Text of Senate Amendment 5934

On 2026-06-23, Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) delivered a floor speech titled "Text Of Senate Amendment 5934" in the Senate.

Text of Senate Amendment 5934

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 105 (Tuesday, June 23, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 23, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S3079-S3080] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 5934. Mr. WELCH submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, [[Page S3080]] and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows: At the end of subtitle D of title VII add the following: SEC. 771. SUPPLEMENTATION OF HEALTH RECORDS OF DECEASED VETERANS. (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly take actions necessary to ensure that the health records of the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs may be updated with observed health conditions and other relevant health information of a deceased enrollee by-- (1) an individual designated by such deceased enrollee; or (2) if no such individual is designated, an immediate family member of such deceased enrollee. (b) Designation.--The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly provide for a process by which an individual may make a designation for purposes of subsection (a)(1). (c) No Modification of Health Information.--Notwithstanding the privacy regulations promulgated under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-191), at part 160 of title 45, Code of Federal Regulations, and subparts A, C, and E of part 164 of such title (or any successor regulations), any update under subsection (a) shall supplement information contained in the health records of a deceased enrollee and shall not modify information contained in such records. (d) Definitions.--In this section: (1) Deceased enrollee.--The term ``deceased enrollee'' means any individual who, at the time of his or her death-- (A) was enrolled in the patient enrollment system of the Department of Veterans Affairs established and operated under section 1705(a) of title 38, United States Code; or (B) was entitled to care under the TRICARE program, as defined in section 1072 of title 10, United States Code. (2) Immediate family member.--The term ``immediate family member'', with respect to a deceased enrollee, means-- (A) the spouse, parent, brother, sister, or adult child of the individual; or (B) an adult person to whom the individual stands in loco parentis. ______