I 
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4561 
To specify requirements for the next update of the current strategic plan 
for the Office of Rural Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
for improving access to, and the quality of, health care services for 
veterans in rural areas. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 1, 2014 
Ms. SHEA-PORTER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To specify requirements for the next update of the current 
strategic plan for the Office of Rural Health of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs for improving access 
to, and the quality of, health care services for veterans 
in rural areas. 
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 ‘‘Rural Veterans Health 
Care Improvement Act of 2014’’. 
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SEC. 2. REQUIREMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH NEXT UP-
DATE OF CURRENT STRATEGIC PLAN FOR OF-
FICE OF RURAL HEALTH OF THE DEPART-
MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The first update of the Stra-
tegic Plan Refresh for Fiscal Years 2012 through 
2014 of the Office of Rural Health of the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, whether an update or refresh of 
such Strategic Plan Refresh or a strategic plan to 
supersede such Strategic Plan Refresh, shall be pre-
pared in accordance with this section. 
(2) CONSULTATION.—The Director of the Of-
fice of Rural Health shall prepare the update in con-
sultation with the following: 
(A) The Director of the Health Care Re-
tention and Recruitment Office of the Depart-
ment. 
(B) The Director of the Office of Quality 
and Performance of the Department. 
(C) The Director of the Office of Care Co-
ordination Services of the Department. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The update described in subsection 
(a) shall include, for the period covered by the update, 
the following: 
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(1) Goals and objectives for the recruitment 
and retention by the Veterans Health Administra-
tion of health care personnel in rural areas. 
(2) Goals and objectives for ensuring timeliness 
and improving quality in the delivery of health care 
services by the Veterans Health Administration in 
rural areas through contract and fee-basis providers. 
(3) Goals and objectives for the implementation, 
expansion, and enhanced use of telemedicine services 
by the Veterans Health Administration in rural 
areas, including through coordination with other ap-
propriate offices of the Department. 
(4) Goals and objectives for ensuring the full 
and effective use of mobile outpatient clinics by the 
Veterans Health Administration for the provision of 
health care services in rural areas, including goals 
and objectives for the use of such clinics on a fully 
mobile basis and for encouraging health care pro-
viders who provide services through such clinics to 
do so in rural areas. 
(5) Procedures for soliciting from each Vet-
erans Health Administration facility that serves a 
rural area the following: 
(A) A statement of the clinical capacity of 
such facility. 
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(B) The procedures of such facility in the 
event of a medical, surgical, or mental health 
emergency outside the scope of the clinical ca-
pacity of such facility. 
(C) The procedures and mechanisms of 
such facility for the provision and coordination 
of health care for women veterans, including 
procedures and mechanisms for coordination 
with local hospitals and health care facilities, 
oversight of primary care and fee-basis care, 
and management of specialty care. 
(6) Goals and objectives for the modification of 
the funding allocation mechanisms of the Office of 
Rural Health in order to ensure that the Office dis-
tributes funds to components of the Department to 
best achieve the goals and objectives of the Office 
and in a timely manner. 
(7) Goals and objectives for the coordination of, 
and sharing of resources with respect to, the provi-
sion of health care services to veterans in rural areas 
between the Department of Veterans Affairs, the 
Department of Defense, the Indian Health Service 
of the Department of Health and Human Services, 
and other Federal agencies, as appropriate and pru-
dent. 
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(8) Specific milestones for the achievement of 
the goals and objectives developed for the update. 
(9) Procedures for ensuring the effective imple-
mentation of the update. 
(c) TRANSMITTAL TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 90 
days after the date of the issuance of the update described 
in subsection (a), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
transmit the update to Congress, together with such com-
ments and recommendations in connection with the update 
as the Secretary considers appropriate. 
Æ 
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