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104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 548

To provide quality standards for mammograms performed by the Department

of Veterans Affairs.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

MARCH 14 (legislative day, MARCH 6), 1995

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

referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

A BILL

To provide quality standards for mammograms performed

by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

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 ‘‘Women Veterans’

5 Mammography Quality Standards Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. MAMMOGRAPHY QUALITY STANDARDS.

7 (a) PERFORMANCE OF MAMMOGRAMS.—Mammo8 grams may not be performed at a Department of Veterans

9 Affairs facility unless that facility is accredited for that

10 purpose by a private nonprofit organization designated by
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1 the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. The organization des2 ignated by the Secretary under this subsection shall meet

3 the standards for accrediting bodies established by the

4 Secretary of Health and Human Services under section

5 354(e) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.

6 263b(e)).

7 (b) QUALITY STANDARDS.—(1) Not later than 120

8 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec9 retary of Veterans Affairs shall prescribe quality assur10 ance and quality control standards relating to the per11 formance and interpretation of mammograms and use of

12 mammogram equipment and facilities by personnel of the

13 Department of Veterans Affairs. Such standards shall be

14 no less stringent than the standards prescribed by the Sec15 retary of Health and Human Services under section 354(f)

16 of the Public Health Service Act.

17 (2) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall prescribe

18 standards under this subsection in consultation with the

19 Secretary of Health and Human Services.

20 (c) INSPECTION OF DEPARTMENT EQUIPMENT.—(1)

21 The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall, on an annual

22 basis, inspect the equipment and facilities utilized by and

23 in Department of Veterans Affairs health-care facilities

24 for the performance of mammograms in order to ensure

25 the compliance of such equipment and facilities with the
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1 standards prescribed under subsection (b). Such inspec2 tion shall be carried out in a manner consistent with the

3 inspection of certified facilities by the Secretary of Health

4 and Human Services under section 354(g) of the Public

5 Health Services Act.

6 (2) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may not dele7 gate the responsibility of such secretary under paragraph

8 (1) to a State agency.

9 (d) APPLICATION OF STANDARDS TO CONTRACT

10 PROVIDERS.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall en11 sure that mammograms performed for the Department of

12 Veterans Affairs under contract with any non-Department

13 facility or provider conform to the quality standards pre14 scribed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services

15 under section 354 of the Public Health Service Act.

16 (e) REPORT.—(1) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs

17 shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of

18 the Senate and House of Representatives a report on the

19 quality standards prescribed by the Secretary under sub20 section (b)(1).

21 (2) The Secretary shall submit the report not later

22 than 180 days after the date on which the Secretary pre23 scribes such regulations.

24 (f) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘mammo25 gram’’ shall have the meaning given such term in section
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1 354(a)(5) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.

2 263b(a)).

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