,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #aghc  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #bi1 #bjag,mr4
 ,graves of ,missouri 7for himself1 ,ms4
 ,schakowsky1 and ,ms4 ,roybal-,allard7 
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs1 and in addition to 
the ,committee on ,armed ,services1 for 
a period to be subsequently determined  
by the ,speaker1 in each case for       
consideration of such provisions as fall
 within the jurisdiction of the         
committee concerned  ,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          
,improving ,veterans ,access to ,quality
 ,care ,act of #bjag4  #b4 ,expansion of
 availability of prosthetic and orthotic
 care for veterans  7a7 ,establishment  
or expansion of advanced degree programs
 ,to expand availability of care ,the   

,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
work with institutions of higher        
education to develop partnerships for   
the establishment or expansion of       
programs of advanced degrees in         
prosthetics and orthotics in order to   
improve and enhance the availability of 
high quality prosthetic and orthotic    
care for veterans4  7b7 ,report  7#a7   
,in general ,not later than one year    
after the effective date specified in   
subsection 7d71 the ,secretary shall    
submit to the ,committee on ,veterans'  
,affairs of the ,senate and the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,house of ,representatives a report    
setting forth a plan for carrying out   
subsection 7a74  7#b7 ,development of   
plan ,the ,secretary shall develop the  
plan required under paragraph 7#a7 in   
consultation with veterans service      
organizations1 institutions of higher   
education with accredited degree        
programs in prosthetics and orthotics1  
and representatives of the prosthetics  

and orthotics field4  7c7 ,funding  7#a7
 ,authorization of appropriations ,there
 is authorized to be appropriated for   
fiscal year #bjag for the ,department of
 ,veterans ,affairs1 #e1jjj1jjj to carry
 out this section4  7#b7 ,availability  
,the amount authorized to be            
appropriated by paragraph 7#a7 shall    
remain available for expenditure until  
,september #cj1 #bjbj4  7d7 ,effective  
date ,this section shall take effect on 
the date that is one year after the date
 of the enactment of this ,act4  #c4    
,provision of full practice authority   
for advanced practice registered nurses1
 physician assistants1 and other health 
care professionals of the department of 
veterans affairs  7a7 ,full practice    
authority ,the ,secretary of ,veterans  
,affairs shall provide full practice    
authority to advanced practice          
registered nurses1 physician assistants1
 and such other licensed health care    
professionals of the ,department of     
,veterans ,affairs as is consistent with

 the education1 training1 and           
certification of such health care       
professionals4  7b7 ,inapplicability of 
,state limitations ,full practice       
authority shall be provided by the      
,secretary under subsection 7a7 to      
health care professionals described in  
that subsection without regard to any   
limitation that would otherwise be      
imposed on the health care practice of  
such professionals by a licensing or    
credentialing body of a ,state or       
otherwise under ,state law4  7c7        
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,the
 term advanced practice registered nurse
 has the meaning given that term in     
section #eeji7;e77#a7 of ,public ,law   
#aaa-adh 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acieww note74  
7#b7 ,the term full practice authority  
means-- 7,a7 with respect to an advanced
 practice registered nurse1 the full    
scope of practice for the area of       
nursing practiced by the advanced       
practice registered nurse as determined 
by the national professional association

 or organization1 a successor           
association or organization1 or any     
other appropriate entity as determined  
by the ,secretary for such area of      
nursing2  7,b7 with respect to a        
physician assistant1 the full scope of  
practice for the area of medicine       
practiced by the physician assistant as 
determined by the national professional 
association or organization1 a successor
 association or organization1 or any    
other appropriate entity as determined  
by the ,secretary for such area of      
medicine2 and  7,c7 with respect to any 
other licensed health care professional 
not specified in subparagraph 7,a7 or   
7,b71 the full scope of practice for the
 area of medicine practiced by the      
licensed health care professional as    
determined by the national professional 
association or organization1 a successor
 association or organization1 or any    
other appropriate entity as determined  
by the ,secretary for such area of      
medicine4  7#c7 ,the term physician     

assistant has the meaning given that    
term in section #ahfa7;aa77#e77;,a7 of  
the ,social ,security ,act 7#db         
,u4,s4,c4 #aciex7aa77#e77;,a774  #d4    
,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   
7e7 ,effective date ,this section shall 
take effect on the date that is one year
 after the date of the enactment of this
 ,act4