,i  #aag? ,,congress  #a/ ,session  ,h4 
,r4 #fbca  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(           
,,repres5tatives  ,decemb] #i1 #bjba    
,mr4 ,neguse introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2   
:i* 0 ref]r$ to ! ,committee on         
,vet]ans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to      
require ! ,secret>y ( ,vet]ans ,affairs 
to conduct a /udy on ! feasibility &    
advisability ( e/abli%+ a pilot program 
to support m$ical resid5cy & fell[%ip   
programs t assi/ vet]ans1 & = o!r       
purposes4  #a4 ,%ort title ,?is ,act may
 be cit$ z ! ,vet]ans ,pro ,bono ,corps 
,act ( #bjba4  #b4 ,/udy on pot5tial    
pilot program to support m$ical resid5cy
 & fell[%ip programs t assi/ vet]ans    
7a7 ,s5se ( ,congress ,x is ! ,s5se (   
,congress t--  7#a7 ! ,,covid-#ai p&emic
 & o!r factors h contribut$ to a gr[+   
backlog ( vet]ans ne$+ m$ical disability
 exam9ations & op9ions2  7#b7 access to 
m$ical disability exam9ations & op9ions 
is critical = vet]ans to receive        
disability comp5sation b5efits f !      
,dep>tm5t ( ,vet]ans ,affairs2  7#c7 !re

 rema9s a ne$ to tra9 non-,dep>tm5t (   
,vet]ans ,affairs cl9icians to und]/& & 
support ! unique m$ical ne$s ( disabl$  
vet]ans2  7#d7 vet]ans :o are           
dissatisfi$ ) m$ical disability         
exam9ations or op9ions provid$ by       
employees or contractors ( ! ,dep>tm5t (
 ,vet]ans ,affairs may obta9 & submit   
outside1 indep5d5t disability           
evaluations2 h[ev]1 mo/ vet]ans _c af=d 
to obta9 su* evaluations & mo/          
non-,dep>tm5t tra9+ cl9icians are n     
famili> ) ! specific legal crit]ia &    
m$ical f9d+s necess>y to prep>e adequate
 disability exam9ation reports &        
op9ions2 &  7#e7 cl9ics )9 non-,dep>tm5t
 ( ,vet]ans ,affairs m$ical resid5cy &  
fell[%ip programs are a pot5tial res\rce
 to supplem5t ! curr5t m$ical disability
 exam9ation & op9ion sy/em c>ri$ out by 
employees & contractors ( ! ,dep>tm5t   
by-- 7,a7 af=d+ disabl$ vet]ans ) ano!r 
option = high-quality1 outside1         
indep5d5t disability evaluations2 &     
7,b7 provid+ non-,dep>tm5t cl9icians )  

cl9ical tra9+ & exp]i5ce necess>y to    
und]/& ! unique m$ical ne$s ( disabl$   
vet]ans4  7b7 ,/udy requir$ ,! ,secret>y
 ( ,vet]ans ,affairs %all conduct a /udy
 to assess ! feasibility & advisability 
(--  7#a7 e/abli%+ ! pilot program      
describ$ 9 subsection 7d72 &  7#b7 us+ !
 disability b5efits que/ionnaire =ms z  
describ$ 9 subsection 7d77#h7 to support
 su* program4  7c7 ,report requir$ ,n   
lat] ?an "o ye> aft] ! date ( ! enactm5t
 ( ?is ,act1 ! ,secret>y ( ,vet]ans     
,affairs %all submit to ,congress a     
report on ! f9d+s ( ! /udy conduct$ "u  
subsection 7b74  7d7 ,pilot program     
describ$  7#a7 ,9 g5]al ,! pilot program
 describ$ 9 ?is section is a pilot      
program "u :i* ! ,secret>y ( ,vet]ans   
,affairs provides assi/ance to eligible 
recipi5ts to e/abli% or ma9ta9 programs 
t assi/ vet]ans apply+ = comp5sation "u 
*apt] #aa ( title #ch1 ,unit$ ,/ates    
,code1 9 sub/antiat+ _! claims )        
indep5d5t m$ical exam9ations & op9ions4 
7#b7 ,eligible recipi5ts ,= purposes ( !

 pilot program1 an eligible recipi5t    
w\ld be an entity t-- 7,a7 is adm9i/]+ a
 non-,dep>tm5t ( ,vet]ans ,affairs      
m$ical resid5cy or m$ical fell[%ip      
program 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates or a t]ritory 
( ! ,unit$ ,/ates2 &  7,b7 is accr$it$  
by a nationally recogniz$ accr$it+      
ag5cy4  7#c7 ,duration ,! ,secret>y w\ld
 c>ry out ! pilot program dur+ !        
five-ye> p]iod beg9n+ on ! date ( !     
comm5cem5t ( ! pilot program4  7#d7     
,grants ,! ,secret>y w\ld c>ry out !    
pilot program ?r\gh ! aw>d ( grants to  
eligible recipi5ts to e/abli% or ma9ta9 
programs z describ$ 9 p>agraph 7#a74    
7#e7 ,competitive process ,! ,secret>y  
w\ld e/abli% a competitive process = !  
aw>d ( ! grants "u ! pilot program4     
7#f7 ,selection ( grant recipi5ts ,9    
aw>d+ grants "u ! pilot program1 !      
,secret>y may give pref]5ce to an       
eligible recipi5t locat$ 9 a rural area 
or an und]s]v$ area4  7#g7 ,use ( grant 
funds  7,a7 ,9 g5]al ,ea* eligible      
recipi5t receiv+ a grant "u ! pilot     

