[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3016 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3016

   To direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans 
 Affairs to jointly operate the Federal Recovery Coordination Program, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 22, 2011

  Mr. Barrow introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
   Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on 
 Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans 
 Affairs to jointly operate the Federal Recovery Coordination Program, 
                        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. JOINT OPERATION OF FEDERAL RECOVERY COORDINATION PROGRAM.

    (a) Federal Recovery Coordination Program.--In carrying out the 
Federal Recovery Coordination Program (in this section referred to as 
the ``Program''), the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall ensure that--
            (1) the program is operated jointly by the Secretaries;
            (2) the administration of the Program is not delegated to 
        an individual outside the respective office of each Secretary;
            (3) the program assists--
                    (A) members of the Armed Forces with severe or 
                catastrophic injuries or illnesses who are unlikely to 
                return to active duty and will most likely be medically 
                separated under chapter 61 of title 10, United States 
                Code; and
                    (B) members of the Armed Forces and veterans whose 
                individual circumstances (including illness, injury, 
                mental health, family situation, and unique benefit 
                needs) are determined by the Secretary concerned to 
                cause difficulties to the member or veteran in 
                transitioning to civilian life;
            (4) in referring members and veterans described in 
        paragraph (3) to the Program, the Secretary of each military 
        department and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs makes such 
        referrals at the earliest time feasible, including by the date 
        that is 180 days before the last day of the month in which a 
        member is expected to be retired or separated from the Armed 
        Forces; and
            (5) each department and agency of the Federal Government, 
        including the Department of Defense and the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs, provides a Federal Recovery Coordinator of 
        the Program with the information, coordination, and cooperation 
        necessary for the Coordinator to assist members and veterans 
        participating in the Program, including the maximum amount of 
        information, coordination, and cooperation available to allow 
        the Coordinator to--
                    (A) ensure the efficient recovery, transition, and 
                reintegration of such members and veterans;
                    (B) act as a liaison between such members and 
                veterans and the team of care providers and other 
                personnel involved with the recovery, transition, and 
                reintegration of the member or veteran, regardless of 
                whether such team is under the Secretary of Defense or 
                the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; and
                    (C) work closely with case and care-management 
                programs that assist such members and veterans.
    (b) Plan and Memorandum of Understanding.--Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense 
and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall--
            (1) jointly develop a plan to carry out subsection (a);
            (2) enter into a memorandum of understanding to jointly 
        carry out the plan beginning 90 days after the date on which 
        the memorandum is entered into; and
            (3) jointly submit to the appropriate congressional 
        committees such plan and memorandum.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date on which the 
memorandum of understanding under paragraph (2) of subsection (b) goes 
into effect, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall jointly submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees a report describing and evaluating the implementation of 
such memorandum and plan under paragraph (1) of such subsection.
    (d) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means the following:
            (1) The Committees on Armed Services of the House of 
        Representatives and Senate.
            (2) The Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
        Representatives and Senate.
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