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Union Calendar No. 548 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 3471 

[Report No. 114–709] 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in 

the provision of automobiles and adaptive equipment by the Department 

of Veterans Affairs. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 10, 2015 

Mrs. WALORSKI (for herself, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, Mr. RUIZ, Mr. 

DUNCAN of Tennessee, Mr. BARR, and Mr. CURBELO of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

SEPTEMBER 6, 2016 

Additional sponsors: Mr. AMODEI, Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New 

Mexico, Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. CARSON of 

Indiana, Mr. SHUSTER, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Ms. JUDY CHU of California, 

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. JODY B. 

HICE of Georgia, Ms. SINEMA, Mr. COOK, Ms. TITUS, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. 

MCDERMOTT, Mr. LUETKEMEYER, Ms. MCSALLY, Ms. KUSTER, Mr. 

THOMPSON of Pennsylvania, Mrs. RADEWAGEN, Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana, 

Mr. ROSKAM, Mr. POE of Texas, Mr. MARCHANT, Mr. BECERRA, Mr. 

HONDA, Mr. BURGESS, Mr. COFFMAN, Mrs. HARTZLER, Mr. DUFFY, Mr. 

COLE, Mr. BUCSHON, Mr. SENSENBRENNER, Mr. HURD of Texas, Mr. 

CRAMER, Mr. POCAN, Mr. BERA, Mr. YARMUTH, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. 

POLIS, Mr. JEFFRIES, Mr. CASTRO of Texas, Mr. VELA, and Ms. 

FRANKEL of Florida 

SEPTEMBER 6, 2016 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on September 10, 2015] 


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A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain 

improvements in the provision of automobiles and adaptive equipment by the Department of Veterans Affairs. 


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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 ‘‘Veterans Mobility Safety 

5 Act of 2016’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PERSONAL SELECTIONS OF AUTOMOBILES AND 

7 ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT. 

8 Section 3903(b) of title 38, United States Code, is 

9 amended— 

10 (1) by striking ‘‘Except’’ and inserting ‘‘(1) Ex11 cept’’; and 

12 (2) by adding at the end the following new para13 graph: 

14 ‘‘(2) The Secretary shall ensure that to the extent prac15 ticable an eligible person who is provided an automobile 

16 or other conveyance under this chapter is given the oppor17 tunity to make personal selections relating to such auto18 mobile or other conveyance.’’. 

19 SEC. 3. COMPREHENSIVE POLICY FOR THE AUTOMOBILES 

20 ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT PROGRAM. 

21 (a) COMPREHENSIVE POLICY.—The Secretary of Vet22 erans Affairs shall develop a comprehensive policy regard23 ing quality standards for providers who provide modifica24 tion services to veterans under the automobile adaptive 

25 equipment program. 


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1 (b) SCOPE.—The policy developed under subsection (a) 

2 shall cover each of the following: 

3 (1) The Department of Veterans Affairs-wide 

4 management of the automobile adaptive equipment 

5 program. 

6 (2) The development of standards for safety and 

7 quality of equipment and installation of equipment 

8 through the automobile adaptive equipment program, 

9 including with respect to the defined differentiations 

10 in levels of modification complexity. 

11 (3) The consistent application of standards for 

12 safety and quality of both equipment and installation 

13 throughout the Department. 

14 (4) The certification of a provider by a third 

15 party organization or manufacturer if the Secretary 

16 designates the quality standards of such organization 

17 or manufacturer as meeting or exceeding the stand18 ards developed under this section. 

19 (5) The education and training of personnel of 

20 the Department who administer the automobile 

21 adaptive equipment program. 

22 (6) The compliance of the provider with the 

23 Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 

24 12101 et seq.) when furnishing automobile adaptive 

25 equipment at the facility of the provider. 


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1 (7) The allowance, where technically appro2 priate, for veterans to receive modifications at their 

3 residence or location of choice. 

4 (c) UPDATES.—Not later than one year after the date 

5 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall update Vet6 erans Health Administration Handbook 1173.4, or any suc7 cessor handbook or directive, in accordance with the policy 

8 developed under subsection (a). Not less frequently than 

9 once every six years thereafter, the Secretary shall update 

10 such handbook, or any successor handbook or directive. 

11 (d) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall develop the 

12 policy under subsection (a), and revise such policy under 

13 subsection (c), in consultation with veterans service organi14 zations, the National Highway Transportation Administra15 tion, industry representatives, manufacturers of automobile 

16 adaptive equipment, and other entities with expertise in in17 stalling, repairing, replacing, or manufacturing mobility 

18 equipment or developing mobility accreditation standards 

19 for automobile adaptive equipment. 

20 (e) CONFLICTS.—In developing and implementing the 

21 policy under subsection (a), the Secretary shall— 

22 (1) minimize the possibility of conflicts of inter23 est, to the extent practicable; and 

24 (2) establish procedures that ensure against the 

25 use of a certifying entity referred to in subsection 


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1 (b)(4) that has a financial conflict of interest regard2 ing the certification of an eligible provider. 

3 (f) BIENNIAL REPORT.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after 

5 the date on which the Secretary updates Veterans 

6 Health Administration Handbook 1173.4, or any suc7 cessor handbook or directive, under subsection (c), and 

8 biennially thereafter through 2022, the Secretary shall 

9 submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the 

10 House of Representatives and the Senate a report on 

11 the implementation and facility compliance with the 

12 policy developed under subsection (a). 

