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[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5974 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

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.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Department of Veterans Affairs 
Creation of On-Site Treatment Systems Affording Veterans Improvements 
and Numerous General Safety Enhancements Act'' or the ``VA COST SAVINGS 
Enhancements Act''.

SEC. 2. USE OF ON-SITE REGULATED MEDICAL WASTE TREATMENT SYSTEMS AT 
              DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FACILITIES.

    (a) Identification of Facilities.--The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall identify Department of Veterans Affairs facilities that 
would benefit from cost savings associated with the use of an on-site 
regulated medical waste treatment system over a five-year period.
    (b) Regulated Medical Waste Cost Analysis Model.--For purposes of 
carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary shall develop a uniform 
regulated medical waste cost analysis model to be used to determine the 
cost savings associated with the use of an on-site regulated medical 
waste treatment system at Department facilities. Such model shall be 
designed to calculate savings based on--
            (1) the cost of treating regulated medical waste at an off-
        site location under a contract with a non-Department entity, 
        compared to
            (2) the cost of treating regulated medical waste on-site, 
        based on the equipment specification of treatment system 
        manufacturers, with capital costs amortized over a ten-year 
        period.
    (c) Installation.--At each Department facility identified under 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall secure, install, and operate an on-
site regulated medical waste treatment system.
    (d) Use of Purchase Agreement.--Any medical waste treatment system 
purchased pursuant to this section shall be purchased under the 
purchase agreement known as the ``VHA Regulated Medical Waste On-Site 
Treatment Equipment Systems Blanket Purchase Agreement''.
    (e) Regulated Medical Waste Defined.--In this section, the term 
``regulated medical waste'' has the meaning given such term under 
section 173.134(a)(5) of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, 
concerning regulated medical waste and infectious substances, or any 
successor regulation, except that, in the case of an applicable State 
law that is more expansive, the definition in the State law shall 
apply.
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