{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/cornyn-cruz-bill-to-expand-service-members-access-to-health-care-information-signed-into-law/", "Cornyn, Cruz Bill to Expand Service Members\u2019 Access to Health Care Information Signed Into Law", "2024-12-24", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "TX", "John Cornyn", "C001056", "www.cornyn.senate.gov", "cornyn", "https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) released the following statements after their Private Smither Act, which would require the Department of Defense (DoD) to provide a health care provider\u2019s affiliation in a patient\u2019s medical record, was signed into law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act:\n\n\u201cPrivate Second Class Caleb Smither\u2019s life and service to our country was sadly cut short, and my hope is that this law will help us prevent similar tragedies in the future,\u201d said Sen. Cornyn.\u201cNow law,this legislation will ensure our service members have access to key health care information and hold DoD-contract health care providers accountable for the quality of care they provide.\u201d\n\n\u201cPrivate Caleb Smither, from Lubbock, Texas, was a proud Paratrooper of the 82nd Airborne Division who served faithfully until his life was cut short by preventable circumstances,\u201d said Sen. Cruz. \u201cCaleb\u2019s mother, Heather Baker, has advocated for greater transparency concerning military medical malpractice, and this bill honors Caleb\u2019s service and Heather\u2019s advocacy in ensuring that transparency. We owe it to Caleb, and all the brave men and women of the armed forces to prioritize their safety, and I am proud to see the Private Smither Act signed into law.\u201d\n\nCongressman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) introduced the legislation in the House of Representatives in July.\n\nBackground:\n\nIn 2020, Texan and Army Private Second Class (PV2) Caleb Smither, who was stationed at Fort Bragg, now Fort Liberty, passed away after enduring a head injury and receiving medical care from an independent contractor at the base\u2019s Womack Army Medical Center.\n\nThe Private Smither Act requires the DoD to include a health care provider\u2019s affiliation (DoD or non-DoD) in a patient\u2019s medical record. By including this information in a patient\u2019s medical record, the patient will know whether or not to pursue a claim against the military or the non-personal services contractor\u2019s medical malpractice insurance in the event of medical malpractice.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/cornyn-cruz-bill-to-expand-service-members-access-to-health-care-information-signed-into-law/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0139541700482368, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}