Title: Requiring Accountability and Inspections for Dining Service Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Requiring Accountability and Inspections for Dining Service Act
This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide for annual inspections to ensure that VA medical facility kitchens and food service areas meet private hospital kitchen and food service area standards.
The VA shall seek to enter into an agreement with the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospital Organizations to conduct such inspections. If the VA is unable to enter into an agreement with the Commission, the VA shall seek such an agreement with a non-federal, not-for-profit entity with comparable expertise and objectivity.
If a VA facility kitchen or food service area fails such inspection, the VA shall implement a remediation plan within 48 hours and conduct a second inspection within 7 days. A facility kitchen or food service area that fails the second inspection shall be closed until: (1) remediation is completed, and (2) all kitchens and food service areas at that facility meet the standards.
The Veterans Integrated Service Network of a facility in which a kitchen or food service area is closed shall enter into a food service contract with a General Services Administration-approved vendor to provide food at such facility.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 645 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 645

    To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide for the 
inspection of kitchens and food service areas at medical facilities of 
 the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that the same standards 
for kitchens and food service areas at hospitals in the private sector 
are being met at kitchens and food service areas at medical facilities 
                           of the Department.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 24, 2017

 Mr. Bost (for himself, Mr. O'Rourke, Mrs. Radewagen, and Ms. Gabbard) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide for the 
inspection of kitchens and food service areas at medical facilities of 
 the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that the same standards 
for kitchens and food service areas at hospitals in the private sector 
are being met at kitchens and food service areas at medical facilities 
                           of the Department.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Requiring Accountability and 
Inspections for Dining Service Act''.

SEC. 2. INSPECTION OF KITCHENS AND FOOD SERVICE AREAS AT MEDICAL 
              FACILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than annually 
thereafter, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall provide for the 
conduct of inspections of kitchens and food service areas at each 
medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that 
the same standards for kitchens and food service areas at hospitals in 
the private sector are being met at kitchens and food service areas at 
medical facilities of the Department.
    (b) Agreement.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall seek to enter into an 
        agreement with the Joint Commission on Accreditation of 
        Hospital Organizations under which the Joint Commission on 
        Accreditation of Hospital Organizations conducts the 
        inspections required under subsection (a).
            (2) Alternate organization.--If the Secretary is unable to 
        enter into an agreement described in paragraph (1) with the 
        Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospital Organizations on 
        terms acceptable to the Secretary, the Secretary shall seek to 
        enter into such an agreement with another appropriate 
        organization that--
                    (A) is not part of the Federal Government;
                    (B) operates as a not-for-profit entity; and
                    (C) has expertise and objectivity comparable to 
                that of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of 
                Hospital Organizations.
    (c) Remediation Plan.--
            (1) Initial failure.--If a kitchen or food service area of 
        a medical facility of the Department is determined pursuant to 
        an inspection conducted under subsection (a) not to meet the 
        standards for kitchens and food service areas in hospitals in 
        the private sector, that medical facility fails the inspection 
        and the Secretary shall--
                    (A) implement a remediation plan for that medical 
                facility within 48 hours; and
                    (B) conduct a second inspection under subsection 
                (a) at that medical facility within 7 days of the 
                failed inspection.
            (2) Second failure.--If a medical facility of the 
        Department fails the second inspection conducted under 
        paragraph (1)(B), the Secretary shall close the kitchen or food 
        service area at that medical facility that did not meet the 
        standards for kitchens and food service areas in hospitals in 
        the private sector until remediation is completed and all 
        kitchens and food service areas at that medical facility meet 
        such standards.
            (3) Provision of food.--If a kitchen or food service area 
        is closed at a medical facility of the Department pursuant to 
        paragraph (2), the Director of the Veterans Integrated Service 
        Network in which the medical facility is located shall enter 
        into a contract with a vendor approved by the General Services 
        Administration to provide food at the medical facility.
    (d) Reports.--
            (1) Quarterly.--Not less frequently than quarterly, the 
        Director of each Veterans Integrated Service Network shall 
        submit to Congress a report on inspections conducted under this 
        section during that quarter at medical facilities of the 
        Department under the jurisdiction of that Director.
            (2) Subsequent period.--A Director of a Veterans Integrated 
        Service Network may submit to Congress the report described in 
        paragraph (1) not less frequently than semiannually if the 
        Director does not report any failed inspections for the one-
        year period preceding the submittal of the report.
                                 <all>