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(F) an assessment of the particular needs
and concerns of children of members of the
Armed Forces, taking into account differing age
groups, impacts on development and education,
and the mental and emotional well being of chil-
dren;
(G) an assessment of the particular needs
and concerns of minority members of the Armed
Forces and minority veterans;
(H) an assessment of the particular edu-
cational and vocational needs of such members
and former members and their families, and an
assessment of the efficacy of existing educational
and vocational programs to address such needs;
(I) an assessment of the impacts on commu-
nities with high populations of military families,
including military housing communities and
townships with deployed members of the Na-
tional Guard and Reserve, of deployments associ-
ated with Operation Iraqi Freedom and Oper-
ation Enduring Freedom, and an assessment of
the efficacy of programs that address community
outreach and education concerning military de-
ployments of community residents;
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(J) an assessment of the impacts of increas-
ing numbers of older and married members of
the Armed Forces on readjustment requirements;
(K) the development, based on such assess-
ments, of recommendations for programs, treat-
ments, or policy remedies targeted at preventing,
minimizing or addressing the impacts, gaps and
needs identified; and
(L) the development, based on such assess-
ments, of recommendations for additional re-
search on such needs.
(c) POPULATIONS TO BE STUDIED.—The study re-
quired under subsection (a) shall consider the readjustment
needs of each population of individuals as follows:
(1) Members of the regular components of the
Armed Forces who are returning, or have returned, to
the United States from deployment in Operation
Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom.
(2) Members of the National Guard and Reserve
who are returning, or have returned, to the United
States from deployment in Operation Iraqi Freedom
or Operation Enduring Freedom.
(3) Veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom or Op-
eration Enduring Freedom.
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(4) Family members of the members and vet-
erans described in paragraphs (1) through (3).
(d) ACCESS TO INFORMATION.—The National Acad-
emy of Sciences shall have access to such personnel, infor-
mation, records, and systems of the Department of Defense
and the Department of Veterans Affairs as the National
Academy of Sciences requires in order to carry out the
study required under subsection (a).
(e) PRIVACY OF INFORMATION.—The National Acad-
emy of Sciences shall maintain any personally identifiable
information accessed by the Academy in carrying out the
study required under subsection (a) in accordance with all
applicable laws, protections, and best practices regarding
the privacy of such information, and may not permit access
to such information by any persons or entities not engaged
in work under the study.
(f) REPORTS BY NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.—
Upon the completion of each phase of the study required
under subsection (a), the National Academy of Sciences
shall submit to the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs a report on such phase of the study.
(g) DOD AND VA RESPONSE TO NAS REPORTS.—
(1) PRELIMINARY RESPONSE.—Not later than 45
days after the receipt of a report under subsection (f)
on each phase of the study required under subsection
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(a), the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs shall jointly develop a preliminary joint
Department of Defense-Department of Veterans Af-
fairs plan to address the findings and recommenda-
tions of the National Academy of Sciences contained
in such report. The preliminary plan shall provide
preliminary proposals on the matters set forth in
paragraph (3).
(2) FINAL RESPONSE.—Not later than 90 days
after the receipt of a report under subsection (f) on
each phase of the study required under subsection (a),
the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs shall jointly develop a final joint Department
of Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs plan to ad-
dress the findings and recommendations of the Na-
tional Academy of Sciences contained in such report.
The final plan shall provide final proposals on the
matters set forth in paragraph (3).
(3) COVERED MATTERS.—The matters set forth
in this paragraph with respect to a phase of the study
required under subsection (a) are as follows:
(A) Modifications of policy or practice
within the Department of Defense and the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs that are necessary
to address gaps in care or services as identified
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by the National Academy of Sciences under such
phase of the study.
(B) Modifications of policy or practice
within the Department of Defense and the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs that are necessary
to address recommendations made by the Na-
tional Academy of Sciences under such phase of
the study.
(C) An estimate of the costs of imple-
menting the modifications set forth under sub-
paragraphs (A) and (B), set forth by fiscal year
for at least the first five fiscal years beginning
after the date of the plan concerned.
(4) REPORTS ON RESPONSES.—The Secretary of
Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
jointly submit to Congress a report setting forth each
joint plan developed under paragraphs (1) and (2).
(5) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF RESPONSES.—The
Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs shall each make available to the public each re-
port submitted to Congress under paragraph (4), in-
cluding by posting an electronic copy of such report
on the Internet website of the Department of Defense
or the Department of Veterans Affairs, as applicable,
that is available to the public.
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(6) GAO AUDIT.—Not later than 45 days after
the submittal to Congress of the report under para-
graph (4) on the final joint Department of Defense-
Department of Veterans Affairs plan under para-
graph (2), the Comptroller General of the United
States shall submit to Congress a report assessing the
contents of such report under paragraph (4). The re-
port of the Comptroller General under this paragraph
shall include—
(A) an assessment of the adequacy and suf-
ficiency of the final joint Department of Defense-
Department of Veterans Affairs plan in address-
ing the findings and recommendations of the Na-
tional Academy of Sciences as a result of the
study required under subsection (a);
(B) an assessment of the feasibility and ad-
visability of the modifications of policy and
practice proposed in the final joint Department
of Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs plan;
(C) an assessment of the sufficiency and ac-
curacy of the cost estimates in the final joint De-
partment of Defense-Department of Veterans Af-
fairs plan; and
(D) the comments, if any, of the National
Academy of Sciences on the final joint Depart-
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ment of Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs
plan.
(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is
hereby authorized to be appropriated to the Department of
Defense such sums as may be necessary to carry out this
section.
