I 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5516 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for certain requirements 
relating to the immunization of veterans, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 10, 2010 
Mr. STEARNS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for certain 
requirements relating to the immunization of veterans, 
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 ‘‘Access to Appropriate 
Immunizations for Veterans Act of 2010’’. 
SEC. 2. ENSURING VETERAN ACCESS TO APPROPRIATE IM-
MUNIZATIONS. 
(a) INCLUSION OF RECOMMENDED ADULT VACCINA-
TIONS AS MEDICAL SERVICES.— 
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(1) COVERED BENEFIT.—Subparagraph (F) of 
section 1701(9) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(F) immunizations against infectious dis-
eases, including each immunization on the rec-
ommended adult immunization schedule at the 
time such immunization is indicated on that 
schedule;’’. 
(2) DEFINITION.—Section 1701 of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended by adding after 
paragraph (9) the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(10) The term ‘recommended adult immuniza-
tion schedule’ means the schedule established (and 
periodically reviewed and, as appropriate, revised) by 
the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices 
established by the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services and delegated to the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention.’’. 
(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Section 1704(1)(A) of 
title 38, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(2) in clause (ii), by striking the period at the 
end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by inserting after clause (ii) the following 
new clause: 
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‘‘(iii) to ensure that veterans have re-
ceived each immunization on the rec-
ommended adult immunization schedule at 
the time such immunization is indicated on 
that schedule.’’. 
(c) ASSURANCE THAT ADMINISTRATION OF VACCINA-
TIONS CONSTITUTES APPROPRIATE MANAGEMENT AND 
COST-EFFECTIVE DELIVERY OF HEALTH CARE SERV-
ICES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1706(a) of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘In managing the provi-
sion’’ and inserting ‘‘(1) In managing the provi-
sion’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
subsection: 
‘‘(2) In managing the provision of medical services 
under such section, the Secretary shall develop and imple-
ment quality measures and metrics to ensure that veterans 
receiving medical services under this title receive each im-
munization on the recommended adult immunization 
schedule at the time such immunization is indicated on 
that schedule. Such quality measures and metrics shall in-
clude targets for compliance. The Secretary shall, to the 
maximum extent feasible, develop and implement such 
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measures and metrics concurrently and consistently with 
the metrics in place, as of the date of the enactment of 
this paragraph, with respect to influenza and pneumo-
coccal vaccinations.’’ 
(2) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Section 1704(1) of 
title 38, United States Code, as amended by sub-
section (c)(1)(C), is further amended by adding after 
subparagraph (G) the following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(H) Statistics related to the quality meas-
ures and metrics established under section 
1706(a)(2) of this title.’’. 
(3) EFFECTIVE DATES.— 
(A) DEVELOPMENT
OF
INITIAL
SCHED-
ULE.—The Secretary shall establish the quality 
measures and metrics described in paragraph 
(2) of subsection (a) of section 1706 of title 38, 
United States Code, as added by paragraph (1), 
through notice and comment rulemaking in the 
Federal Register. The Secretary shall cause to 
have published in the Federal Register proposed 
measures and metrics by no later than July 1, 
2010, and shall finalize such measures and 
metrics by no later than December 31, 2010. 
(B) IMPLEMENTATION OF MEASURES AND 
METRICS.—The Secretary shall implement para-
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graph (2) of subsection (a) of section 1706 of 
title 38, United States Code, as added by para-
graph (1) on January 1, 2011. 
(C) REPORT
TO
CONGRESS.—Subpara-
graph (H) of paragraph (1) of section 1704 of 
title 38, United States Code, as added by para-
graph (2), shall apply with respect to the first 
report submitted under such section after Janu-
ary 1, 2011. 
Æ 
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