(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than two years 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, or one 
year after the appointment of the Chief Officer of 
Falls Prevention of the Department of Veterans Af-
fairs established under section 7310B(a)(3)(A) of 
title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection 
(a)(1), whichever occurs first, the Chief Officer, or 
the Under Secretary for Health of the Department 
of Veterans Affairs if a Chief Officer has not yet 
been appointed, shall submit to Congress a report on 
falls prevention initiatives within the Department. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The report required by para-
graph (1) shall evaluate, for the three-year period 
preceding the date of the enactment of this Act— 
(A) screening procedures at facilities of the 
Veterans Health Administration for risk of falls 
and the prevalence of resulting falls prevention 
interventions; 
(B) the use by the Department of elec-
tronic health record documentation for risk of 
falls among veterans; 
(C) the number of home modification 
grants provided under either the Home Im-
provements and Structural Alterations Program 
of the Department under section 1717 of title 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:54 Aug 26, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H9179.IH
H9179
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
38, United States Code, or the Specially Adapt-
ed Housing Program of the Department under 
section 2101 of such title; 
(D) the extent to which grants provided 
under the programs specified under subpara-
graph (C) prevent falls among veterans and any 
recommendations with respect to such programs 
in the case of falls among veterans that were 
not prevented; 
(E) for veterans eligible for the Home Im-
provements and Structural Alterations Program 
of the Department under section 1717 of title 
38, United States Code, pursuant to subsection 
(a)(2)(B) of such section, the number of home 
modification grants provided to each veteran in 
receipt of such a grant; 
(F) the types of providers that have con-
ducted medical assessments leading to a rec-
ommendation for a home modification tied to 
medical necessity, and any recommendations for 
legislative or administrative action to expand 
the list of providers eligible to conduct medical 
assessments leading to a recommendation for a 
home modification; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:54 Aug 26, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00013
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H9179.IH
H9179
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
(G) home evaluation processes that are 
conducted in connection with awards made 
under the programs specified under subpara-
graph (C) and any recommendations for im-
proving the evaluation and review process; 
(H) reporting programs and software of 
the Department used to capture incidences of 
falls in care sites of the Veterans Health Ad-
ministration and other veterans’ settings; 
(I) limitations on uptake and use of cur-
rent prevention, screening, and intervention 
programs designed to address falls prevention; 
and 
(J) recommendations for the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to work with the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention, or other enti-
ties determined appropriate by the Secretary, to 
better capture data on falls by a veteran occur-
ring in the home or in the community. 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF FALLS ASSESSMENT AND FALL 
PREVENTION SERVICE REQUIREMENTS FOR 
VETERANS. 
(a) REQUIRED
NURSING
HOME
CARE.—Section 
1710A of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
striking subsection (d) and inserting the following: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:54 Aug 26, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00014
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H9179.IH
H9179
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
‘‘(d) In the case of an individual determined by a phy-
sician to have fallen or to have been at risk of falling dur-
ing the previous one-year period, the Secretary shall en-
sure that a licensed physical therapist or a licensed occu-
pational therapist conducts a falls risk assessment for the 
individual and provides fall prevention services during the 
stay of the individual in the nursing home. 
‘‘(e) The provisions of subsection (a) shall terminate 
on September 30, 2028.’’. 
(b) EXTENDED CARE SERVICES.—Section 1710B(a) 
of such title is amended by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph: 
‘‘(7) The conduct of an annual falls risk assess-
ment and the provision of fall prevention services by 
a licensed physical therapist or licensed occupational 
therapist.’’. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:54 Aug 26, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00015
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H9179.IH
H9179
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS