Rep. Ralph Norman’s veteran healthcare bill passes U.S. House

A bill that U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman (R-Rock Hill) says would improve veterans’ healthcare services passed in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The bill, the Department of Energy Veterans’ Health Initiative Act, is sponsored by Norman and was introduced in the House in July.

The bill would authorize the Department of Energy and the Department of Veterans Affairs to collaborate on research aimed at solving veterans’ healthcare issues.

“Our veterans deserve, and need, access to better healthcare services and with the help of our scientists who remain on the cutting edge of big data analytics and advanced computing, we can come closer to accomplishing this goal of better care,” Norman said in a statement Thursday.

The bill must now be considered in the Senate, and has been referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

The bill, H.R. 6398, if passed, would allow the Department of Energy to establish a “research program in artificial intelligence and high performance computing” to help the Department of Veterans Affairs “identify potential health risks and challenges utilizing data … collected from veteran populations.”

The bill instructs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to devote $27 million to the collaborative research for fiscal years 2019 and 2020.

The bill also instructs the Secretary of Energy to establish a pilot program on artificial intelligence, data analytics and computational research. The bill instructs the Secretary of Energy to devote $52 million to the pilot program for fiscal years 2019 and 2020.

“The DOE and VA will be able to work together, in order to improve the medical care of our veterans, who have sacrificed so much for our nation,” Norman said. “I am honored to have sponsored legislation that will not only work to ensure our veterans receive the best care possible, but also ensures our nation remains a leader in innovation and technological advancement.”