Summary
Dental Care for Veterans Act This bill expands eligibility for veterans for dental care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Specifically, the bill makes all veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system eligible for VA-provided dental services. Currently, only veterans who have a service-connected dental issue or meet other narrow criteria are eligible for certain dental services. The bill phases in eligibility over four years based upon existing eligibility, degree of service-connected disability or other disability, prisoner of war status, award of a Purple Heart, financial need, or VA health care eligibility.
Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 210 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 210
To amend
title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs to furnish dental care in the same manner as any other
medical service, and for other purposes.
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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 6, 2025
Ms. Brownley (for herself, Mr. Casten, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Mr.
Cohen, Mr. Keating, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Carbajal, Ms. Bonamici, Ms. Kelly of
Illinois, Mr. Quigley, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mrs.
Dingell, Ms. Barragan, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Landsman, Mr. Amo, Ms. Norton,
Mrs. Ramirez, and Ms. Tokuda) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
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A BILL
To amend
title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs to furnish dental care in the same manner as any other
medical service, 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 ``Dental Care for Veterans Act''.
SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT THAT SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FURNISH DENTAL
CARE IN THE SAME MANNER AS ANY OTHER MEDICAL SERVICE.
(a) Dental Benefits.--
(1) In general.--
Title 38, United States Code, is amended--
(A) in
section 1701(6), by striking ``as described
in sections 1710 and 1712 of this title'';
(B) in
section 1710(c), by striking the second
sentence;
(C) in
section 1712--
(i) by striking subsections (a) and (b);
(ii) by redesignating subsections (c), (d),
(e), and (f) as subsections (a), (b), (c), and
(d), respectively; and
(iii) in subsection (a), as redesignated by
subparagraph (B)--
(I) by striking ``Dental
appliances'' and inserting ``The
Secretary may furnish dentures, dental
appliances''; and
(II) by striking ``to be furnished
by the Secretary under this section may
be procured by the Secretary'' and
inserting ``under this section and may
procure such appliances''; and
(D) by striking
section 2062.
(2) Phased eligibility.--The amendments made by paragraph
(1) shall apply as follows:
(A) In the case of an individual who is eligible
for dental services and appliances furnished by the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs under chapter 17 of
title
38, United States Code, on the date of the enactment of
this Act, beginning on the date of the enactment of
this Act.
(B) In the case of a veteran who is not so eligible
on the date of the enactment of this Act and who is
described in paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (a) of
section 1705 of such title, beginning on the date that
is one year after the date of the enactment of this
Act.
(C) In the case of a veteran who is not so eligible
on the date of the enactment of this Act and who is
described in paragraph (3) or (4) of subsection (a) of
section 1705 of such title, beginning on the date that
is two years after the date of the enactment of this
Act.
(D) In the case of a veteran who is not so eligible
on the date of the enactment of this Act and who is
described in paragraph (5) or (6) of subsection (a) of
section 1705 of such title, beginning on the date that
is three years after the date of the enactment of this
Act.
(E) In the case of a veteran who is not so eligible
on the date of the enactment of this Act and who is
described in paragraph (7) or (8) of subsection (a) of
section 1705 of such title, beginning on the date that
is four years after the date of the enactment of this
Act.
(b) Conforming Amendments.--
Section 1525(a) of
title 38, United
States Code, is amended by striking ``medicines under
section 1712(d)''
and inserting ``medicines under
section 1712(b)''.
(c) Clerical Amendments.--Such title is further amended--
(1) in
section 1712, in the heading for such section, by
striking ``Dental care'' and inserting ``Appliances'';
(2) in the table of sections at the beginning of chapter
17, by striking the item relating to
section 1712 and inserting
the following new item:
``1712. Appliances; drugs and medicines for certain disabled veterans;
vaccines.''; and
(3) in the table of sections at the beginning of chapter
20, by striking the item relating to
section 2062.
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