[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 102 (Tuesday, June 19, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S4041]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2924. Mr. BOOZMAN (for himself, Mr. Blunt, Mrs. McCaskill, Mr. 
Cotton, Mr. Inhofe, and Mr. Lankford) submitted an amendment intended 
to be proposed to amendment SA 2910 proposed by Mr. Shelby to the bill 
H.R. 5895, making appropriations for energy and water development and 
related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of title II of division C, add the following:

     SEC. 2__. PLAN TO AVOID CLINICAL MISTAKES BY EMPLOYEES OF THE 
                   DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS THAT RESULT IN 
                   ADVERSE EVENTS THAT REQUIRE CERTAIN 
                   DISCLOSURES.

       (a) Plan Required.--Not later than 90 days after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs shall submit to the appropriate committees of 
     Congress a plan to reduce the chances that clinical mistakes 
     by employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs will 
     result in adverse events that require institutional or 
     clinical disclosures and to prevent any unnecessary hardship 
     for patients and families impacted by such adverse events.
       (b) Elements.--The plan required by subsection (a) shall 
     include the following:
       (1) A description of a process for the timely 
     identification of individuals impacted by disclosures 
     described in subsection (a) and the process for contacting 
     those individuals or their next of kin.
       (2) A description of procedures for expediting any remedial 
     or follow-up care required for those individuals.
       (3) A detailed outline of proposed changes to the process 
     of the Department for clinical quality checks and oversight.
       (4) A communication plan to ensure all facilities of the 
     Department are made aware of any requirements updated 
     pursuant to the plan.
       (5) A timeline detailing the implementation of the plan.
       (6) An identification of the senior executive of the 
     Department responsible for ensuring compliance with the plan.
       (7) An identification of potential impacts of the plan on 
     timely diagnoses for patients.
       (8) An identification of the processes and procedures for 
     employees of the Department to make leadership at the 
     facility and the Department aware of adverse events that are 
     concerning and that result in disclosures and to ensure that 
     the medical impact on veterans of such disclosures is 
     minimized.
       (c) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this 
     section, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' 
     means--
       (1) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Subcommittee 
     on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related 
     Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; 
     and
       (2) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Subcommittee 
     on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related 
     Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
     Representatives.
                                 ______