I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4125 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study on the 
feasibility of the Secretary entering into public-private partnerships to 
improve the access of veterans to medical facilities in densely populated 
communities and rural communities. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 19, 2015 
Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN (for herself, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. HONDA, Mrs. LAW-
RENCE, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. PAYNE, and Mr. SIRES) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Vet-
erans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a 
study on the feasibility of the Secretary entering into 
public-private partnerships to improve the access of vet-
erans to medical facilities in densely populated commu-
nities and rural communities. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. STUDY ON FEASIBILITY OF PUBLIC-PRIVATE 
PARTNERSHIPS TO IMPROVE ACCESS OF VET-
ERANS TO MEDICAL FACILITIES IN DENSELY 
POPULATED COMMUNITIES AND RURAL COM-
MUNITIES. 
(a) STUDY.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
conduct a study on the feasibility of the Secretary entering 
into covered public-private partnerships to improve the ac-
cess of veterans to medical facilities of the Department 
of Veterans Affairs in densely populated communities and 
rural communities. Such study shall include the following: 
(1) An evaluation of the ability of veterans to 
access medical facilities of the Department in dense-
ly populated communities and rural communities, in-
cluding the identification of issues that diminish 
such access in such communities, including with re-
spect to such diminished access that affects only cer-
tain populations of veterans or certain kinds of 
health care. 
(2) An evaluation of whether the requirement 
for Congressional approval for major medical facility 
leases under section 8104 of title 38, United States 
Code, delays such access. 
(3) An evaluation of how covered public-private 
partnerships may improve the ability of veterans to 
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access medical facilities of the Department in dense-
ly populated communities and rural communities. 
(4) An evaluation of whether underused medical 
facilities of the Department meet building codes. 
(5) Recommendations by the Secretary on how 
to improve such access, including with respect to any 
regulatory or legislative actions required to make 
such improvements. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 
to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of 
Representatives and the Senate a report containing the 
study under subsection (a). 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘covered public-private partner-
ships’’ means leases or other agreements entered 
into by the Secretary with non-Department facilities 
under which the Secretary will establish a medical 
facility of the Department in the unused or 
underused space of the non-Department facility. 
(2) The term ‘‘densely populated communities’’ 
means communities that are in an urbanized area or 
an urban cluster, as determined by the Bureau of 
the Census. 
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(3) The term ‘‘non-Department facilities’’ has 
the meaning given that term in section 1701 of title 
38, United States Code. 
(4) The term ‘‘rural communities’’ means the 
rural areas under the jurisdiction of the Office of 
Rural Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
established by section 7308 of title 38, United 
States Code. 
Æ 
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