,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #cjbj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,october #bj1  
#bjba,mr4 ,sanders introduced the       
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
require the ,secretary of ,veterans     
,affairs to modify the eligibility of   
veterans for treatment as a low-income  
family for purposes of enrollment in the
 patient enrollment system of the       
,department of ,veterans ,affairs and to
 guarantee health care benefits for     
veterans enrolled in such system1 and   
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,veterans
 ,state ,eligibility ,standardization   
,act4  #b4 ,modification of             
determination of eligibility of veterans
 for treatment as a low-income family   
for purposes of enrollment in the       
patient enrollment system of the        
,department of ,veterans ,affairs  7a7  
,areas of residence ,the ,secretary of  

,veterans ,affairs shall modify the     
areas in which veterans reside as       
specified for purposes of determining   
whether veterans qualify for treatment  
as low-income families for enrollment in
 the patient enrollment system of the   
,department of ,veterans ,affairs under 
section #agje7;a77#g7 of title #ch1     
,united ,states ,code1 to meet the      
requirements as follows3 7#a7 ,any area 
so specified shall be within only one   
,state4  7#b7 ,any area so specified    
shall be coextensive with one or more   
counties 7or similar political          
subdivisions7 in the ,state concerned4  
7b7 ,variable income thresholds ,the    
,secretary shall modify the thresholds  
for income as specified for purposes of 
determining whether veterans qualify for
 treatment as low-income families for   
enrollment in the patient enrollment    
system referred to in subsection 7a7 to 
meet the requirements as follows3 7#a7  
,there shall be one income threshold for
 each ,state1 equal to #ajj percent of  

the highest income threshold among--    
7,a7 the counties or metropolitan       
statistical areas within such ,state2   
and  7,b7 any metropolitan statistical  
area that encompasses territory of such 
,state and one or more other ,states4   
7#b7 ,the calculation of the highest    
income threshold of a county or         
metropolitan statistical area shall be  
consistent with the calculation used for
 purposes of section #c7;b7 of the      
,united ,states ,housing ,act of #aicg  
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #adcg;a7b774  7#c7 ,the  
timing and methodology for implementing 
any modifications in geographic income  
thresholds pursuant to paragraph 7#a7   
shall be determined by the ,secretary in
 such a manner as to permit the         
,department to build capacity for       
enrolling such additional veterans in   
the patient enrollment system of the    
,department as become eligible for      
enrollment as a result of such          
modifications1 except that all required 
modifications shall be completed not    

later than five years after date of the 
enactment of this ,act4  7c7            
,metropolitan statistical area ,in this 
section1 the term metropolitan          
statistical area has the meaning given  
that term by the ,office of ,management 
and ,budget4  #c4 ,guarantee of health  
care benefits for enrolled veterans ,the
 ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall 
ensure that all veterans1 once enrolled 
in the patient enrollment system of the 
,department of ,veterans ,affairs under 
section #agje7;a7 of title #ch1 ,united 
,states ,code1 remain enrolled in such  
system and may continue receiving health
 care furnished by the ,department if   
they choose1 subject to such            
cost-sharing requirements as may apply  
to the veteran under existing provisions
 of law4