,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #fhb  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,march #aj1         
#bjba,mr4 ,tester 7for himself1 ,mr4    
,boozman1 ,mr4 ,moran1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1
 ,mr4 ,sanders1 ,mr4 ,tillis1 ,mr4      
,brown1 ,mrs4 ,blackburn1 ,ms4 ,sinema1 
,ms4 ,hassan1 ,mr4 ,tuberville1 ,mr4    
,coons1 ,mr4 ,cramer1 and ,mr4 ,rounds7 
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a   
,,bill  ,to authorize the ,secretary of 
,veterans ,affairs to furnish a vaccine 
for ,,covid-#ai to certain individuals  
who are not enrolled in the patient     
enrollment system of the ,department of 
,veterans ,affairs4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,strengthening and ,amplifying          
,vaccination ,efforts to ,locally       
,immunize all ,veterans and ,every      
,spouse ,act or the ,,save ,,lives ,act4
  #b4 ,authority of ,secretary of       
,veterans ,affairs to furnish           

,,covid-#ai vaccine to certain          
individuals not enrolled in patient     
enrollment system of ,department of     
,veterans ,affairs  7a7 ,in general ,the
 ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs may   
furnish a vaccine for ,,covid-#ai to a  
covered individual during the           
,,covid-#ai public health emergency4    
7b7 ,prioritization ,in furnishing      
vaccines for ,,covid-#ai under the laws 
administered by the ,secretary1 the     
,secretary shall-- 7#a7 prioritize the  
vaccination of veterans who are enrolled
 in the patient enrollment system1      
veterans who receive hospital care and  
medical services pursuant to subsection 
7c77#b7 of section #agje of title #ch1  
,united ,states ,code1 and accompanying 
caregivers of such veterans before the  
vaccination of covered individuals not  
otherwise described in this paragraph2  
and  7#b7 only furnish vaccines for     
,,covid-#ai to covered individuals under
 this section to the extent that such   
vaccines are available4  7c7 ,timing of 

vaccines provided to spouses of veterans
 ,to the extent practicable1 the        
,secretary may offer a vaccine for      
,,covid-#ai under this section to the   
spouse of a veteran to permit the       
provision of the vaccine to the spouse  
near the same time that the veteran     
receives such vaccine from the          
,department of ,veterans ,affairs4  7d7 
,vaccine allocation ,it is the sense of 
,congress that1 to the extent           
practicable based on the current        
national supply chain1 the ,secretary of
 ,health and ,human ,services should    
adjust the allocation for the           
,department of ,veterans ,affairs for   
the vaccine for ,,covid-#ai based on the
 additional eligibility of covered      
individuals under this section4  7e7    
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7     
,accompanying caregiver ,the term       
accompanying caregiver means a caregiver
 described in subparagraph 7,d71 7,e71  
or 7,f7 of paragraph 7#b7 who is        
accompanying a veteran who is receiving 

a vaccine for ,,covid-#ai furnished by  
the ,department4  7#b7 ,covered         
individual ,the term covered individual 
means any of the following individuals3 
7,a7 ,a veteran who is not eligible to  
enroll in the patient enrollment system4
  7,b7 ,a veteran who is eligible for   
care under section #agbd of title #ch1  
,united ,states ,code4  7,c7 ,a         
beneficiary under section #agha of such 
title4  7,d7 ,a family caregiver of a   
veteran participating in the program of 
comprehensive assistance for family     
caregivers under section #agbj;,g7a7 of 
such title4  7,e7 ,a caregiver of a     
veteran participating in the program of 
general caregiver support services under
 section #agbj;,g7b7 of such title4     
7,f7 ,a caregiver of a veteran          
participating in the ,medical ,foster   
,home ,program1 ,bowel and ,bladder     
,program1 ,home ,based ,primary ,care   
,program1 or ,veteran ,directed ,care   
,program of the ,department of ,veterans
 ,affairs4  7,g7 ,a spouse of a veteran4

  7#c7 ,covered public health emergency 
,the term covered public health         
emergency means an emergency with       
respect to ,,covid-#ai declared by a    
,federal1 ,state1 or local authority4   
7#d7 ,,covid-#ai ,the term ,,covid-#ai  
means the coronavirus disease #bjai4    
7#e7 ,patient enrollment system ,the    
term patient enrollment system means the
 system of annual patient enrollment of 
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs   
established and operated under section  
#agje7;a7 of title #ch1 ,united ,states 
,code4  7#f7 ,veteran ,the term veteran 
has the meaning given that term in      
section #aja7b7 of title #ch1 ,united   
,states ,code4