†
953
HR 1585 EAS
(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
†
954
HR 1585 EAS
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.
†
955
HR 1585 EAS
(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-
†
956
HR 1585 EAS
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 XVII—VETERANS
MATTERS
SEC. 1701. 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-
†
957
HR 1585 EAS
prehensive, and interdisciplinary with the goals of
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-
†
958
HR 1585 EAS
cialized traumatic brain injury case management and
outreach for the unique needs of veterans with trau-
matic brain injury who reside in urban and non-
urban settings.
SEC. 1702. 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.