ELIGIBILITY OF CADETS AND MIDSHIPMEN FOR MEDICAL AND DENTAL CARE AND DISABILITY BENEFITS.

SEC. 555. ELIGIBILITY OF CADETS AND MIDSHIPMEN FOR MEDICAL AND DENTAL CARE AND DISABILITY BENEFITS.(a) Medical and Dental Care.—(1) Chapter 55 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1074a the following new section:“§ 1074b. Medical and dental care: Academy cadets and midshipmen; members of, and designated applicants for membership in, Senior ROTC“(a) Eligibility.—Under joint regulations prescribed by the administering Secretaries, the following persons are, except as provided in subsection (c), entitled to the benefits described in subsection (b):“(1) A cadet at the United States Military Academy, the United States Air Force Academy, or the Coast Guard Academy, and a midshipman at the United States Naval Academy, who incurs or aggravates an injury, illness, or disease in the line of duty.“(2) A member of, and a designated applicant for membership in, the Senior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps who incurs or aggravates an injury, illness, or disease—“(A) in the line of duty while performing duties under section 2109 of this title;“(B) while traveling directly to or from the place at which that member or applicant is to perform or has performed duties pursuant to section 2109 of this title; or“(C) in the line of duty while remaining overnight immediately before the commencement of duties performed pursuant to section 2109 of this title or, while remaining overnight, between successive periods of performing duties pursuant to section 2109 of this title, at or in the vicinity of the site of the duties performed pursuant to section 118 STAT. 1914 2109 of this title, if the site is outside reasonable commuting distance from the residence of the member or designated applicant. “(b) Benefits.—A person eligible for benefits under subsection (a) for an injury, illness, or disease is entitled to—“(1) the medical and dental care under this chapter that is appropriate for the treatment of the injury, illness, or disease until the injury, illness, disease, or any resulting disability cannot be materially improved by further hospitalization or treatment; and“(2) meals during hospitalization.“(c) Exception for Gross Negligence or Misconduct.—A person is not entitled to benefits under subsection (b) for an injury, illness, or disease, or the aggravation of an injury, illness, or disease that is a result of the gross negligence or the misconduct of that person.” .(2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 1074a the following new item: “1074b. Medical and dental care: Academy cadets and midshipmen; members of, and designated applicants for membership in, Senior ROTC.”. (b) Eligibility of Academy Cadets and Midshipmen for Disability Retired Pay.—(1) Section 1217 of title 10, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:“§ 1217. Academy cadets and midshipmen: applicability of chapter“(a) This chapter applies to cadets at the United States Military Academy, the United States Air Force Academy, and the United States Coast Guard Academy and midshipmen of the United States Naval Academy, but only with respect to physical disabilities incurred after the date of the enactment of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005.“(b) Monthly cadet pay and monthly midshipman pay under section 203(c) of title 37 shall be considered to be basic pay for purposes of this chapter and the computation of retired pay and severance and separation pay to which entitlement is established under this chapter.” .(2) The item related to section 1217 in the table of sections at the beginning of chapter 61 of such title is amended to read as follows: “1217. Academy cadets and midshipmen: applicability of chapter.”.