In the Senate of the United States, 
November 17, 2016. 
Resolved, That the bill from the House of Representa-
tives (H.R. 3471) entitled ‘‘An Act to amend title 38, United 
States Code, to make certain improvements in the provision 
of automobiles and adaptive equipment by the Department of 
Veterans Affairs.’’, do pass with the following 
AMENDMENT: 
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following: 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Mobility Safety 
Act of 2016’’. 
SEC. 2. PERSONAL SELECTIONS OF AUTOMOBILES AND 
ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT. 
Section 3903(b) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘Except’’ and inserting ‘‘(1) Ex-
cept’’; and
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(2) by adding at the end the following new para-
graph: 
‘‘(2) The Secretary shall ensure that to the extent prac-
ticable an eligible person who is provided an automobile 
or other conveyance under this chapter is given the oppor-
tunity to make personal selections relating to such auto-
mobile or other conveyance.’’. 
SEC. 3. COMPREHENSIVE POLICY FOR THE AUTOMOBILES 
ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT PROGRAM. 
(a) COMPREHENSIVE POLICY.—The Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs shall develop a comprehensive policy regard-
ing quality standards for providers who provide modifica-
tion services to veterans under the automobile adaptive 
equipment program. 
(b) SCOPE.—The policy developed under subsection (a) 
shall cover each of the following: 
(1) The Department of Veterans Affairs-wide 
management of the automobile adaptive equipment 
program. 
(2) The development of standards for safety and 
quality of equipment and installation of equipment 
through the automobile adaptive equipment program, 
including with respect to the defined differentiations 
in levels of modification complexity.
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(3) The consistent application of standards for 
safety and quality of both equipment and installation 
throughout the Department. 
(4) In accordance with subsection (c)(1), the cer-
tification of a provider by a manufacturer if the Sec-
retary designates the quality standards of such manu-
facturer as meeting or exceeding the standards devel-
oped under this section. 
(5) In accordance with subsection (c)(2), the cer-
tification of a provider by a third party, nonprofit 
organization if the Secretary designates the quality 
standards of such organization as meeting or exceed-
ing the standards developed under this section. 
(6) The education and training of personnel of 
the Department who administer the automobile 
adaptive equipment program. 
(7) The compliance of the provider with the 
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
12101 et seq.) when furnishing automobile adaptive 
equipment at the facility of the provider. 
(8) The allowance, where technically appro-
priate, for veterans to receive modifications at their 
residence or location of choice, including standards 
that ensure such receipt and notification to veterans 
of the availability of such receipt.
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(c) CERTIFICATION OF MANUFACTURERS AND THIRD 
PARTY, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.— 
(1) CERTIFICATION
OF
MANUFACTURERS.—The 
Secretary shall approve a manufacturer as a certi-
fying manufacturer for purposes of subsection (b)(4), 
if the manufacturer demonstrates that its certification 
standards meet or exceed the quality standards devel-
oped under this section. 
(2) CERTIFICATION OF THIRD PARTY, NONPROFIT 
ORGANIZATIONS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may ap-
prove two or more private, nonprofit organiza-
tions as third party, nonprofit certifying organi-
zations for purposes of subsection (b)(5). 
(B) LIMITATION.—If at any time there is 
only one third party, nonprofit certifying orga-
nization approved by the Secretary for purposes 
of subsection (b)(5), such organization shall not 
be permitted to provide certifications under such 
subsection until such time as the Secretary ap-
proves a second third party, nonprofit certifying 
organization for purposes of such subsection. 
(d) UPDATES.— 
(1) INITIAL UPDATES.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
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retary shall update Veterans Health Administration 
Handbook 1173.4, or any successor handbook or direc-
tive, in accordance with the policy developed under 
subsection (a). 
(2) SUBSEQUENT UPDATES.—Not less frequently 
than once every 6 years thereafter, the Secretary shall 
update such handbook, or any successor handbook or 
directive. 
(e) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall develop the 
policy under subsection (a), and revise such policy under 
subsection (d), in consultation with veterans service organi-
zations, the National Highway Transportation Administra-
tion, industry representatives, manufacturers of automobile 
adaptive equipment, and other entities with expertise in in-
stalling, repairing, replacing, or manufacturing mobility 
equipment or developing mobility accreditation standards 
for automobile adaptive equipment. 
(f) CONFLICTS.—In developing and implementing the 
policy under subsection (a), the Secretary shall— 
(1) minimize the possibility of conflicts of inter-
est, to the extent practicable; and 
(2) establish procedures that ensure against the 
use of a certifying organization referred to in sub-
section (b)(5) that has a financial conflict of interest 
regarding the certification of an eligible provider.
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(g) BIENNIAL REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date on which the Secretary updates Veterans 
Health Administration Handbook 1173.4, or any suc-
cessor handbook or directive, under subsection (d), 
and not less frequently than once every other year 
thereafter through 2022, 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 report on the implementation and 
facility compliance with the policy developed under 
subsection (a). 
