,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #bhaf  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #af1 #bjai,ms4  
,stefanik 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,bishop of 
,georgia1 ,mr4 ,ryan1 ,mr4 ,kilmer1 ,mr4
 ,suozzi1 ,mr4 ,cook1 ,mr4 ,king of ,new
 ,york1 ,mr4 ,espaillat1 and ,miss      
,gonzlez-,coln of ,puerto ,rico7        
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
direct the ,secretary of ,veterans      
,affairs to carry out a pilot program to
 increase access to hepatitis ,c testing
 for ,vietnam-era veterans1 and for     
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,vietnam-,era  
,veterans ,hepatitis ,c ,testing        
,enhancement ,act of #bjai4  #b4 ,pilot 
program to increase access to hepatitis 
,c testing for ,vietnam-era veterans    
7a7 ,establishment ,beginning not later 
than #ahj days after the date of the    
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,veterans ,affairs shall carry out a 

one-year pilot program to make hepatitis
 ,c testing available to covered        
veterans at certain outreach events     
organized by veterans service           
organizations4  7b7 ,selection of       
,veteran ,integrated ,service ,networks 
,the ,secretary shall select five       
,veterans ,integrated ,service ,networks
 of the ,department of ,veterans        
,affairs in which to carry out the pilot
 program as follows3  7#a7 ,two such    
networks that predominantly serve rural 
areas4  7#b7 ,three such networks that  
predominantly serve urban areas4  7c7   
,termination date ,the pilot program    
described under subsection 7a7 shall    
terminate on the date that is one year  
after the date on which the ,secretary  
begins to carry out such program4  7d7  
,automatic trigger ,if at least #cej1jjj
 veterans are tested for hepatitis ,c by
 the termination date described in      
subsection 7c71 the ,secretary shall    
expand the program to all ,veterans     
,integrated ,service ,networks of the   

,department not later than one year     
after the date on which the pilot       
program ends4  7e7 ,report to congress  
,not later than #ahj days after the date
 on which the pilot program ends1 the   
,secretary shall submit to ,congress a  
report on the pilot program that        
includes--  7#a7 the number of covered  
veterans tested for hepatitis ,c under  
the pilot program2 and  7#b7 a list of  
resources needed to expand the pilot    
program to all ,veterans ,integrated    
,service ,networks for the length of    
time necessary to test all covered      
veterans for hepatitis ,c4  7f7 ,covered
 veteran defined ,in this ,act1 the term
 covered veteran means a person who     
served in the active military1 naval1 or
 air service between ,february #bh1     
#aifa1 and ,may #g1 #aige1 and was      
discharged or released therefrom under  
conditions other than dishonorable1     
regardless of whether such person is    
enrolled in the patient enrollment      
system of the ,department of ,veterans  

,affairs established under section      
#agje7;a7 of title #ch1 ,united ,states 
,code4  7g7 ,authorization of           
appropriations ,no additional funds are 
authorized to carry out the requirements
 of this ,act4 ,such requirements shall 
be carried out using amounts otherwise  
authorized to be appropriated to the    
,department of ,veterans ,affairs for   
the express purpose of providing        
hepatitis ,c-related care4