[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1804 Reported in House (RH)]
Union Calendar No. 167
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1804
[Report No. 113-227]
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress semiannual reports on the cost
of foreign travel made by employees of the Department of Veterans
Affairs.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 26, 2013
Mr. Huelskamp introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs
September 25, 2013
Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House
on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on April
26, 2013]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress semiannual reports on the cost
of foreign travel made by employees of the Department of Veterans
Affairs.
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 Accountability Act of
2013''.
SEC. 2. SEMIANNUAL REPORTS TO CONGRESS ON COST OF CERTAIN TRAVEL.
(a) In General.--Subchapter I of chapter 5 of title 38, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 518. Semiannual reports to Congress on cost of certain travel
``(a) Semiannual Reports.--Not later than June 30, 2014, and not
later than 60 days after each 180-day period thereafter, the Secretary
shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate a
semiannual report on covered travel made during the 180-day period
covered by the report.
``(b) Matters Included.--Each report under subsection (a) shall
include the following:
``(1) With respect to each instance of covered travel made
during the period covered by the report--
``(A) the purpose of such travel;
``(B) the destination;
``(C) the name and title of each employee included
on such travel;
``(D) the duration of such travel;
``(E) the total cost to the Department of such
travel; and
``(F) with respect to covered travel described in
subsection (d)(2), the identity of the person or entity
that paid or reimbursed for such travel.
``(2) The final costs to the Department with respect to all
covered travel made during the period covered by the report,
including costs relating to--
``(A) transportation, including fares for travel by
air, rail, bus, ferry, cruise ship, taxi, mass transit,
or other mode of transportation;
``(B) expenses or reimbursements relating to
operating and maintaining a car, including the costs of
fuel and mileage;
``(C) passport and visa fees;
``(D) lodging;
``(E) per diem payments;
``(F) baggage charges;
``(G) computer rental fees;
``(H) rental of halls, auditoriums, or other
spaces;
``(I) entertainment;
``(J) contractors;
``(K) registration fees; and
``(L) promotional items.
``(c) Duplicative Information.--Each report under subsection (a)
shall include the information described in subsection (b) regardless of
whether such information is also included in a report under section 517
of this title.
``(d) Covered Travel Defined.--In this section, the term `covered
travel' means travel made by an employee of the Department of Veterans
Affairs, including an employee who is stationed in a foreign country,
on official business to any of the following locations:
``(1) If the Department or other element of the Federal
Government pays for such travel, a location outside of--
``(A) the several States;
``(B) the District of Columbia;
``(C) a territory, commonwealth, or possession of
the United States;
``(D) Indian lands (as defined in section 4(4) of
the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2703(4)));
or
``(E) the territorial waters of the United States.
``(2) If any person or entity other than the Federal
Government pays (or reimburses) for such travel, any location,
regardless of whether the location is inside or outside of the
United States.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of
such chapter is amended by adding after the item relating to section
517 the following new item:
``518. Semiannual reports to Congress on cost of certain travel.''.
SEC. 3. REPORT OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE AT MEDICAL FACILITIES OF
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) In General.--Section 7311 of title 38, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(f)(1) The Secretary shall report to the appropriate entity each
case of a notifiable infectious disease or condition that is diagnosed
at a medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs in
accordance with the laws of the State in which the facility is located.
``(2) In addition to reporting each case of a notifiable infectious
disease or condition at a medical facility of the Department pursuant
to paragraph (1), the Secretary shall report each such case that is
classified as a health-care-associated infection sentinel event to the
accrediting organization of such facility.
``(3)(A) If the Secretary fails to report a case of a notifiable
infectious disease or condition at a medical facility of the Department
in accordance with State law pursuant to paragraph (1), the Secretary
shall--
``(i) take any remedial action required under the laws of
the State to correct such failure; and
``(ii) if the Secretary does not correct such failure
pursuant to clause (i), pay to the State an amount equal to the
amount that a medical facility not owned by the Federal
Government that is located in the same State would pay as a
penalty to such State for such failure.
``(B) The State may file a civil action against the Secretary in
the United States district court for the district in which the medical
facility is located to recover from the United States the amount
described in subparagraph (A)(ii).
``(C) A civil action under subparagraph (B) may not be commenced
later than two years after the cause of action accrues.
``(4)(A) In any case in which the Inspector General of the
Department suspects that a director of a Veterans Integrated Service
Network has failed to comply with an applicable provision of this
subsection, the Inspector General shall conduct an investigation to
determine whether such director failed to comply with an applicable
provision of this section.
``(B) If the Inspector General determines under subparagraph (A)
that a director has failed to comply with a provision of this
subsection, the Secretary shall suspend such director for such period
as the Secretary considers appropriate under subchapter I or subchapter
II of chapter 75 of title 5, as the case may be. In addition to such
suspension, the Secretary may impose such other administrative
disciplinary action on the director as the Secretary considers
appropriate and for which the Secretary is otherwise authorized.
``(5) The Secretary shall--
``(A) maintain records of each notifiable infectious
disease or condition reported pursuant to paragraph (1); and
``(B) submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the
House of Representatives and the Senate a notification of each
such notifiable infectious disease or condition.
``(6) In this subsection, the term `notifiable infectious disease
or condition' means any infectious disease or condition that is--
``(A) on the list of nationally notifiable diseases or
conditions published by the Council of State and Territorial
Epidemiologists and the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention; or
``(B) covered by a provision of law of a State that
requires the reporting of infectious diseases or conditions.''.
(b) Effective Date.--The reporting requirement under section
7311(f) of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a),
shall apply with respect to a case of a notifiable infectious disease
or condition diagnosed at a medical facility of the Department of
Veterans Affairs on or after the date that is 60 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 4. PROHIBITION OF VISUAL RECORDING WITHOUT INFORMED CONSENT.
Section 7331 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by striking ``The Secretary, upon'' and inserting ``(a)
In General.--The Secretary, upon''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(b) Visual Recording.--(1) The Secretary shall prescribe
regulations establishing procedures to ensure that, except as provided
by paragraph (2), any visual recording made by the Secretary of a
patient during the course of furnishing care under this title is
carried out only with the full and informed consent of the patient or,
in appropriate cases, a representative thereof.
``(2) The Secretary may waive the requirement for informed consent
under paragraph (1) with respect to the visual recording of a patient
if such recording is made--
``(A) pursuant to a determination by a physician or
psychologist that such recording is medically necessary or
necessary for the safety of the patient;
``(B) pursuant to a warrant or order of a court of
competent jurisdiction; or
``(C) in a public setting where a person would not have a
reasonable expectation to privacy, such as a waiting room or
hallway, and such recording is for general security purposes
not particularized to the patient.
``(3) In this subsection, the term `visual recording' means the
recording or transmission of images or video, but does not include--
``(A) medical imaging, including such imaging produced by
radiographic procedures, nuclear medicine, endoscopy,
ultrasound, or other similar procedures; or
``(B) images, video, and other clinical information
transmitted for the purposes of providing treatment through
telehealth and telemedicine technologies.''.
Amend the title so as to read: ``A bill to amend title 38,
United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
to submit to Congress semiannual reports on the cost of certain
travel made by employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs,
and for other purposes.''.
Union Calendar No. 167
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1804
[Report No. 113-227]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress semiannual reports on the cost
of foreign travel made by employees of the Department of Veterans
Affairs.
_______________________________________________________________________
September 25, 2013
Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House
on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed