datamatters24/research-document-archive huggingface dataset:
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HR 1585 EAS
(A) identify among the policies and proce-
dures described in paragraph (1) best practices
in approaches to the care and management de-
scribed in that paragraph;
(B) identify among such policies and proce-
dures existing and potential shortfalls in such
care and management (including care and man-
agement of covered servicemembers on the tem-
porary disability retired list), and determine
means of addressing any shortfalls so identified;
(C) determine potential modifications of
such policies and procedures in order to ensure
consistency and uniformity among the military
departments and the regions of the Department
of Veterans Affairs in their application and dis-
charge; and
(D) develop recommendations for legislative
and administrative action necessary to imple-
ment the results of the review.
(4) DEADLINE
FOR
COMPLETION.—The review
shall be completed not later than 90 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act.
(c) CONSIDERATION
OF
FINDINGS, RECOMMENDA-
TIONS, AND PRACTICES.—In developing the policy required
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HR 1585 EAS
by this section, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs shall take into account the following:
(1) The findings and recommendations of appli-
cable studies, reviews, reports, and evaluations that
address matters relating to the policy, including, but
not limited, to the following:
(A) The Independent Review Group on Re-
habilitative Care and Administrative Processes
at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Na-
tional Naval Medical Center appointed by the
Secretary of Defense.
(B) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs Task
Force on Returning Global War on Terror He-
roes appointed by the President.
(C) The President’s Commission on Care for
America’s Returning Wounded Warriors.
(D) The Veterans’ Disability Benefits Com-
mission established by title XV of the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004
(Public Law 108–136; 117 Stat. 1676; 38 U.S.C.
1101 note).
(E) The President’s Commission on Vet-
erans’ Pensions, of 1956, chaired by General
Omar N. Bradley.
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HR 1585 EAS
(F) The Report of the Congressional Com-
mission on Servicemembers and Veterans Transi-
tion Assistance, of 1999, chaired by Anthony J.
Principi.
(G) The President’s Task Force to Improve
Health Care Delivery for Our Nation’s Veterans,
of March 2003.
(2) The experience and best practices of the De-
partment of Defense and the military departments on
matters relating to the policy.
(3) The experience and best practices of the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs on matters relating to
the policy.
(4) Such other matters as the Secretary of De-
fense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs consider
appropriate.
(d) PARTICULAR ELEMENTS OF POLICY.—The policy
required by this section shall provide, in particular, the fol-
lowing:
(1) 
RESPONSIBILITY
FOR
COVERED
SERVICEMEMBERS
IN
MEDICAL
HOLD
OR
MEDICAL
HOLDOVER
STATUS
OR
ON
TEMPORARY
DISABILITY
RETIRED LIST.—Mechanisms to ensure responsibility
for covered servicemembers in medical hold or medical
‘‘(I) at the time described in 
clause (i), no Department facility or 
other Federal facility agrees to accept 
such transfer; and 
‘‘(II) the non-Department facility 
in which such medical care or services 
is furnished makes and documents 
reasonable attempts to transfer the 
veteran to a Department facility or 
other Federal facility.’’. 
(b) CERTAIN VETERANS WITH SERVICE-CONNECTED 
DISABILITY.—Section 1728 of such title is amended— 
(1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the 
following new subsection (a): 
‘‘(a) The Secretary, under such regulations as the 
Secretary shall prescribe, shall reimburse veterans entitled 
to hospital care or medical services under this chapter for 
the reasonable value of emergency treatment (including 
travel and incidental expenses under the terms and condi-
tions set forth in section 111 of this title) for which such 
veterans have made payment, from sources other than the 
Department, where such emergency treatment was ren-
dered to such veterans in need thereof for any of the fol-
lowing:
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HR 1585 EAS
holdover status or on the temporary disability retired
list, including the following:
(A) Uniform standards for access of covered
servicemembers to non-urgent health care services
from the Department of Defense or other pro-
viders under the TRICARE program, with such
access to be—
(i) for follow-up care, within 2 days of
request of care;
(ii) for specialty care, within 3 days of
request of care;
(iii) for diagnostic referrals and stud-
ies, within 5 days of request; and
(iv) for surgery based on a physician’s
determination of medical necessity, within
14 days of request.
