To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress a report on the use of cameras in medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Bill: 117-hr-1510
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. McKinley, David B. [R-WV-1]
Introduced: 2021-03-02
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Congressional oversight

Department of Veterans Affairs

Government buildings, facilities, and property

Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management

Health facilities and institutions

Health personnel

Health technology, devices, supplies

Photography and imaging

Right of privacy

Veterans' medical care
Latest action: action_date: 2021-11-23
text: Became Public Law No: 117-64.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-03-02
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on its policies and procedures relating to the usage and maintenance of video cameras for patient safety and law enforcement at VA medical centers.</p>

action_date: 2021-05-18
action_desc: Passed House
text: <p>This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on its policies and procedures relating to the usage and maintenance of video cameras for patient safety and law enforcement at VA medical facilities.</p>

action_date: 2021-11-02
action_desc: Passed Senate
text: <p>This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on its policies and procedures relating to the usage and maintenance of video cameras for patient safety and law enforcement at VA medical facilities.</p>

action_date: 2021-11-23
action_desc: Public Law
text: <p>This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on its policies and procedures relating to the usage and maintenance of video cameras for patient safety and law enforcement at VA medical facilities.</p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1510 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 2, 2021 Mr. McKinley (for himself, Mr. Trone , Mr. Mooney , Mrs. Miller of West Virginia , Mr. Reschenthaler , and Mr. Bost ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs A BILL To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress a report on the use of cameras in medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

1. Report on use of cameras in medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs (a) Report required The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in collaboration with the Office of Operations, Security, and Preparedness of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Health Administration, and the Office of Construction and Facilities Management of the Department, shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report analyzing the policies, use, and maintenance of cameras deployed by the Department for patient safety and law enforcement at medical centers of the Department. (b) Elements The report required by subsection (a) shall include the following: (1) A comprehensive review of the policies and procedures of the Department regarding the use and maintenance of cameras with respect to the following: (A) Patient safety, including— (i) an analysis of how cameras are used to monitor staff and patients; (ii) an analysis of the specific units within medical centers in which the use of cameras is prioritized to protect patient safety; (iii) an analysis of the procedures regarding the positioning of cameras; and (iv) an analysis of the extent to which cameras monitor locations where drugs are stored to ensure that drugs are accounted for, and an assessment of whether this is a widely used practice. (B) Law enforcement of medical centers of the Department, including— (i) how exterior cameras are used; (ii) how interior cameras are used; and (iii) an analysis of locations, interior and exterior, in which camera use is prioritized. (2) Recommendations of the Secretary to improve patient safety and law enforcement, including— (A) the placement and maintenance of cameras; (B) the storage of data from such cameras; (C) the authority of supervisors at medical centers of the Department to review recordings from cameras; (D) the number of staff required to monitor live footage from cameras at each medical center of the Department; (E) the funding necessary to address shortfalls with respect to cameras and the specific uses for such funding; and (F) such other matters the Secretary determines appropriate. (c) Deadline The Secretary shall submit the report required by this section not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act. (d) Camera defined In this section, the term camera means any video camera used in a medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs for purposes of patient safety or law enforcement.

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1510 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AN ACT To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress a report on the use of cameras in medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

1. Report on use of cameras in medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs (a) Report required Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in collaboration with the Office of Operations, Security, and Preparedness of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Health Administration, and the Office of Construction and Facilities Management of the Department, shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report analyzing the policies, use, and maintenance of cameras deployed by the Department for patient safety and law enforcement at medical facilities of the Department. (b) Elements The report required by subsection (a) shall include the following: (1) A comprehensive review of the policies and procedures of the Department regarding the use and maintenance of cameras with respect to the following: (A) Patient safety, including— (i) an analysis of how cameras are used to monitor staff and patients; (ii) an analysis of the specific units within medical facilities in which the use of cameras is prioritized to protect patient safety; (iii) an analysis of the procedures regarding the positioning of cameras; (iv) an analysis of the extent to which cameras monitor locations where drugs are stored to ensure that drugs are accounted for, and an assessment of whether this is a widely used practice; and (v) an analysis of the actions taken to preserve and protect patient privacy. (B) Law enforcement of medical facilities of the Department, including— (i) how exterior cameras are used; (ii) how interior cameras are used; and (iii) an analysis of locations, interior and exterior, in which camera use is prioritized. (2) Recommendations of the Secretary to improve patient safety and law enforcement, including— (A) the placement and maintenance of cameras; (B) the storage of data from such cameras; (C) the authority of supervisors at medical facilities of the Department to review recordings from cameras; (D) the number of staff required to monitor live footage from cameras at each medical facility of the Department; (E) the funding necessary to address shortfalls with respect to cameras and the specific uses for such funding; (F) any additional actions required to preserve and protect patient privacy; and (G) such other matters the Secretary determines appropriate. (c) Camera defined In this section, the term camera means any video camera used in a medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs for purposes of patient safety or law enforcement, but does not include cameras used solely by the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs to assist in criminal investigations conducted by the Inspector General.

