[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 548 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 548

To provide quality standards for mammograms performed by the Department 
                          of Veterans Affairs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

               March 14 (legislative day, March 6), 1995

Mr. Rockefeller introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide quality standards for mammograms performed by the Department 
                          of Veterans Affairs.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Women Veterans' Mammography Quality 
Standards Act''.

SEC. 2. MAMMOGRAPHY QUALITY STANDARDS.

    (a) Performance of Mammograms.--Mammograms may not be performed at 
a Department of Veterans Affairs facility unless that facility is 
accredited for that purpose by a private nonprofit organization 
designated by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. The organization 
designated by the Secretary under this subsection shall meet the 
standards for accrediting bodies established by the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services under section 354(e) of the Public Health Service 
Act (42 U.S.C. 263b(e)).
    (b) Quality Standards.--(1) Not later than 120 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
prescribe quality assurance and quality control standards relating to 
the performance and interpretation of mammograms and use of mammogram 
equipment and facilities by personnel of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs. Such standards shall be no less stringent than the standards 
prescribed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under section 
354(f) of the Public Health Service Act.
    (2) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall prescribe standards 
under this subsection in consultation with the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services.
    (c) Inspection of Department Equipment.--(1) The Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall, on an annual basis, inspect the equipment and 
facilities utilized by and in Department of Veterans Affairs health-
care facilities for the performance of mammograms in order to ensure 
the compliance of such equipment and facilities with the standards 
prescribed under subsection (b). Such inspection shall be carried out 
in a manner consistent with the inspection of certified facilities by 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services under section 354(g) of the 
Public Health Services Act.
    (2) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may not delegate the 
responsibility of such secretary under paragraph (1) to a State agency.
    (d) Application of Standards to Contract Providers.--The Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that mammograms performed for the 
Department of Veterans Affairs under contract with any non-Department 
facility or provider conform to the quality standards prescribed by the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services under section 354 of the Public 
Health Service Act.
    (e) Report.--(1) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to 
the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of 
Representatives a report on the quality standards prescribed by the 
Secretary under subsection (b)(1).
    (2) The Secretary shall submit the report not later than 180 days 
after the date on which the Secretary prescribes such regulations.
    (f) Definition.--In this section, the term ``mammogram'' shall have 
the meaning given such term in section 354(a)(5) of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 263b(a)).
                                 <all>