I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1546 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans 

Affairs to establish the Committee on Care of Veterans with Traumatic 

Brain Injury. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 17, 2009 

Mr. MCNERNEY (for himself and Mr. BOOZMAN) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish the Committee 

on Care of Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Caring for Veterans 

5 with Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 2009’’. 

6 SEC. 2. COMMITTEE ON CARE OF VETERANS WITH TRAU7 MATIC BRAIN INJURY. 

8 (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMITTEE.—Subchapter 

9 II of chapter 73 of title 38, United States Code, is amendVerDate Nov 24 2008 06:02 Mar 18, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1546.IH H1546

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1 ed by inserting after section 7321 the following new sec2 tion: 

3 ‘‘§ 7321A. Committee on Care of Veterans with Trau4 matic Brain Injury 

5 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall estab6 lish in the Veterans Health Administration a committee 

7 to be known as the ‘Committee on Care of Veterans with 

8 Traumatic Brain Injury’. The Under Secretary for Health 

9 shall appoint employees of the Department with expertise 

10 in the care of veterans with traumatic brain injury to serve 

11 on the committee. 

12 ‘‘(b) RESPONSIBILITIES OF COMMITTEE.—The com13 mittee shall assess, and carry out a continuing assessment 

14 of, the capability of the Veterans Health Administration 

15 to meet effectively the treatment and rehabilitation needs 

16 of veterans with traumatic brain injury. In carrying out 

17 that responsibility, the committee shall— 

18 ‘‘(1) evaluate the care provided to such veterans 

19 through the Veterans Health Administration; 

20 ‘‘(2) identify systemwide problems in caring for 

21 such veterans in facilities of the Veterans Health 

22 Administration; 

23 ‘‘(3) identify specific facilities within the Vet24 erans Health Administration at which program enVerDate Nov 24 2008 06:02 Mar 18, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1546.IH H1546

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1 richment is needed to improve treatment and reha2 bilitation of such veterans; and 

3 ‘‘(4) identify model programs which the com4 mittee considers to have been successful in the treat5 ment and rehabilitation of such veterans and which 

6 should be implemented more widely in or through fa7 cilities of the Veterans Health Administration. 

8 ‘‘(c) ADVICE AND RECOMMENDATIONS.—The com9 mittee shall— 

10 ‘‘(1) advise the Under Secretary regarding the 

11 development of policies for the care and rehabilita12 tion of veterans with traumatic brain injury; and 

13 ‘‘(2) make recommendations to the Under Sec14 retary— 

15 ‘‘(A) for improving programs of care of 

16 such veterans at specific facilities and through17 out the Veterans Health Administration; 

18 ‘‘(B) for establishing special programs of 

19 education and training relevant to the care of 

20 such veterans for employees of the Veterans 

21 Health Administration; 

22 ‘‘(C) regarding research needs and prior23 ities relevant to the care of such veterans; and 

24 ‘‘(D) regarding the appropriate allocation 

25 of resources for all such activities. 


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1 ‘‘(d) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than June 1 of 

2 2010, and each subsequent year, the Secretary shall sub3 mit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate 

4 and House of Representatives a report on the implementa5 tion of this section. Each such report shall include the fol6 lowing for the calendar year preceding the year in which 

7 the report is submitted: 

8 ‘‘(1) A list of the members of the committee. 

9 ‘‘(2) The assessment of the Under Secretary for 

10 Health, after review of the initial findings of the 

11 committee, regarding the capability of the Veterans 

12 Health Administration, on a systemwide and facility13 by-facility basis, to meet effectively the treatment 

14 and rehabilitation needs of veterans with traumatic 

15 brain injury. 

16 ‘‘(3) The plans of the committee for further as17 sessments. 

18 ‘‘(4) The findings and recommendations made 

19 by the committee to the Under Secretary for Health 

20 and the views of the Under Secretary on such find21 ings and recommendations. 

22 ‘‘(5) A description of the steps taken, plans 

23 made (and a timetable for the execution of such 

24 plans), and resources to be applied toward improving 

25 the capability of the Veterans Health Administration 


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1 to meet effectively the treatment and rehabilitation 

2 needs of veterans with traumatic brain injury.’’. 

3 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

4 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 

5 after the item relating to section 7321 the following new 

6 item: 

‘‘7321A. Committee on Care of Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury.’’. 

Æ 


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