I 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5774 
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to publish a strategic plan 
for long-term care, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 12, 2006 
Ms. HARRIS (for herself and Mrs. MYRICK) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to publish a 
strategic plan for long-term care, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) The number of aging veterans in the United 
States is increasing rapidly, with the number of vet-
erans 85 years old and older expected to increase 
from approximately 870,000 to 1,300,000 during 
the next 10 years. 
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(2) This group of veterans will have a signifi-
cant need for nursing home care and will require a 
variety of noninstitutional long-term care services. 
(3) The Department of Veterans Affairs is 
struggling to meet its current obligations and is ill 
prepared to meet the long-term care needs of Amer-
ica’s aging veteran population. 
(4) Long-term care was not included in the 
Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services 
(CARES) process because of a lack of forecasts and 
policies needed to project and plan to meet future 
demands for long-term care. 
(5) The Department of Veterans Affairs has 
failed to comply with the CARES Commission’s 
2003 recommendation to develop a long-term care 
strategic plan, which failure has had a detrimental 
effect on the welfare of veterans in need of such 
care. 
SEC. 2. STRATEGIC PLAN FOR LONG-TERM CARE. 
(a) PUBLICATION.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs shall publish a strategic plan for long-term 
care. 
(b) CONTENTS.—The plan published under sub-
section (a) shall— 
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(1) comply with the recommendations of the 
CARES Commission; 
(2) contain policies and strategies for— 
(A) the delivery of care in domiciliaries, 
residential treatment facilities, and nursing 
homes and for seriously mentally ill veterans; 
(B) maximizing the use of State veterans 
homes; 
(C) locating domiciliary units as close to 
patient populations as feasible; and 
(D) identifying freestanding nursing homes 
as an acceptable care model; 
(3) include data on— 
(A) the care of catastrophically disabled 
veterans; and 
(B) the geographic distribution of cata-
strophically disabled veterans; 
(4) address the spectrum of noninstitutional 
long-term care options, including— 
(A) respite care; 
(B) home-based primary care; 
(C) geriatric evaluation; 
(D) adult day health care; 
(E) skilled home health care; and 
(F) community residential care; and 
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(5) provide— 
(A) cost and quality comparison analyses 
of all the different levels of care; 
(B) detailed information about geographic 
distribution of services and gaps in care; and 
(C) specific plans for working with Medi-
care, Medicaid, and private insurance compa-
nies to expand care. 
Æ 
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