,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #baca  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,november #ae1 
#bjag ,mrs4 ,murray 7for herself and    
,mr4 ,tester7 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 authorize the 
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs to     
furnish medically necessary             
transportation for newborn children of  
certain women veterans1 and for other   
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,,va ,newborn       
,emergency ,treatment ,act4  #b4        
,authority for ,secretary of ,veterans  
,affairs to furnish medically necessary 
transportation for newborn children of  
certain women veterans  7a7 ,in general 
,section #aghf of title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 is amended--  7#a7 in    
subsection 7a7-- 7,a7 in the matter     
before paragraph 7#a7--  7i7 by         
inserting and transportation necessary  

to receive such services after described
 in subsection 7b72 and  7ii7 by        
inserting 1 except as provided in       
subsection 7e71 after seven days2  7,b7 
in paragraph 7#a71 by striking or2  7,c7
 in paragraph 7#b71 by striking the     
period at the end and inserting 2 or2   
and  7,d7 by adding at the end the      
following new paragraph3  7#c7 another  
location if the veteran is unable to    
deliver the child in a facility         
described in paragraph 7#a7 or 7#b74  2 
7#b7 in subsection 7b71 by inserting    
before the period at the end the        
following 1 including necessary health  
care services provided by a facility    
other than the facility where the       
newborn child was delivered 7including a
 specialty pediatric hospital7 that     
accepts transfer of the newborn child   
and responsibility for treatment of the 
newborn child2 and  7#c7 by adding at   
the end the following new subsections3  
7c7 ,transportation  7#a7               
,transportation furnished under         

subsection 7a7 to1 or between1 care     
settings to meet the needs of a newborn 
child includes costs for either or both 
the child and parents4  7#b7            
,transportation furnished under         
subsection 7a7 includes transportation  
by ambulance1 including air ambulance1  
or other appropriate modes of           
transportation--  7,a7 to another health
 care facility 7including a specialty   
pediatric hospital7 that accepts        
transfer of the newborn child or        
otherwise provides post-delivery care   
services when the original treating     
facility is not capable of furnishing   
the care or services required2 or  7,b7 
to a health care facility in a medical  
emergency of such nature that a prudent 
layperson reasonably expects that delay 
in seeking immediate medical attention  
would be hazardous to life or health4   
7#c7 ,the ,secretary shall directly     
reimburse a provider of ambulance or air
 ambulance services for transportation  
services provided under this section4   

7#d7 ,amounts paid by the ,department   
for transportation under this section   
shall be derived from the ,medical      
,services appropriations account of the 
,department4  7d7 ,payment for treatment
 or transportation  7#a7 ,payment by the
 ,secretary under this section on behalf
 of a veteran to a covered entity shall1
 unless rejected and refunded by the    
covered entity within #cj days of       
receipt1 extinguish any liability on the
 part of the veteran for that treatment 
or transportation4  7#b7 ,neither the   
absence of a contract or agreement      
between the ,secretary and a covered    
entity nor any provision of a contract1 
agreement1 or assignment to the contrary
 shall operate to modify1 limit1 or     
negate the requirements of paragraph    
7#a74  7#c7 ,in this subsection1 the    
term covered entity means any           
individual1 transportation carrier1     
organization1 or other entity that      
furnished or paid for health care or    
transportation services under this      

section4  7e7 ,exception ,the ,secretary
 may furnish more than seven days of    
health care services described in       
subsection 7b7 to a newborn child based 
on medical necessity if the child is in 
need of additional care4  4  7b7        
,treatment of certain debts already     
incurred ,the ,secretary of ,veterans   
,affairs may waive a debt for or        
reimburse a veteran billed for the cost 
of transportation that was furnished in 
order for a newborn child to receive    
health care services under section #aghf
 of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1   
before the date of the enactment of this
 ,act4