H. R. 1276 
One Hundred Seventeenth Congress 
of the 
United States of America 
AT THE FIRST SESSION 
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Sunday, 
the third day of January, two thousand and twenty-one 
An Act 
To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish COVID–19 vaccines to 
certain individuals, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Strengthening and Amplifying 
Vaccination Efforts to Locally Immunize All Veterans and Every 
Spouse Act’’ or the ‘‘SAVE LIVES Act’’. 
SEC. 2. AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO FUR-
NISH COVID–19 VACCINE TO CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS NOT 
ENROLLED IN PATIENT ENROLLMENT SYSTEM OF DEPART-
MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may furnish 
a vaccine for COVID–19 to a covered individual during the COVID– 
19 public health emergency. 
(b) PRIORITIZATION.—In furnishing vaccines for COVID–19 
under the laws administered by the Secretary, the Secretary shall— 
(1) prioritize the vaccination of veterans who are enrolled 
in the patient enrollment system, veterans who receive hospital 
care and medical services pursuant to subsection (c)(2) of section 
1705 of title 38, United States Code, and accompanying care-
givers of such veterans before the vaccination of covered individ-
uals not otherwise described in this paragraph; and 
(2) only furnish vaccines for COVID–19 to covered individ-
uals under this section to the extent that such vaccines are 
available. 
(c) TIMING OF VACCINES PROVIDED TO SPOUSES OF VETERANS.— 
The Secretary may determine the timing for offering a vaccine 
for COVID–19 to the spouse of a veteran from the Department 
of Veterans Affairs. 
(d) VACCINE ALLOCATION.—It is the sense of Congress that, 
to the extent practicable based on the current national supply 
chain, the Secretary of Health and Human Services should adjust 
the allocation for the Department of Veterans Affairs for the vaccine 
for COVID–19 based on the additional eligibility of covered individ-
uals under this section. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ACCOMPANYING CAREGIVER.—The term ‘‘accompanying 
caregiver’’ means a caregiver described in subparagraph (D), 
(E), or (F) of paragraph (2) who is accompanying a veteran 
who is receiving a vaccine for COVID–19 furnished by the 
Department.
H. R. 1276—2 
(2) COVERED INDIVIDUAL.—The term ‘‘covered individual’’ 
means any of the following individuals: 
(A) A veteran who is not eligible to enroll in the patient 
enrollment system. 
(B) A veteran who is eligible for care under section 
1724 of title 38, United States Code. 
(C) A beneficiary under section 1781 of such title. 
(D) A family caregiver of a veteran participating in 
the program of comprehensive assistance for family care-
givers under section 1720G(a) of such title. 
(E) A caregiver of a veteran participating in the pro-
gram of general caregiver support services under section 
1720G(b) of such title. 
(F) A caregiver of a veteran participating in the Med-
ical Foster Home Program, Bowel and Bladder Program, 
Home Based Primary Care Program, or Veteran Directed 
Care Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
(G) A spouse of a veteran. 
(3) COVERED PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.—The term ‘‘cov-
ered public health emergency’’ means an emergency with 
respect to COVID–19 declared by a Federal, State, or local 
authority. 
(4) 
COVID–19.—The 
term 
‘‘COVID–19’’ 
means 
the 
coronavirus disease 2019. 
(5) PATIENT
ENROLLMENT
SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘patient 
enrollment system’’ means the system of annual patient enroll-
ment of the Department of Veterans Affairs established and 
operated under section 1705(a) of title 38, United States Code. 
(6) VETERAN.—The term ‘‘veteran’’ has the meaning given 
that term in section 101(2) of title 38, United States Code. 
Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.