,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #di  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the 
,,united ,,states  ,january #bb         
7legislative day1 ,january #c71 #bjac   
,mrs4 ,shaheen 7for herself and ,ms4    
,ayotte7 introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and 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 ,department of        
,veterans ,affairs medical center in the
 ,state or receive comparable services  
provided by contract in the ,state1 and 
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,veterans
 ,health ,equity ,act of #bjac4  #b4    
,availability of full-service           
,department of ,veterans ,affairs       
medical centers 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 #agjf the following new   
section3  #agjf;,a4 ,management of      
health care3 access to full-service     
,department medical centers 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 a ,state who are eligible   
for hospital care and medical services  
under section #agaj of this title have  
access--  7#a7 to at least one          
full-service ,department medical center 
in the ,state2 or  7#b7 to hospital care
 and medical services comparable to the 
services typically provided by          
full-service ,department medical centers
 through contract with other health care
 providers in the ,state4  7b7 ,rule of 
construction ,nothing in subsection 7a7 
shall be construed to limit the ability 
of the ,secretary to provide enhanced   
care to an eligible veteran who resides 

in one ,state in a ,department medical  
center in another ,state4  7c7          
,limitation on requirement ,subsection  
7a7 shall be effective in any fiscal    
year only to the extent and in the      
amount provided in advance in           
appropriations ,acts4  7d7              
,full-,service ,department medical      
center defined ,in this section1 the    
term full-service ,department medical   
center means a facility of the          
,department that provides medical       
services1 including hospital care1      
emergency medical services1 and surgical
 care rated by the ,secretary as having 
a surgical complexity level of standard4
  4  7b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table 
of sections at the beginning of such    
chapter is amended by inserting after   
the item relating to section #agjf the  
following new item3  #agjf;,a4          
,management of health care3 access to   
full-service ,department medical centers
 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 
#agjf;,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