H. R. 1627—4 
(b) FAMILY MEMBERS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter VIII of chapter 17 is amended 
by adding at the end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 1787. Health care of family members of veterans stationed 
at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (b), a family member 
of a veteran described in subparagraph (F) of section 1710(e)(1) 
of this title who resided at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, for 
not fewer than 30 days during the period described in such subpara-
graph or who was in utero during such period while the mother 
of such family member resided at such location shall be eligible 
for hospital care and medical services furnished by the Secretary 
for any of the illnesses or conditions described in such subpara-
graph, notwithstanding that there is insufficient medical evidence 
to conclude that such illnesses or conditions are attributable to 
such residence. 
‘‘(b) LIMITATIONS.—(1) The Secretary may only furnish hospital 
care and medical services under subsection (a) to the extent and 
in the amount provided in advance in appropriations Acts for such 
purpose. 
‘‘(2) Hospital care and medical services may not be furnished 
under subsection (a) for an illness or condition of a family member 
that is found, in accordance with guidelines issued by the Under 
Secretary for Health, to have resulted from a cause other than 
the residence of the family member described in that subsection. 
‘‘(3) The Secretary may provide reimbursement for hospital 
care or medical services provided to a family member under this 
section only after the family member or the provider of such care 
or services has exhausted without success all claims and remedies 
reasonably available to the family member or provider against 
a third party (as defined in section 1725(f) of this title) for payment 
of such care or services, including with respect to health-plan con-
tracts (as defined in such section).’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections at the 
beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the 
item relating to section 1786 the following new item: 
‘‘1787. Health care of family members of veterans stationed at Camp Lejeune, North 
Carolina.’’. 
(c) ANNUAL REPORTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than December 31 of each of 
2013, 2014, and 2015, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate 
and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep-
resentatives a report on the care and services provided under 
sections 1710(e)(1)(F) and 1787 of title 38, United States Code 
(as added by subsections (a) and (b)(1), respectively). 
(2) ELEMENTS.—Each report under paragraph (1) shall set 
forth the following: 
(A) The number of veterans and family members pro-
vided hospital care and medical services under the provi-
sions of law specified in paragraph (1) during the period 
beginning on October 1, 2012, and ending on the date 
of such report. 
(B) The illnesses, conditions, and disabilities for which 
care and services have been provided such veterans and
H. R. 1627—5 
family members under such provisions of law during that 
period. 
(C) The number of veterans and family members who 
applied for care and services under such provisions of law 
during that period but were denied, including information 
on the reasons for such denials. 
(D) The number of veterans and family members who 
applied for care and services under such provisions of law 
and are awaiting a decision from the Secretary on eligibility 
for such care and services as of the date of such report. 
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The provisions of this section and the 
amendments made by this section shall take effect on the 
date of the enactment of this Act. 
(2) APPLICABILITY.—Subparagraph (F) of section 1710(e)(1) 
of such title, as added by subsection (a), and section 1787 
of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (b)(1), 
shall apply with respect to hospital care and medical services 
provided on or after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 103. AUTHORITY TO WAIVE COLLECTION OF COPAYMENTS FOR 
TELEHEALTH AND TELEMEDICINE VISITS OF VETERANS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter III of chapter 17 is amended 
by inserting after section 1722A the following new section: 
‘‘§ 1722B. Copayments: waiver of collection of copayments 
for telehealth and telemedicine visits of veterans 
‘‘The Secretary may waive the imposition or collection of copay-
ments for telehealth and telemedicine visits of veterans under the 
laws administered by the Secretary.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections at the begin-
ning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating 
to section 1722A the following new item: 
‘‘1722B. Copayments: waiver of collection of copayments for telehealth and telemedi-
cine visits of veterans.’’. 
SEC. 104. TEMPORARY EXPANSION OF PAYMENTS AND ALLOWANCES 
FOR BENEFICIARY TRAVEL IN CONNECTION WITH VET-
ERANS RECEIVING CARE FROM VET CENTERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Beginning one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall com-
mence a three-year initiative to assess the feasibility and advis-
ability of paying under section 111(a) of title 38, United States 
Code, the actual necessary expenses of travel or allowances for 
travel from a residence located in an area that is designated by 
the Secretary as highly rural to the nearest Vet Center and from 
such Vet Center to such residence. 
(b) REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the completion of the initiative, the Secretary shall submit 
to Congress a report on the findings of the Secretary with 
respect to the initiative required by subsection (a). 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The report required by paragraph (1) shall 
include the following: 
(A) A description of the individuals who benefitted 
from payment under the initiative.
H. R. 1627—6 
(B) A description of any impediments to the Secretary 
in paying expenses or allowances under the initiative. 
(C) A description of any impediments encountered by 
individuals in receiving such payments. 
(D) An assessment of the feasibility and advisability 
of paying such expenses or allowances. 
