[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4276 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4276
To extend and modify a pilot program on assisted living services for
veterans with traumatic brain injury.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 18, 2014
Mr. Cassidy (for himself and Mr. McCarthy of California) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To extend and modify a pilot program on assisted living services for
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 ``Veterans Traumatic Brain Injury Care
Improvement Act of 2014''.
SEC. 2. EXTENSION AND MODIFICATION OF PILOT PROGRAM ON ASSISTED LIVING
SERVICES FOR VETERANS WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY.
(a) Extension of Program.--Subsection (a) of section 1705 of the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law
110-181; 38 U.S.C. 1710C note) is amended by striking ``a five-year''
and inserting ``an eight-year''.
(b) Modification of Locations.--Subsection (b) of such section is
amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and
(2) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following
new paragraphs:
``(1) In general.--The pilot program shall be carried out
at locations selected by the Secretary for purposes of the
pilot program.
``(2) Located in same region as polytrauma centers.--Of the
locations selected under paragraph (1), at least one location
shall be in each health care region of the Veterans Health
Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs that
contains a polytrauma center of the Department of Veterans
Affairs.''.
(c) Modification of Report Requirements.--Subsection (e) of such
section is amended to read as follows:
``(e) Reports.--
``(1) Quarterly reports.--
``(A) In general.--During each 90-day period
occurring during the period beginning January 1, 2016,
and ending January 1, 2018, the Secretary shall submit
to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate
and the House of Representatives a report on the pilot
program.
``(B) Elements.--Each report submitted under
subparagraph (A) shall include the following:
``(i) The number of individuals that
participated in the pilot program during the
quarter preceding the submission of the report.
``(ii) The number of individuals that
successfully completed the pilot program during
the quarter preceding the submission of the
report.
``(iii) The degree to which pilot program
participants and family members of pilot
program participants were satisfied with the
pilot program.
``(iv) The interim findings and conclusions
of the Secretary with respect to the success of
the pilot program and recommendations for
improvement.
``(2) Final report.--
``(A) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the
completion of the pilot program, the Secretary shall
submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the
Senate and the House of Representatives a final report
on the pilot program.
``(B) Elements.--The final report required by
subparagraph (A) shall include the following:
``(i) A description of the pilot program.
``(ii) An assessment of the utility of the
activities under the pilot program in enhancing
the rehabilitation, quality of life, and
community reintegration of veterans with
traumatic brain injury, including complex mild
traumatic brain injury.
``(iii) An evaluation of the pilot program
in light of independent living programs carried
out by the Secretary under title 38, United
States Code, including--
``(I) whether the pilot program
duplicates services provided under such
independent living programs;
``(II) the ways in which the pilot
program provides different services;
``(III) how the pilot program could
be better defined or shaped; and
``(IV) whether the pilot program
should be incorporated into such
independent living programs.
``(iv) Such recommendations as the
Secretary considers appropriate regarding
improving the pilot program.''.
(d) Modification of Definitions.--
(1) Community-based brain injury residential rehabilitative
care services.--Such section is further amended--
(A) in the section heading, by striking ``assisted
living'' and inserting ``community-based brain injury
residential rehabilitative care'';
(B) in subsection (c), in the subsection heading,
by striking ``Assisted Living'' and inserting
``Community-Based Brain Injury Residential
Rehabilitative Care'';
(C) by striking ``assisted living'' each place it
appears, and inserting ``community-based brain injury
rehabilitative care''; and
(D) in subsection (f)(1), by striking ``and
personal care'' and inserting ``rehabilitation, and
personal care''.
(2) Eligible veteran.--Subsection (f)(3) of such section is
amended--
(A) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``; and'' and
inserting a semicolon;
(B) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at
the end and inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following new
subparagraph:
``(E) has a traumatic brain injury that is
classified as complex-mild to severe.''.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year
2015 $46,000,000 to carry out the pilot program under section 1705 of
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law
110-181; 38 U.S.C. 1710C note), as amended by this section. The amount
so authorized to be appropriated shall be available for obligation for
the three-year period beginning on October 1, 2014.
(f) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take
effect on October 1, 2014.
SEC. 3. IMPROVEMENTS TO RECOVERY BY UNITED STATES OF COST OF CERTAIN
CARE AND SERVICES PROVIDED BY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS.
Section 1729(h) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by
adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(4)(A) Notwithstanding paragraph (3) or section 7332 of this
title, the Secretary may make available to third parties medical
records of a veteran described in paragraph (2) without the written
consent of the veteran if--
``(i) the care or services furnished to the veteran for
which recovery or collection is sought under this section
relates to drug abuse, alcoholism or alcohol abuse, infection
with the human immunodeficiency virus, or sickle cell anemia;
and
``(ii) by not later than 30 days after receiving such care
or services, the Secretary does not receive from the veteran a
notification described in subparagraph (B).
``(B) A notification described in this subparagraph is a
notification by a veteran that the veteran does not consent to a
disclosure of medical records of the veteran under subparagraph (A).''.
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