Assisted Living Pilot Program for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury Extension Act

To extend and modify the pilot program of the Department of Veterans Affairs on assisted living services for veterans with traumatic brain injury, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Assisted Living Pilot Program for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury Extension Act 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have resulted in a generation of veterans with traumatic brain injuries. (2) Since 2001, more than 265,000 members of the Armed Forces have suffered traumatic brain injuries. (3) Since 2001, more than 26,000 members of the Armed Forces have suffered moderate or severe head wounds. (4) Advances in medicine have kept members of the Armed Forces alive who have suffered head wounds that might have killed them in previous conflicts. (5) The pilot program of the Department of Veterans Affairs to assess the effectiveness of providing assisted living services to eligible veterans to enhance the rehabilitation, quality of life, and community integration of such veterans required by section 1705(a) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 ( Public Law 110–181 38 U.S.C. 1710C (6) The model of care practiced under the pilot program specified in paragraph (5) has yielded impressive results and helped rehabilitate dozens of veterans from severe injuries that are notoriously difficult to treat. (7) The Department of Veterans Affairs does not offer to veterans any alternatives to the pilot program specified in paragraph (5) that replicate— (A) the comprehensiveness of the rehabilitative care provided under such program; (B) the benefit of providing care under such program in a residential setting; and (C) the significant positive impact on veterans of the sustained, longer-term care provided under such program. 3. Extension and modification of pilot program on assisted living services for veterans with traumatic brain injury (a) Extension of program Subsection (a) of section 1705 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 ( Public Law 110–181 38 U.S.C. 1710C a five-year an eight-year (b) Modification of locations Subsection (b) of such section is amended— (1) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and (2) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following new paragraphs: (1) In general The pilot program shall be carried out at locations selected by the Secretary for purposes of the pilot program. (2) Located in same region as polytrauma centers Of the locations selected under paragraph (1), at least one location shall be in each health care region of the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs that contains a polytrauma center of the Department of Veterans Affairs. . (c) Modification of report requirements Subsection (e) of such section is amended to read as follows: (e) Reports (1) Annual report (A) In general Not later than two years after the date of the enactment of the Assisted Living Pilot Program for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury Extension Act (B) Elements Each report submitted under subparagraph (A) shall include the following: (i) The number of individuals that participated in the pilot program during the year preceding the submission of the report. (ii) The number of individuals that successfully completed the pilot program during the year preceding the submission of the report. (iii) The degree to which pilot program participants and family members of pilot program participants were satisfied with the pilot program. (iv) The interim findings and conclusions of the Secretary with respect to the success of the pilot program and recommendations for improvement. (2) Final report (A) In general Not later than 60 days after the completion of the pilot program, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a final report on the pilot program. (B) Elements The final report required by subparagraph (A) shall include the following: (i) A description of the pilot program. (ii) An assessment of the utility of the activities under the pilot program in enhancing the rehabilitation, quality of life, and community reintegration of veterans with traumatic brain injury, including complex mild traumatic brain injury. (iii) Such recommendations as the Secretary considers appropriate regarding improving the pilot program. . (d) Modification of definitions (1) Community-based brain injury residential rehabilitative care services Such section is further amended— (A) in the section heading, by striking assisted living community-based brain injury residential rehabilitative care (B) in subsection (c), in the subsection heading, by striking assisted living community-Based brain injury residential rehabilitative care (C) by striking assisted living community-based brain injury rehabilitative care (D) in subsection (f)(1), by striking and personal care rehabilitation, and personal care (2) Eligible veteran Subsection (f)(3) of such section is amended— (A) in subparagraph (C), by striking ; and (B) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and (C) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: (E) has a traumatic brain injury that is classified as complex-mild to severe. . (e) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2015 $46,000,000 to carry out the pilot program under section 1705 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110–181; 38 U.S.C. 1710C (f) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall take effect on October 1, 2014.

Summary: Assisted Living Pilot Program for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury Extension Act - Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 to extend the pilot program to assess the effectiveness of providing assistance to eligible veterans with traumatic brain injury to enhance their rehabilitation, quality of life, and community integration. Requires that at least one location of the program be in each health care region of the Veterans Health Administration that contains a polytrauma center of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). (Under current law, selected locations also must include any location other than one described above in an area that contains a high concentration of veterans with traumatic brain injuries.) Expands requirements for reports on the pilot program. Replaces references to &quot;assisted living&quot; with the term &quot;community-based brain injury residential rehabilitative care,&quot; including rehabilitation services within the meaning of such care. Requires a veteran, in order to be eligible for such services, to have a traumatic brain injury that is classified as complex-mild to severe.