Title: VACCINES Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Veterans' Access to Care Concerning Inoculations Needed in Emergency Situations Act or the VACCINES Act
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to furnish specified care during a public health emergency declared by a federal authority. Specifically, during such emergency, the VA must furnish to veterans (1) diagnostic products to detect the disease relating to the emergency, and (2) vaccinations for such disease.
The VA may not require any copayment or other cost sharing for any diagnostic product or vaccine furnished under this bill.
Additionally, the VA must conduct outreach to ensure that veterans are aware of the diagnostic products and vaccines available during the public health emergency.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4506 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4506

   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish tests and 
       vaccinations to veterans during public health emergencies.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 19, 2021

 Mr. Amodei (for himself and Mr. Lamb) introduced the following bill; 
        which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish tests and 
       vaccinations to veterans during public health emergencies.

    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 Concerning 
Inoculations Needed in Emergency Situations Act'' or the ``VACCINES 
Act''.

SEC. 2. TESTING AND VACCINATIONS OF VETERANS DURING PUBLIC HEALTH 
              EMERGENCY.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 17 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 1720K. Testing and vaccinations during public health emergency
    ``(a) Testing and Vaccinations.--During a public health emergency, 
the Secretary shall furnish to veterans--
            ``(1) diagnostic products to detect the disease relating to 
        the emergency; and
            ``(2) vaccinations for such disease.
    ``(b) Prohibition on Copayments.--The Secretary may not require any 
copayment or other cost sharing under this chapter for any diagnostic 
product or vaccine furnished under subsection (a).
    ``(c) Outreach.--The Secretary shall conduct outreach to ensure 
that veterans are aware of the diagnostic products and vaccines 
furnished under subsection (a) during a public health emergency.
    ``(d) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The term `public health emergency' means a period in 
        which an emergency is declared by a Federal authority.
            ``(2) The term `veteran' includes--
                    ``(A) any veteran without regard to whether the 
                veteran is enrolled, or is eligible to enroll, in the 
                system of annual patient enrollment of the Department 
                established and operated under section 1705(a) of this 
                title; and
                    ``(B) a veteran who is eligible for care under 
                section 1724.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
subchapter II of chapter 17 of such title is amended by inserting after 
the item relating to section 1720J the following new item:

``1720K. Testing and vaccinations during public health emergency.''.
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