(B) Requirements for the assignment of ade-
quate numbers of personnel for the purpose of re-
sponsibility for and administration of covered
servicemembers in medical hold or medical hold-
over status or on the temporary disability retired
list.
(C) Requirements for the assignment of ade-
quate numbers of medical personnel and non-
medical personnel to roles and responsibilities
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HR 1585 EAS
for caring for and administering covered
servicemembers in medical hold or medical hold-
over status or on the temporary disability retired
list, and a description of the roles and respon-
sibilities of personnel so assigned.
(D) Guidelines for the location of care for
covered servicemembers in medical hold or med-
ical holdover status or on the temporary dis-
ability retired list, which guidelines shall address
the assignment of such servicemembers to care
and residential facilities closest to their duty sta-
tion or home of record or the location of their
designated caregiver at the earliest possible time.
(E) Criteria for work and duty assignments
of covered servicemembers in medical hold or
medical holdover status or on the temporary dis-
ability retired list, including a prohibition on
the assignment of duty to a servicemember which
is incompatible with the servicemember’s medical
condition.
(F) Guidelines for the provision of care and
counseling for eligible family members of covered
servicemembers in medical hold or medical hold-
over status or on the temporary disability retired
list.
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HR 1585 EAS
(G) Requirements for case management of
covered servicemembers in medical hold or med-
ical holdover status or on the temporary dis-
ability retired list, including qualifications for
personnel providing such case management.
(H) Requirements for uniform quality of
care 
and 
administration 
for 
all 
covered
servicemembers in medical hold or medical hold-
over status or on the temporary disability retired
list, whether members of the regular components
of the Armed Forces or members of the reserve
components of the Armed Forces.
(I) Standards for the conditions and acces-
sibility of residential facilities for covered
servicemembers in medical hold or medical hold-
over status or on the temporary disability retired
list who are in outpatient status, and for their
immediate family members.
(J) Requirements on the provision of trans-
portation 
and 
subsistence 
for 
covered
servicemembers in medical hold or medical hold-
over status or on the temporary disability retired
list, whether in inpatient status or outpatient
status, to facilitate obtaining needed medical
care and services.
‘‘(1) An adjudicated service-connected dis-
ability. 
‘‘(2) A non-service-connected disability associ-
ated with and held to be aggravating a service-con-
nected disability. 
‘‘(3) Any disability of a veteran in the veteran 
has a total disability permanent in nature from a 
service-connected disability. 
‘‘(4) Any illness, injury, or dental condition of 
a veteran who— 
‘‘(A) is a participant in a vocational reha-
bilitation program (as defined in section 
3101(9) of this title); and 
‘‘(B) is medically determined to have been 
in need of care or treatment to make possible 
the veteran’s entrance into a course of training, 
or prevent interruption of a course of training, 
or hasten the return to a course of training 
which was interrupted because of such illness, 
injury, or dental condition.’’; 
(2) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘care or serv-
ices’’ both places it appears and inserting ‘‘emer-
gency treatment’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section:
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HR 1585 EAS
(K) Requirements on the provision of edu-
cational and vocational training and rehabilita-
tion opportunities for covered servicemembers in
medical hold or medical holdover status or on the
temporary disability retired list.
(L) Procedures for tracking and informing
covered servicemembers in medical hold or med-
ical holdover status or on the temporary dis-
ability retired list about medical evaluation
board and physical disability evaluation board
processing.
(M) Requirements for integrated case man-
agement of covered servicemembers in medical
hold or medical holdover status or on the tem-
porary disability retired list during their transi-
tion from care and treatment through the De-
partment of Defense to care and treatment
through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(N) Requirements and standards for advis-
ing and training, as appropriate, family mem-
bers 
with 
respect 
to 
care 
for 
covered
servicemembers in medical hold or medical hold-
over status or on the temporary disability retired
list with serious medical conditions, particularly
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HR 1585 EAS
traumatic brain injury (TBI), burns, and post-
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
(O) Requirements for periodic reassessments
of covered servicemembers, and limits on the
length of time such servicemembers may be re-
tained in medical hold or medical holdover sta-
tus or on the temporary disability retired list.
