,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #beg  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,january #ae1 #bjac  
,ms4 ,shea-,porter introduced the       
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united 
,states ,code1 to ensure that veterans  
in each of the #dh contiguous ,states   
are able to receive services in at least
 one full-service hospital of the       
,veterans ,health ,administration in the
 ,state or receive comparable services  
provided by contract in the ,state4  #a4
 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as
 the ,veterans ,health ,equity ,act of  
#bjac4  #b4 ,availability of            
full-service hospital of the ,veterans  
,health ,administration in certain      
,states or provision of comparable      
services through contract with other    
health care providers in the ,state  7a7
 ,in general ,chapter #ag of title #ch1 
,united ,states ,code1 is amended by    
inserting after section #agaf the       

following new section3  #agaf;,a4       
,access to full-service hospitals in    
certain ,states or comparable services  
through contract  7a7 ,requirement ,with
 respect to each of the #dh contiguous  
,states1 the ,secretary shall ensure    
that veterans in the ,state eligible for
 hospital care and medical services     
under section #agaj of this title have  
access--  7#a7 to at least one          
full-service hospital of the ,veterans  
,health ,administration in the ,state2  
or  7#b7 to hospital care and medical   
services comparable to the services     
provided in full-service hospitals      
through contract with other health care 
providers in the ,state4  7b7 ,rule of  
construction ,nothing in subsection 7a7 
shall be construed to restrict the      
ability of the ,secretary to provide    
enhanced care to an eligible veteran who
 resides in one ,state in a hospital of 
the ,veterans ,health ,administration in
 another ,state4  4  7b7 ,clerical      
amendment ,the table of sections at the 

beginning of such chapter is amended by 
inserting after the item relating to    
section #agaf the following new item3   
#agaf;,a4 ,access to full-service       
hospitals in certain ,states or         
comparable services through contract4  4
  7c7 ,report on implementation ,not    
later than one year after the date of   
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
submit to ,congress a report describing 
the extent to which the ,secretary has  
complied with the requirement imposed by
 section #agaf;,a of title #ch1 ,united 
,states ,code1 as added by subsection   
7a71 including the effect of such       
requirement on improving the quality and
 standards of care provided to veterans4