I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3183 
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 
MAY 5, 2025 
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 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 2025’’ or the ‘‘SAFE STEPS for Veterans Act of 
2025’’. 
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) The Under Secretary for Health 
shall establish and operate in the Veterans Health Admin-
istration the Office of Falls Prevention (in this section re-
ferred to as the ‘Office’). 
‘‘(2) The Office shall be located at the Central Office 
of the Department. 
‘‘(3)(A) The head of the Office is the Chief Officer 
of Falls Prevention (in this section referred to as the 
‘Chief Officer’). (B) The Chief Officer shall report to the 
Under Secretary for Health. 
‘‘(4) 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 func-
tions of the Office under this section. 
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‘‘(5) 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 duplication 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 
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 
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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. 
‘‘(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. 
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‘‘(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 
‘‘(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 
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‘‘(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) 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 pro-
grams that will benefit veterans, including— 
‘‘(A) programs that overlap with the priorities 
of the Department; 
‘‘(B) programs that may focus on or be of par-
ticular benefit to veterans; and 
‘‘(C) programs that may include participants 
with multiple comorbidities. 
‘‘(2) The research required under paragraph (1) shall 
include the following: 
‘‘(A) Research in supporting veterans with and 
without service-connected disabilities receiving home 
modification grants under section 1717 or 2101 of 
this title. 
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‘‘(B) Development of recommendations for falls 
prevention interventions for veterans with service- 
connected disabilities, including home modification 
interventions. 
‘‘(C) Research addressing medication manage-
ment and polypharmacy as risk factors for falls pre-
vention and developing recommendations for pro-
viders and electronic health records systems of the 
Department to monitor for veterans at risk of falls 
based on use of certain medications. 
‘‘(D) Research on improvements for safe pa-
tient handling and mobility among veterans, particu-
larly in facilities (both medical and non-medical) 
that are not spinal cord injury centers. 
‘‘(3)(A) The Secretary and the Director of the Na-
tional Institute on Aging shall establish a joint subject 
matter expert panel to develop recommendations as re-
quired under paragraph (2)(B). 
‘‘(B) The subject matter expert panel required under 
subparagraph (A) shall be comprised of eight members, 
of which— 
‘‘(i) four shall be appointed by the Secretary; 
and 
‘‘(ii) four shall be appointed by the Director of 
the National Institute on Aging.’’. 
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(2) ESTABLISHMENT OF JOINT SUBJECT MAT-
TER EXPERT PANEL.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs and the Director of the National 
Institute on Aging shall establish the joint subject 
matter 
expert 
panel 
required 
under 
section 
7310B(d)(3) of title 38, United States Code, as 
added by paragraph (1). 
(3) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions at the beginning of such chapter is amended 
by inserting after the item relating to section 7310A 
the following new item: 
‘‘7310B. Office of Falls Prevention.’’. 
(b) EXPANSION
OF INTERAGENCY COORDINATING 
COMMITTEE ON HEALTHY AGING AND AGE-FRIENDLY 
COMMUNITIES.—Section 203(c) of the Older Americans 
Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3013(c)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs,’’ after ‘‘the Commissioner 
of Social Security,’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (7), in the matter preceding 
subparagraph (A)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘the Committee on Vet-
erans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives,’’ 
after ‘‘the Committee on Ways and Means of 
the House of Representatives,’’; and 
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(B) by inserting ‘‘the Committee on Vet-
erans’ Affairs of the Senate,’’ after ‘‘the Com-
mittee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pen-
sions of the Senate,’’. 
(c) SAFE HANDLING TRANSFER TECHNIQUES.—Not 
later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall issue or 
update directives of the Veterans Health Administration 
for facilities and providers relating to safe patient han-
dling and mobility policies at the national, Veterans Inte-
grated Service Network, and health-care system levels, 
which shall include the following: 
(1) Requiring biennial training for providers, 
including that all providers be trained in safe patient 
handling and use of mobility aids and mobility tech-
niques. 
(2) Requiring that any medical facility where 
patients may need assistance with transfer or mobil-
ity have access to safe patient handling and mobility 
technology appropriate for the setting to enable safe 
transfer and mobilization for access to care and ac-
tivities of daily living for veterans who are paralyzed 
or who need assistance with mobility. 
(3) Requiring that all emergency settings have 
immediate access to safe patient handling and mobil-
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ity technology to enable safe transfer, fall recovery, 
and repositioning. 