(P) 
Requirements 
to 
inform 
covered
servicemembers and their family members of
their rights and responsibilities while in medical
hold or medical holdover status or on the tem-
porary disability retired list.
(Q) The requirement to establish a Depart-
ment of Defense-wide Ombudsman Office within
the Office of the Secretary of Defense to provide
oversight of the ombudsman offices in the mili-
tary departments and policy guidance to such of-
fices with respect to providing assistance to, and
answering 
questions 
from, 
covered
servicemembers and their families.
(2) MEDICAL EVALUATION AND PHYSICAL DIS-
ABILITY
EVALUATION
FOR
COVERED
SERVICEMEMBERS.—
(A) 
MEDICAL
EVALUATIONS.—Processes,
procedures, and standards for medical evalua-
HR 3232 PCS 
(1) the GAO’s findings on specific barriers to 
entry into the United States by foreign travelers; 
and 
(2) recommendations for initiatives that may 
reduce those barriers. 
Passed the House of Representatives September 25, 
2008. 
Attest: 
LORRAINE C. MILLER, 
Clerk. 
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HR 1585 EAS
tions of covered servicemembers, including the
following:
(i) Processes for medical evaluations of
covered servicemembers that are—
(I) applicable uniformly through-
out the military departments; and
(II) applicable uniformly with re-
spect to such servicemembers who are
members of the regular components of
the 
Armed 
Forces 
and 
such
servicemembers who are members of the
National Guard and Reserve.
(ii) Standard criteria and definitions
for determining the achievement for covered
servicemembers of the maximum medical
benefit from treatment and rehabilitation.
(iii) Standard timelines for each of the
following:
(I) Determinations of fitness for
duty of covered servicemembers.
(II) Specialty consultations for
covered servicemembers.
(III) Preparation of medical doc-
uments for covered servicemembers.
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HR 1585 EAS
(IV) 
Appeals 
by 
covered
servicemembers of medical evaluation
determinations, including determina-
tions of fitness for duty.
(iv) Uniform standards for qualifica-
tions and training of medical evaluation
board personnel, including physicians, case
workers, and physical disability evaluation
board liaison officers, in conducting medical
evaluations of covered servicemembers.
(v) Standards for the maximum num-
ber of medical evaluation cases of covered
servicemembers that are pending before a
medical evaluation board at any one time,
and requirements for the establishment of
additional medical evaluation boards in the
event such number is exceeded.
(vi) Uniform standards for informa-
tion for covered servicemembers, and their
families, on the medical evaluation board
process and the rights and responsibilities of
such servicemembers under that process, in-
cluding a standard handbook on such infor-
mation.
I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3471 
To provide for the award of a military service medal to members of the 
Armed Forces who were exposed to ionizing radiation as a result of 
participation in a test of atomic weapons. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 4, 2007 
Mr. TIAHRT (for himself, Mr. MORAN of Kansas, Mr. MOORE of Kansas, and 
Mrs. BOYDA of Kansas) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To provide for the award of a military service medal to 
members of the Armed Forces who were exposed to 
ionizing radiation as a result of participation in a test 
of atomic weapons. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Atomic Veterans Medal 
Act of 2007’’. 
SEC. 2. ATOMIC TESTING SERVICE MEDAL. 
(a) SERVICE MEDAL REQUIRED.—The Secretary of 
Defense shall design and produce a military service medal, 
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HR 1585 EAS
(B) PHYSICAL DISABILITY EVALUATIONS.—
Processes, procedures, and standards for physical
disability evaluations of covered servicemembers,
including the following:
(i) A non-adversarial process of the
Department of Defense and the Department
of Veterans Affairs for disability determina-
tions of covered servicemembers.