(2) CONTENTS.—The report required by para-
graph (1) shall include the following: 
(A) A description of the implementation 
plan for the policy developed under subsection 
(a) and any revisions to such policy under sub-
section (d). 
(B) A description of the performance meas-
ures used to determine the effectiveness of such 
policy in ensuring the safety of veterans enrolled 
in the automobile adaptive equipment program. 
(C) An assessment of safety issues due to 
improper installations based on a survey of re-
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cipients of adaptive equipment from the Depart-
ment. 
(D) An assessment of the adequacy of the 
adaptive equipment services of the Department 
based on a survey of recipients of adaptive 
equipment from the Department. 
(E) An assessment of the training provided 
to the personnel of the Department with respect 
to administering the program. 
(F) An assessment of the certified providers 
of the Department of adaptive equipment with 
respect to meeting the minimum standards devel-
oped under subsection (b)(2). 
(h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) AUTOMOBILE
ADAPTIVE
EQUIPMENT
PRO-
GRAM.—The term ‘‘automobile adaptive equipment 
program’’ means the program administered by the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs pursuant to chapter 39 
of title 38, United States Code. 
(2) VETERANS
SERVICE
ORGANIZATION.—The 
term ‘‘veterans service organization’’ means any orga-
nization recognized by the Secretary for the represen-
tation of veterans under section 5902 of title 38, 
United States Code.
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SEC. 4. APPOINTMENT OF LICENSED HEARING AID SPE-
CIALISTS IN VETERANS HEALTH ADMINIS-
TRATION. 
(a) LICENSED HEARING AID SPECIALISTS.— 
(1) APPOINTMENT.—Section 7401(3) of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended by inserting ‘‘licensed 
hearing aid specialists,’’ after ‘‘Audiologists,’’. 
(2) QUALIFICATIONS.—Section 7402(b)(14) of 
such title is amended by inserting ‘‘, hearing aid spe-
cialist’’ after ‘‘dental technologist’’. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—With respect to appointing 
hearing aid specialists under sections 7401 and 7402 of title 
38, United States Code, as amended by subsection (a), and 
providing services furnished by such specialists, the Sec-
retary shall ensure that— 
(1) a hearing aid specialist may only perform 
hearing services consistent with the hearing aid spe-
cialist’s State license related to the practice of fitting 
and dispensing hearing aids without excluding other 
qualified professionals, including audiologists, from 
rendering services in overlapping practice areas; 
(2) services provided to veterans by hearing aid 
specialists shall be provided as part of the non-med-
ical treatment plan developed by an audiologist; and 
(3) the medical facilities of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs provide to veterans access to the full
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range of professional services provided by an audiol-
ogist. 
(c) CONSULTATION.—In determining the qualifications 
required for hearing aid specialists and in carrying out 
subsection (b), the Secretary shall consult with veterans 
service organizations, audiologists, otolaryngologists, hear-
ing aid specialists, and other stakeholder and industry 
groups as the Secretary determines appropriate. 
(d) ANNUAL REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually 
thereafter during the 5-year period beginning on the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs shall submit to Congress a report on the 
following: 
(A) Timely access of veterans to hearing 
health services through the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs. 
(B) Contracting policies of the Department 
with respect to providing hearing health services 
to veterans in facilities that are not facilities of 
the Department. 
(2) TIMELY ACCESS TO SERVICES.—Each report 
shall, with respect to the matter specified in para-
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graph (1)(A) for the 1-year period preceding the sub-
mittal of such report, include the following: 
(A) The staffing levels of audiologists, hear-
ing aid specialists, and health technicians in 
audiology in the Veterans Health Administra-
tion. 
(B) A description of the metrics used by the 
Secretary in measuring performance with respect 
to appointments and care relating to hearing 
health. 
(C) The average time that a veteran waits 
to receive an appointment, beginning on the date 
on which the veteran makes the request, for the 
following: 
(i) A disability rating evaluation for a 
hearing-related disability. 
(ii) A hearing aid evaluation. 
(iii) Dispensing of hearing aids. 
(iv) Any follow-up hearing health ap-
pointment. 
(D) The percentage of veterans whose total 
wait time for appointments described in sub-
paragraph (C), including an initial and follow- 
up appointment, if applicable, is more than 30 
days.
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(3) CONTRACTING POLICIES.—Each report shall, 
with respect to the matter specified in paragraph 
(1)(B) for the 1-year period preceding the submittal 
of such report, include the following: 
(A) The number of veterans that the Sec-
retary refers to non-Department audiologists for 
hearing health care appointments. 
(B) The number of veterans that the Sec-
retary refers to non-Department hearing aid spe-
cialists for follow-up appointments for a hearing 
aid evaluation, the dispensing of hearing aids, or 
any other purpose relating to hearing health. 
Attest: 
Secretary.