[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4009 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4009

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
  Veterans Affairs to offer annual preventative health evaluations to 
 veterans with a spinal cord injury or disorder and increase access to 
            assistive technologies, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 21, 2024

 Mr. Moran (for himself and 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 direct the Secretary of 
  Veterans Affairs to offer annual preventative health evaluations to 
 veterans with a spinal cord injury or disorder and increase access to 
            assistive technologies, 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 ``Veterans Spinal Trauma Access to New 
Devices Act'' or the ``Veterans STAND Act''.

SEC. 2. PROVISION OF PREVENTATIVE HEALTH EVALUATIONS FOR VETERANS WITH 
              A SPINAL CORD INJURY OR DISORDER.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 17 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1712C the following 
new section:
``Sec. 1713. Preventative health evaluations for veterans with a spinal 
              cord injury or disorder
    ``(a) Health Evaluations.--The Secretary shall furnish (through 
direct provision of service, referral, or a telehealth program operated 
by the Department) a preventative health evaluation annually to any 
veteran with a spinal cord injury or disorder who elects to undergo the 
evaluation.
    ``(b) Assessments.--The evaluation described in subsection (a) 
shall include the following:
            ``(1) An assessment of any circumstance or condition the 
        veteran is experiencing that indicates a risk for any health 
        complication related to a spinal cord injury or disorder, 
        including a risk of comorbidities.
            ``(2) An assessment regarding chronic pain and, if 
        applicable, the management of chronic pain.
            ``(3) An assessment regarding dietary management and weight 
        management.
            ``(4) An assessment regarding prosthetic equipment, 
        including which prosthetic equipment the veteran needs, how 
        well any existing prosthetic equipment is functioning 
        considering the needs of the veteran, and any safety concerns 
        regarding the prosthetic equipment in use by or recommended to 
        the veteran.
            ``(5) An assessment for the provision of any assistive 
        technology that could help maximize the independence and 
        mobility of the veteran.
    ``(c) Consultation.--
            ``(1) Spinal cord injury and disorder program managers.--In 
        maintaining, prescribing, or amending any guidance, rules, or 
        regulations issued by the Department regarding the requirements 
        set out in this section, the Secretary shall consult with the 
        spinal cord injury and disorder program managers of the 
        Department, clinicians employed by the Department as 
        specialists in spinal cord injuries and disorders, and the 
        organizations named in or approved under section 5902 of this 
        title.
            ``(2) Manufacturers and other entities.--In issuing any 
        guidance, rules, or regulations regarding the requirements set 
        out in this section, the Secretary may consult with 
        manufacturers of assistive technologies and other entities 
        relevant to the provision of assistive technologies if the 
        guidance, rules, or regulations would directly affect such 
        manufacturers or entities.
    ``(d) Information on Evaluation.--The Secretary shall ensure, to 
the extent possible, that any veteran known by the Secretary to have a 
spinal cord injury or disorder receives information annually about the 
evaluation available under this section and the benefits to the veteran 
of choosing to undergo the evaluation.
    ``(e) Use of Evaluation in Performance Reviews.--In reviewing the 
performance metrics of a Veterans Integrated Service Network for any 
year beginning after the date that is one year after the date of the 
enactment of the Veterans Spinal Trauma Access to New Devices Act, the 
Secretary shall consider the provision of evaluations under this 
section.
    ``(f) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of the Veterans Spinal Trauma Access to New Devices Act, and 
every two years thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee 
on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' 
Affairs of the House of Representatives a report that includes the 
following:
            ``(1) For the period covered by the report--
                    ``(A) the number of veterans who received hospital 
                care or medical services from the Department and used 
                an assistive technology;
                    ``(B) the number of veterans who received hospital 
                care or medical services from the Department and were 
                assessed for the provision of an assistive technology; 
                and
                    ``(C) the number of veterans who received hospital 
                care or medical services from the Department and were 
                prescribed an assistive technology.
            ``(2) For the two-year period immediately prior to year the 
        report is submitted, the year-to-year change in the percentage 
        of veterans with a spinal cord injury or disorder who received 
        an evaluation under this section.
    ``(g) Assistive Technology Defined.--In this section, the term 
`assistive technology' means a powered medical device or electronic 
tool used to treat or alleviate symptoms or conditions caused by a 
spinal cord injury or disorder, including the following:
            ``(1) A personal mobility device, including a powered 
        exoskeleton device.
            ``(2) A speech generating device.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 17 of such title is amended by inserting after the item 
relating to section 1712C the following new item:

``1713. Preventative health evaluations for veterans with a spinal cord 
                            injury or disorder.''.
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