I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4041 

To authorize certain improvements in the Federal Recovery Coordinator 

Program, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 6, 2009 

Mr. BARROW introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To authorize certain improvements in the Federal Recovery 

Coordinator Program, 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. FINDINGS. 

4 Congress makes the following findings: 

5 (1) Americans owe their freedom and livelihood 

6 to the sacrifices that have been made by brave vet7 erans. 

8 (2) The United States, therefore, has an obliga9 tion to provide veterans with adequate care and reVerDate Nov 24 2008 19:39 Nov 07, 2009 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4041.IH H4041

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1 sources to make their transition into civilian life as 

2 smooth as possible. 

3 (3) The Department of Defense and the De4 partment of Veterans Affairs offer many high qual5 ity services to help veterans in this transition, but 

6 there has not been a good mechanism for providing 

7 coordinated medical care for wounded warriors (vet8 erans injured in the line of duty). 

9 (4) The Dole-Shalala Commission has rec10 ommended that a nationwide Federal Recovery Co11 ordinator Program be implemented to help expand 

12 partnerships and collaborations and establish new 

13 relationships for the benefit of members of the 

14 Armed Forces returning from serving in support of 

15 Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring 

16 Freedom and their families. 

17 (5) The Federal Recovery Coordinator Program 

18 has been implemented successfully at the city level 

19 in one city in the country and the existing program 

20 should serve as the model for national implementa21 tion. 

22 SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENT OF FEDERAL RECOVERY COORDI23 NATOR PROGRAM. 

24 (a) PROVISION OF COLLABORATIVE RECOVERY CO25 ORDINATOR TRAINING.—The Secretary of Veterans AfVerDate Nov 24 2008 19:39 Nov 07, 2009 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4041.IH H4041

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1 fairs shall provide collaborative recovery coordinator train2 ing at a qualified nursing or medical school selected by 

3 the Secretary (hereinafter in this section referred to as 

4 the ‘‘qualified nursing or medical school’’), to lead system5 atic evidence review of care coordination and consensus 

6 conference to build the model on evidence-based guide7 lines. 

8 (b) LITERATURE REVIEW; CONSENSUS CON9 FERENCE.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—The qualified nursing or 

11 medical school is hereby designated to lead literature 

12 review and development of evidence-based guidelines 

13 for recovery coordination, development of training 

14 modules for care coordination and software that is 

15 compatible with Department of Veterans Affairs sys16 tems for recovery coordination. The qualified nurs17 ing or medical school is hereby designated to lead a 

18 consensus conference on evidence-based care coordi19 nation. 

20 (2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

21 There is authorized to be appropriated $1,200,000 

22 to carry out this subsection. 

23 (c) CARE COORDINATION SOFTWARE DEVELOP24 MENT.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans 

2 Affairs shall— 

3 (A) enter into a subcontractor with an ap4 propriate entity for the development of care co5 ordination software; 

6 (B) carry out a conference for recovery co7 ordinator tool validation; and 

8 (C) carry out a software pilot program. 

9 (2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

10 There is authorized to be appropriated $1,200,000 

11 to carry out this subsection. 

12 (d) RECOVERY COORDINATOR TRAINING.— 

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—The qualified nursing or 

14 medical school is authorized to train 45 recovery co15 ordinators. 

16 (2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For 

17 each of fiscal years 2010, 2011, and 2012, there is 

18 authorized to be appropriated $500,000 for training 

19 authorized under this subsection. 

Æ 


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