,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #big  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,january #bh1 #bjae 
,mr4 ,kirk 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,manchin1 
and ,mr4 ,udall7 introduced the         
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
revive and expand the ,intermediate     
,care ,technician ,pilot ,program of the
 ,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 and 
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,frontlines to ,lifelines ,act of #bjae4
  #b4 ,revival and expansion of         
,intermediate ,care ,technician ,pilot  
,program of ,department of ,veterans    
,affairs  7a7 ,revival ,the ,secretary  
of ,veterans ,affairs shall revive the  
,intermediate ,care ,technician ,pilot  
,program of the ,department of ,veterans
 ,affairs that was carried out by the   
,secretary between ,january #bjac and   
,february #bjad4  7b7 ,technicians  7#a7
 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall      

expand the pilot program under          
subsection 7a7 to include not less than 
#bej intermediate care technicians who  
are participating in the pilot program4 
7#b7 ,facilities  7,a7 ,in general ,any 
intermediate care technician hired      
pursuant to paragraph 7#a7 may be       
assigned to a medical facility of the   
,department as determined by the        
,secretary for purposes of this section4
  7,b7 ,priority ,in assigning          
intermediate care technicians under     
subparagraph 7,a71 the ,secretary shall 
give priority to facilities at which    
veterans have the longest wait times for
 appointments for the receipt of        
hospital care or medical services from  
the ,department1 as determined by the   
,secretary for purposes of this section4
  7c7 ,termination ,the ,secretary shall
 carry out the pilot program under      
subsection 7a7 during the three-year    
period beginning on the date of the     
enactment of this ,act4  7d7 ,hospital  
care and medical services defined ,in   

this section1 the terms hospital care   
and medical services have the meanings  
given such terms in section #agja of    
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code4  #c4  
,transfer of health care provider       
credentialing data from ,secretary of   
,defense to ,secretary of ,veterans     
,affairs  7a7 ,in general ,in a case in 
which the ,secretary of ,veterans       
,affairs hires a covered health care    
provider1 the ,secretary of ,defense    
shall1 after receiving a request from   
the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs for
 the credentialing data of the          
,secretary of ,defense relating to such 
health care provider1 transfer to the   
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs such   
credentialing data4  7b7 ,covered health
 care providers ,for purposes of this   
section1 a covered provider is a health 
care provider who-- 7#a7 is or was      
employed by the ,secretary of ,defense2 
7#b7 provides or provided health care   
related services as part of such        
employment2 and  7#c7 was credentialed  

by the ,secretary of ,defense4  7c7     
,policies and regulations ,the          
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs and the
 ,secretary of ,defense shall establish 
such policies and promulgate such       
regulations as may be necessary to carry
 out this section4  7d7 ,credentialing  
defined ,in this section1 the term      
credentialing means the systematic      
process of screening and evaluating     
qualifications and other credentials1   
including licensure1 required education1
 relevant training and experience1 and  
current competence and health status4   
#d4 ,independent practice of certain    
advanced practice registered nurses of  
,department of ,veterans ,affairs  7a7  
,in general ,notwithstanding any        
provision of law of a ,state1 the       
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs may    
authorize a covered nurse to practice   
independently1 without supervision or   
direction of others1 under a set of     
privileges approved by the ,secretary1  
regardless of the ,state in which the   

covered nurse is employed by the        
,secretary4  7b7 ,covered nurses ,for   
purposes of this section1 a covered     
nurse is an advanced practice registered
 nurse who is employed by the ,secretary
 of ,veterans ,affairs in any of the    
following specializations3 7#a7 ,nurse  
,midwife4  7#b7 ,clinical ,nurse        
,specialist1 with respect to the        
provision of mental health care4  7#c7  
,nurse ,practitioner4