Veterans Traumatic Brain Injury Care Improvement Act of 2014

Bill: 113-hr-4276
Sponsor: Rep. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA-6]
Introduced: 2014-03-18 in the House
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Blood and blood diseases
Congressional oversight
Debt collection
Disability and paralysis
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Emergency medical services and trauma care
HIV/AIDS
Health facilities and institutions
Health information and medical records
Health programs administration and funding
Housing for the elderly and disabled
Neurological disorders
Right of privacy
Veterans' loans, housing, homeless programs
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2014-03-18
text: 
Veterans Traumatic Brain Injury Care Improvement Act of 2014 - Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 to extend the pilot program to assess the effectiveness of providing assistance to eligible veterans with traumatic brain injury to enhance their rehabilitation, quality of life, and community integration.
 
Requires that at least one location of the program be in each health care region of the Veterans Health Administration that contains a polytrauma center of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). (Under current law, selected locations also must include any location other than one described above in an area that contains a high concentration of veterans with traumatic brain injuries.)
 
Expands requirements for reports on the pilot program.
 
Replaces references to &quot;assisted living&quot; with the term &quot;community-based brain injury residential rehabilitative care,&quot; including rehabilitation services within the meaning of such care.
 
Requires a veteran, in order to be eligible for such services, to have a traumatic brain injury that is classified as complex-mild to severe.
 
Modifies the process of recovery of the costs of certain care for a non-service-connected disability to allow a veteran's medical records to be made available to third parties without written consent if the care or services are related to drug abuse, alcoholism or alcohol abuse, HIV infection, or sickle cell anemia and the veteran does not withhold consent for such disclosure within 30 days of receiving such care.

action_date: 2014-09-15
text: 
Veterans Traumatic Brain Injury Care Improvement Act of 2014 - Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 to alter the reporting requirements under the pilot program to assess the effectiveness of providing assistance to eligible veterans with traumatic brain injury to enhance their rehabilitation, quality of life, and community integration.
 
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to submit reports to the congressional veterans committees on the pilot program for each quarter occurring between January 1, 2015, and September 30, 2017. Requires each quarterly report to include for the preceding quarter: 
 
 
the number of individuals who participated in the pilot program,
 
the number of individuals who successfully completed the program,
 
the degree to which pilot program participants and their family members were satisfied with the program, and
 
the interim findings and conclusions of the Secretary regarding the success of the program and recommendations for improving it.
 
 
Requires the Secretary to include in the report the Secretary submits to the congressional veterans committees after the completion of the pilot program: 
 
 
 an evaluation of the pilot program in light of the VA's independent living programs, including an assessment of whether the pilot program should be incorporated into such independent living programs; and 
 
 recommendations for improving the pilot program.
 
 
Replaces references to "assisted living" with the term "community-based brain injury residential rehabilitative care," including rehabilitation services within the meaning of such care.

action_date: 2014-09-16
text: 
Veterans Traumatic Brain Injury Care Improvement Act of 2014 - Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 to alter the reporting requirements under the pilot program to assess the effectiveness of providing assistance to eligible veterans with traumatic brain injury to enhance their rehabilitation, quality of life, and community integration.
 
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to submit reports to the congressional veterans committees on the pilot program for each quarter occurring between January 1, 2015, and September 30, 2017. Requires each quarterly report to include for the preceding quarter: 
 
 
the number of individuals who participated in the pilot program,
 
the number of individuals who successfully completed the program,
 
the degree to which pilot program participants and their family members were satisfied with the program, and
 
the interim findings and conclusions of the Secretary regarding the success of the program and recommendations for improving it.

 
Requires the Secretary to include in the report the Secretary submits to the congressional veterans committees after the completion of the pilot program: 
 
 
 an evaluation of the pilot program in light of the VA's independent living programs, including an assessment of whether the pilot program should be incorporated into such independent living programs; and 
 
 recommendations for improving the pilot program.

