I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1863 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that veterans in each 
of the 48 contiguous States are able to receive services in at least 
one full-service Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in the 
State or receive comparable services provided by contract in the State, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 12, 2011 
Mr. GUINTA (for himself and Mr. BASS of New Hampshire) 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 vet-
erans in each of the 48 contiguous States are able to 
receive services in at least one full-service Department 
of Veterans Affairs medical center in the State or receive 
comparable services provided by contract in the State, 
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 ‘‘Veterans Health Eq-
uity Act of 2011’’. 
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SEC. 2. AVAILABILITY OF FULL-SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF 
VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTERS IN 
CERTAIN STATES OR PROVISION OF COM-
PARABLE SERVICES THROUGH CONTRACT 
WITH OTHER HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS IN 
THE STATE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 17 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1706 
the following new section: 
‘‘§ 1706A. Management of health care: access to full- 
service Department medical centers in 
certain States or comparable services 
through contract 
‘‘(a) REQUIREMENT.—With respect to each of the 48 
contiguous States, the Secretary shall ensure that veterans 
in the State eligible for hospital care and medical services 
under section 1710 of this title have access— 
‘‘(1) to at least one full-service Department 
medical center in the State; or 
‘‘(2) to hospital care and medical services com-
parable to the services typically provided by full- 
service Department medical centers through contract 
with other health care providers in the State. 
‘‘(b) RULE
OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in sub-
section (a) shall be construed to limit the ability of the 
Secretary to provide enhanced care to an eligible veteran 
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who resides in one State in a Department medical center 
in another State. 
‘‘(c) LIMITATION ON REQUIREMENT.—Subsection (a) 
shall be effective in any fiscal year only to the extent and 
in the amount provided in advance in appropriations Acts. 
‘‘(d) FULL-SERVICE DEPARTMENT MEDICAL CEN-
TER DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘full-service De-
partment medical center’ means a facility of the Depart-
ment that provides medical services, including hospital 
care, emergency medical services, and surgical care rated 
by the Secretary as having a surgical complexity level of 
standard.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 1706 the following new 
item: 
‘‘1706A. Management of health care: access to full-service Department medical 
centers in certain States or comparable services through con-
tract.’’. 
(c) REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 
one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress a 
report describing the extent to which the Secretary has 
complied with the requirement imposed by section 1706A 
of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection 
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(a), including the effect of such requirement on improving 
the quality and standards of care provided to veterans. 
Æ 
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