Text of US HB 2931 (2019)

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 2931 To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care for certain individuals discharged from service in the Armed Forces by reason of sexual orientation or gender identity, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY 22, 2019 Mr. PAPPAS (for himself, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. BROWN of Maryland, Miss RICE of New York, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. CISNEROS, and Mr. LEVIN of California) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Sec- retary of Veterans Affairs to provide hospital care, med- ical services, and nursing home care for certain individ- uals discharged from service in the Armed Forces by reason of sexual orientation or gender identity, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:31 Jun 06, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2931.IH H2931 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 2931 IH SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Securing the Rights 2 our Veterans have Earned Act of 2019’’ or the ‘‘SERVE 3 Act of 2019’’. 4 SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PROVISION 5 OF HOSPITAL CARE, MEDICAL SERVICES, AND 6 NURSING HOME CARE FOR CERTAIN INDIVID- 7 UALS DISCHARGED FROM SERVICE IN THE 8 ARMED FORCES BY REASON OF SEXUAL ORI- 9 ENTATION OR GENDER IDENTITY. 10 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1710(a)(2) of title 38, 11 United States Code, is amended— 12 (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), 13 by striking ‘‘any veteran—’’ and inserting ‘‘any indi- 14 vidual who is—’’; 15 (2) in each of subparagraphs (A) through (G), 16 by inserting ‘‘a veteran’’ before ‘‘who’’; 17 (3) in subparagraph (F), by striking ‘‘or’’ at 18 the end; 19 (4) in subparagraph (G), by striking the period 20 and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 21 (5) by adding at the end the following new sub- 22 paragraph: 23 ‘‘(H) a former member of the Armed Forces 24 who was discharged from service therein under con- 25 ditions other than honorable or with an entry-level 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:31 Jun 06, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2931.IH H2931 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 2931 IH separation by reason of sexual orientation or gender 1 identity, including by reason of a diagnosis of gender 2 dysphoria.’’. 3 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 4 subsection (a) shall take effect on the date of the enact- 5 ment of this Act and apply— 6 (1) to hospital care, medical services, and nurs- 7 ing home care furnished on or after such date; and 8 (2) to an individual who is discharged from 9 service in the Armed Forces before, on, or after such 10 date. 11 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:31 Jun 06, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H2931.IH H2931 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS