#aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,s4   
#hej  ,,an ,,act  ,to extend the        
authorization of appropriations to the  
,department of ,veterans ,affairs for   
purposes of awarding grants to veterans 
service organizations for the           
transportation of highly rural veterans4
  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be    
cited as the ,highly ,rural ,veteran    
,transportation ,program ,extension     
,act4  #b4 ,extension of authority to   
make grants to ,veterans ,service       
,organizations for transportation of    
highly rural veterans ,section #cjg7;d7 
of the ,caregivers and ,veterans        
,omnibus ,health ,services ,act of #bjaj
 7,public ,law #aaa-afc2 #ch ,u4,s4,c4  
#agaj note7 is amended by striking #bjbj
 and inserting #bjba4  #c4 ,making      
permanent authority for ,secretary of   
,veterans ,affairs to transport         
individuals to and from facilities of   
,department of ,veterans ,affairs  7a7  
,in general ,section #aaa;,a7a7 of title
 #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is         

amended-- 7#a7 by striking paragraph    
7#b72 and  7#b7 in paragraph 7#a71 by   
striking 7#a74  7b7 ,report required    
7#a7 ,in general ,not later than five   
years after the date of the enactment of
 this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,veterans 
,affairs shall submit to ,congress a    
report on cost savings1 performance1 and
 satisfaction of individuals1 with      
respect to-- 7,a7 the transport by the  
,secretary of individuals under         
subsection 7a7 of section #aaa;,a of    
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code2 and   
7,b7 the program the establishment of   
which was facilitated under subsection  
7b7 of such section4  7#b7 ,elements    
,the report required by paragraph 7#a7  
shall include an assessment of the      
effect of emerging health care          
modalities1 including telehealth and    
,,va ,video ,connect1 on-- 7,a7 the     
transport of individuals described in   
paragraph 7#a77;,a72  7,b7 the          
satisfaction of such individuals with   
services described in section #aaa;,a7a7

 of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code2   
and  7,c7 the program described in      
paragraph 7#a77;,b74  7#c7 ,definitions 
,in this subsection3 7,a7 ,telehealth   
7i7 ,in general ,the term telehealth    
means the use of electronic information 
and telecommunications technologies to  
support and promote long-distance       
clinical health care1 patient and       
professional health-related education1  
public health1 and health               
administration4  7ii7 ,technologies ,for
 purposes of clause 7i71                
telecommunications technologies include 
videoconferencing1 the internet1        
streaming media1 and terrestrial and    
wireless communications4  7,b7 ,,va     
,video ,connect ,the term ,,va ,video   
,connect means the program of the       
,department of ,veterans ,affairs to    
connect veterans with their health care 
team from anywhere1 using encryption to 
ensure a secure and private session4    
7c7 ,technical correction ,section      
#aaa;,a7b7 of title #ch1 ,united ,states

 ,code1 is amended by striking veterans'
 service organizations and inserting    
veterans service organizations4  #d4    
,medical examination protocol for       
volunteer drivers participating in      
program of transportation services for  
veterans ,section #aaa;,a7b7 of title   
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended--
 7#a7 by inserting 7#a7 before ,the     
,secretary2 and  7#b7 by adding at the  
end the following new paragraph3  7#b7  
7,a7 ,not later than #ij days after the 
date of the enactment of the ,highly    
,rural ,veteran ,transportation ,program
 ,extension ,act1 the ,secretary shall  
develop and establish a national        
protocol for the administration of      
medical examinations for volunteer      
drivers to participate in the program   
described in paragraph 7#a74  7,b7 ,in  
developing the protocol required by     
subparagraph 7,a71 the ,secretary shall 
consult with such persons as the        
,secretary determines have an interest  
in the program described in paragraph   

7#a74  7,c7 7i7 ,the ,secretary shall   
implement the protocol by first         
conducting a one-year pilot program     
using the protocol4  7ii7 ,after        
conducting the pilot program required by
 clause 7i71 the ,secretary shall assess
 the pilot program and make such changes
 to the protocol as the ,secretary      
considers appropriate4  7iii7 ,after    
making changes to the protocol under    
clause 7ii71 the ,secretary shall       
implement the protocol in phases during 
the course of one year4  4  #e4         
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states report on transportation        
services for veterans  7a7 ,report      
required ,not later than one year after 
the date of the enactment of this ,act1 
the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united
 ,states shall submit to the ,committee 
on ,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate   
and the ,committee on ,veterans'        
,affairs of the ,house of               
,representatives a report on the program
 the establishment of which was         

facilitated under section #aaa;,a7b7 of 
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code4  7b7  
,contents ,the report submitted under   
subsection 7a7 shall include the        
following3 7#a7 ,a description of the   
program described in subsection 7a71    
including descriptions of the following3
 7,a7 ,the purpose of the program4  7,b7
 ,the activities carried out under the  
program4  7#b7 ,an assessment of the    
sufficiency of the program with respect 
to the purpose of the program4  7#c7 ,an
 assessment of the cost effectiveness of
 the program in relation to             
alternatives4  7#d7 ,an assessment of   
the health benefits for veterans who    
have participated in the program4  7#e7 
,an assessment of the sufficiency of    
staffing of employees of the ,department
 of ,veterans ,affairs who are          
responsible for facilitating the        
maintenance of the program4  7#f7 ,an   
assessment1 with respect to the purpose 
of the program1 of the number of        
vehicles owned by and operating in      

conjunction with the program4  7#g7 ,an 
assessment of the awareness and usage of
 the program by veterans and their      
families4  7#h7 ,an assessment of other 
options for transportation under the    
program1 such as local taxi companies   
and ridesharing programs such as ,uber  
and ,lyft4  ,passed the ,senate ,july   
#cj1 #bjbj4,secretary