[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 172 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 172

     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

                            January 13, 2015

  Mr. Tester 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 2015''.

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 adding at the end 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 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.--
                            (i) In general.--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.
                            (ii) Publication.--The Secretary shall 
                        publish in the Federal Register proposed 
                        measures and metrics by not later than the date 
                        that is 60 days after the date of the enactment 
                        of this Act, and shall finalize such measures 
                        and metrics by not later than the date that is 
                        90 days after such date of enactment.
                    (B) Implementation of measures and metrics.--The 
                Secretary shall implement paragraph (2) of such section 
                on the date that is 180 days after the date of the 
                enactment of this Act.
                    (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 the date that 
                is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this 
                Act.
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