 
Replaces references to "assisted living" with the term "community-based brain injury residential rehabilitative care," including rehabilitation services within the meaning of such care.
 
Requires this Act and its amendments to be carried out using funds already available for such purposes. 

action_date: 2014-12-15
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the House on September 16, 2014. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

 
Veterans Traumatic Brain Injury Care Improvement Act of 2014 - Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 to alter the reporting requirements under the pilot program to assess the effectiveness of providing assistance to eligible veterans with traumatic brain injury to enhance their rehabilitation, quality of life, and community integration.
 
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to submit reports to the congressional veterans committees on the pilot program for each quarter occurring between January 1, 2015, and September 30, 2017. Requires each quarterly report to include for the preceding quarter: 
 
 
the number of individuals who participated in the pilot program,
 
the number of individuals who successfully completed the program,
 
the degree to which pilot program participants and their family members were satisfied with the program, and
 
the interim findings and conclusions of the Secretary regarding the success of the program and recommendations for improving it.

 
Requires the Secretary to include in the report the Secretary submits to the congressional veterans committees after the completion of the pilot program: 
 
 
 an evaluation of the pilot program in light of the VA's independent living programs, including an assessment of whether the pilot program should be incorporated into such independent living programs; and 
 
 recommendations for improving the pilot program.

 
Replaces references to "assisted living" with the term "community-based brain injury residential rehabilitative care," including rehabilitation services within the meaning of such care.
 
Requires this Act and its amendments to be carried out using funds already available for such purposes. 

action_date: 2014-12-18
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the House on September 16, 2014. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

 
Veterans Traumatic Brain Injury Care Improvement Act of 2014 - Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 to alter the reporting requirements under the pilot program to assess the effectiveness of providing assistance to eligible veterans with traumatic brain injury to enhance their rehabilitation, quality of life, and community integration.
 
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to submit reports to the congressional veterans committees on the pilot program for each quarter occurring between January 1, 2015, and September 30, 2017. Requires each quarterly report to include for the preceding quarter: 
 
 
the number of individuals who participated in the pilot program,
 
the number of individuals who successfully completed the program,
 
the degree to which pilot program participants and their family members were satisfied with the program, and
 
the interim findings and conclusions of the Secretary regarding the success of the program and recommendations for improving it.

 
Requires the Secretary to include in the report the Secretary submits to the congressional veterans committees after the completion of the pilot program: 
 
 
 an evaluation of the pilot program in light of the VA's independent living programs, including an assessment of whether the pilot program should be incorporated into such independent living programs; and 
 
 recommendations for improving the pilot program.

 
Replaces references to "assisted living" with the term "community-based brain injury residential rehabilitative care," including rehabilitation services within the meaning of such care.
 
Requires this Act and its amendments to be carried out using funds already available for such purposes. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-12-18
text: Became Public Law No: 113-257.
action_date: 2014-12-18
text: Became Public Law No: 113-257.
action_date: 2014-12-18
text: Signed by President.
action_date: 2014-12-18
text: Signed by President.
action_date: 2014-12-17
text: Presented to President.
action_date: 2014-12-17
text: Presented to President.
action_date: 2014-12-16
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2014-12-15
text: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2014-12-15
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2014-12-15
text: Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S6841)
action_date: 2014-12-15
text: Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S6841)
action_date: 2014-09-17
text: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2014-09-16
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2014-09-16
text: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H7585-7586)
action_date: 2014-09-16
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H7585-7586)
action_date: 2014-09-16
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4276.
action_date: 2014-09-16
text: Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H7585-7587)
action_date: 2014-09-16
text: Mr. Lamborn moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
action_date: 2014-09-15
text: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 445.
action_date: 2014-09-15
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 113-598.
action_date: 2014-09-15
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 113-598.
action_date: 2014-09-10
text: Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Voice Vote.
action_date: 2014-09-10
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2014-03-24
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2014-03-18
text: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2014-03-18
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2014-03-18
text: Introduced in House

Enacted as: number: 113-257