PROVISION OF MILITARY SERVICE RECORDS TO THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS IN AN ELECTRONIC FORMAT.

SEC. 525. [10 U.S.C. 113 note] PROVISION OF MILITARY SERVICE RECORDS TO THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS IN AN ELECTRONIC FORMAT. (a) Provision in Electronic Format.—In accordance with subsection (b), the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall make the covered records of each member of the Armed Forces available to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in an electronic format. (b) Deadline for Provision of Records.—With respect to a member of the Armed Forces who is discharged or released from the Armed Forces on or after January 1, 2014, the Secretary of Defense shall ensure that the covered records of the member are made available to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs not later than 90 days after the date of the member’s discharge or release. (c) Sharing of Protected Health Information.—For purposes of the regulations promulgated under section 264(c) of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-191; 42 U.S.C. 1320d-2 note), making medical records available to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs under subsection (a) shall be treated as a permitted disclosure. (d) Records Currently Available to Secretary of Veterans Affairs.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall ensure that the covered records of members of the Armed Forces that are available to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs as of the date of the enactment of this Act are made electronically accessible and available as soon as practicable after that date to the Veterans Benefits Administration. (e) Covered Records Defined.—In this section, the term “covered records” means, with respect to a member of the Armed Forces— (1) service treatment records; (2) accompanying personal records; (3) relevant unit records; and (4) medical records created by reason of treatment or services received pursuant to chapter 55 of title 10, United States Code.