[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3579 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3579

  To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to provide sufficient blind rehabilitation outpatient 
    specialists at medical facilities of the Department of Veterans 
                                Affairs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 28, 2005

Mr. Michaud (for himself and Mr. Evans) 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 provide sufficient blind rehabilitation outpatient 
    specialists at medical facilities of 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 ``Blinded Veterans Continuum of Care 
Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. BLIND REHABILITATION OUTPATIENT SPECIALISTS AT DEPARTMENT OF 
              AFFAIRS MEDICAL FACILITIES.

    (a) In General.--
            (1) Blind rehabilitation outpatient specialists.--Chapter 
        17 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
        end the following new section:
``Sec. 1718A. Blind rehabilitation outpatient specialists at Department 
              medical facilities
    ``(a) Requirement.--The Secretary shall assign at least one 
employee of the Veterans Health Administration who is designated as a 
blind rehabilitation outpatient specialist to each specified medical 
facility of the Department.
    ``(b) Specified Facilities.--A medical facility of the Department 
is a specified facility for purposes of subsection (a)--
            ``(1) if the facility has a visual impairment services team 
        with a full-time coordinator; or
            ``(2) if the number of veterans enrolled in the system of 
        patient enrollment under section 1705 of this title who are 
        legally blind and who reside in the catchment area of that 
        facility is in excess of 150.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
        beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the 
        following new item:

``1718A.  Blind rehabilitation outpatient specialists at Department of 
                            Affairs medical facilities.''.
    (b) Implementation.--Subject to the availability of appropriations 
for such purpose the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that 
section 1718A of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection 
(a), is fully implemented not later then the end of the four-year 
period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act. The 
Secretary shall carry out such implementation as follows:
            (1) As of the end of the one-year period beginning on the 
        date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall ensure 
        that such section is implemented at least for each medical 
        facility of the Department covered by paragraph (2) of 
        subsection (b) of such section for which the number referred to 
        in that paragraph is in excess of 400.
            (2) As of the end of the two-year period beginning on the 
        date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall ensure 
        that such section is implemented at least for each medical 
        facility of the Department covered by paragraph (2) of 
        subsection (b) of such section for which the number referred to 
        in that paragraph is in excess of 300.
            (3) As of the end of the three-year period beginning on the 
        date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall ensure 
        that such section is implemented at least for each medical 
        facility of the Department covered by paragraph (2) of 
        subsection (b) of such section for which the number referred to 
        in that paragraph is in excess of 200.
    (c) Annual Report.--Not later than March 31 of each of the first 
four years after the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall submit to Congress a report on the implementation of 
section 1718A of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection 
(a). Each report shall--
            (1) specify the number of blind rehabilitation outpatient 
        specialists assigned under that section during the period 
        covered by the report;
            (2) identify the Department facility at which each such 
        specialist was assigned; and
            (3) describe the effect of those assignments on the 
        continuum of care offered to blind and visually impaired 
        veterans.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs $5,000,000 for each 
of fiscal years 2006 through 2010 and such sums as may be necessary for 
each subsequent fiscal year to carry out section 1718A of title 38, 
United States Code, as added by subsection (a).
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