I 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5231 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide for the inspection 

of kitchens and food service areas at medical facilities of the Department 

of Veterans Affairs to ensure that the same standards for kitchens 

and food service areas at hospitals in the private sector are being met 

at kitchens and food service areas at medical facilities of the Department. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 13, 2016 

Mr. BOST introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide for 

the inspection of kitchens and food service areas at medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs to 

ensure that the same standards for kitchens and food 

service areas at hospitals in the private sector are being 

met at kitchens and food service areas at medical facilities of the Department. 

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 ‘‘Requiring Account5 ability and Inspections for Dining Service Act’’. 


srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 5231 IH

1 SEC. 2. INSPECTION OF KITCHENS AND FOOD SERVICE 

2 AREAS AT MEDICAL FACILITIES OF THE DE3 PARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 

5 date of the enactment of this Act, and not less frequently 

6 than annually thereafter, the Secretary of Veterans Af7 fairs shall provide for the conduct of inspections of kitch8 ens and food service areas at each medical facility of the 

9 Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that the same 

10 standards for kitchens and food service areas at hospitals 

11 in the private sector are being met at kitchens and food 

12 service areas at medical facilities of the Department. 

13 (b) AGREEMENT.— 

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall seek to 

15 enter into an agreement with the Joint Commission 

16 on Accreditation of Hospital Organizations under 

17 which the Joint Commission on Accreditation of 

18 Hospital Organizations conducts the inspections re19 quired under subsection (a). 

20 (2) ALTERNATE ORGANIZATION.—If the Sec21 retary is unable to enter into an agreement de22 scribed in paragraph (1) with the Joint Commission 

23 on Accreditation of Hospital Organizations on terms 

24 acceptable to the Secretary, the Secretary shall seek 

25 to enter into such an agreement with another appro26 priate organization that— 


srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 5231 IH

1 (A) is not part of the Federal Government; 

2 (B) operates as a not-for-profit entity; and 

3 (C) has expertise and objectivity com4 parable to that of the Joint Commission on Ac5 creditation of Hospital Organizations. 

6 (c) REMEDIATION PLAN.— 

7 (1) INITIAL FAILURE.—If a kitchen or food 

8 service area of a medical facility of the Department 

9 is determined pursuant to an inspection conducted 

10 under subsection (a) not to meet the standards for 

11 kitchens and food service areas in hospitals in the 

12 private sector, that medical facility fails the inspec13 tion and the Secretary shall— 

14 (A) implement a remediation plan for that 

15 medical facility within 48 hours; and 

16 (B) conduct a second inspection under sub17 section (a) at that medical facility within 7 days 

18 of the failed inspection. 

19 (2) SECOND FAILURE.—If a medical facility of 

20 the Department fails the second inspection con21 ducted under paragraph (1)(B), the Secretary shall 

22 close the kitchen or food service area at that medical 

23 facility that did not meet the standards for kitchens 

24 and food service areas in hospitals in the private sec25 tor until remediation is completed and all kitchens 


srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 5231 IH

1 and food service areas at that medical facility meet 

2 such standards. 

3 (3) PROVISION OF FOOD.—If a kitchen or food 

4 service area is closed at a medical facility of the De5 partment pursuant to paragraph (2), the Director of 

6 the Veterans Integrated Service Network in which 

7 the medical facility is located shall enter into a con8 tract with a vendor approved by the General Serv9 ices Administration to provide food at the medical 

10 facility. 

11 (d) REPORTS.— 

12 (1) QUARTERLY.—Not less frequently than 

13 quarterly, the Director of each Veterans Integrated 

14 Service Network shall submit to Congress a report 

15 on inspections conducted under this section during 

16 that quarter at medical facilities of the Department 

17 under the jurisdiction of that Director. 

18 (2) SUBSEQUENT PERIOD.—A Director of a 

19 Veterans Integrated Service Network may submit to 

20 Congress the report described in paragraph (1) not 

21 less frequently than semiannually if the Director 

22 does not report any failed inspections for the one23 year period preceding the submittal of the report. 

Æ 


srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS