S. 3703

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3703 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3703

To amend the Veterans' Benefits Improvements Act of 1996 and the Johnny 
Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits 
Improvement Act of 2020 to improve the temporary licensure requirements 
for contract health care professionals who perform medical disability 
examinations for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other 
purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

January 27, 2026

Mr. Husted introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To amend the Veterans' Benefits Improvements Act of 1996 and the Johnny 
Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits 
Improvement Act of 2020 to improve the temporary licensure requirements 
for contract health care professionals who perform medical disability 
examinations for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other 
purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Rural Veterans' Improved Access to 
Benefits Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO TEMPORARY LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTRACT 
HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS WHO PERFORM MEDICAL DISABILITY 
EXAMINATIONS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

(a) Expansion.--Section 504 of the Veterans' Benefits Improvements 
Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-275; 38 U.S.C. 5101 note), as amended by 
paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of section 2002 of the Johnny Isakson 
and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement 
Act of 2020 (Public Law 116-315; 38 U.S.C. 5101 note), is further 
amended, subject to the sunset in paragraph (4) of such subsection, by 
striking paragraph (2) of subsection (c) and inserting the following:
``(2) Health care professional described.--A health care 
professional described in this paragraph is a person who is 
eligible for appointment to a position in the Veterans Health 
Administration covered by section 7402(b) of title 38, United 
States Code, who--
``(A) has a current and unrestricted license to 
practice the health care profession of the health care 
professional;
``(B) is not barred from practicing such health 
care profession in any State; and
``(C) is performing authorized duties for the 
Department pursuant to a contract entered into under 
subsection (a).''.
(b) Delayed Sunset of Amendment.--Paragraph (4) of subsection (a) 
of section 2002 of the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans 
Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 (Public Law 116-315; 
38 U.S.C. 5101 note) is amended by striking ``On the date that is five 
years after the date of the enactment of this Act'' and inserting ``On 
September 30, 2031''.
(c) Conforming Amendment.--Paragraph (2) of such subsection is 
amended by striking ``physicians assistants, nurse practitioners, 
audiologists, and psychologists'' and inserting ``health care 
professionals''.
(d) Report.--Not later than 15 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit 
to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee 
on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a report regarding 
the use of the authority under section 504 of the Veterans' Benefits 
Improvements Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-275; 38 U.S.C. 5101 note), as 
temporarily amended by section 2002(a)(1) of the Johnny Isakson and 
David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 
2020 (Public Law 116-315; 38 U.S.C. 5101 note) and this section. Such 
report shall include, with respect to the one-year period after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the following elements:
(1) The number of examinations conducted pursuant to a 
contract under such authority.
(2) The cost, timeliness, and legal adequacy of such 
examinations, disaggregated by--
(A) health care professional; and
(B) contract.
(3) The number of such examinations conducted in each 
State, the District of Columbia, or a Commonwealth, territory, 
or possession of the United States.
(4) The numbers of each kind of health care professionals 
who conducted such examinations.
(5) The number of examinations that were erroneously 
conducted by a health care professional--
(A) without such a contract; or
(B) unauthorized to enter into such a contract.
(6) The plan of the Secretary to correct errors in the use 
of such authority.
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