13 (2) CONTENTS.—The report required by para14 graph (1) shall include the following: 

15 (A) A description of the implementation 

16 plan for the policy developed under subsection 

17 (a) and any revisions to such policy under sub18 section (c). 

19 (B) A description of the performance meas20 ures used to determine the effectiveness of such 

21 policy in ensuring the safety of veterans enrolled 

22 in the automobile adaptive equipment program. 

23 (C) An assessment of safety issues due to 

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1 cipients of adaptive equipment from the Depart2 ment. 

3 (D) An assessment of the adequacy of the 

4 adaptive equipment services of the Department 

5 based on a survey of recipients of adaptive 

6 equipment from the Department. 

7 (E) An assessment of the training provided 

8 to the personnel of the Department with respect 

9 to administering the program. 

10 (F) An assessment of the certified providers 

11 of the Department of adaptive equipment with 

12 respect to meeting the minimum standards devel13 oped under subsection (b)(2). 

14 (g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

15 (1) The term ‘‘automobile adaptive equipment 

16 program’’ means the program administered by the 

17 Secretary of Veterans Affairs pursuant to chapter 39 

18 of title 38, United States Code. 

19 (2) The term ‘‘veterans service organization’’ 

20 means any organization recognized by the Secretary 

21 for the representation of veterans under section 5902 

22 of title 38, United States Code. 


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1 SEC. 4. APPOINTMENT OF LICENSED HEARING AID SPE2 CIALISTS IN VETERANS HEALTH ADMINIS3 TRATION. 

4 (a) LICENSED HEARING AID SPECIALISTS.— 

5 (1) APPOINTMENT.—Section 7401(3) of title 38, 

6 United States Code, is amended by inserting ‘‘licensed 

7 hearing aid specialists,’’ after ‘‘Audiologists,’’. 

8 (2) QUALIFICATIONS.—Section 7402(b)(14) of 

9 such title is amended by inserting ‘‘, hearing aid spe10 cialist’’ after ‘‘dental technologist’’. 

11 (b) REQUIREMENTS.—With respect to appointing 

12 hearing aid specialists under sections 7401 and 7402 of title 

13 38, United States Code, as amended by subsection (a), and 

14 providing services furnished by such specialists, the Sec15 retary shall ensure that— 

16 (1) a hearing aid specialist may only perform 

17 hearing services consistent with the hearing aid spe18 cialist’s State license related to the practice of fitting 

19 and dispensing hearing aids without excluding other 

20 qualified professionals, including audiologists, from 

21 rendering services in overlapping practice areas; 

22 (2) services provided to veterans by hearing aid 

23 specialists shall be provided as part of the non-med24 ical treatment plan developed by an audiologist; and 

25 (3) the medical facilities of the Department of 

26 Veterans Affairs provide to veterans access to the full 


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1 range of professional services provided by an audiol2 ogist. 

3 (c) CONSULTATION.—In determining the qualifications 

4 required for hearing aid specialists and in carrying out 

5 subsection (b), the Secretary shall consult with veterans 

6 service organizations, audiologists, otolaryngologists, hear7 ing aid specialists, and other stakeholder and industry 

8 groups as the Secretary determines appropriate. 

9 (d) ANNUAL REPORT.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after 

11 the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually 

12 thereafter during the five-year period beginning on 

13 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 

14 Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress a report on 

15 the following: 

16 (A) Timely access of veterans to hearing 

17 health services through the Department of Vet18 erans Affairs. 

19 (B) Contracting policies of the Department 

20 with respect to providing hearing health services 

21 to veterans in facilities that are not facilities of 

22 the Department. 

23 (2) TIMELY ACCESS TO SERVICES.—Each report 

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1 graph (1)(A) for the one-year period preceding the 

2 submittal of such report, include the following: 

3 (A) The staffing levels of audiologists, hear4 ing aid specialists, and health technicians in 

5 audiology in the Veterans Health Administra6 tion. 

7 (B) A description of the metrics used by the 

8 Secretary in measuring performance with respect 

9 to appointments and care relating to hearing 

10 health. 

11 (C) The average time that a veteran waits 

12 to receive an appointment, beginning on the date 

13 on which the veteran makes the request, for the 

14 following: 

15 (i) A disability rating evaluation for a 

16 hearing-related disability. 

17 (ii) A hearing aid evaluation. 

18 (iii) Dispensing of hearing aids. 

19 (iv) Any follow-up hearing health ap20 pointment. 

21 (D) The percentage of veterans whose total 

22 wait time for appointments described in sub23 paragraph (C), including an initial and follow24 up appointment, if applicable, is more than 30 

25 days. 


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1 (3) CONTRACTING POLICIES.—Each report shall, 

2 with respect to the matter specified in paragraph 

3 (1)(B) for the one-year period preceding the submittal 

4 of such report, include the following: 

5 (A) The number of veterans that the Sec6 retary refers to non-Department audiologists for 

7 hearing health care appointments. 

8 (B) The number of veterans that the Sec9 retary refers to non-Department hearing aid spe10 cialists for follow-up appointments for a hearing 

11 aid evaluation, the dispensing of hearing aids, or 

12 any other purpose relating to hearing health. 


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Union Calendar No. 548 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 3471 

[Report No. 114–709] 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to make 

ment of Veterans Affairs. mobiles and adaptive equipment by the Departcertain improvements in the provision of autoSEPTEMBER 6, 2016 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 


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