program w\ld use ! grant to e/abli% or  
ma9ta9 a program z describ$ 9 p>agraph  
7#a7 9 :i* m$ical resid5ts or fell[s    
provide pro bono m$ical exam9ations &   
op9ions = ! purposes describ$ 9 t       
p>agraph4  7,b7 ,requirem5ts ,= ea*     
program e/abli%$ or ma9ta9$ ) am\nts f a
 grant "u ! pilot program-- 7i7 m$ical  
resid5ts & fell[s w\ld practice "u !    
sup]vision ( att5d+ physicians 9        
accordance ) su* sup]visory requirem5ts 
z ! ,secret>y w\ld prescribe 9          
regulations2  7ii7 ea* att5d+ physician 
provid+ su* sup]vision w\ld be 9 good   
/&+ ) ! m$ical lic5s+ bo>d ( ea* ,/ate 9
 :i* ! att5d+ physician is lic5s$2      
7iii7 ea* m$ical resid5t & fell[ w\ld be
 9 good /&+ )--  7,i7 ! program e/abli%$
 or ma9ta9$ ) am\nts f ! grant2 &       
7,,ii7 ! m$ical lic5s+ bo>d ( ea* ,/ate 
9 :i* ! resid5t or fell[ is lic5s$2     
7iv7 ea* m$ical resid5t1 fell[1 & att5d+
 physician w\ld und]go tra9+ t is       
sub/antially ! same z or equival5t to   
tra9+ requir$ = m$ical exam9]s ( !      

,vet]ans ,heal? ,adm9i/ration or        
contractors ( ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,vet]ans    
,affairs :o conduct m$ical exam9ations =
 purposes ( support+ claims =           
comp5sation "u *apt] #aa ( title #ch1   
,unit$ ,/ates ,code2  7v7 m$ical        
resid5ts w\ld be 9 _! second ye> or lat]
 ( a m$ical resid5cy2  7vi7 ! program   
w\ld n *>ge vet]ans fees = ! s]vices    
provid$2  7vii7 ! program w\ld scre5    
individual applicants :o are vet]ans us+
 su* income eligibility crit]ia z !     
,secret>y w\ld prescribe 9 regulations2 
7viii7 ! recipi5t ( ! grant w\ld1 on an 
annual basis1 provide ! ,secret>y ) an  
acc\nt+ ( h[ ! recipi5t has us$ &       
allocat$ grant funds2 &  7ix7 ! program 
w\ld meet su* o!r crit]ia z ! ,secret>y 
may prescribe 9 regulations4  7#h7 ,=ms 
,! ,secret>y w\ld provide to ea*        
recipi5t ( a grant "u ! pilot program   
all curr5t disability b5efits           
que/ionnaire =ms ( ! ,dep>tm5t (        
,vet]ans ,affairs4  7#i7 ,outrea* ,!    
,secret>y w\ld1 9 p>tn]%ip ) vet]ans    

s]vice organizations1 implem5t an       
in=mative outrea* program = vet]ans     
reg>d+ ! availability ( s]vices f       
programs e/abli%$ or ma9ta9$ "u ! pilot 
program4  7#aj7 ,rule ( con/ruction     
7,a7 ,volunt>y p>ticipation             
,p>ticipation by any vet]an 9 ! pilot   
program w\ld be volunt>y4  7,b7 ,"r to  
m$ical exam9ation ,adm9i/ration ( !     
pilot program w\ld n be con/ru$ to      
invalidate or replace ! "r ( a vet]an to
 a m$ical exam9ation provid$ by an      
employee or contractor ( ! ,dep>tm5t (  
,vet]ans ,affairs "u section #eajc;,a7d7
 ( title #ch1 ,unit$ ,/ates ,code4      
7#aa7 ,def9itions ,9 ?is subsection3    
7,a7 ,! t]m rural area means an area    
classifi$ z rural by ! ,bureau ( !      
,c5sus4  7,b7 ,! t]m und]s]v$ area means
 an area t meets "o or m ( ! foll[+     
crit]ia3 7i7 ,! area has a high         
proportion ( individuals :o h limit$    
access to heal? c>e4  7ii7 ,! area has a
 high proportion ( individuals :o h     
limit$ access to legal s]vices4  7,c7 ,!

 t]m vet]ans s]vice organization means  
an organization recogniz$ by ! ,secret>y
 = ! repres5tation ( vet]ans "u section 
#eijb ( title #ch1 ,unit$ ,/ates ,code4