(ii) To the extent feasible, procedures to
eliminate unacceptable discrepancies among
disability ratings assigned by the military
departments and the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs, particularly in the disability
evaluation of covered servicemembers, which
procedures shall be subject to the following
requirements and limitations:
(I) Such procedures shall apply
uniformly with respect to covered
servicemembers who are members of the
regular components of the Armed
Forces and covered servicemembers who
are members of the National Guard
and Reserve.
(II) Under such procedures, each
Secretary of a military department
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HR 1585 EAS
shall, to the extent feasible, utilize the
standard schedule for rating disabil-
ities in use by the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs, including any applicable
interpretation of such schedule by the
United States Court of Appeals for Vet-
erans Claims, in making any deter-
mination of disability of a covered
servicemember.
(iii) Standard timelines for appeals of
determinations of disability of covered
servicemembers, including timelines for
presentation, consideration, and disposition
of appeals.
(iv) Uniform standards for qualifica-
tions and training of physical disability
evaluation board personnel in conducting
physical disability evaluations of covered
servicemembers.
(v) Standards for the maximum num-
ber of physical disability evaluation cases of
covered servicemembers that are pending be-
fore a physical disability evaluation board
at any one time, and requirements for the
establishment of additional physical dis-
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HR 1585 EAS
ability evaluation boards in the event such
number is exceeded.
(vi) Procedures for the provision of
legal counsel to covered servicemembers
while undergoing evaluation by a physical
disability evaluation board.
(vii) Uniform standards on the roles
and responsibilities of case managers,
servicemember advocates, and judge advo-
cates assigned to covered servicemembers
undergoing evaluation by a physical dis-
ability board, and uniform standards on the
maximum number of cases involving such
servicemembers that are to be assigned to
such managers and advocates.
(C) 
RETURN
OF
COVERED
SERVICEMEMBERS TO ACTIVE DUTY.—Standards
for determinations by the military departments
on the return of covered servicemembers to active
duty in the Armed Forces.
(D) 
TRANSITION
OF
COVERED
SERVICEMEMBERS FROM DOD TO VA.—Processes,
procedures, and standards for the transition of
covered servicemembers from care and treatment
by the Department of Defense to care and treat-
V 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3472 
For the relief of Richelle Starnes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 4, 2007 
Mr. FEENEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
For the relief of Richelle Starnes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) In 1979, Kathy Baker contracted HIV as 
the 
direct 
result 
of 
an 
ectopic 
pregnancy 
misdiagnosed by her naval physician at Mare Island 
Naval Clinic in Vallejo, California. This misdiagnosis 
precipitated an emergency blood transfusion, which 
was later determined to be the source of her infec-
tion. 
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‘‘(c) In this section, the term ‘emergency treatment’ 
has the meaning given such term in section 1725(f)(1) of 
this title.’’. 
Passed the House of Representatives May 21, 2008. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
(2) In 1980, Kathy Baker gave birth to her 
daughter Richelle (now known as Richelle Starnes), 
who was born with HIV. 
(3) Because of the Navy’s culpability for 
Richelle’s condition, Richelle has received treatment 
from the Navy as a Secretary of the Navy Designee. 
However, the Navy recently informed Richelle that 
the Navy would only extend her treatment for out-
patient care for 3 additional years, and it would no 
longer pay for inpatient treatment or prescribed 
medications. 
SEC. 2. PROVISION OF MEDICAL CARE. 
(a) INPATIENT AND OUTPATIENT CARE.—The Sec-
retary of the Navy shall provide, free of charge, inpatient 
and outpatient treatment to Richelle Starnes at any naval 
medical facility for any care arising from or related to 
HIV or the treatment of HIV. 
(b) PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION.—The Secretary of 
the Navy shall provide, free of charge, medication to 
Richelle Starnes that is prescribed for reasons arising 
from or related to HIV or the treatment of HIV. 
