II 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 832 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out pilot programs 

on furnishing case management services and assisted living to children 

of Vietnam veterans and certain Korea service veterans born with spina 

bifida and children of women Vietnam veterans born with certain birth 

defects, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 25, 2013 

Mr. DONNELLY introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out 

pilot programs on furnishing case management services 

and assisted living to children of Vietnam veterans and 

certain Korea service veterans born with spina bifida 

and children of women Vietnam veterans born with certain birth defects, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Improving the Lives 

5 of Children with Spina Bifida Act of 2013’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON FURNISHING CASE MANAGE2 MENT SERVICES TO CHILDREN OF VIETNAM 

3 VETERANS AND CERTAIN KOREA SERVICE 

4 VETERANS BORN WITH SPINA BIFIDA AND 

5 CHILDREN OF WOMEN VIETNAM VETERANS 

6 BORN WITH CERTAIN BIRTH DEFECTS. 

7 (a) PILOT PROGRAM.—Commencing not later than 

8 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 

9 Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out a pilot pro10 gram to assess the feasibility and advisability of furnishing 

11 to covered individuals case management services under a 

12 national contract with a third party entity. 

13 (b) COVERED INDIVIDUALS.—For purposes of this 

14 section, a covered individual is any individual who— 

15 (1) is entitled to health care or other benefits 

16 under chapter 18 of title 38, United States Code; 

17 and 

18 (2) lives in a rural area and does not have ac19 cess to case management services at the Department 

20 of Veterans Affairs or otherwise. 

21 (c) DURATION.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—Except as otherwise pro23 vided in this subsection, the pilot program shall be 

24 carried out during the three-year period beginning 

25 on the date of the commencement of the pilot pro26 gram. 


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1 (2) CONTINUATION.—Subject to paragraph (3), 

2 the Secretary may continue the pilot program for an 

3 additional two-year period as the Secretary considers 

4 appropriate. 

5 (3) TERMINATION.—The pilot program may not 

6 operate after the date that is five years after the 

7 date of the commencement of the pilot program. 

8 (d) LOCATIONS.—The Secretary shall select locations 

9 in which to carry out the pilot program from among loca10 tions that the Secretary considers rural and where individ11 uals who reside in such locations lack access to com12 prehensive case management services through the Depart13 ment or otherwise. 

14 (e) SCOPE OF SERVICES.—Under the pilot program, 

15 the Secretary shall provide covered individuals with inte16 grated, comprehensive services, including the following: 

17 (1) Coordination and management of needed 

18 health care, monetary, and general care services au19 thorized under chapter 18 of title 38, United States 

20 Code. 

21 (2) Transportation services. 

22 (3) Such other services as the Secretary con23 siders appropriate for the care of covered individuals 

24 under the pilot program. 


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1 (f) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out the 

2 pilot program, the Secretary shall— 

3 (1) inform all covered individuals of the services 

4 available under the pilot program; 

5 (2) enter into contracts with appropriate third 

6 party entities for the provision of case management 

7 services under the pilot program; and 

8 (3) determine the appropriate number of cov9 ered individuals to be enrolled in the pilot program 

10 and criteria for such enrollment. 

11 (g) REPORTS.— 

12 (1) PRELIMINARY REPORTS.— 

13 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year 

14 after the date of the commencement of the pilot 

15 program and, if the pilot program is continued 

16 under subsection (c)(2), not later than three 

17 years after the date of the commencement of 

18 the pilot program, the Secretary shall submit to 

19 the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Sen20 ate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of 

21 the House of Representatives a report on the 

22 pilot program. 

23 (B) CONTENTS.—Each report submitted 

24 under subparagraph (A) shall include the fol25 lowing: 


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1 (i) A description of the implementa2 tion and operation of the pilot program. 

3 (ii) The number of covered individuals 

4 receiving benefits under the pilot program. 

5 (iii) An analysis of the costs and bene6 fits under the pilot program. 

7 (iv) An assessment of the utilization 

8 of case management under the pilot pro9 gram. 

10 (v) The findings and conclusions of 

11 the Secretary with respect to the pilot pro12 gram. 

13 (vi) Such recommendations for the 

14 continuation or expansion of the pilot pro15 gram as the Secretary may have. 

16 (2) FINAL REPORT.— 

17 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 

18 days after the completion of the pilot program, 

19 the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on 

20 Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Com21 mittee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of 

22 Representatives a report on the pilot program. 

23 (B) CONTENTS.—The report submitted 

24 subparagraph (A) shall include the following: 


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1 (i) The findings and conclusions of 

2 the Secretary with respect to the pilot pro3 gram. 

