Fed-
eral Government during such treatment. 
‘‘(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec-
tion may be construed to remove, limit, or otherwise affect 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
18:50 Feb 24, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1152.IH
H1152
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS