[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1190 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1190

 To provide sufficient blind rehabilitation outpatient specialists at 
         medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 7, 2005

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide sufficient blind rehabilitation outpatient specialists at 
         medical centers 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. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) There are approximately 135,000 blinded veterans 
        throughout the United States, including approximately 35,000 
        who are enrolled with the Department of Veterans Affairs. An 
        aging veteran population and injuries incurred in Operation 
        Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom are increasing the 
        number of blinded veterans.
            (2) Since 1996, when the Department of Veterans Affairs 
        hired its first 14 blind rehabilitation outpatient specialists 
        (referred to in this Act as ``Specialists'', Specialists have 
        been a critical part of the continuum of care for blind and 
        visually impaired veterans.
            (3) The Department of Veterans Affairs operates 10 
        residential blind rehabilitation centers that are considered 
        among the best in the world. These centers have had long 
        waiting lists, with as many as 1,500 blind veterans waiting for 
        openings in 2004.
            (4) Specialists provide--
                    (A) critically needed services to veterans who are 
                unable to attend residential centers or are waiting to 
                enter such a program;
                    (B) a range of services, including training with 
                living skills, mobility, and adaptation of manual 
                skills; and
                    (C) pre-admission screening and follow-up care for 
                blind rehabilitation centers.
            (5) There are not enough Specialist positions to meet the 
        increased numbers and needs of blinded veterans.

SEC. 3. BLIND REHABILITATION OUTPATIENT SPECIALISTS AT VA MEDICAL 
              CENTERS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish 
Specialist positions at medical centers with--
            (1) visual impairment services teams with a full-time 
        coordinator; or
            (2) more than 150 currently enrolled legally blind 
        veterans.
    (b) Prioritization.--In assigning Specialists under subsection (a), 
the Secretary shall--
            (1) during the first year after the date of enactment of 
        this Act, give priority to any medical center with more than 
        400 legally blind veterans enrolled;
            (2) during the second year after the date of enactment of 
        this Act, give priority to any medical center with more than 
        300 legally blind veterans enrolled;
            (3) during the third year after the date of enactment of 
        this Act, give priority to any medical center with more than 
        200 legally blind veterans enrolled; and
            (4) after the 3-year period beginning on the date of 
        enactment of this Act, give priority to any medical center with 
        more than 150 legally blind veterans enrolled.
    (c) Reporting Requirement.--Not later than March 31 of each year, 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit a report to Congress, 
which contains--
            (1) the number of Specialist positions filled;
            (2) the location of each Specialist position; and
            (3) the continuum of care offered to blind and visually 
        impaired veterans.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2006 through 2010 to carry out this Act.
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