[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1799 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1799

     To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for certain 
 requirements relating to the immunization of veterans, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            November 3, 2011

    Mr. Tester (for himself, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Begich, and Mr. Pryor) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for certain 
 requirements relating to the immunization of veterans, 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 ``Access to Appropriate Immunizations 
for Veterans Act of 2011''.

SEC. 2. ENSURING VETERAN ACCESS TO APPROPRIATE IMMUNIZATIONS.

    (a) Inclusion of Recommended Adult Vaccinations as Medical 
Services.--
            (1) Covered benefit.--Subparagraph (F) of section 1701(9) 
        of title 38, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:
                    ``(F) immunizations against infectious diseases, 
                including each immunization on the recommended adult 
                immunization schedule at the time such immunization is 
                indicated on that schedule;''.
            (2) Definition.--Section 1701 of such title is amended by 
        adding after paragraph (9) the following new paragraph:
            ``(10) The term `recommended adult immunization schedule' 
        means the schedule established (and periodically reviewed and, 
        as appropriate, revised) by the Advisory Committee on 
        Immunization Practices established by the Secretary of Health 
        and Human Services and delegated to the Centers for Disease 
        Control and Prevention.''.
    (b) Report to Congress.--Section 1704(1)(A) of such title is 
amended--
            (1) in clause (i), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in clause (ii), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by inserting after clause (ii) the following new 
        clause:
                            ``(iii) to ensure that veterans have 
                        received each immunization on the recommended 
                        adult immunization schedule at the time such 
                        immunization is indicated on that schedule.''.
    (c) Assurance That Administration of Vaccinations Constitutes 
Appropriate Management and Cost-Effective Delivery of Health Care 
Services.--
            (1) In general.--Section 1706(a) of such title is amended--
                    (A) by striking ``In managing the provision'' and 
                inserting ``(1) In managing the provision''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
    ``(2)(A) In managing the provision of medical services under such 
section, the Secretary shall develop and implement quality measures and 
metrics to ensure that veterans receiving medical services under this 
title receive each immunization on the recommended adult immunization 
schedule at the time such immunization is indicated on that schedule.
    ``(B) Quality measures and metrics developed and implemented under 
subparagraph (A) shall include targets for compliance.
    ``(C) The Secretary shall, to the maximum extent feasible, develop 
and implement measures and metrics required by subparagraph (A) 
concurrently and consistently with the metrics in place, as of the date 
of the enactment of this paragraph, with respect to influenza and 
pneumococcal vaccinations.''.
            (2) Report to congress.--Section 1704(1) of such title is 
        amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(H) Statistics related to the quality measures 
                and metrics developed and implemented under section 
                1706(a)(2) of this title.''.
            (3) Effective dates.--
                    (A) Development of initial schedule.--The Secretary 
                shall establish the quality measures and metrics 
                described in paragraph (2) of section 1706(a) of such 
                title, as added by paragraph (1), through notice and 
                comment rulemaking. The Secretary shall publish in the 
                Federal Register proposed measures and metrics by no 
                later than July 1, 2011, and shall finalize such 
                measures and metrics by no later than December 31, 
                2011.
                    (B) Implementation of measures and metrics.--The 
                Secretary shall implement paragraph (2) of such section 
                on January 1, 2012.
                    (C) Report to congress.--Subparagraph (H) of 
                paragraph (1) of section 1704 of such title, as added 
                by paragraph (2), shall apply with respect to the first 
                report submitted under such section after January 1, 
                2012.
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