[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4609 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4609

  To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs to notify local law enforcement agencies of 
allegations of a missing patient or of certain misconduct and to enable 
             such agencies to investigate such allegations.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 23, 1998

Mr. Frelinghuysen introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                   the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs to notify local law enforcement agencies of 
allegations of a missing patient or of certain misconduct and to enable 
             such agencies to investigate such allegations.

    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 ``Veterans Personal Security Act''.

SEC. 2. NOTIFICATION TO AND INVESTIGATION BY LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT 
              AGENCIES OF REPORTS OF A MISSING PATIENT OR OF CERTAIN 
              MISCONDUCT AT DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL 
              FACILITIES.

    Chapter 9 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at 
the end the following new section:
``Sec. 906. Notification to and investigation by local law enforcement 
              agencies of reports of a missing patient or of certain 
              misconduct
    ``(a) If the Department receives notice of a reportable allegation 
described in subsection (b), the Secretary--
            ``(1) shall provide notice of such allegation to 
        appropriate local law enforcement agencies--
                    ``(A) immediately; and
                    ``(B) in writing within 48 hours;
            ``(2) shall provide, to any appropriate local law 
        enforcement agency conducting an independent investigation of 
        such allegation, access to the Department medical facility as 
        the agency reasonably requires; and
            ``(3) shall not impede or impair any appropriate local law 
        enforcement agency from conducting an independent investigation 
        of such allegation.
    ``(b) A reportable allegation described in this subsection is an 
allegation that any of the following has occurred at a Department 
medical facility:
            ``(1) A patient is missing.
            ``(2) A patient or staff member has caused physical abuse 
        or battery to a patient or staff member.
            ``(3) A patient or staff member has unlawfully possessed or 
        used a controlled substance.
            ``(4) A rape or any other felony or indictable offense has 
        been committed.''.

SEC. 3. CLERICAL AMENDMENT.

    The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 9 of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
item:

``906. Notification to and investigation by local law enforcement 
                            agencies of reports of a missing patient or 
                            of certain misconduct.''.
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