(E) An assessment of any fraudulent receipt of payment 
under the initiative and the recommendations of the Sec-
retary for legislative or administrative action to reduce 
such fraud. 
(F) Such recommendations for legislative or adminis-
trative action as the Secretary considers appropriate with 
respect to the payment of expenses or allowances as 
described in subsection (a). 
(c) VET CENTER DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘Vet 
Center’’ means a center for readjustment counseling and related 
mental health services for veterans under section 1712A of title 
38, United States Code. 
SEC. 105. CONTRACTS AND AGREEMENTS FOR NURSING HOME CARE. 
(a) CONTRACTS.—Section 1745(a) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘The Secretary shall pay 
each State home for nursing home care at the rate determined 
under paragraph (2)’’ and inserting ‘‘The Secretary shall enter 
into a contract (or agreement under section 1720(c)(1) of this 
title) with each State home for payment by the Secretary for 
nursing home care provided in the home’’; and 
(2) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following 
new paragraph (2): 
‘‘(2) Payment under each contract (or agreement) between the 
Secretary and a State home under paragraph (1) shall be based 
on a methodology, developed by the Secretary in consultation with 
the State home, to adequately reimburse the State home for the 
care provided by the State home under the contract (or agreement).’’. 
(b) AGREEMENTS.—Section 1720(c)(1)(A) is amended— 
(1) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘; and’’ and inserting a semi-
colon; 
(2) in clause (ii), by striking the period at the end and 
inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new clause: 
‘‘(iii) a provider of services eligible to enter into a contract 
pursuant to section 1745(a) of this title that is not otherwise 
described in clause (i) or (ii).’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made by this section 
shall apply to care provided on or after the date that is 180 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(2) MAINTENANCE OF PRIOR METHODOLOGY OF REIMBURSE-
MENT FOR CERTAIN STATE HOMES.—In the case of a State home 
that provided nursing home care on the day before the date 
of the enactment of this Act for which the State home was 
eligible for pay under section 1745(a)(1) of title 38, United 
States Code, at the request of any State home, the Secretary 
shall offer to enter into a contract (or agreement described 
in such section) with such State home under such section, 
as amended by subsection (a), for payment for nursing home 
care provided by such State home under such section that
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reflects the overall methodology of reimbursement for such 
care that was in effect for such State home on the day before 
the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 106. COMPREHENSIVE POLICY ON REPORTING AND TRACKING 
SEXUAL 
ASSAULT 
INCIDENTS 
AND 
OTHER 
SAFETY 
INCIDENTS. 
(a) POLICY.—Subchapter I of chapter 17 is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘§ 1709. Comprehensive policy on reporting and tracking 
sexual assault incidents and other safety incidents 
‘‘(a) POLICY REQUIRED.—(1) Not later than September 30, 2012, 
the Secretary shall develop and implement a centralized and com-
prehensive policy on the reporting and tracking of sexual assault 
incidents and other safety incidents that occur at each medical 
facility of the Department, including— 
‘‘(A) suspected, alleged, attempted, or confirmed cases of 
sexual assault, regardless of whether such assaults lead to 
prosecution or conviction; 
‘‘(B) criminal and purposefully unsafe acts; 
‘‘(C) alcohol or substance abuse related acts (including by 
employees of the Department); and 
‘‘(D) any kind of event involving alleged or suspected abuse 
of a patient. 
‘‘(2) In developing and implementing a policy under paragraph 
(1), the Secretary shall consider the effects of such policy on— 
‘‘(A) the use by veterans of mental health care and sub-
stance abuse treatments; and 
‘‘(B) the ability of the Department to refer veterans to 
such care or treatment. 
‘‘(b) SCOPE.—The policy required by subsection (a) shall cover 
each of the following: 
‘‘(1) For purposes of reporting and tracking sexual assault 
incidents and other safety incidents, definitions of the terms— 
‘‘(A) ‘safety incident’; 
‘‘(B) ‘sexual assault’; and 
‘‘(C) ‘sexual assault incident’. 
‘‘(2)(A) The development and use of specific risk-assessment 
tools to examine any risks related to sexual assault that a 
veteran may pose while being treated at a medical facility 
of the Department, including clear and consistent guidance 
on the collection of information related to— 
‘‘(i) the legal history of the veteran; and 
‘‘(ii) the medical record of the veteran. 
‘‘(B) In developing and using tools under subparagraph 
(A), the Secretary shall consider the effects of using such tools 
on the use by veterans of health care furnished by the Depart-
ment. 
‘‘(3) The mandatory training of employees of the Depart-
ment on security issues, including awareness, preparedness, 
precautions, and police assistance. 
‘‘(4) The mandatory implementation, use, and regular 
testing of appropriate physical security precautions and equip-
ment, including surveillance camera systems, computer-based 
panic alarm systems, stationary panic alarms, and electronic 
portable personal panic alarms.