II 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1411 

To specify requirements for the next update of the current strategic plan 

for the Office of Rural Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs 

for improving access to, and the quality of, health care services for 

veterans in rural areas. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 31, 2013 

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

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To specify requirements for the next update of the current 

strategic plan for the Office of Rural Health of the 

Department of Veterans Affairs for improving access 

to, and the quality of, health care services for veterans 

in rural areas. 

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 ‘‘Rural Veterans Health 

5 Care Improvement Act of 2013’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. REQUIREMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH NEXT UP2 DATE OF CURRENT STRATEGIC PLAN FOR OF3 FICE OF RURAL HEALTH OF THE DEPART4 MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

5 (a) REQUIREMENTS.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—The first update of the Stra7 tegic Plan Refresh for Fiscal Years 2012 through 

8 2014 of the Office of Rural Health of the Depart9 ment of Veterans Affairs after the date of the enact10 ment of this Act, whether an update or refresh of 

11 such Strategic Plan Refresh or a strategic plan to 

12 supersede such Strategic Plan Refresh, shall be pre13 pared in accordance with this section. 

14 (2) CONSULTATION.—The Director of the Of15 fice of Rural Health shall prepare the update in con16 sultation with the following: 

17 (A) The Director of the Health Care Re18 tention and Recruitment Office of the Depart19 ment. 

20 (B) The Director of the Office of Quality 

21 and Performance of the Department. 

22 (C) The Director of the Office of Care Co23 ordination Services of the Department. 

24 (b) ELEMENTS.—The update described in subsection 

25 (a) shall include, for the period covered by the update, 

26 the following: 


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1 (1) Goals and objectives for the recruitment 

2 and retention by the Veterans Health Administra3 tion of health care personnel in rural areas. 

4 (2) Goals and objectives for ensuring timeliness 

5 and improving quality in the delivery of health care 

6 services by the Veterans Health Administration in 

7 rural areas through contract and fee-basis providers. 

8 (3) Goals and objectives for the implementation, 

9 expansion, and enhanced use of telemedicine services 

10 by the Veterans Health Administration in rural 

11 areas, including through coordination with other ap12 propriate offices of the Department. 

13 (4) Goals and objectives for ensuring the full 

14 and effective use of mobile outpatient clinics by the 

15 Veterans Health Administration for the provision of 

16 health care services in rural areas, including goals 

17 and objectives for the use of such clinics on a fully 

18 mobile basis and for encouraging health care pro19 viders who provide services through such clinics to 

20 do so in rural areas. 

21 (5) Procedures for soliciting from each Vet22 erans Health Administration facility that serves a 

23 rural area the following: 

24 (A) A statement of the clinical capacity of 

25 such facility. 


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1 (B) The procedures of such facility in the 

2 event of a medical, surgical, or mental health 

3 emergency outside the scope of the clinical ca4 pacity of such facility. 

5 (C) The procedures and mechanisms of 

6 such facility for the provision and coordination 

7 of health care for women veterans, including 

8 procedures and mechanisms for coordination 

9 with local hospitals and health care facilities, 

10 oversight of primary care and fee-basis care, 

11 and management of specialty care. 

12 (6) Goals and objectives for the modification of 

13 the funding allocation mechanisms of the Office of 

14 Rural Health in order to ensure that the Office dis15 tributes funds to components of the Department to 

16 best achieve the goals and objectives of the Office 

17 and in a timely manner. 

18 (7) Goals and objectives for the coordination of, 

19 and sharing of resources with respect to, the provi20 sion of health care services to veterans in rural areas 

21 between the Department of Veterans Affairs, the 

22 Department of Defense, the Indian Health Service 

23 of the Department of Health and Human Services, 

24 and other Federal agencies, as appropriate and pru25 dent. 


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1 (8) Specific milestones for the achievement of 

2 the goals and objectives developed for the update. 

3 (9) Procedures for ensuring the effective imple4 mentation of the update. 

5 (c) TRANSMITTAL TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 90 

6 days after the date of the issuance of the update described 

7 in subsection (a), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 

8 transmit the update to Congress, together with such com9 ments and recommendations in connection with the update 

10 as the Secretary considers appropriate. 

Æ 


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