Title: SERVE Act of 2019
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Securing the Rights our Veterans have Earned Act of 2019 or the SERVE Act of 2019
The bill expands eligibility for Department of Veterans Affairs hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care to former members of the Armed Forces who were discharged from service under conditions other than honorable or with an entry-level separation by reason of sexual orientation or gender identity (including by reason of a gender dysphoria diagnosis).

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2931 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2931

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
   Veterans Affairs to provide hospital care, medical services, and 
 nursing home care for certain individuals discharged from service in 
 the Armed Forces by reason of sexual orientation or gender identity, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 22, 2019

Mr. Pappas (for himself, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Brown of Maryland, Miss Rice 
  of New York, Ms. Speier, Mr. Cisneros, and Mr. Levin of California) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
   Veterans Affairs to provide hospital care, medical services, and 
 nursing home care for certain individuals discharged from service in 
 the Armed Forces by reason of sexual orientation or gender identity, 
                        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 ``Securing the Rights our Veterans 
have Earned Act of 2019'' or the ``SERVE Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PROVISION OF HOSPITAL CARE, 
              MEDICAL SERVICES, AND NURSING HOME CARE FOR CERTAIN 
              INDIVIDUALS DISCHARGED FROM SERVICE IN THE ARMED FORCES 
              BY REASON OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR GENDER IDENTITY.

    (a) In General.--Section 1710(a)(2) of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking 
        ``any veteran--'' and inserting ``any individual who is--'';
            (2) in each of subparagraphs (A) through (G), by inserting 
        ``a veteran'' before ``who'';
            (3) in subparagraph (F), by striking ``or'' at the end;
            (4) in subparagraph (G), by striking the period and 
        inserting ``; or''; and
            (5) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
            ``(H) a former member of the Armed Forces who was 
        discharged from service therein under conditions other than 
        honorable or with an entry-level separation by reason of sexual 
        orientation or gender identity, including by reason of a 
        diagnosis of gender dysphoria.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act and apply--
            (1) to hospital care, medical services, and nursing home 
        care furnished on or after such date; and
            (2) to an individual who is discharged from service in the 
        Armed Forces before, on, or after such date.
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