TITLE II—VETERANS MATTERS
SEC. 201. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON DEPARTMENT OF VET-
ERANS AFFAIRS EFFORTS IN THE REHABILI-
TATION AND REINTEGRATION OF VETERANS
WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY.
It is the sense of Congress that—
(1) the Department of Veterans Affairs is a lead-
er in the field of traumatic brain injury care and co-
ordination of such care;
(2) the Department of Veterans Affairs should
have the capacity and expertise to provide veterans
who have a traumatic brain injury with patient-cen-
tered health care, rehabilitation, and community inte-
gration services that are comparable to or exceed
similar care and services available to persons with
such injuries in the academic and private sector;
(3) rehabilitation for veterans who have a trau-
matic brain injury should be individualized, com-
prehensive, and interdisciplinary with the goals of
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optimizing the independence of such veterans and re-
integrating them into their communities;
(4) family support is integral to the rehabilita-
tion and community reintegration of veterans who
have sustained a traumatic brain injury, and the De-
partment should provide the families of such veterans
with education and support;
(5) the Department of Defense and Department
of Veterans Affairs have made efforts to provide a
smooth transition of medical care and rehabilitative
services to individuals as they transition from the
health care system of the Department of Defense to
that of the Department of Veterans Affairs, but more
can be done to assist veterans and their families in
the continuum of the rehabilitation, recovery, and re-
integration of wounded or injured veterans into their
communities;
(6) in planning for rehabilitation and commu-
nity reintegration of veterans who have a traumatic
brain injury, it is necessary for the Department of
Veterans Affairs to provide a system for life-long case
management for such veterans; and
(7) in such system for life-long case management,
it is necessary to conduct outreach and to tailor spe-
cialized traumatic brain injury case management and
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outreach for the unique needs of veterans with trau-
matic brain injury who reside in urban and non-
urban settings.
SEC. 202. INDIVIDUAL REHABILITATION AND COMMUNITY
REINTEGRATION PLANS FOR VETERANS AND
OTHERS WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 17 of title
38, United States Code, is amended by inserting after sec-
tion 1710B the following new section:
‘‘§ 1710C. Traumatic brain injury: plans for rehabili-
tation and reintegration into the commu-
nity
‘‘(a) PLAN REQUIRED.—The Secretary shall, for each
veteran or member of the Armed Forces who receives inpa-
tient or outpatient rehabilitation care from the Department
for a traumatic brain injury—
‘‘(1) develop an individualized plan for the reha-
bilitation and reintegration of such individual into
the community; and
‘‘(2) provide such plan in writing to such indi-
vidual before such individual is discharged from in-
patient care, following transition from active duty to
the Department for outpatient care, or as soon as
practicable following diagnosis.
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‘‘(b) CONTENTS OF PLAN.—Each plan developed under
subsection (a) shall include, for the individual covered by
such plan, the following:
‘‘(1) Rehabilitation objectives for improving the
physical, cognitive, and vocational functioning of
such individual with the goal of maximizing the inde-
pendence and reintegration of such individual into
the community.
‘‘(2) Access, as warranted, to all appropriate re-
habilitative components of the traumatic brain injury
continuum of care.
‘‘(3) A description of specific rehabilitative treat-
ments and other services to achieve the objectives de-
scribed in paragraph (1), which description shall set
forth the type, frequency, duration, and location of
such treatments and services.
‘‘(4) The name of the case manager designated in
accordance with subsection (d) to be responsible for
the implementation of such plan.
‘‘(5) Dates on which the effectiveness of the plan
will be reviewed in accordance with subsection (f).
‘‘(c) COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each plan developed under
subsection (a) shall be based upon a comprehensive
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assessment, developed in accordance with paragraph
(2), of—
‘‘(A) the physical, cognitive, vocational, and
neuropsychological and social impairments of
such individual; and
‘‘(B) the family education and family sup-
port needs of such individual after discharge
from inpatient care.
‘‘(2) FORMATION.—The comprehensive assess-
ment required under paragraph (1) with respect to an
individual is a comprehensive assessment of the mat-
ters set forth in that paragraph by a team, composed
by the Secretary for purposes of the assessment from
among, but not limited to, individuals with expertise
in traumatic brain injury, including the following:
‘‘(A) A neurologist.
‘‘(B) A rehabilitation physician.
‘‘(C) A social worker.
‘‘(D) A neuropsychologist.
‘‘(E) A physical therapist.
‘‘(F) A vocational rehabilitation specialist.
‘‘(G) An occupational therapist.
‘‘(H) A speech language pathologist.
‘‘(I) A rehabilitation nurse.
‘‘(J) An educational therapist.
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‘‘(K) An audiologist.
‘‘(L) A blind rehabilitation specialist.
‘‘(M) A recreational therapist.
‘‘(N) A low vision optometrist.
‘‘(O) An orthotist or prostetist.
‘‘(P) An assistive technologist or rehabilita-
tion engineer.
‘‘(Q) An otolaryngology physician.
‘‘(R) A dietician.
‘‘(S) An opthamologist.
‘‘(T) A psychiatrist.
‘‘(d) CASE MANAGER.—(1) The Secretary shall des-
ignate a case manager for each individual described in sub-
section (a) to be responsible for the implementation of the
plan, and coordination of such care, required by such sub-
section for such individual.
‘‘(2) The Secretary shall ensure that such case manager
has specific expertise in the care required by the individual
to whom such case manager is designated, regardless of
whether such case manager obtains such expertise through
experience, education, or training.
‘‘(e) PARTICIPATION AND COLLABORATION IN DEVEL-
OPMENT OF PLANS.—(1) The Secretary shall involve each
individual described in subsection (a), and the family or
legal guardian of such individual, in the development of