I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5974 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to use on-site regulated medical 

waste treatment systems at certain Department of Veterans Affairs facilities, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 25, 2018 

Mr. DENHAM (for himself, Mr. BOST, Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire, and 

Mr. CRIST) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to use on-site 

regulated medical waste treatment systems at certain 

Department of Veterans Affairs facilities, 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 ‘‘Department of Vet5 erans Affairs Creation of On-Site Treatment Systems Af6 fording Veterans Improvements and Numerous General 

7 Safety Enhancements Act’’ or the ‘‘VA COST SAVINGS 

8 Enhancements Act’’. 


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•HR 5974 IH

1 SEC. 2. USE OF ON-SITE REGULATED MEDICAL WASTE 

2 TREATMENT SYSTEMS AT DEPARTMENT OF 

3 VETERANS AFFAIRS FACILITIES. 

4 (a) IDENTIFICATION OF FACILITIES.—The Secretary 

5 of Veterans Affairs shall identify Department of Veterans 

6 Affairs facilities that would benefit from cost savings asso7 ciated with the use of an on-site regulated medical waste 

8 treatment system over a five-year period. 

9 (b) REGULATED MEDICAL WASTE COST ANALYSIS

10 MODEL.—For purposes of carrying out subsection (a), the 

11 Secretary shall develop a uniform regulated medical waste 

12 cost analysis model to be used to determine the cost sav13 ings associated with the use of an on-site regulated med14 ical waste treatment system at Department facilities. Such 

15 model shall be designed to calculate savings based on— 

16 (1) the cost of treating regulated medical waste 

17 at an off-site location under a contract with a non18 Department entity, compared to 

19 (2) the cost of treating regulated medical waste 

20 on-site, based on the equipment specification of 

21 treatment system manufacturers, with capital costs 

22 amortized over a ten-year period. 

23 (c) INSTALLATION.—At each Department facility 

24 identified under subsection (a), the Secretary shall secure, 

25 install, and operate an on-site regulated medical waste 

26 treatment system. 


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•HR 5974 IH

1 (d) USE OF PURCHASE AGREEMENT.—Any medical 

2 waste treatment system purchased pursuant to this sec3 tion shall be purchased under the purchase agreement 

4 known as the ‘‘VHA Regulated Medical Waste On-Site 

5 Treatment Equipment Systems Blanket Purchase Agree6 ment’’. 

7 (e) REGULATED MEDICAL WASTE DEFINED.—In 

8 this section, the term ‘‘regulated medical waste’’ has the 

9 meaning given such term under section 173.134(a)(5) of 

10 title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, concerning regu11 lated medical waste and infectious substances, or any suc12 cessor regulation, except that, in the case of an applicable 

13 State law that is more expansive, the definition in the 

14 State law shall apply. 

Æ 


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