Title: Veterans Access to Care Act
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Veterans Access to Care Act
This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to automatically designate medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as health professional shortage areas.
Individuals may not participate in both the VA's Health Professionals Education Assistance Program and the National Health Service Corps scholarship or loan repayment programs.
The Department of Health and Human Services, in carrying out the National Health Service Corps Program, must consult with the VA regarding health professional shortage areas that are VA medical facilities.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 968 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 968

  To amend the Public Health Service Act to designate certain medical 
facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs as health professional 
                shortage areas, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 27, 2017

 Ms. Klobuchar (for herself and Mr. Grassley) introduced the following 
  bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Public Health Service Act to designate certain medical 
facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs as health professional 
                shortage areas, 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 ``Veterans Access to Care Act''.

SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF MEDICAL FACILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
              AFFAIRS AS HEALTH PROFESSIONAL SHORTAGE AREAS.

    (a) PHSA.--Section 332(a)(1) of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 254e(a)(1)) is amended in the second sentence by inserting ``and 
medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs (including 
State homes, as defined in section 101(19) of title 38, United States 
Code)'' after ``(42 U.S.C. 1395x(aa)),''.
    (b) Concurrent Benefits.--
            (1) Scholarship program.--Section 338A(b) of the Public 
        Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254l(b)) is amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (3), by striking ``and'';
                    (B) in paragraph (4), by striking the period and 
                inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
            ``(5) not be participating in the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs Health Professionals Educational Assistance Program 
        under chapter 76 of title 38, United States Code.''.
            (2) Debt reduction program.--Section 338B(b) of the Public 
        Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254l-1(b)) is amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'';
                    (B) in paragraph (3), by striking the period and 
                inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
            ``(4) not be participating in the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs Health Professionals Educational Assistance Program 
        under chapter 76 of title 38, United States Code.''.
    (c) Consultation.--In carrying out the National Health Service 
Corps Program under subpart II of part D of title III of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254d et seq.), the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services shall consult with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
with respect to health professional shortage areas that are medical 
facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs (including State 
homes, as defined in section 101(19) of title 38, United States Code).
    (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect on the date that is 90 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act.
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