I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4457 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the Veterans Accountable 
Care Organization and to provide veterans access to private health insur-
ance plans, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 21, 2017 
Mr. LAMBORN (for himself, Mr. MEADOWS, and Mr. FRANKS of Arizona) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Vet-
erans’ Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, 
Oversight and Government Reform, Energy and Commerce, and Armed 
Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the 
Veterans Accountable Care Organization and to provide 
veterans access to private health insurance plans, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Empower-
ment Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF VETERANS ACCOUNTABLE 
CARE ORGANIZATION. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 3 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following new section: 
‘‘§ 323. Veterans Accountable Care Organization 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—(1) There is established the 
Veterans Accountable Care Organization (in this section 
referred to as the ‘Corporation’). 
‘‘(2) The Corporation is a federally chartered cor-
poration. 
‘‘(3) The Corporation shall be incorporated and domi-
ciled in the District of Columbia, or another nearby State, 
as determined by the board of directors of the Corpora-
tion. 
‘‘(4) The Corporation shall be a charitable and non-
profit corporation. 
‘‘(5) Except as otherwise provided, the Corporation 
shall have perpetual existence. 
‘‘(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Corporation is 
to furnish high-quality hospital care, medical services, and 
other health care (excluding nursing home care and domi-
ciliary care) to individuals eligible for such care and serv-
ices under laws administered by the Secretary. 
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‘‘(c) BOARD OF DIRECTORS.—(1) The powers of the 
Corporation shall be vested in a Board of Directors that 
governs the Corporation. 
‘‘(2) The Board of Directors shall be composed of the 
following members: 
‘‘(A) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 
‘‘(B) Two members appointed by the Speaker of 
the House of Representatives, at least one of whom 
shall be a veteran. 
‘‘(C) Two members appointed by the Minority 
Leader of the House of Representatives, at least one 
of whom shall be a veteran. 
‘‘(D) Two members appointed by the Majority 
Leader of the Senate, at least one of whom shall be 
a veteran. 
‘‘(E) Two members appointed by the Minority 
Leader of the Senate, at least one of whom shall be 
a veteran. 
‘‘(F) Two members appointed by the President, 
at least one of whom shall be veterans. 
‘‘(3) The President shall designate a member of the 
Board of Directors to serve as Chairperson of the Board. 
The Board shall select a Vice Chairperson from among 
its members. 
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‘‘(4)(A) A member of the Board of Directors shall 
serve for a term of five years, except that the members 
first appointed shall be appointed for staggered terms as 
the President considers appropriate to ensure that the 
terms of no more than three members expire in the same 
year. 
‘‘(B) Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occur-
ring before the expiration of the term for which the mem-
ber’s predecessor was appointed shall be appointed only 
for the remainder of that term. A member may serve after 
the expiration of that member’s term until a successor has 
taken office. A vacancy on the Board shall not affect its 
powers, but shall be filled in the same manner in which 
the original appointment was made. 
‘‘(C) The term of each member may be renewed for 
an additional term, except that in no case shall any mem-
ber serve more than two consecutive terms exceeding ten 
years. 
‘‘(D) During the absence or disability of the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs or in the event of a vacancy 
in the office of Secretary, the Acting Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall serve as the member of the Board of Direc-
tors specified in paragraph (2)(A). 
‘‘(d) DUTIES.—In carrying out subsection (b), the 
Corporation shall— 
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