[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4949 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4949

 To establish within the Office of the Secretary of Defense an office 
   responsible for implementing all recommendations and requirements 
 regarding military medical facilities in the National Capital Region, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 25, 2010

  Mrs. Davis of California (for herself, Mr. Ortiz, and Mr. Wilson of 
 South Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish within the Office of the Secretary of Defense an office 
   responsible for implementing all recommendations and requirements 
 regarding military medical facilities in the National Capital Region, 
                        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. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``World Class 
Military Medical Facilities Act''.
    (b) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The Department of Defense lacks a complete plan for the 
        entirety of facilities at the new Walter Reed National Military 
        Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
            (2) The Department of Defense has not established an 
        integrated operating structure, has not provided clear and 
        appropriate budget authorities, and has not designed either 
        joint military or civilian personnel structures to staff the 
        new Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
            (3) There are differing standards and levels of 
        construction and funding that could result in a facility that 
        is not in totality a world class military medical facility.
            (4) The Department of Defense lacks a unified construction 
        standard for military construction and repairs to military 
        medical facilities.
            (5) In the report referred to in section 8(2), the National 
        Capital Region Base Realignment and Closure Health Systems 
        Advisory Subcommittee of the Defense Health Board identified 
        numerous deficiencies in the current plan for the new Walter 
        Reed National Military Medical Center.

SEC. 2. DISESTABLISHMENT OF JOINT TASK FORCE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION 
              MEDICAL.

    Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Defense shall disestablish the organization known as Joint 
Task Force National Capital Region Medical. Upon such disestablishment, 
all personnel, property, and functions of the Joint Task Force National 
Capital Region Medical shall be transferred back to the military 
department from which the personnel, property, or functions were 
transferred or to the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING NATIONAL 
              CAPITAL REGION MILITARY MEDICAL FACILITIES 
              RECOMMENDATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than June 1, 2010, the Secretary of 
Defense shall establish within the Office of the Secretary of Defense 
an office responsible for implementing all recommendations and 
requirements regarding military medical facilities in the National 
Capital Region contained in--
            (1) the report of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment 
        Commission transmitted to Congress on September 15, 2005, under 
        section 2903(e) of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act 
        of 1990 (part A of title XXIX of Public Law 101-510; 10 U.S.C. 
        2687 note);
            (2) section 2714 of the National Defense Authorization Act 
        for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 111-84; 123 Stat. 2656); or
            (3) any other provision of law.
    (b) Organization.--
            (1) Director.--The director of the office shall be the 
        Deputy Secretary of Defense. The responsibilities of the 
        director may not be delegated to another individual, office, 
        command, field agency, or field activity.
            (2) Deputy director.--The deputy director of the office 
        shall be the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs. 
        The responsibilities of the deputy director may not be 
        delegated to another individual, office, command, field agency, 
        or field activity.
    (c) Responsibilities and Authorities.--
            (1) Missions.--The office shall define the medical missions 
        and responsibilities of the Office of the Secretary of Defense 
        and the military departments in the National Capital Region.
            (2) Budget and operational authority.--The office shall 
        retain overall budget and operational authority to provide and 
        operate world class military medical facilities in the National 
        Capital Region. This authority includes the development of 
        budgets, prioritization of requirements, and the allocation of 
        funds to provide and operate world class military medical 
        facilities.
            (3) Personnel.--The office, in consultation with the 
        Secretaries of the military departments, shall specify 
        personnel authorizations and personnel systems required to 
        provide and operate world class military medical facilities in 
        the National Capital Region.

SEC. 4. COMPLETION OF NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION HEALTH CARE DELIVERY 
              MASTER PLAN.

    Upon the establishment of the office under section 3, the office 
shall assume responsibility for the development and implementation of 
the comprehensive master plan to provide sufficient world class 
military medical facilities and an integrated system of health care 
delivery for the National Capital Region required by section 2714 of 
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 
111-84; 123 Stat. 2656).

SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF UNIFIED CONSTRUCTION STANDARD FOR MILITARY 
              CONSTRUCTION AND REPAIRS TO MILITARY MEDICAL FACILITIES.

