[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1546 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1546
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs to establish the Committee on Care of Veterans with
Traumatic Brain Injury.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 17, 2009
Mr. McNerney (for himself and Mr. Boozman) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs to establish the Committee on Care of Veterans with
Traumatic Brain Injury.
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 ``Caring for Veterans with Traumatic
Brain Injury Act of 2009''.
SEC. 2. COMMITTEE ON CARE OF VETERANS WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY.
(a) Establishment of Committee.--Subchapter II of chapter 73 of
title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section
7321 the following new section:
``Sec. 7321A. Committee on Care of Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury
``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish in the Veterans
Health Administration a committee to be known as the `Committee on Care
of Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury'. The Under Secretary for
Health shall appoint employees of the Department with expertise in the
care of veterans with traumatic brain injury to serve on the committee.
``(b) Responsibilities of Committee.--The committee shall assess,
and carry out a continuing assessment of, the capability of the
Veterans Health Administration to meet effectively the treatment and
rehabilitation needs of veterans with traumatic brain injury. In
carrying out that responsibility, the committee shall--
``(1) evaluate the care provided to such veterans through
the Veterans Health Administration;
``(2) identify systemwide problems in caring for such
veterans in facilities of the Veterans Health Administration;
``(3) identify specific facilities within the Veterans
Health Administration at which program enrichment is needed to
improve treatment and rehabilitation of such veterans; and
``(4) identify model programs which the committee considers
to have been successful in the treatment and rehabilitation of
such veterans and which should be implemented more widely in or
through facilities of the Veterans Health Administration.
``(c) Advice and Recommendations.--The committee shall--
``(1) advise the Under Secretary regarding the development
of policies for the care and rehabilitation of veterans with
traumatic brain injury; and
``(2) make recommendations to the Under Secretary--
``(A) for improving programs of care of such
veterans at specific facilities and throughout the
Veterans Health Administration;
``(B) for establishing special programs of
education and training relevant to the care of such
veterans for employees of the Veterans Health
Administration;
``(C) regarding research needs and priorities
relevant to the care of such veterans; and
``(D) regarding the appropriate allocation of
resources for all such activities.
``(d) Annual Report.--Not later than June 1 of 2010, and each
subsequent year, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on
Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report
on the implementation of this section. Each such report shall include
the following for the calendar year preceding the year in which the
report is submitted:
``(1) A list of the members of the committee.
``(2) The assessment of the Under Secretary for Health,
after review of the initial findings of the committee,
regarding the capability of the Veterans Health Administration,
on a systemwide and facility-by-facility basis, to meet
effectively the treatment and rehabilitation needs of veterans
with traumatic brain injury.
``(3) The plans of the committee for further assessments.
``(4) The findings and recommendations made by the
committee to the Under Secretary for Health and the views of
the Under Secretary on such findings and recommendations.
``(5) A description of the steps taken, plans made (and a
timetable for the execution of such plans), and resources to be
applied toward improving the capability of the Veterans Health
Administration to meet effectively the treatment and
rehabilitation needs of veterans with traumatic brain
injury.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section
7321 the following new item:
``7321A. Committee on Care of Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury.''.
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