I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7975 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand eligibility for care from 
the Department of Veterans Affairs to include members of the reserve 
components of the Armed Forces, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 12, 2024 
Mr. NEGUSE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand eligibility 
for care from the Department of Veterans Affairs to 
include members of the reserve components of the Armed 
Forces, 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 ‘‘Reserve Component 
Healthcare Access and Expansion Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF HEALTH CARE FROM DEPARTMENT 
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO INCLUDE MEM-
BERS OF THE RESERVE COMPONENTS OF 
THE ARMED FORCES WHO ARE NOT ON AC-
TIVE ORDERS. 
(a) EXPANSION OF CARE.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Section 1789 of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘§ 1789. Health care for members of the reserve com-
ponents of the Armed Forces 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary (subject to sub-
section (b)) shall furnish hospital care and medical serv-
ices, including mental health services, to any member of 
the reserve components of the Armed Forces during any 
period in which the member is not entitled to benefits 
under TRICARE Prime (as defined in section 1072(14) 
of title 10). 
‘‘(b) LIMITATION.—The requirement in subsection 
(a) shall be effective in any fiscal year only to the extent 
and in the amount provided in advance in appropriations 
Acts for such purpose. 
‘‘(c) CONSULTATION WITH SECRETARY
OF DE-
FENSE.—The Secretary shall carry out this section in con-
sultation with the Secretary of Defense.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions at the beginning of subchapter VIII of chapter 
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17 of such title is amended by striking the item re-
lating to section 1789 and inserting the following 
new item: 
‘‘1789. Health care for members of the reserve components of the Armed 
Forces.’’. 
(b) ENROLLMENT IN PATIENT ENROLLMENT SYS-
TEM.— 
(1) 
PRIORITY
FOR
ENROLLMENT.—Section 
1705(a) of title 38, United States Code, is amend-
ed— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by striking ‘‘enrollment of veterans’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘enrollment of individuals under such sys-
tem’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (7)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘Veterans’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘(A) Veterans’’; and 
(ii) by adding at the end the following 
new subparagraph: 
‘‘(B) Members of the reserve components of the 
Armed Forces for purposes of furnishing hospital 
care and medical services under section 1789(a) of 
this title.’’. 
(2) INITIAL ENROLLMENT.— 
(A) PHASED APPROACH.—The Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall implement a phased ap-
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ing by conducting a review of priority groups 
for enrollment in the patient enrollment system. 
(B) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on 
the study conducted under subparagraph (A). 
(5) CONSULTATION WITH SECRETARY OF DE-
FENSE.—The Secretary shall carry out this sub-
section and the amendments made by this subsection 
in consultation with the Secretary of Defense. 
(6) 
PATIENT
ENROLLMENT
SYSTEM
DE-
FINED.—In this subsection, the term ‘‘patient enroll-
ment system’’ means the system of annual patient 
enrollment of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
established and operated under section 1705(a) of 
title 38, United States Code. 
Æ 
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