I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1741 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a pilot program 
to improve access to health care for rural veterans, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 20, 2005 
Mr. OSBORNE (for himself, Mr. KIND, Mr. MOORE of Kansas, Mr. ROSS, Mr. 
PAUL, Mr. OTTER, Mr. CASE, Mr. WICKER, Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. 
SHIMKUS, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. TIAHRT, Mr. PETERSON 
of Pennsylvania, Mr. PORTER, Mr. ADERHOLT, Mr. WAMP, Mrs. CAPPS, 
Mr. GREEN of Wisconsin, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. HASTINGS of Washington, 
Mr. NORWOOD, Mrs. EMERSON, and Mrs. MUSGRAVE) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a 
pilot program to improve access to health care for rural 
veterans, 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 ‘‘Rural Veterans Access 
to Care Act of 2005’’.
SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM FOR IMPROVED ACCESS TO 
HEALTH CARE FOR RURAL VETERANS. 
(a) PILOT PROGRAM.—The Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs shall conduct a pilot program for a means to improve 
access to medical services for highly rural or geographi-
cally remote veterans through expanded use of the Sec-
retary ’s contract authority under section 1703 of title 38, 
United States Code, and other authorities available to the 
Secretary to improve such access. 
(b) AREAS FOR CONDUCT OF PILOT PROGRAM.—The 
pilot program shall be conducted in three geographic serv-
ice regions, referred to as Veterans Integrated Service 
Networks, of the Veterans Health Administration. The 
Secretary shall select the Veterans Integrated Service Net-
work designated as Number 23 as one of the regions for 
the conduct of the pilot program and shall select the other 
two from those Veterans Integrated Service Networks that 
have a substantial population of highly rural or geographi-
cally remote veterans (as determined under subsection 
(f)). 
(c) MEDICAL SERVICES UNDER PILOT PROGRAM.— 
Under the pilot program, the Secretary shall provide, 
through the use of the Secretary’s contract authority 
under section 1703 of title 38, United States Code, and 
other authorities available to the Secretary, for the treat-
ment of covered veterans by health-care providers outside 
the Department of Veterans Affairs for the following: 
(1) Acute or chronic symptom management. 
(2) Nontherapeutic medical services. 
(3) Other medical services as determined appro-
priate in the case of any veteran by the director of 
the appropriate geographic service region of the De-
partment, after consultation with the Department 
physician responsible for primary care of the vet-
eran. 
(d) FUNDS FOR PILOT PROGRAM.—For any fiscal 
year during which the pilot program is conducted, the Sec-
retary shall allocate for the pilot program 0.9 percent of 
the total amount appropriated for that fiscal year for Med-
ical Services. Such allocation shall be made before any 
other allocation of such funds is made, and any remaining 
allocation of such funds for any such fiscal year shall be 
made without regard to the allocation under the preceding 
sentence. 
(e) COVERED VETERANS.—For the purposes of this 
section, covered veterans are veterans— 
(1) who are enrolled in the veterans health care 
system under section 1705 of this title or have a 
service-connected disability; and
(2) who, pursuant to subsection (f), are consid-
ered to be highly rural or geographically remote vet-
erans. 
(f) HIGHLY RURAL OR GEOGRAPHICALLY REMOTE 
VETERANS.—The Secretary shall prescribe by regulation 
standards for determination of which veterans are consid-
ered to be highly rural or geographically remote veterans 
for the purposes of this section. The Secretary shall in-
clude as such a veteran any veteran for whom the driving 
distance to reach a Department health-care facility is 60 
miles or greater. The Secretary may provide for a lesser 
driving distance in the case of any veteran if the Secretary 
determines that driving 60 miles or more imposes a hard-
ship on such veteran or otherwise is not in the best inter-
est of the veteran. 
(g) PERIOD OF PILOT PROGRAM.—The pilot program 
shall be conducted during fiscal years 2006, 2007, and 
2008. 
(h) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than Feb-
ruary 1, 2009, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a 
report on the operation of the pilot program. The Sec-
retary shall include in the report such recommendations 
as the Secretary considers appropriate concerning exten-
sion of the pilot program or other means to improve access
to medical services for highly rural or geographically re-
mote veterans. 
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