,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #aacd  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #ac1 #bjac    
,mr4 ,gallego introduced the following  
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a   
,,bill  ,to direct the ,secretary of    
,veterans ,affairs to carry out a grant 
program and pilot program designed to   
improve the delivery of health care to  
veterans residing in rural areas1 and   
for other purposes4  #a4 ,findings      
,congress makes the following findings3 
7#a7 ,the estimated veteran population  
of the ,nation is #bb1cbh1jjj4  7#b7    
,nearly #cj percent of veterans live in 
rural areas1 with younger veterans who  
served in support of ,operation ,iraqi  
,freedom and ,operation ,enduring       
,freedom more likely than other veterans
 to live in rural areas4  7#c7 ,veterans
 living in rural areas are reported to  
be in poorer health than veterans living
 in urban areas4  7#d7 ,veterans living 
in rural areas often need to travel     

extremely long distances to receive     
medical care and the other services to  
which they are entitled4  7#e7 ,the     
medical facilities of the ,department of
 ,veterans ,affairs include #hba        
community-based outpatient clinics1 #cjj
 veterans centers1 and #aeb hospitals4  
7#f7 ,rural veterans represent #da      
percent of the total number of veterans 
enrolled in the ,department of ,veterans
 ,affairs patient enrollment system     
under section #agje of title #ch1       
,united ,states ,code4  7#g7 ,a higher  
percentage of veterans residing in rural
 areas reported having at least one     
disability compared with veterans       
residing in urban areas4  7#h7 ,each    
year more than #aej1jjj members of the  
,armed ,forces are discharged or        
separated from service in the ,armed    
,forces and transition to veteran       
status4  7#i7 ,navigating the transition
 from the health care system of         
,department of ,defense to the health   
care system of the ,department of       

,veterans ,affairs involves the         
coordination of data and information    
between ,department of ,defense and the 
,department of ,veterans ,affairs4      
7#aj7 ,it is important to develop       
electronic health records that can be   
accessed by both the ,department of     
,defense and the ,department of         
,veterans ,affairs whether a patient is 
a member of the ,armed ,forces or a     
veteran to ensure the greater           
availability of health care information 
for members of the ,armed ,forces and   
veterans4  #b4 ,transportation grants   
for rural veterans service organizations
  7a7 ,grants ,authorized  7#a7 ,in     
general ,the ,secretary of ,veterans    
,affairs shall establish a grant program
 to provide innovative transportation   
options to veterans in highly rural     
areas4  7#b7 ,use of funds ,grants      
awarded under this section may be used  
by ,state veterans service agencies and 
veterans service organizations to--     
7,a7 assist veterans in highly rural    

areas to travel to ,department of       
,veterans ,affairs medical centers2 and 
7,b7 otherwise assist in providing      
medical care to veterans in highly rural
 areas4  7#c7 ,maximum amount ,the      
amount of a grant under this section may
 not exceed #ej1jjj4  7#d7 ,no matching 
requirement ,the recipient of a grant   
under this section may not be required  
to provide matching funds as a condition
 for receiving such grant4  7#e7        
,recovery of unused grant funds ,if a   
recipient of a grant does not use the   
full amount of funds received under this
 section by not later than ,september   
#cj of the fiscal year in which such    
grant was awarded1 the ,united ,states  
shall be entitled to recover from such  
recipient the total of all unused grant 
amounts made under this section to such 
recipient4  7b7 ,regulations ,the       
,secretary shall prescribe regulations  
for--  7#a7 evaluating grant            
applications under this section2 and    
7#b7 otherwise administering the program

 established by this section4  7c7      
,reports ,not later than ,february #a of
 each year1 the ,secretary shall submit 
to ,congress a report containing        
information related to each grant       
awarded under this section during the   
preceding year1 including--  7#a7 the   
name of the grant recipient2 and  7#b7  
the amount of the grant4  7d7 ,veterans 
,service ,organization ,definition ,in  
this section1 the term veterans service 
organization means any organization     
recognized by the ,secretary of         
,veterans ,affairs for the              
representation of veterans under section
 #eijb of title #ch1 ,united ,states    
,code4  #c4 ,outreach requirement  7a7  
,outreach required ,the ,secretary of   
,veterans ,affairs shall conduct        
outreach1 including under chapter #fc of
 title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 to   
educate veterans and their family       
members about the availability of       
transportation to assist veterans living
 in rural areas in traveling to         

,department of ,veterans ,affairs       
medical facilities1 including           
transportation available pursuant to a  
grant made under section #b4  7b7       
,outreach defined ,in this section1 the 
term outreach shall have the meaning    
given such term in section #fcja7;b77#a7
 of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code4   
#d4 ,pilot program for the              
implementation of electronic health     
record systems or capabilities at       
,department of ,veterans ,affairs       
medical facilities located in rural     
areas  7a7 ,pilot program ,the          
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs1 in    
cooperation with the ,secretary of      
,defense1 shall carry out a pilot       
program under section #afce7;f7 of the  
,national ,defense ,authorization ,act  
of ,fiscal ,year #bjjh 7,public ,law    
#aaj-aha2 #abb ,stat4 #dfb2 #aj         
,u4,s4,c4 #ajga note7 at ,department of 
,veterans ,affairs medical facilities   
located in rural areas and selected by  
the ,secretary4 ,such pilot program     

shall be designed to--  7#a7 implement  
at such medical facilities electronic   
health record systems or capabilities   
that allow for full interoperability of 
personal health care information between
 the ,department of ,defense and the    
,department of ,veterans ,affairs2  7#b7
 ensure that veterans served by such    
medical facilities are afforded the     
technological advances to improve the   
quality of health care they receive2    
7#c7 provide physicians and other       
personnel at such medical facilities    
with access to the complete personal    
health care information of members of   
the ,armed ,forces who are discharged or
 released from service in the ,armed    
,forces2 and  7#d7 increase the         
accessibility1 efficiency1 and use of   
electronic health records at such       
facilities to meet improved health care 
needs4  7b7 ,selection of medical       
facilities ,the ,secretary of ,veterans 
,affairs1 in cooperation with the       
,secretary of ,defense1 shall select    

,department of ,veterans ,affairs       
medical facilities at which to carry out
 the pilot program under this section4  
,such facilities shall be located in    
rural areas where the population rate of
 veterans exceeds six percent4  7c7     
,reports ,not later than ,april #a of   
each year1 the ,secretary of ,veterans  
,affairs shall submit to ,congress a    
report on the pilot program under this  
section4 ,each such report shall        
include--  7#a7 an evaluation of best   
practices relating to furnishing health 
care to veterans residing in rural      
areas2  7#b7 an evaluation of the       
education and training provided to      
physicians and other personnel at       
medical facilities participating in the 
pilot program2 and  7#c7 an evaluation  
of the health care provided to veterans 
residing in rural areas4