I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4985 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to furnish, at the request of an eligible veteran, nursing home 
care and hospital care at State licensed or certified residential care 
facilities. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 5, 2019 
Ms. DELAURO (for herself, Mr. HIMES, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, and Mr. 
COURTNEY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs to furnish, at the request 
of an eligible veteran, nursing home care and hospital 
care at State licensed or certified residential care facili-
ties. 
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 Residential 
Care Choice Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PROVISION 
OF NURSING HOME CARE AND HOSPITAL 
CARE AT STATE LICENSED OR CERTIFIED 
RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 17 of 
title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 1720J. State licensed or certified residential care 
facilities 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—At the request of an eligible vet-
eran for whom the Secretary is required to provide domi-
ciliary, nursing home, adult day health, or hospital care 
under this chapter, or whom the Secretary determines is 
in need of such care, the Secretary may place the veteran 
in a State licensed or certified residential care facility that 
meets Department standards, at the expense of the United 
States, pursuant to a contract or agreement entered into 
between the Secretary and the facility for such purpose, 
if the cost of providing such care to such veteran through 
such facility is less than the cost of providing such care 
to the veteran through any other available option. A vet-
eran who is placed in such a facility under this section 
shall agree, as a condition of such placement, to accept 
home health services furnished by the Secretary under sec-
tion 1717 of this title. 
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‘‘(b) ELIGIBILITY.—For purposes of this section, an 
eligible veteran is a veteran who is eligible for hospital care 
or medical services under section 1710 of this title. 
‘‘(c) DEFINITION
OF STATE LICENSED
OR CER-
TIFIED RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITY.—In this section, 
the term ‘State licensed or certified residential care facil-
ity’ means any assisted living facility, basic care facility, 
community residence, enriched housing program, home for 
the aged, personal care home, shared housing establish-
ment, or other similar licensed or certified facility.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding 
at the end of the items relating to such subchapter the 
following new item: 
‘‘1720J. State licensed or certified residential care facilities.’’. 
(c) APPLICABILITY.—Section 1720J of title 38, 
United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall take 
effect on the date of the enactment of this Act and shall 
apply with respect to any veteran who is eligible under 
subsection (b) of that section, including such a veteran 
who, as of the date of the enactment of this Act, resides 
in a State licensed or certified residential care facility, as 
such term is defined in subsection (c) of such section. 
Æ 
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