I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2816 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program 
to increase access to hepatitis C testing for Vietnam-era veterans, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 16, 2019 
Ms. STEFANIK (for herself, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. RYAN, Mr. KILMER, 
Mr. SUOZZI, Mr. COOK, Mr. KING of New York, Mr. ESPAILLAT, and 
Miss GONZA´LEZ-COLO´N of Puerto Rico) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out 
a pilot program to increase access to hepatitis C testing 
for Vietnam-era 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 ‘‘Vietnam-Era Veterans 
Hepatitis C Testing Enhancement Act of 2019’’. 
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SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM TO INCREASE ACCESS TO HEPA-
TITIS C TESTING FOR VIETNAM-ERA VET-
ERANS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Beginning not later than 180 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out a one-year pilot 
program to make hepatitis C testing available to covered 
veterans at certain outreach events organized by veterans 
service organizations. 
(b) SELECTION OF VETERAN INTEGRATED SERVICE 
NETWORKS.—The Secretary shall select five Veterans In-
tegrated Service Networks of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs in which to carry out the pilot program as follows: 
(1) Two such networks that predominantly 
serve rural areas. 
(2) Three such networks that predominantly 
serve urban areas. 
(c) TERMINATION DATE.—The pilot program de-
scribed under subsection (a) shall terminate on the date 
that is one year after the date on which the Secretary be-
gins to carry out such program. 
(d) AUTOMATIC TRIGGER.—If at least 350,000 vet-
erans are tested for hepatitis C by the termination date 
described in subsection (c), the Secretary shall expand the 
program to all Veterans Integrated Service Networks of 
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the Department not later than one year after the date on 
which the pilot program ends. 
(e) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date on which the pilot program ends, the Sec-
retary shall submit to Congress a report on the pilot pro-
gram that includes— 
(1) the number of covered veterans tested for 
hepatitis C under the pilot program; and 
(2) a list of resources needed to expand the 
pilot program to all Veterans Integrated Service 
Networks for the length of time necessary to test all 
covered veterans for hepatitis C. 
(f) COVERED VETERAN DEFINED.—In this Act, the 
term ‘‘covered veteran’’ means a person who served in the 
active military, naval, or air service between February 28, 
1961, and May 7, 1975, and was discharged or released 
therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable, re-
gardless of whether such person is enrolled in the patient 
enrollment system of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
established under section 1705(a) of title 38, United 
States Code. 
(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—No addi-
tional funds are authorized to carry out the requirements 
of this Act. Such requirements shall be carried out using 
amounts otherwise authorized to be appropriated to the 
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Department of Veterans Affairs for the express purpose 
of providing hepatitis C-related care. 
Æ 
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