,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #aieb  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #ac1     
#bjbc,mr4 ,sanders 7for himself1 ,mr4   
,booker1 and ,mr4 ,welch7 introduced the
 following bill2 which was read twice   
and referred to the ,committee on       
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
amend title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 
to expand eligibility for care from the 
,department of ,veterans ,affairs to    
include members of the reserve          
components of the ,armed ,forces1 and   
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,reserve 
,component ,healthcare ,access and      
,expansion ,act4  #b4 ,expansion of     
health care from ,department of         
,veterans ,affairs to include members of
 the reserve components of the ,armed   
,forces who are not on active orders    
7a7 ,expansion of care  7#a7 ,in general
 ,section #aghi of title #ch1 ,united   
,states ,code1 is amended to read as    
follows3  #aghi4 ,health care for       

members of the reserve components of the
 ,armed ,forces  7a7 ,in general ,the   
,secretary 7subject to subsection 7b77  
shall furnish hospital care and medical 
services1 including mental health       
services1 to any member of the reserve  
components of the ,armed ,forces during 
any period in which the member is not   
entitled to benefits under ,,tricare    
,prime 7as defined in section #ajgb7ad7 
of title #aj74  7b7 ,limitation ,the    
requirement in subsection 7a7 shall be  
effective in any fiscal year only to the
 extent and in the amount provided in   
advance in appropriations ,acts for such
 purpose4  7c7 ,consultation with       
,secretary of ,defense ,the ,secretary  
shall carry out this section in         
consultation with the ,secretary of     
,defense4  4  7#b7 ,clerical amendment  
,the table of sections at the beginning 
of subchapter ,,viii of chapter #ag of  
such title is amended by striking the   
item relating to section #aghi and      
inserting the following new item3       

#aghi4 ,health care for members of the  
reserve components of the ,armed        
,forces4  4  7b7 ,enrollment in patient 
enrollment system  7#a7 ,priority for   
enrollment ,section #agje7;a7 of title  
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended--
 7,a7 in the matter preceding paragraph 
7#a71 by striking enrollment of veterans
 and inserting enrollment of individuals
 under such system2 and  7,b7 in        
paragraph 7#g7-- 7i7 by striking        
,veterans and inserting 7,a7 ,veterans2 
and  7ii7 by adding at the end the      
following new subparagraph3  7,b7       
,members of the reserve components of   
the ,armed ,forces for purposes of      
furnishing hospital care and medical    
services under section #aghi7;a7 of this
 title4  4  7#b7 ,initial enrollment    
7,a7 ,phased approach ,the ,secretary of
 ,veterans ,affairs shall implement a   
phased approach under subparagraphs 7,b7
 and 7,c7 to enroll all members of the  
reserve components of the ,armed ,forces
 in the patient enrollment system4  7,b7

 ,uninsured ,the ,secretary shall ensure
 that all members of the reserve        
components of the ,armed ,forces who are
 uninsured are enrolled in the patient  
enrollment system by not later than     
,december #ca1 #bjbc4  7,c7 ,other      
members ,the ,secretary shall ensure    
that all members of the reserve         
components of the ,armed ,forces not    
covered by subparagraph 7,b7 are        
enrolled in the patient enrollment      
system by not later than ,december #ca1 
#bjbd4  7#c7 ,ongoing enrollment ,after 
,december #ca1 #bjbc1 the ,secretary    
shall automatically enroll in the       
patient enrollment system all new       
members of the reserve components of the
 ,armed ,forces upon those members      
joining the reserve components4  7#d7   
,study  7,a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary
 shall conduct a study to evaluate      
options for improving access to health  
care for members of the reserve         
components of the ,armed ,forces1       
including by conducting a review of     

priority groups for enrollment in the   
patient enrollment system4  7,b7 ,report
 ,not later than #ahj days after the    
date of the enactment of this ,act1 the 
,secretary shall submit to ,congress a  
report on the study conducted under     
subparagraph 7,a74  7#e7 ,consultation  
with ,secretary of ,defense ,the        
,secretary shall carry out this         
subsection and the amendments made by   
this subsection in consultation with the
 ,secretary of ,defense4  7#f7 ,patient 
enrollment system defined ,in this      
subsection1 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