[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1272 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1272

 To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress a 
report on the feasibility and advisability of establishing a polytrauma 
 rehabilitation center or polytrauma network site of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs in the southern New Mexico and El Paso, Texas, region, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 23, 2011

 Mr. Udall of New Mexico (for himself and Mr. Bingaman) 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 submit to Congress a 
report on the feasibility and advisability of establishing a polytrauma 
 rehabilitation center or polytrauma network site of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs in the southern New Mexico and El Paso, Texas, 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.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Southern New Mexico and El Paso, 
Texas, Veterans Traumatic Brain Injury Care Improvement Act of 2011''.

SEC. 2. REPORT ON ESTABLISHMENT OF POLYTRAUMA REHABILITATION CENTER OR 
              POLYTRAUMA NETWORK SITE OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
              IN SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO AND EL PASO, TEXAS, REGION.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The military population of the southern New Mexico and 
        El Paso, Texas, region has grown greatly since the United 
        States has been involved in military operations in Iraq and 
        Afghanistan and members of the Armed Forces returning from such 
        operations to such region will require care at polytrauma 
        centers as a result of their involvement with such operations.
            (2) The population at Fort Bliss in Texas and New Mexico is 
        expected to grow from 9,300 members of the Armed Forces in 2005 
        to an estimated 33,400 members of the Armed Forces by 2012 
        because of the ongoing expansion of Fort Bliss.
            (3) Traumatic brain injury has become known as one of the 
        signature wounds of service in the Armed Forces in Iraq and 
        Afghanistan because of its high occurrence among veterans of 
        such service. Many members of the Armed Forces returning to the 
        El Paso, Texas, and southern New Mexico region from overseas 
        service in the Armed Forces are expected to suffer from 
        traumatic brain injury or other forms of injury requiring 
        treatment at a polytrauma rehabilitation center or polytrauma 
        network site.
            (4) A recent RAND Corporation study estimates that as many 
        as 20 percent of the veterans who served in the Armed Forces in 
        Iraq and Afghanistan have a traumatic brain injury as a result 
        of such service, and many of these veterans require ongoing 
        care for mild, moderate, or severe traumatic brain injury.
            (5) The Department of Veterans Affairs recommends that all 
        veterans experiencing a polytraumatic injury be referred to a 
        polytrauma rehabilitation center or polytrauma network site of 
        the Department.
            (6) The polytrauma system of care of the Department 
        includes 4 polytrauma rehabilitation centers and 21 polytrauma 
        network sites, none of which are located within 300 miles 
        driving distance of Fort Bliss, White Sands Missile Range, or 
        Holloman Air Force Base.
            (7) The large military population in the southern New 
        Mexico and El Paso, Texas, region necessitates a new polytrauma 
        rehabilitation center or polytrauma network site of the 
        Department to deal with the significant hardships veterans 
        residing in such region require.
    (b) Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
        shall submit to Congress a report on the feasibility and 
        advisability of establishing a polytrauma rehabilitation center 
        or polytrauma network site of the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs in the southern New Mexico and El Paso, Texas, region 
        that is within a reasonable driving distance of Fort Bliss, 
        White Sands Missile Range, and Holloman Air Force Base.
            (2) Requirements.--The report required by paragraph (1) 
        shall include the following:
                    (A) An assessment of the adequacy of existing 
                Department facilities in the southern New Mexico and El 
                Paso, Texas, region to address matters that are 
                otherwise addressed by polytrauma rehabilitation 
                centers and polytrauma network sites of the Department.
                    (B) A comparative assessment of the effectiveness 
                of rehabilitation programs for individuals with 
                traumatic brain injuries in urban areas with the 
                effectiveness of such programs for individuals with 
                traumatic brain injuries in rural and frontier 
                communities.
                    (C) An assessment of whether therapies that can 
                prevent or remediate the development of secondary 
                neurologic conditions related to traumatic brain injury 
                can be interrupted by stress caused by living in an 
                urban area.
                    (D) The relation of high cost of living to the 
                recovery of veterans and the impact on their families 
                in comparison to recovery in an area where there is a 
                lower cost of living.
            (3) Locations.--In preparing the report required by 
        paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consider and evaluate 
        various locations for the potential location of a new 
        polytrauma rehabilitation center or polytrauma network site. 
        One location receiving such consideration and evaluation shall 
        be the Fort Bayard Medical Center in Grant County, New Mexico.
            (4) Consultation.--In preparing the report required by 
        paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consult with appropriate 
        State and local government agencies in the southern New Mexico 
        and El Paso, Texas, region.
                                 <all>