Veterans Pain Management Improvement Act

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Pain Management Improvement 
Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF PAIN MANAGEMENT BOARDS OF DEPARTMENT OF 
              VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter I of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 7309A. Pain management boards
    ``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish in each 
Veterans Integrated Service Network a Pain Management Board (in this 
section referred to as a `Board').
    ``(b) Duties.--(1)(A) Each Board shall provide treatment 
recommendations for patients described in subparagraph (B) with complex 
clinical pain who are being treated at a medical facility of the 
Department located in the Veterans Integrated Service Network covered 
by the Board, regardless of whether such treatment is on an in-patient 
or out-patient basis.
    ``(B) A patient described in this subparagraph is a patient for 
whom a request for treatment recommendations under subparagraph (A) has 
been made by--
            ``(i) the patient;
            ``(ii) the spouse of the patient;
            ``(iii) a family member of the patient or an individual if 
        such family member or individual has been designated by the 
        patient to make health care decisions for the patient or to 
        receive health care information of the patient;
            ``(iv) a physician of the patient; or
            ``(v) an employee of the medical facility of the Department 
        described in such subparagraph.
    ``(2) Based on treatment recommendations developed by the Board 
under paragraph (1)(A), each Board shall provide to health care 
professionals of the Department located in the Veterans Integrated 
Service Network covered by the Board recommendations on the best 
practices regarding pain management in complex clinical pain cases.
    ``(3)(A) Each Board shall annually submit to the Secretary and the 
Under Secretary for Health a report on pain management practices 
carried out in the Veterans Integrated Service Network covered by the 
Board. Such report shall include, for the year covered by the report, 
the following:
            ``(i) The treatment recommendations provided under 
        paragraph (1)(A), including--
                    ``(I) a summary of such recommendations; and
                    ``(II) an explanation of the merits of each such 
                recommendation.
            ``(ii) The recommendations for best practices provided 
        under paragraph (2), including--
                    ``(I) a summary of such recommendations; and
                    ``(II) an explanation of the merits of each such 
                recommendation.
            ``(iii) Any other information the Board determines 
        appropriate.
    ``(B) Not later than January 31 of each year, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
Representatives and the Senate a report that contains each report 
submitted to the Secretary under subparagraph (A) during the previous 
year.
    ``(4) No Board shall not be subject to the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.).
    ``(c) Membership.--(1) Each Board shall consist of a number of 
members determined appropriate by the Secretary who are appointed by 
the Secretary from among individuals who have experience as--
            ``(A) a professional in a field relating to pain 
        management, including as--
                    ``(i) a board certified pain medicine specialist;
                    ``(ii) a trained and qualified primary care pain 
                champion;
                    ``(iii) a pain psychologist;
                    ``(iv) a pain social worker;
                    ``(v) a pain point of contact for a Veterans 
                Integrated Service Network;
                    ``(vi) a psychiatrist with addiction and 
                psychopharmacology expertise and experience; or
                    ``(vii) a health care professional or a mental 
                health care professional;
            ``(B) clinical patients; or
            ``(C) family members of clinical patients.
    ``(2) The Secretary shall determine the terms of service of the 
members.
    ``(3) Members shall serve without pay and, except as provided by 
this paragraph, members who are full-time officers or employees of the 
United States may not receive additional pay, allowances, or benefits 
by reason of their service on the Board. Members may receive travel 
expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence for travel in 
connection with their duties as members of the Board. Any member who 
has clinical duties as an officer or employee of the United States 
shall be relieved of such duties during periods in which such relief is 
necessary for the member to carry out the duties of the Board.
    ``(d) Powers.--(1) Each Board may hold hearings, sit and act at 
times and places, take testimony, and receive evidence as the Board 
determines appropriate.
    ``(2) Each Board may secure directly from any department or agency 
of the Federal Government information necessary to enable it to carry 
out this section.
    ``(3) Each Board may conduct site visits of medical facilities of 
the Department to collect information necessary to enable it to carry 
out this section.
    ``(4) The Secretary shall provide to each Board administrative 
support services necessary for the Board to carry out this section.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
7309 the following new item:

``7309A. Pain management boards.''.
    (c) Report.--Not later than December 1, 2015, the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of 
the House of Representatives and the Senate the approved clinical 
guideline, handbook, directive, policy, or other guidance established 
to govern the stepdown methodologies employed by clinicians in medical 
facilities of the Department to manage the use of opioid therapies and 
associated prescribing practices.

Summary: Veterans Pain Management Improvement Act Directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a Pain Management Board in each Veterans Integrated Service Network. Requires each Board to provide: (1) recommendations for treatment, on an in-patient or out-patient basis, for patients with complex clinical pain for whom a request has been made by the patient, the patient's physician, spouse, family member, or an individual designated by the patient to make health care decisions or receive health care information for the patient, or an employee of the covered VA facility. And (2) recommendations on best practices regarding pain management in complex clinical pain cases to VA health care professionals located in the Network covered by the Board. Requires each Board to annually submit to the VA a report on pain management practices carried out in the covered Network. Directs the VA, by December 1, 2015, to submit to specified congressional committees the approved clinical guideline, handbook, directive, policy, or other guidance established to govern the step-down methodologies employed by clinicians in VA medical facilities to manage the use of opioid therapies and associated prescribing practices.