I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2037 
To amend the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 
to expand and make permanent the Veterans Choice Program, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 6, 2017 
Mr. LANCE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability 
Act of 2014 to expand and make permanent the Veterans 
Choice Program, 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 ‘‘Veterans Health Care 
Freedom Act’’. 
SEC. 2. MODIFICATION TO VETERANS CHOICE PROGRAM. 
(a) EXPANSION.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Subsection (b) of section 
101 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Account-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:58 Apr 14, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2037.IH
H2037
lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
ability Act of 2014 (38 U.S.C. 1701 note) is amend-
ed to read as follows: 
‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE VETERANS.—A veteran is an eligible 
veteran for purposes of this section if the veteran is en-
rolled in the patient enrollment system of the Department 
of Veterans Affairs established and operated under section 
1705 of title 38, United States Code, including any such 
veteran who has not received hospital care or medical serv-
ices from the Department and has contacted the Depart-
ment seeking an initial appointment from the Department 
for the receipt of such care or services.’’. 
(2) CHOICE
OF
PROVIDER.—Such section is 
amended— 
(A) in subsection (a)— 
(i) by striking paragraph (2); and 
(ii) by redesignating paragraph (3) as 
paragraph (2); and 
(B) by striking subsection (c) and insert-
ing the following new subsection (c): 
‘‘(c) CHOICE OF PROVIDER.—An eligible veteran who 
receives hospital care or medical services under this sec-
tion may select a provider of such care or services from 
among the entities specified in paragraph (1)(B) that are 
accessible to the veteran.’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:58 Apr 14, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2037.IH
H2037
lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(3) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Such section 
is further amended— 
(A) in subsection (f)(1), by striking ‘‘sub-
section (b)(1)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (b)’’; 
(B) in subsection (g)(3), by striking 
‘‘under subparagraph (B), (C), or (D) of sub-
section (b)(2)’’; and 
(C) in subsection (q)(2)(A)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘, disaggregated by—’’ 
and inserting a period; and 
(ii) by striking clauses (i) through 
(iv). 
(b) PERMANENT PROGRAM.— 
(1) REMOVAL OF SUNSET.—Subsection (p) of 
such section is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(p) AUTHORITY TO FURNISH CARE
AND SERV-
ICES.—The Secretary may furnish care and services under 
this section subject to the availability of funds in the Vet-
erans Choice Fund established by section 802 or otherwise 
appropriated to carry out this section.’’. 
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 101 
of such Act is further amended— 
(A) in subsection (i)(2), by striking ‘‘is au-
thorized to carry out this section pursuant to 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:58 Apr 14, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2037.IH
H2037
lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
subsection (p)’’ and inserting ‘‘carries out this 
section’’; and 
(B) in subsection (q)(2), as amended by 
subsection (a)(2)(D) of this section, by striking 
subparagraph (F). 
(c) ANNUAL REPORTS.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually 
thereafter, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit 
to Congress a report that includes the following: 
(1) With respect to each medical facility of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs, any increase or de-
crease in the number of veterans seeking hospital 
care or medical services at such facility during the 
one-year period covered by the report. 
(2) In light of the increase or decrease of vet-
erans seeking hospital care or medical services at 
each medical facility of the Department as identified 
under paragraph (1), recommendations by the Sec-
retary with respect to the proposed budget for such 
facility for the fiscal year following the date of the 
report. 
(3) How the Secretary is ensuring compliance 
with all requirements of chapter 39 of title 31, 
United States Code (commonly referred to as the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:58 Apr 14, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2037.IH
H2037
lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘Prompt Payment Act’’), including, for the one-year 
period covered by the report— 
(A) the average amount of time taken by 
the Secretary to pay a non-Department health 
care provider after receiving an invoice; and 
(B) a description of each instance in which 
the Secretary paid interest to such a non-De-
partment health care provider pursuant to such 
chapter 39. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:58 Apr 14, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H2037.IH
H2037
lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS