Bill Summary
The Native American Veteran Parity in Access to Care Today Act, also known as the Native American PACT Act, is a law that amends title 38 of the United States Code. It prohibits the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from collecting a healthcare copayment from a veteran who is a member of an Indian tribe. This law defines a "covered veteran" as someone who is catastrophically disabled or an Indian or urban Indian as defined in the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. The law also includes a technical amendment and a delayed effective date of one year after the enactment of the Act. The Act was passed by the House of Representatives on September 22, 2020.
Possible Impacts
1. This legislation could affect Native American veterans by prohibiting the collection of a health care copayment by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, making it easier for them to access necessary medical care without financial burden.
2. Urban Indian veterans may also be affected by this legislation as they are included in the definition of a "covered veteran" under this Act. This could potentially improve their access to healthcare services through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
3. The delayed effective date of one year after enactment could impact veterans who are currently in need of healthcare services and may have to pay copayments until the Act goes into effect. This could create financial challenges for these veterans in the interim.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4908 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4908
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 23, 2020
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the collection of a
health care copayment by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from a
veteran who is a member of an Indian tribe.
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 ``Native American Veteran Parity in
Access to Care Today Act'' or ``Native American PACT Act''.
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON COLLECTION OF A HEALTH CARE COPAYMENT BY THE
SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FROM A VETERAN WHO IS A
MEMBER OF AN INDIAN TRIBE.
(a) In General.--Section 1730A of title 38, United States Code, is
amended--
(1) in the heading, by striking ``catastrophically
disabled'' and inserting ``certain'';
(2) by inserting ``(a) Prohibition.--'' before
``Notwithstanding'';
(3) by striking ``a veteran who is catastrophically
disabled, as defined by the Secretary,'' and inserting ``a
covered veteran''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(b) Covered Veteran Defined.--In this section, the term `covered
veteran' means a veteran who--
``(1) is catastrophically disabled, as defined by the
Secretary; or
``(2) is an Indian or urban Indian, as those terms are
defined in section 4 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act
(Public Law 94-437; 25 U.S.C. 1603).''.
(b) Technical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of
chapter 17 of such title is amended by striking the item relating to
section 1730A and inserting the following:
``1730A. Prohibition on collection of copayments from certain
veterans.''.
(c) Delayed Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section
shall take effect on the day that is one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act.
Passed the House of Representatives September 22, 2020.
Attest:
CHERYL L. JOHNSON,
Clerk.