,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #cjdg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,october #ba1  
#bjba,mr4 ,portman 7for himself and ,ms4
 ,sinema7 introduced the following bill2
 which was read twice and referred to   
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to establish a pilot program
 to support medical residency and       
fellowship programs that assist         
veterans1 and for other purposes4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,veterans ,pro ,bono ,corps ,act of 
#bjba4  #b4 ,pilot program to support   
medical residency and fellowship        
programs that assist veterans  7a7      
,pilot program required ,not later than 
#ahj days after the date of the         
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,veterans ,affairs shall commence a  
pilot program to assess the feasibility 
and advisability of providing assistance
 to eligible recipients to establish or 
maintain programs that assist veterans  
applying for compensation under chapter 

#aa of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1
 in substantiating their claims with    
independent medical examinations and    
opinions4  7b7 ,eligible recipients ,for
 purposes of the pilot program required 
by subsection 7a71 an eligible recipient
 is an entity that-- 7#a7 is            
administering a medical residency or    
medical fellowship program in the       
,united ,states or a territory of the   
,united ,states2 and  7#b7 is accredited
 by a nationally recognized accrediting 
agency4  7c7 ,duration ,the ,secretary  
shall carry out the pilot program       
required by subsection 7a7 during the   
five-year period beginning on the date  
of the commencement of the pilot        
program4  7d7 ,grants ,the ,secretary   
shall carry out the pilot program       
required by subsection 7a7 through the  
award of grants to eligible recipients  
to establish or maintain programs as    
described in such subsection4  7e7      
,competitive process ,the ,secretary    
shall establish a competitive process   

for the award of the grants under the   
pilot program required by subsection    
7a74  7f7 ,selection of grant recipients
 ,in awarding grants under the pilot    
program required by subsection 7a71 the 
,secretary may give preference to an    
eligible recipient located in a rural   
area or an underserved area4  7g7 ,use  
of grant funds  7#a7 ,in general ,each  
eligible recipient receiving a grant    
under the pilot program required by     
subsection 7a7 shall use the grant to   
establish or maintain a program as      
described in such subsection in which   
medical residents or fellows provide pro
 bono medical examinations and opinions 
for the purposes described in such      
subsection4  7#b7 ,requirements ,for    
each program established or maintained  
with amounts from a grant under the     
pilot program-- 7,a7 medical residents  
and fellows shall practice under the    
supervision of attending physicians in  
accordance with such supervisory        
requirements as the ,secretary shall    

prescribe in regulations2  7,b7 each    
attending physician providing such      
supervision shall be in good standing   
with the medical licensing board of each
 ,state in which the attending physician
 is licensed2  7,c7 each medical        
resident and fellow shall be in good    
standing with-- 7i7 the program         
established or maintained with amounts  
from the grant2 and  7ii7 the medical   
licensing board of each ,state in which 
the resident or fellow is licensed2     
7,d7 each medical resident1 fellow1 and 
attending physician shall undergo       
training that is substantially the same 
as or equivalent to training required   
for medical examiners of the ,veterans  
,health ,administration or contractors  
of the ,department who conduct medical  
examinations for purposes of supporting 
claims for compensation under chapter   
#aa of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code2
  7,e7 medical residents shall be in    
their second year or later of a medical 
residency2  7,f7 the program shall not  

charge veterans fees for the services   
provided2  7,g7 the program shall screen
 individual applicants who are veterans 
using such income eligibility criteria  
as the ,secretary shall prescribe in    
regulations2  7,h7 the recipient of the 
grant shall1 on an annual basis1 provide
 the ,secretary with an accounting of   
how the recipient has used and allocated
 grant funds2 and  7,i7 the program     
shall meet such other criteria as the   
,secretary may prescribe in regulations4
  7h7 ,forms ,the ,secretary shall      
provide to each recipient of a grant    
under the pilot program required by     
subsection 7a7 all current disability   
benefits questionnaire forms of the     
,department of ,veterans ,affairs4  7i7 
,outreach ,not later than #ahj days     
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,secretary shall1 in          
partnership with veterans service       
organizations1 implement an informative 
outreach program for veterans regarding 
the availability of services from       

programs established or maintained under
 the pilot program required by          
subsection 7a74  7j7 ,rule of           
construction  7#a7 ,voluntary           
participation ,participation by any     
veteran in the pilot program required by
 subsection 7a7 shall be voluntary4     
7#b7 ,right to medical examination      
,nothing in this section shall be       
construed to invalidate or replace the  
right of a veteran to a medical         
examination provided by an employee or  
contractor of the ,department of        
,veterans ,affairs under section        
#eajc;,a7d7 of title #ch1 ,united       
,states ,code4  7k7 ,annual reports     
7#a7 ,in general ,not less frequently   
than once each year for the duration of 
the pilot program required by subsection
 7a71 the ,secretary 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 pilot  
program4  7#b7 ,contents ,to the extent 

feasible1 each report submitted under   
paragraph 7#a7 shall include the        
following3 7,a7 ,the average time to    
complete medical examinations and       
opinions under the pilot program during 
the period covered by the report4  7,b7 
,the number of medical examinations and 
opinions completed under the pilot      
program during such period4  7,c7 ,the  
number of veterans served under the     
pilot program during such period4  7,d7 
,the number of cases during such period 
in which personnel of the ,veterans     
,benefits ,administration or the ,board 
of ,veterans' ,appeals found a medical  
examination or opinion under the pilot  
program to be inadequate for purposes of
 adjudicating a claim for compensation  
under chapter #aa of title #ch1 ,united 
,states ,code4  7,e7 ,an analysis by the
 ,secretary regarding the operational   
effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of 
the services provided under the pilot   
program4  7,f7 ,such suggestions as the 
,secretary may have for legislative or  

administrative action to improve the    
pilot program4  7l7 ,definitions ,in    
this section3 7#a7 ,rural area ,the term
 rural area means an area classified as 
rural by the ,bureau of the ,census4    
7#b7 ,underserved area ,the term        
underserved area means an area that     
meets one or more of the following      
criteria3 7,a7 ,the area has a high     
proportion of individuals who have      
limited access to health care4  7,b7    
,the area has a high proportion of      
individuals who have limited access to  
legal services4  7#c7 ,veterans service 
organization ,the term veterans service 
organization means an organization      
recognized by the ,secretary for the    
representation of veterans under section
 #eijb of title #ch1 ,united ,states    
,code4