,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #ddae  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #bc1      
#bjbd,ms4 ,duckworth introduced the     
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,armed   
,services  ,a ,,bill  ,to require the   
,secretary of ,defense to establish a   
medical readiness program in the        
,indo-,pacific region1 and for other    
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,access to ,care for
 ,overseas ,military ,act4  #b4 ,medical
 readiness program of ,department of    
,defense in ,indo-,pacific region  7a7  
,establishment  7#a7 ,in general ,not   
later than ,january #a1 #bjbg1 the      
,secretary of ,defense shall establish a
 medical readiness program 7referred to 
in this section as the ,program7 to     
develop relationships with partner      
nations in the ,indo-,pacific region and
 to facilitate engagement designed to   
improve medical care during peacetime   
and wartime and maintain strategies and 

policies of the ,department of ,defense 
for medical readiness in that region4   
7#b7 ,organization ,the ,secretary of   
,defense shall be responsible for and   
oversee the ,program in consultation    
with the ,secretary of each military    
department1 the commanders of the       
combatant commands1 the ,director of the
 ,defense ,health ,agency1 and any other
 official the ,secretary of ,defense    
considers appropriate4  7#c7 ,objectives
 ,the objectives of the ,program shall  
be to promote the medical readiness of  
the ,armed ,forces for missions during  
peacetime and wartime operations by--   
7,a7 reducing potential requirements for
 long-distance medical evacuation to    
receive definitive patient care in the  
,indo-,pacific region2  7,b7 managing   
the patient medical evacuation          
enterprise during contingency           
operations1 including planning1         
policies1 resourcing1 and coordination2 
7,c7 increasing the medical capacity and
 capabilities of the ,department of     

,defense by expanding1 where and when   
appropriate1 patient access to public1  
private1 and military foreign medical   
treatment facilities and foreign medical
 providers across the ,indo-,pacific    
region2  7,d7 in collaboration with     
partner nations1 improving the standard 
of medical care by either-- 7i7         
accrediting foreign medical treatment   
facilities1 which will standardize      
medical procedures1 patient care1 and   
policies similar to military medical    
treatment facilities of the ,department 
of ,defense2 or  7ii7 developing        
standardized procedures for medical     
procedures1 patient care1 and policies  
when using foreign medical treatment    
facilities2 and  7,e7 enhancing and     
promoting interoperability and          
interchangeability1 wherever feasible1  
through shared patient record management
 techniques1 medical equipment          
commonality1 and coordination of medical
 care4  7#d7 ,activities ,in carrying   
out the ,program1 the ,secretary of     

,defense shall seek to conduct the      
following activities3 7,a7 ,assess and  
integrate current medical capabilities  
and capacities of the ,department of    
,defense in the ,indo-,pacific region   
into the ,program4  7,b7 ,select a lead 
to coordinate the ,program and          
activities associated with the functions
 of the ,program4  7,c7 ,select an      
appropriate accreditation organization  
to either-- 7i7 accredit a public1      
private1 or military foreign medical    
treatment facility2 or  7ii7 provide    
technical expertise to develop          
standardization procedures for medical  
procedures1 patient care1 and policies  
when using foreign medical treatment    
facilities4  7,d7 ,coordinate with      
partner nations to identify and evaluate
 medical facilities for the ,program4   
7,e7 ,establish agreements with foreign 
medical facilities for potential use of 
the ,program4  7,f7 ,to the greatest    
extent practicable1 establish policies  
and procedures-- 7i7 to reduce patient  

movement times in various countries in  
the ,indo-,pacific region during        
peacetime and wartime operations2  7ii7 
to standardize medical procedures1      
patient care1 and policies2  7iii7 to   
securely share patient data with partner
 nations when appropriate to do so1 such
 as during a contingency operation2     
7iv7 with respect to medical equipment  
commonality and interchangeability2  7v7
 with respect to the coordination of    
medical care2  7vi7 with respect to     
translators and language                
standardization2  7vii7 with respect to 
foreign blood products2 and  7viii7 with
 respect to medical malpractice         
liability and procedures4  7,g7         
,integrate the ,program into operational
 plans of the combatant commands4  7,h7 
,identify mutually beneficial training  
opportunities for military medical      
personnel4  7b7 ,strategy  7#a7 ,in     
general ,not later than ,september #cj1 
#bjbe1 the ,under ,secretary of ,defense
 for ,personnel and ,readiness shall    

submit to the ,committees on ,armed     
,services of the ,senate and the ,house 
of ,representatives a strategy for the  
implementation of the ,program4  7#b7   
,elements ,the strategy required by     
paragraph 7#a7 shall include the        
following3 7,a7 ,a governance structure 
for the ,program1 including-- 7i7 the   
officials tasked to oversee the         
,program2  7ii7 the format of the       
governing body of the ,program2  7iii7  
the functions and duties of such        
governing body with respect to          
establishing and maintaining the        
,program2 and  7iv7 mechanisms for      
coordinating with partner countries     
selected to participate in the ,program4
  7,b7 ,with respect to the initial     
selection of partner countries to       
participate in the ,program-- 7i7 an    
identification of each such country2    
7ii7 the rationale for selecting each   
such country2 and  7iii7 any other      
information the ,secretary considers    
appropriate4  7,c7 ,an identification of

 objectives for the first three fiscal  
years of the ,program1 including-- 7i7 a
 description of1 and a rational for     
selecting1 such objectives2  7ii7 an    
identification of milestones toward     
achieving such objectives2 and  7iii7   
metrics for evaluating success in       
achieving such objectives4  7,d7 ,a     
description of opportunities and        
potential timelines for future expansion
 of the ,program1 as appropriate4  7,e7 
,a list of additional authorities1      
appropriations1 or other legislative    
action necessary to ensure the success  
of the ,program4  7,f7 ,any other       
information the ,secretary considers    
appropriate4  7#c7 ,form ,the strategy  
required by paragraph 7#a7 shall be     
submitted in unclassified form1 but may 
include a classified annex4  7c7 ,report
  7#a7 ,in general ,not later than      
,september #bjth of each of #bjbe       
through #bjce1 the ,under ,secretary of 
,defense for ,personnel and ,readiness  
shall submit to the congressional       

defense committees a report on the      
,program4  7#b7 ,elements ,each report  
required by paragraph 7#a7 shall include
 the following3 7,a7 ,a narrative       
summary of activities conducted as part 
of the ,program during the preceding    
fiscal year4  7,b7 ,except in the case  
of the initial report1 an assessment of 
progress toward the objectives          
established for the preceding fiscal    
year described in the preceding report  
under this subsection using the metrics 
established in such report4  7,c7 ,an   
identification of objectives for the    
three fiscal years following the date of
 submission of the report1 including--  
7i7 a description of1 and a rational for
 selecting1 such objectives2  7ii7 an   
identification of milestones toward     
achieving such objectives2 and  7iii7   
metrics for evaluating success in       
achieving such objectives4  7,d7 ,a     
description of opportunities and        
potential timelines for future expansion
 of the ,program1 as appropriate4  7,e7 

,any other information the ,under       
,secretary considers appropriate4  7#c7 
,form ,each report required by paragraph
 7#a7 shall be submitted in unclassified
 form1 but may include a classified     
annex4