I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 9179 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the Office of Falls 
Prevention of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 26, 2024 
Ms. BUDZINSKI (for herself, Ms. LOIS FRANKEL of Florida, Mrs. KIGGANS 
of Virginia, Mr. BERGMAN, and Mr. BILIRAKIS) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in 
addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a period 
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the 
Office of Falls Prevention of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, 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. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Supporting Access to 
Falls Education and prevention and Strengthening Train-
ing Efforts and Promoting Safety initiatives for Veterans 
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Act of 2024’’ or the ‘‘SAFE STEPS for Veterans Act of 
2024’’. 
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE OF FALLS PREVEN-
TION OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF-
FAIRS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter I of chapter 73 
of title 38, United States Code, is amended by in-
serting after section 7310A the following new sec-
tion: 
‘‘§ 7310B. Office of Falls Prevention 
‘‘(a) OFFICE.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT
AND
OPERATION.—The 
Under Secretary for Health shall establish and oper-
ate in the Veterans Health Administration the Office 
of Falls Prevention (in this section referred to as the 
‘Office’). 
‘‘(2) LOCATION OF OFFICE.—The Office shall 
be located at the Central Office of the Department. 
‘‘(3) LEADERSHIP.— 
‘‘(A) HEAD.—The head of the Office is the 
Chief Officer of Falls Prevention (in this sec-
tion referred to as the ‘Chief Officer’). 
‘‘(B) REPORTING.—The Chief Officer shall 
report to the Under Secretary for Health. 
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‘‘(4) STAFFING
AND
SUPPORT.—The Under 
Secretary for Health shall provide the Office with 
such staff and other support as may be necessary 
for the Office to carry out effectively the functions 
of the Office under this section. 
‘‘(5) REORGANIZATION.—The Under Secretary 
for Health may reorganize existing offices within the 
Veterans Health Administration as of the date of 
the enactment of this section in order to avoid dupli-
cation with the functions of the Office. 
‘‘(b) FUNCTIONS.—The functions of the Office in-
clude the following: 
‘‘(1) To provide a central office for monitoring 
and encouraging the activities of the Veterans 
Health Administration with respect to the provision, 
evaluation, and improvement of health care services 
relating to falls prevention provided to veterans by 
the Department, with the goal of averting costly 
health care utilization while decreasing the incidence 
of falls. 
‘‘(2) To develop and implement standards of 
care for the provision by the Department of health 
care services relating to falls prevention. 
‘‘(3) To monitor and identify deficiencies in 
standards of care for the provision of health care 
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services relating to falls prevention, to provide tech-
nical assistance to medical facilities of the Depart-
ment, to provide technical assistance to programs of 
the Department that support veterans in their own 
homes, to address and remedy deficiencies of such 
facilities and programs, and to perform oversight of 
implementation of such standards of care. 
‘‘(4) To monitor and identify deficiencies in 
standards of care for the provision of health care 
services relating to falls prevention through the com-
munity pursuant to this title and to provide rec-
ommendations to the appropriate office to address 
and remedy any deficiencies. 
‘‘(5) To oversee distribution of resources and 
information related to falls prevention for veterans 
under this title. 
‘‘(6) To promote the expansion and improve-
ment of clinical, research, and educational activities 
of the Veterans Health Administration with respect 
to health care services relating to falls prevention, 
including research activities on falls prevention con-
ducted between the Office of Research and Develop-
ment of the Department and the National Institute 
on Aging. 
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‘‘(7) To promote the development or expansion 
of rigorous quality assessment or improvement proc-
esses designed to prevent falls, including through co-
ordination and collaboration with offices within the 
Department determined appropriate by the Sec-
retary. 
‘‘(8) To coordinate home modification and ad-
aptation programs administered by the Under Sec-
retary for Benefits under chapter 21 of this title and 
the Under Secretary for Health under section 
1717(a)(2) of this title. 
‘‘(9) To carry out such other duties as the 
Under Secretary for Health may require. 
‘‘(c) PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGN.—The Chief Of-
ficer shall— 
‘‘(1) oversee and support a national education 
campaign that— 
‘‘(A) is directed principally to veterans de-
termined to be at risk for falls, their families, 
and their health care providers; and 
‘‘(B) focuses on— 
‘‘(i) reducing falls, falls with major in-
jury, and repeat falls for veterans receiving 
care under the laws administered by the 
Secretary; and 
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‘‘(ii) increasing awareness of available 
benefits, grants, devices, or services pro-
vided by the Department that would aid 
veterans in reducing falls and preventing 
repeat falls; and 
‘‘(2) award grants or contracts to qualified or-
ganizations for the purpose of supporting local edu-
cation campaigns focusing on reducing falls, falls 
with major injury, and repeat falls for veterans re-
ceiving care under the laws administered by the Sec-
retary. 
‘‘(d) RESEARCH ON FALLS PREVENTION PROGRAMS 
FOR VETERAN POPULATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Chief Officer shall 
work with the Office of Research and Development 
of the Department and the National Institute on 
Aging to develop research for evidence-based falls 
prevention programs that will benefit veterans, in-
cluding— 
‘‘(A) programs that overlap with the prior-
ities of the Department; 
‘‘(B) programs that may focus on or be of 
particular benefit to veterans; and 
‘‘(C) programs that may include partici-
pants with multiple comorbidities. 
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