,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #aiac  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #h1      
#bjbc,mr4 ,schatz 7for himself1 ,ms4    
,murkowski1 ,ms4 ,hirono1 and ,mr4      
,boozman7 introduced the following bill2
 which was read twice and referred to   
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to expand access to health  
care for veterans in the ,freely        
,associated ,states1 and for other      
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,care for ,,cofa    
,veterans ,act4  #b4 ,expansion of      
existing authorities to provide health  
care to veterans in the ,freely         
,associated ,states  7a7 ,health care   
abroad ,section #agbd of title #ch1     
,united ,states ,code1 is amended-- 7#a7
 in subsection 7a71 by striking         
subsections 7b7 and 7c7 and inserting   
subsections 7b71 7c71 and 7f72 and  7#b7
 by adding at the end the following new 
subsection3  7f7 7#a7 ,the ,secretary   
may furnish hospital care and medical   

services in the ,freely ,associated     
,states for any service-connected       
disability or non-service-connected     
disability4  7#b7 ,in furnishing care   
and services under paragraph 7#a71 the  
,secretary may furnish such care and    
services through contracts or other     
agreements1 through reimbursement1 or   
through the direct provision of care by 
health care personnel of the            
,department4  7#c7 ,in this subsection1 
the term ,freely ,associated ,states    
means the ,republic of ,palau1 the      
,republic of the ,marshall ,islands1 and
 the ,federated ,states of ,micronesia1 
which have each entered into a ,compact 
of ,free ,association with the ,united  
,states4  4  7b7 ,beneficiary travel for
 treatment of service-,connected        
disabilities ,section #aaa of such title
 is amended by adding at the end the    
following new subsection3  7h7 7#a7 ,the
 ,secretary may make payments provided  
for in this section to or for any person
 specified in subsection 7b77#a77;,a7   

for travel specified in that subsection 
to1 from1 or within the ,freely         
,associated ,states4  7#b7 ,in this     
subsection1 the term ,freely ,associated
 ,states means the ,republic of ,palau1 
the ,republic of the ,marshall ,islands1
 and the ,federated ,states of          
,micronesia1 which have each entered    
into a ,compact of ,free ,association   
with the ,united ,states4  4  7c7 ,legal
 issues ,the ,secretary of ,veterans    
,affairs1 in consultation with the      
,secretary of ,state1 shall work with   
the governments of the ,freely          
,associated ,states to facilitate the   
furnishing of health services1 including
 telehealth1 under the laws administered
 by the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs
 to veterans in the ,freely ,associated 
,states1 such as by addressing-- 7#a7   
licensure1 certification1 registration1 
and tort issues relating to health care 
personnel2 and  7#b7 matters relating to
 deliveries of pharmaceutical products  
and medical surgical products1 including

 deliveries of such products through the
 pharmacy of the ,department of         
,veterans ,affairs1 to the ,freely      
,associated ,states4  7d7 ,outreach and 
assessment of options ,during the       
one-year period beginning on the date of
 the enactment of this ,act1 the        
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall--
 7#a7 conduct robust outreach to and    
engage with each government of the      
,freely ,associated ,states2 and  7#b7  
assess options about the best way to    
furnish care under section #agbd7;f7 of 
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 as    
added by subsection 7a74  7e7 ,report on
 provision of health care to veterans in
 the ,freely ,associated ,states ,not   
later than one year after the date of   
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
submit to ,congress a report on the     
implementation of the authorities       
provided pursuant to the amendments made
 by this section and any additional     
authorities and resources needed by the 

,secretary to carry out those           
authorities1 including to carry out the 
following3 7#a7 ,reimbursement of care  
for non-service-connected disabilities  
in the ,freely ,associated ,states under
 section #agbd7;f7 of title #ch1 ,united
 ,states ,code1 as added by subsection  
7a74  7#b7 ,contracts with local clinics
 and federally qualified health centers 
7as defined in section #aije7l77#b77;,b7
 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db     
,u4,s4,c4 #acif;d7l77#b77;,b777 in the  
,freely ,associated ,states to provide  
care and services such section          
#agbd7;f71 as so added4  7#c7           
,furnishing of telehealth services and  
technologies to veterans in the ,freely 
,associated ,states by providers of the 
,department under such section          
#agbd7;f71 as so added4  7#d7 ,payment  
under section #aaa7;h7 of title #ch1    
,united ,states ,code1 as added by      
subsection 7b71 for travel to1 from1 or 
within the ,freely ,associated ,states  
for veterans seeking health care for    

service-connected disabilities4  7#e7   
,construction of clinics in the ,freely 
,associated ,states or leasing of space 
at military installations1 embassy      
compounds1 or consulate facilities to   
provide care under section #agbd7;f7 of 
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 as    
added by subsection 7a74  7#f7 ,such    
other matters as the ,secretary         
considers appropriate4  7f7 ,freely     
,associated ,states defined ,in this    
section1 the term ,freely ,associated   
,states means the ,republic of ,palau1  
the ,republic of the ,marshall ,islands1
 and the ,federated ,states of          
,micronesia1 which have each entered    
into a ,compact of ,free ,association   
with the ,united ,states4