Passed the House of Representatives May 18, 2021. Cheryl L. Johnson, Clerk.

tv_txt: IIB 117th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1510 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 19, 2021 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs AN ACT To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress a report on the use of cameras in medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

1. Report on use of cameras in medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs (a) Report required Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in collaboration with the Office of Operations, Security, and Preparedness of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Health Administration, and the Office of Construction and Facilities Management of the Department, shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report analyzing the policies, use, and maintenance of cameras deployed by the Department for patient safety and law enforcement at medical facilities of the Department. (b) Elements The report required by subsection (a) shall include the following: (1) A comprehensive review of the policies and procedures of the Department regarding the use and maintenance of cameras with respect to the following: (A) Patient safety, including— (i) an analysis of how cameras are used to monitor staff and patients; (ii) an analysis of the specific units within medical facilities in which the use of cameras is prioritized to protect patient safety; (iii) an analysis of the procedures regarding the positioning of cameras; (iv) an analysis of the extent to which cameras monitor locations where drugs are stored to ensure that drugs are accounted for, and an assessment of whether this is a widely used practice; and (v) an analysis of the actions taken to preserve and protect patient privacy. (B) Law enforcement of medical facilities of the Department, including— (i) how exterior cameras are used; (ii) how interior cameras are used; and (iii) an analysis of locations, interior and exterior, in which camera use is prioritized. (2) Recommendations of the Secretary to improve patient safety and law enforcement, including— (A) the placement and maintenance of cameras; (B) the storage of data from such cameras; (C) the authority of supervisors at medical facilities of the Department to review recordings from cameras; (D) the number of staff required to monitor live footage from cameras at each medical facility of the Department; (E) the funding necessary to address shortfalls with respect to cameras and the specific uses for such funding; (F) any additional actions required to preserve and protect patient privacy; and (G) such other matters the Secretary determines appropriate. (c) Camera defined In this section, the term camera means any video camera used in a medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs for purposes of patient safety or law enforcement, but does not include cameras used solely by the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs to assist in criminal investigations conducted by the Inspector General.

Passed the House of Representatives May 18, 2021. Cheryl L. Johnson, Clerk

tv_txt: I One Hundred Seventeenth Congress of the United States of America At the First Session Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday, the fourth day of January, two thousand and twenty-one H. R. 1510 AN ACT To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress a report on the use of cameras in medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

1. Report on use of cameras in medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs (a) Report required Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in collaboration with the Office of Operations, Security, and Preparedness of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Health Administration, and the Office of Construction and Facilities Management of the Department, shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report analyzing the policies, use, and maintenance of cameras deployed by the Department for patient safety and law enforcement at medical facilities of the Department. (b) Elements The report required by subsection (a) shall include the following: (1) A comprehensive review of the policies and procedures of the Department regarding the use and maintenance of cameras with respect to the following: (A) Patient safety, including— (i) an analysis of how cameras are used to monitor staff and patients; (ii) an analysis of the specific units within medical facilities in which the use of cameras is prioritized to protect patient safety; (iii) an analysis of the procedures regarding the positioning of cameras; (iv) an analysis of the extent to which cameras monitor locations where drugs are stored to ensure that drugs are accounted for, and an assessment of whether this is a widely used practice; and (v) an analysis of the actions taken to preserve and protect patient privacy. (B) Law enforcement of medical facilities of the Department, including— (i) how exterior cameras are used; (ii) how interior cameras are used; and (iii) an analysis of locations, interior and exterior, in which camera use is prioritized. (2) Recommendations of the Secretary to improve patient safety and law enforcement, including— (A) the placement and maintenance of cameras; (B) the storage of data from such cameras; (C) the authority of supervisors at medical facilities of the Department to review recordings from cameras; (D) the number of staff required to monitor live footage from cameras at each medical facility of the Department; (E) the funding necessary to address shortfalls with respect to cameras and the specific uses for such funding; (F) any additional actions required to preserve and protect patient privacy; and (G) such other matters the Secretary determines appropriate. (c) Camera defined In this section, the term camera means any video camera used in a medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs for purposes of patient safety or law enforcement, but does not include cameras used solely by the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs to assist in criminal investigations conducted by the Inspector General.

Speaker of the House of Representatives. Vice President of the United States and President of the Senate.