Æ 
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HR 1585 EAS
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly submit
to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on
the policy, including a comprehensive and detailed
description of the policy and of the manner in which
the policy addresses the findings and recommenda-
tions of the reviews under subsections (b) and (c).
(2) REPORTS ON UPDATE.—Upon updating the
policy under subsection (a)(4), the Secretary of De-
fense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall joint-
ly submit to the appropriate committees of Congress
a report on the update of the policy, including a com-
prehensive and detailed description of such update
and of the reasons for such update.
(f) COMPTROLLER GENERAL ASSESSMENT OF IMPLE-
MENTATION.—Not later than six months after the date of
the enactment of this Act and every year thereafter, the
Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to
the appropriate committees of Congress a report setting
forth the assessment of the Comptroller General of the
progress of the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs in developing and implementing the policy
required by this section.
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3819 
AN ACT 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to require 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to reimburse 
veterans receiving emergency treatment in non- 
Department of Veterans Affairs facilities for 
such treatment until such veterans are trans-
ferred to Department facilities, and for other 
purposes.
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HR 1585 EAS
SEC. 1612. CONSIDERATION OF NEEDS OF WOMEN MEM-
BERS OF THE ARMED FORCES AND VET-
ERANS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—In developing and implementing
the policy required by section 1611, and in otherwise car-
rying out any other provision of this title or any amend-
ment made by this title, the Secretary of Defense and the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall take into account and
fully address any unique specific needs of women members
of the Armed Forces and women veterans under such policy
or other provision.
(b) REPORTS.—In submitting any report required by
this title or an amendment made by this title, the Secretary
of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall, to
the extent applicable, include a description of the manner
in which the matters covered by such report address the
unique specific needs of women members of the Armed
Forces and women veterans.
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3473 
AN ACT 
To provide for a land exchange with the City of Bountiful, 
Utah, involving National Forest System land in the 
Wasatch-Cache National Forest and to further land own-
ership consolidation in that national forest, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
nursing facilities, and long-term care hospitals, re-
sulting from implementation of the 75 percent rule. 
(3) A analysis that compares the quality, cost, 
and patient outcomes of inpatient rehabilitation 
services among different post-acute care settings, in-
cluding whether the Medicare program and Medicare 
beneficiaries may incur higher costs of care for the 
entire episode of illness because of factors such as— 
(A) readmissions to acute care hospitals 
that could have been avoided absent the 75 per-
cent rule; or 
(B) extended lengths of stay in post-acute 
settings other than a rehabilitation hospital or 
unit because beneficiaries were denied access to 
care in such a hospital or unit due to the 75 
percent rule. 
SEC. 3. TECHNICAL CORRECTION FOR INPATIENT REHA-
BILITATION HOSPITALS AND UNITS NOMEN-
CLATURE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1886(j) of the Social Se-
curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ww(j)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking ‘‘(in this 
subsection referred to as a ‘rehabilitation facility’), 
other than a facility’’ and inserting ‘‘other than a 
hospital or unit’’; 
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(2) by striking ‘‘rehabilitation facility’’ and ‘‘fa-
cility’’ and inserting ‘‘inpatient rehabilitation hos-
pital or a rehabilitation unit’’ and ‘‘hospital or unit’’, 
respectively, each place it appears; 
(3) by striking ‘‘rehabilitation facilities’’ and in-
serting ‘‘inpatient rehabilitation hospitals or rehabili-
tation units’’ each place it appears; and 
(4) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘rehabilitation 
facilities’ costs’’ and inserting ‘‘costs of inpatient re-
habilitation hospitals or rehabilitation units’’. 
(b) USE OF THE TERM ‘‘IRH/U’’.—The Secretary of 
Health and Human Services shall, under regulation and 
Medicare program guidance, use the term ‘‘inpatient reha-
bilitation hospital/unit’’ or ‘‘IRH/U’’ to refer to entities 
receiving payment for inpatient rehabilitation services 
under section 1886(j) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395ww(j)). 
SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
Sections 1 and 3 of this Act shall take effect on July 
1, 2007, and section 2 shall take effect on the date of 
the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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