(d) PILOT PROGRAM ON FALLS PREVENTION INTER-
VENTIONS TIED TO RESIDENTIAL ADAPTATIONS AND AL-
TERATIONS.— 
(1) DETERMINATION.—The Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs shall determine the feasibility and ad-
visability of carrying out a pilot program to provide 
home improvements and structural alterations to 
prevent falls for all veterans eligible for those serv-
ices under the laws administered by the Secretary. 
(2) PLAN.—Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall submit to Congress a report— 
(A) indicating the plans of the Secretary to 
carry out a pilot program to provide home im-
provements and structural alterations to pre-
vent falls for all veterans eligible for those serv-
ices under the laws administered by the Sec-
retary; or 
(B) specifying why the Secretary deter-
mined under paragraph (1) that it is not fea-
sible or advisable to carry out such a pilot pro-
gram. 
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(3) REPORT
ON
LESSONS
LEARNED.—If the 
Secretary carries out the pilot program described in 
paragraph (1), not later than 180 days after the ter-
mination of the pilot program, the Chief Officer of 
Falls Prevention of the Department of Veterans Af-
fairs established under section 7310B(a)(3)(A) of 
title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection 
(a)(1), shall submit to Congress a report on lessons 
learned from the pilot program and any rec-
ommendations on extending or expanding the pilot 
program. 
(e) REPORT ON FALLS PREVENTION INITIATIVES.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than two years 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, or one 
year after the appointment of the Chief Officer of 
Falls Prevention of the Department of Veterans Af-
fairs established under section 7310B(a)(3)(A) of 
title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection 
(a)(1), whichever occurs first, the Chief Officer, or 
the Under Secretary for Health of the Department 
of Veterans Affairs if a Chief Officer has not yet 
been appointed, shall submit to Congress a report on 
falls prevention initiatives within the Department. 
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(2) ELEMENTS.—The report required by para-
graph (1) shall evaluate, for the three-year period 
preceding the date of the enactment of this Act— 
(A) screening procedures at facilities of the 
Veterans Health Administration for risk of falls 
and the prevalence of resulting falls prevention 
interventions; 
(B) the use by the Department of elec-
tronic health record documentation for risk of 
falls among veterans; 
(C) the number of home modification 
grants provided under either the Home Im-
provements and Structural Alterations Program 
of the Department under section 1717 of title 
38, United States Code, or the Specially Adapt-
ed Housing Program of the Department under 
section 2101 of such title; 
(D) the extent to which grants provided 
under the programs specified under subpara-
graph (C) prevent falls among veterans and any 
recommendations with respect to such programs 
in the case of falls among veterans that were 
not prevented; 
(E) for veterans eligible for the Home Im-
provements and Structural Alterations Program 
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of the Department under section 1717 of title 
38, United States Code, pursuant to subsection 
(a)(2)(B) of such section, the number of home 
modification grants provided to each veteran in 
receipt of such a grant; 
(F) the types of providers that have con-
ducted medical assessments leading to a rec-
ommendation for a home modification tied to 
medical necessity, and any recommendations for 
legislative or administrative action to expand 
the list of providers eligible to conduct medical 
assessments leading to a recommendation for a 
home modification; 
(G) home evaluation processes that are 
conducted in connection with awards made 
under the programs specified under subpara-
graph (C) and any recommendations for im-
proving the evaluation and review process; 
(H) reporting programs and software of 
the Department used to capture incidences of 
falls in care sites of the Veterans Health Ad-
ministration and other veterans’ settings; 
(I) limitations on uptake and use of cur-
rent prevention, screening, and intervention 
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programs designed to address falls prevention; 
and 
(J) recommendations for the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to work with the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention, or other enti-
ties determined appropriate by the Secretary, to 
better capture data on falls by a veteran occur-
ring in the home or in the community. 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF FALLS ASSESSMENT AND FALL 
PREVENTION SERVICE REQUIREMENTS FOR 
VETERANS. 
(a) REQUIRED
NURSING
HOME
CARE.—Section 
1710A of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
striking subsection (d) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(d) In the case of an individual determined by a phy-
sician to have fallen or to have been at risk of falling dur-
ing the previous one-year period, the Secretary shall en-
sure that a licensed physical therapist or a licensed occu-
pational therapist conducts a falls risk assessment for the 
individual and provides fall prevention services during the 
stay of the individual in the nursing home. 
‘‘(e) The provisions of subsection (a) shall terminate 
on September 30, 2028.’’. 
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(b) EXTENDED CARE SERVICES.—Section 1710B(a) 
of such title is amended by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph: 
‘‘(7) The conduct of an annual falls risk assess-
ment and the provision of fall prevention services by 
a licensed physical therapist or licensed occupational 
therapist.’’. 
Æ 
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