#aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,h4   
,r4 #dfgc  ,,an ,,act  ,to amend title  
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 to provide  
for the automatic enrollment of eligible
 veterans in patient enrollment system  
of ,department of ,veterans ,affairs1   
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,ensuring ,veterans' ,smooth ,transition
 ,act or the ,,evest ,act4  #b4         
,automatic enrollment of eligible       
veterans in patient enrollment system of
 ,department of ,veterans ,affairs  7a7 
,in general ,section #agje of title #ch1
 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by   
adding at the end the following new     
subsection3  7d7  7#a7 ,the ,secretary  
shall enroll each veteran described in  
subsection 7a7 in the patient enrollment
 system under this section by not later 
than #fj days after receiving the       
information described in paragraph 7#c7 
with respect to the veteran4  7#b77;,a7 
,not later than #fj days after enrolling
 a veteran under paragraph 7#a71 the    

,secretary shall provide to the         
veteran--  7i7 notice of the veteran's  
enrollment2  7ii7 instructions for how  
the veteran may opt out of such         
enrollment1 at the election of the      
veteran2 and  7iii7 instructions for how
 the veteran may elect to enroll at a   
later date4  7,b7 ,in carrying out      
subparagraph 7,a71 the ,secretary shall 
consider using1 to the extent practical1
 mass texting capabilities through      
mobile telephones4  7,c7 ,any notice or 
instructions required to be provided    
under this paragraph shall be provided  
in the form of a physical copy delivered
 by mail and1 to the extent practical1  
in the form of an electronic copy       
delivered by electronic mail4  7#c7 ,the
 information described in this paragraph
 is the appropriate information         
concerning eligibility for enrollment in
 the patient enrollment system under    
this section1 as provided by the        
,defense ,manpower ,data ,center of the 
,department of ,defense1 or such        

successor entity of the ,department4  4 
7b7 ,applicability ,subsection 7d7 of   
section #agje of title #ch1 ,united     
,states ,code1 as added by subsection   
7a71 shall apply to a veteran who is    
discharged or separated from the ,armed 
,forces on or after the date that is #ij
 days before the date of the enactment  
of this ,act and with respect to whom   
the ,secretary receives the information 
described in paragraph 7#c7 of such     
subsection on or after the date of the  
enactment of this ,act4  7c7 ,electronic
 certificates of eligibility for        
,department of ,veterans ,affairs       
patient enrollment system ,not later    
than ,august #a1 #bjbb1 the ,secretary  
of ,veterans ,affairs shall ensure that 
any veteran who is eligible for         
automatic enrollment in the patient     
enrollment system under subsection 7d7  
of section #agje of title #ch1 ,united  
,states ,code1 as added by subsection   
7a71 is able to access--  7#a7 an       
electronic version of the certificate of

 eligibility showing the veteran's      
eligibility for such enrollment2 and    
7#b7 an electronic mechanism by which   
the veteran may opt out of such         
enrollment4  7d7 ,provision of notice   
and information ,the notice and         
instructions required to be provided    
under subsection 7d77#b7 of section     
#agje of title #ch1 ,united ,states     
,code1 as added by subsection 7a71 shall
 be provided in accordance with the     
established procedures of the           
,department of ,veterans ,affairs with  
respect to the provision of similar     
types of notices and instructions4  7e7 
,report on automatic enrollment  7#a7   
,in general ,not later than #a year     
after the first veteran is enrolled in  
the patient enrollment system of the    
,department of ,veterans ,affairs under 
subsection 7d7 of section #agje of title
 #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 as added by
 subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall   
submit to ,congress a report on the     
enrollment process under such           

subsection4 ,such report shall include  
each of the following3  7,a7 ,a         
discussion of any anticipated challenges
 that occurred in implementing such     
subsection1 the strategies used to      
address such challenges1 and the        
effectiveness of such strategies4  7,b7 
,a discussion of any unanticipated      
challenges that occurred in implementing
 such subsection1 the strategies used to
 address such challenges1 and the       
effectiveness of such strategies4  7,c7 
,any additional information the         
,secretary determines appropriate1      
including information that may be useful
 to other ,federal departments and      
agencies considering the implementation 
of similar automatic enrollment         
programs4  7#b7 ,form of report ,the    
report required under paragraph 7#a7    
shall be submitted in unclassified form1
 but may include a classified annex4    
#c4 ,,gao report on notice of automatic 
enrollment in patient enrollment system 
of ,department of ,veterans ,affairs    

,not later than #ahj days after the date
 of the enactment of this ,act1 the     
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states shall submit to ,congress a     
report containing the results of a study
 to determine the best methods for the  
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs to     
provide notice under paragraph 7#b7 of  
subsection 7d7 of section #agje of title
 #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 as added by
 section #b4 ,in making such            
determination1 the ,comptroller ,general
 shall consider needs of veterans based 
on-- 7#a7 age2  7#b7 residence in urban 
areas2 and  7#c7 residence in rural     
areas4  ,passed the ,house of           
,representatives ,january #bj1          
#bjbb4;,clerk4