[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2736 Introduced in Senate (IS)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2736

 To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish centers to 
 provide enhanced services to veterans with amputations and prosthetic 
                    devices, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 4, 2006

 Mr. Craig (for himself and Mr. Akaka) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish centers to 
 provide enhanced services to veterans with amputations and prosthetic 
                    devices, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. AMPUTATION AND PROSTHETIC REHABILITATION CENTERS FOR 
              VETERANS.

    (a) Establishment.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
        establish not less than five centers to provide rehabilitation 
        services to veterans with amputations or prosthetic devices.
            (2) Purpose.--The purpose of each center established 
        pursuant to paragraph (1) are--
                    (A) to provide regional clinical facilities of the 
                Department of Veterans Affairs with special expertise 
                in prosthetics, rehabilitation with the use of 
                prosthetics, treatment, and coordination of care for 
                veterans who have an amputation of any functional part 
                of the body; and
                    (B) to provide information and supportive services 
                to all facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
                concerning the care and treatment of veterans with a 
                prosthetic device.
            (3) Designation.--Each center established pursuant to 
        paragraph (1) shall be known as an ``Amputation and Prosthetic 
        Rehabilitation Center'' (in this section referred to as a 
        ``Center'').
    (b) Geographic Distribution.--In identifying appropriate facilities 
for the location of the Centers established pursuant to subsection (a), 
the Secretary shall ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that 
such Centers are geographically located so as to be accessible to as 
many veterans as possible in the United States.
    (c) Staff and Resources.--Each Center shall include the following:
            (1) A modern, well-equipped, and appropriately certified 
        laboratory facility capable of providing state-of-the-art and 
        complex prosthetic devices to all veterans with an amputation, 
        including veterans with an amputation incurred in Operation 
        Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom.
            (2) Certified and experienced prosthetists, including 
        prosthetists with certifications in new fabrication techniques.
            (3) An accredited Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 
        (PM&R) service with staff who are well-trained in current 
        prosthetic services and emerging trends for treatment of 
        amputations.
            (4) A modern gait laboratory, permanently located within 
        such Center.
    (d) No Duplication of Services of Polytrauma Centers.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall, to the extent 
        practicable, ensure that the services provided by the Centers 
        established pursuant to subsection (a) do not duplicate the 
        services provided by the polytrauma centers of the Department 
        of Veterans Affairs designated as Tier I or Tier II Polytrauma 
        centers.
            (2) Construction.--Paragraph (1) shall not be construed to 
        prohibit the location of a Center so as to facilitate the ready 
        support of a polytrauma center, referred to in that paragraph.
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