[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 120 (Tuesday, June 30, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4079-S4080]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               ENSURING QUALITY CARE FOR OUR VETERANS ACT

  Mr. PERDUE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 422, S. 123.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 123) to require the Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs to enter into a contract or other agreement with a 
     third party to review appointees in the Veterans Health 
     Administration who had a license terminated for cause by a 
     State licensing board for care or services rendered at a non-
     Veterans Health Administration facility and to provide 
     individuals treated by such an appointee with notice if it is 
     determined that an episode of care or services to which they 
     received was below the standard of care, and for other 
     purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill, 
which had been reported from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  Mr. PERDUE. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read 
a

[[Page S4080]]

third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered 
made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 123) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, 
was read the third time, and passed, as follows

                                 S. 123

       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 ``Ensuring Quality Care for 
     Our Veterans Act''.

     SEC. 2. THIRD PARTY REVIEW OF APPOINTEES IN VETERANS HEALTH 
                   ADMINISTRATION WHO HAD A LICENSE TERMINATED FOR 
                   CAUSE AND NOTICE TO INDIVIDUALS TREATED BY 
                   THOSE APPOINTEES IF DETERMINED THAT AN EPISODE 
                   OF CARE OR SERVICES TO WHICH THEY RECEIVED WAS 
                   BELOW THE STANDARD OF CARE.

       (a) Third Party Review.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
     shall enter into a contract or other agreement with an 
     organization that is not part of the Federal Government to 
     conduct a clinical review for quality management of hospital 
     care or medical services furnished by covered providers.
       (2) Qualifications.--The Secretary shall ensure that each 
     review of a covered provider under this subsection is 
     performed by an individual who is licensed in the same 
     specialty as the covered provider.
       (b) Notice to Patients Treated by Covered Providers.--With 
     respect to hospital care or medical services furnished by a 
     covered provider under the laws administered by the 
     Secretary, if a clinical review for quality management under 
     subsection (a) determines that the standard of care was not 
     met during an episode of care, the Secretary shall notify the 
     individual who received such care or services from the 
     covered provider as described in applicable policy of the 
     Veterans Heath Administration.
       (c) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Covered provider.--The term ``covered provider'' means 
     an individual who--
       (A) was appointed to the Veterans Health Administration 
     under section 7401 of title 38, United States Code; and
       (B) had a license terminated for cause by a State licensing 
     board for hospital care or medical services provided in a 
     facility that is not a facility of the Veterans Health 
     Administration.
       (2) Hospital care or medical services.--The terms 
     ``hospital care'' and ``medical services'' have the meanings 
     given those terms in section 1701 of title 38, United States 
     Code.

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