[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4415 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4415
To require the Secretary of Defense to establish a medical readiness
program in the Indo-Pacific region, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 23, 2024
Ms. Duckworth introduced the following bill; 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 region, 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 ``Access to Care for Overseas Military
Act''.
SEC. 2. MEDICAL READINESS PROGRAM OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE IN INDO-
PACIFIC REGION.
(a) Establishment.--
(1) In general.--Not later than January 1, 2027, the
Secretary of Defense shall establish a medical readiness
program (referred to in this section as the ``Program'') 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 region.
(2) Organization.--The Secretary of Defense shall be
responsible for and oversee the Program in consultation with
the Secretary of each military department, the commanders of
the combatant commands, the Director of the Defense Health
Agency, and any other official the Secretary of Defense
considers appropriate.
(3) 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--
(A) reducing potential requirements for long-
distance medical evacuation to receive definitive
patient care in the Indo-Pacific region;
(B) managing the patient medical evacuation
enterprise during contingency operations, including
planning, policies, resourcing, and coordination;
(C) increasing the medical capacity and
capabilities of the Department of Defense by expanding,
where and when appropriate, patient access to public,
private, and military foreign medical treatment
facilities and foreign medical providers across the
Indo-Pacific region;
(D) in collaboration with partner nations,
improving the standard of medical care by either--
(i) accrediting foreign medical treatment
facilities, which will standardize medical
procedures, patient care, and policies similar
to military medical treatment facilities of the
Department of Defense; or
(ii) developing standardized procedures for
medical procedures, patient care, and policies
when using foreign medical treatment
facilities; and
(E) enhancing and promoting interoperability and
interchangeability, wherever feasible, through shared
patient record management techniques, medical equipment
commonality, and coordination of medical care.
(4) Activities.--In carrying out the Program, the Secretary
of Defense shall seek to conduct the following activities:
(A) Assess and integrate current medical
capabilities and capacities of the Department of
Defense in the Indo-Pacific region into the Program.
(B) Select a lead to coordinate the Program and
activities associated with the functions of the
Program.
(C) Select an appropriate accreditation
organization to either--
(i) accredit a public, private, or military
foreign medical treatment facility; or
(ii) provide technical expertise to develop
standardization procedures for medical
procedures, patient care, and policies when
using foreign medical treatment facilities.
(D) Coordinate with partner nations to identify and
evaluate medical facilities for the Program.
(E) Establish agreements with foreign medical
facilities for potential use of the Program.
(F) To the greatest extent practicable, establish
policies and procedures--
(i) to reduce patient movement times in
various countries in the Indo-Pacific region
during peacetime and wartime operations;
(ii) to standardize medical procedures,
patient care, and policies;
(iii) to securely share patient data with
partner nations when appropriate to do so, such
as during a contingency operation;
(iv) with respect to medical equipment
commonality and interchangeability;
(v) with respect to the coordination of
medical care;
(vi) with respect to translators and
language standardization;
(vii) with respect to foreign blood
products; and
(viii) with respect to medical malpractice
liability and procedures.
(G) Integrate the Program into operational plans of
the combatant commands.
(H) Identify mutually beneficial training
opportunities for military medical personnel.
(b) Strategy.--
(1) In general.--Not later than September 30, 2025, 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 Program.
(2) Elements.--The strategy required by paragraph (1) shall
include the following:
(A) A governance structure for the Program,
including--
(i) the officials tasked to oversee the
Program;
(ii) the format of the governing body of
the Program;
(iii) the functions and duties of such
governing body with respect to establishing and
maintaining the Program; and
(iv) mechanisms for coordinating with
partner countries selected to participate in
the Program.
(B) With respect to the initial selection of
partner countries to participate in the Program--
(i) an identification of each such country;
(ii) the rationale for selecting each such
country; and
(iii) any other information the Secretary
considers appropriate.
(C) An identification of objectives for the first
three fiscal years of the Program, including--
(i) a description of, and a rational for
selecting, such objectives;
(ii) an identification of milestones toward
achieving such objectives; and
(iii) metrics for evaluating success in
achieving such objectives.
(D) A description of opportunities and potential
timelines for future expansion of the Program, as
appropriate.
(E) A list of additional authorities,
appropriations, or other legislative action necessary
to ensure the success of the Program.
(F) Any other information the Secretary considers
appropriate.
(3) Form.--The strategy required by paragraph (1) shall be
submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified
annex.
(c) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than September 20th of each of
2025 through 2035, the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel
and Readiness shall submit to the congressional defense
committees a report on the Program.
(2) Elements.--Each report required by paragraph (1) shall
include the following:
(A) A narrative summary of activities conducted as
part of the Program during the preceding fiscal year.
(B) Except in the case of the initial report, 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 report.
(C) An identification of objectives for the three
fiscal years following the date of submission of the
report, including--
(i) a description of, and a rational for
selecting, such objectives;
(ii) an identification of milestones toward
achieving such objectives; and
(iii) metrics for evaluating success in
achieving such objectives.
(D) A description of opportunities and potential
timelines for future expansion of the Program, as
appropriate.
(E) Any other information the Under Secretary
considers appropriate.
(3) Form.--Each report required by paragraph (1) shall be
submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified
annex.
<all>