4 (ii) Such recommendations for the 

5 continuation or expansion of the pilot pro6 gram as the Secretary may have. 

7 (h) FUNDING.—Amounts to carry out the pilot pro8 gram shall be derived from amounts appropriated or oth9 erwise made available before the date of the enactment 

10 of this Act for the furnishing of care and case manage11 ment under chapter 18 of title 38, United States Code. 

12 SEC. 3. PILOT PROGRAM ON FURNISHING ASSISTED LIVING 

13 TO CHILDREN OF VIETNAM VETERANS AND 

14 CERTAIN KOREA SERVICE VETERANS BORN 

15 WITH SPINA BIFIDA AND CHILDREN OF 

16 WOMEN VIETNAM VETERANS BORN WITH 

17 CERTAIN BIRTH DEFECTS. 

18 (a) PILOT PROGRAM.—Commencing not later than 

19 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 

20 Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out a pilot pro21 gram to assess the feasibility and advisability of providing 

22 assisted living, group home care, or similar services in lieu 

23 of nursing home care to covered individuals. 

24 (b) COVERED INDIVIDUALS.—For purposes of this 

25 section, a covered individual is any individual who is entiVerDate Mar 15 2010 17:41 May 01, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S832.IS S832

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1 tled to health care or other benefits under chapter 18 of 

2 title 38, United States Code. 

3 (c) DURATION.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—Except as otherwise pro5 vided in this subsection, the pilot program shall be 

6 carried out during the three-year period beginning 

7 on the date of the commencement of the pilot pro8 gram. 

9 (2) CONTINUATION.—Subject to paragraph (3), 

10 the Secretary may continue the pilot program for an 

11 additional two-year period as the Secretary considers 

12 appropriate. 

13 (3) TERMINATION.—The pilot program may not 

14 operate after the date that is five years after the 

15 date of the commencement of the pilot program. 

16 (d) SCOPE OF SERVICES AND PILOT PROGRAM.— 

17 Under the pilot program, the Secretary shall provide cov18 ered individuals with integrated, comprehensive services, 

19 including the following: 

20 (1) Assisted living, group home care, or such 

21 other similar services as the Secretary considers ap22 propriate. 

23 (2) Transportation services. 


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1 (3) Such other services as the Secretary con2 siders appropriate for the care of covered individuals 

3 under the pilot program. 

4 (e) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out the 

5 pilot program, the Secretary shall— 

6 (1) inform all covered individuals of the services 

7 available under the pilot program; 

8 (2) consider entering into an agreement with 

9 appropriate providers of assisted living, group home 

10 care, or other similar services for provision of serv11 ices under the pilot program; and 

12 (3) determine the appropriate number of cov13 ered individuals to be enrolled in the pilot program 

14 and criteria for such enrollment. 

15 (f) REPORTS.— 

16 (1) PRELIMINARY REPORTS.— 

17 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year 

18 after the date of the commencement of the pilot 

19 program and, if the pilot program is continued 

20 under subsection (c)(2), not later than three 

21 years after the date of the commencement of 

22 the pilot program, the Secretary shall submit to 

23 the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Sen24 ate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of 


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1 the House of Representatives a report on the 

2 pilot program. 

3 (B) CONTENTS.—Each report submitted 

4 under subparagraph (A) shall include the fol5 lowing: 

6 (i) A description of the implementa7 tion and operation of the pilot program. 

8 (ii) The number of covered individuals 

9 receiving benefits under the pilot program. 

10 (iii) An analysis that compares the 

11 costs of furnishing assisted living, group 

12 home care, or similar service with the costs 

13 of furnishing nursing home care. 

14 (iv) An analysis of the costs and bene15 fits under the pilot program. 

16 (v) The findings and conclusions of 

17 the Secretary with respect to the pilot pro18 gram. 

19 (vi) Such recommendations for the 

20 continuation or expansion of the pilot pro21 gram as the Secretary may have. 

22 (2) FINAL REPORT.— 

23 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 

24 days after the completion of the pilot program, 

25 the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on 


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1 Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Com2 mittee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of 

3 Representatives a report on the pilot program. 

4 (B) CONTENTS.—The report submitted 

5 subparagraph (A) shall include the following: 

6 (i) The findings and conclusions of 

7 the Secretary with respect to the pilot pro8 gram. 

9 (ii) Such recommendations for the 

10 continuation or expansion of the pilot pro11 gram as the Secretary may have. 

12 (g) FUNDING.—Amounts to carry out the pilot pro13 gram shall be derived from amounts appropriated or oth14 erwise made available before the date of the enactment 

15 of this Act for the furnishing of nursing home care under 

16 chapter 18 of title 38, United States Code. 

Æ 


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