    Not later than June 1, 2010, the Secretary of Defense shall 
establish a unified construction standard for military construction and 
repairs for military medical facilities that provides a single standard 
of care. This standard shall also include a size standard for operating 
rooms and patient recovery rooms.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR IMPLEMENTION OF UNIFIED 
              CONSTRUCTION STANDARD AT WALTER REED NATIONAL MILITARY 
              MEDICAL CENTER.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Defense 
$400,000,000 to implement at Walter Reed National Military Medical 
Center the unified construction standard for military construction and 
repairs for military medical facilities established under section 5.

SEC. 7. INDEPENDENT REVIEW PANEL.

    (a) Establishment of Review Panel.--The Secretary of Defense shall 
establish an advisory committee to be known as the ``Independent Review 
Panel for Military Medical Care in the National Capital Region'' to 
advise the Secretary regarding whether the proposed design and 
organizational structure for military medical facilities in the 
National Capital Region will achieve a world class military medical 
facility.
    (b) Members.--
            (1) Congressional members.--The advisory committee is 
        constituted annually of the following:
                    (A) The chairman of the Committee on Armed Services 
                of the Senate or the chairman's designee.
                    (B) Three other members of the Senate designated by 
                the Vice President or the President pro tempore of the 
                Senate, two of whom are members of the Committee on 
                Appropriations of the Senate.
                    (C) The chairman of the Committee on Armed Services 
                of the House of Representatives or the chairman's 
                designee.
                    (D) Four other members of the House of 
                Representatives designated by the Speaker of the House 
                of Representatives, two of whom are members of the 
                Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
                Representatives.
            (2) Other members.--The advisory committee shall also 
        include six persons designated by the President who are not 
        employees or appointed political officials of the executive 
        branch. These members shall be medical facility experts, 
        military health-care professionals, representatives of premier 
        health care organizations in the United States, retired senior 
        military officers or non-commissioned officers, or patient 
        representatives. Not more than two members designated under 
        this paragraph may be retired members of the Armed Forces. The 
        term of office of these members shall be three years, except 
        that the President may stagger the initial terms.
            (3) Successors.--Any member of the advisory committee whose 
        term of office expires may continue to serve until a successor 
        is appointed. If a member dies or resigns, a successor shall be 
        appointed for the unexpired portion of the term.
    (c) Meetings.--
            (1) In general.--The advisory committee shall meet not less 
        than monthly. The committee or its members may make other 
        visits to military treatment facilities and military 
        headquarters in connection with the duties of the committee. 
        The committee may call in advisers for consultation.
            (2) Compensation.--While performing duties on behalf of the 
        advisory committee, a member of the committee and any adviser 
        referred to in paragraph (1) shall be reimbursed under 
        Government travel regulations for necessary travel expenses.
    (d) Duties.--The advisory committee shall review--
            (1) the plans for the design and organizational structure 
        for military medical facilities in the National Capital Region 
        to ensure that the facilities and organizational structure will 
        result in a world class military medical facility; and
            (2) the execution of the plans and such other matters 
        relating to military medical care in the National Capital 
        Region as the committee considers appropriate.
    (e) Reports.--
            (1) Initial report.--Not later than 60 days after the first 
        meeting of the advisory committee, the committee shall submit 
        to the Secretary of Defense a written report containing an 
        assessment of military medical care in the National Capital 
        Region and the views and recommendations of the committee to 
        improve such care.
            (2) Additional reports.--Not later than December 31, 2010, 
        and December 31, 2011, the advisory committee shall submit to 
        the Secretary of Defense a report on the findings and 
        recommendations of the committee to address any deficiencies 
        identified by the committee.
    (f) Assessment of Recommendations.--Not later than 30 days after 
the date of the submission of each report under subsection (e), the 
Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense 
committees a report including--
            (1) an assessment by the Secretary of the findings and 
        recommendations of the panel; and
            (2) the plans of the Secretary for addressing such findings 
        and recommendations.

SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) National capital region.--The term ``National Capital 
        Region'' has the meaning given the term in section 2674(f) of 
        title 10, United States Code.
            (2) World class military medical facility.--The term 
        ``world class military medical facility'' has the meaning given 
        the term by the National Capital Region Base Realignment and 
        Closure Health Systems Advisory Subcommittee of the Defense 
        Health Board in appendix B of the report titled ``Achieving 
        World Class--An Independent Review of the Design Plans for the 
        Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the Fort 
        Belvoir Community Hospital'' and published in May 2009, as 
        required by section 2721 of the Military Construction 
        Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (division B of Public 
        Law 110-417; 122 Stat. 4716).
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