PERMANENT EXTENSION OF TRANSITIONAL HEALTH CARE BENEFITS AND ADDITION OF REQUIREMENT FOR PRESEPARATION PHYSICAL EXAMINATION.

SEC. 706. PERMANENT EXTENSION OF TRANSITIONAL HEALTH CARE BENEFITS AND ADDITION OF REQUIREMENT FOR PRESEPARATION PHYSICAL EXAMINATION. (a) Permanent Requirement.—(1) Paragraph (3) of section 1145(a) of title 10, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: “(3) Transitional health care for a member under subsection (a) shall be available for 180 days beginning on the date on which the member is separated from active duty.”.(2) The following provisions of law are repealed:(A) Section 704 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (Public Law 108–136; 117 Stat. 1527; 10 U.S.C. 1145 note).(B) Section 1117 of the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense and for the Reconstruction of Iraq and Afghanistan, 2004 (Public Law 108–106; 117 Stat. 1218; 10 U.S.C. 1145 note).(3) Paragraph (1) of such section 1145(a) is amended by striking “applicable”. (b) Requirement for Physical Examination.—Such section 1145(a), as amended by subsection (a), is further amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:“(4)(A) The Secretary concerned shall require a member of the armed forces scheduled to be separated from active duty as described in paragraph (2) to undergo a physical examination immediately before that separation. The physical examination shall be conducted in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense.“(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), if a member of the armed forces scheduled to be separated from active duty as described in paragraph (2) has otherwise undergone a physical examination within 12 months before the scheduled date of separation from active duty, the requirement for a physical examination 118 STAT. 1984 under subparagraph (A) may be waived in accordance with regulations prescribed under this paragraph. Such regulations shall require that such a waiver may be granted only with the consent of the member and with the concurrence of the member’s unit commander.”.