Title: To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish dental care in the same manner as any other medical service, and for other purposes.
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
This bill expands eligibility for veterans for dental care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Specifically, the bill makes all veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system eligible for VA-provided dental services. Currently, only veterans who have a service-connected dental issue or meet other narrow criteria are eligible for certain dental services.
The bill phases in eligibility over four years based upon existing eligibility, degree of service-connected disability or other disability, prisoner of war status, award of a Purple Heart, financial need, or VA health care eligibility.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 96 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 H. R. 96

  To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to furnish dental care in the same manner as any other 
                medical service, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 3, 2019

Ms. Brownley of California (for herself and Mr. DeFazio) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to furnish dental care in the same manner as any other 
                medical service, 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. REQUIREMENT THAT SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FURNISH 
              DENTAL CARE IN THE SAME MANNER AS ANY OTHER MEDICAL 
              SERVICE.

    (a) Dental Benefits.--
            (1) In general.--Title 38, United States Code, is amended--
                    (A) in section 1701(6), by striking ``as described 
                in sections 1710 and 1712 of this title'';
                    (B) in section 1710(c), by striking the second 
                sentence;
                    (C) in section 1712--
                            (i) by striking subsections (a) and (b);
                            (ii) by redesignating subsections (c), (d), 
                        (e), and (f) as subsections (a), (b), (c), and 
                        (d), respectively; and
                            (iii) in subsection (a), as redesignated by 
                        subparagraph (B)--
                                    (I) by striking ``Dental 
                                appliances'' and inserting ``The 
                                Secretary may furnish dentures, dental 
                                appliances''; and
                                    (II) by striking ``to be furnished 
                                by the Secretary under this section may 
                                be procured by the Secretary'' and 
                                inserting ``under this section and may 
                                procure such appliances''; and
                    (D) by striking section 2062.
            (2) Phased eligibility.--The amendments made by paragraph 
        (1) shall apply as follows:
                    (A) In the case of an individual who is eligible 
                for dental services and appliances furnished by the 
                Secretary of Veterans Affairs under chapter 17 of title 
                38, United States Code, on the date of the enactment of 
                this Act, beginning on the date of the enactment of 
                this Act.
                    (B) In the case of a veteran who is not so eligible 
                on the date of the enactment of this Act and who is 
                described in paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (a) of 
                section 1705 of such title, beginning on the date that 
                is one year after the date of the enactment of this 
                Act.
                    (C) In the case of a veteran who is not so eligible 
                on the date of the enactment of this Act and who is 
                described in paragraph (3) or (4) of subsection (a) of 
                section 1705 of such title, beginning on the date that 
                is two years after the date of the enactment of this 
                Act.
                    (D) In the case of a veteran who is not so eligible 
                on the date of the enactment of this Act and who is 
                described in paragraph (5) or (6) of subsection (a) of 
                section 1705 of such title, beginning on the date that 
                is three years after the date of the enactment of this 
                Act.
                    (E) In the case of a veteran who is not so eligible 
                on the date of the enactment of this Act and who is 
                described in paragraph (7) or (8) of subsection (a) of 
                section 1705 of such title, beginning on the date that 
                is four years after the date of the enactment of this 
                Act.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--Title 38, United States Code, is 
further amended--
            (1) in section 1525(a), by striking ``medicines under 
        section 1712(d)'' and inserting ``medicines under section 
        1712(b)''; and
            (2) in section 1703(a)(7), by striking ``, for a veteran 
        described in section 1712(a)(1)(F) of this title''.
    (c) Clerical Amendments.--Such title is further amended--
            (1) in section 1712, in the heading for such section, by 
        striking ``Dental care'' and inserting ``Appliances'';
            (2) in the table of sections at the beginning of chapter 
        17, by striking the item relating to section 1712 and inserting 
        the following new item:

``1712. Appliances; drugs and medicines for certain disabled veterans; 
                            vaccines.'';
        and
            (3) in the table of sections at the beginning of chapter 
        20, by striking the item relating to section 2062.
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