instruction:
In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.
question:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Genetically Engineered Food Right-
to-Know Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE AND FINDINGS.

(a) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to establish a consistent
and enforceable standard for labeling of foods produced using genetic
engineering, including fish, thereby providing consumers with knowledge
of how their food is produced.
(b) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(1) the process of genetically engineering food organisms
results in material changes to food derived from those
organisms;
(2) the Food and Drug Administration requires the labeling
of more than 3,000 ingredients, additives, and processes;
(3) individuals in the United States have a right to know
if their food was produced with genetic engineering for a
variety of reasons, including health, economic, environmental,
religious, and ethical;
(4) more than 60 countries, including the United Kingdom
and all other countries of the European Union, South Korea,
Japan, Brazil, Australia, India, China, and other key United
States trading partners have laws or regulations mandating
disclosure of genetically engineered food on food labels;
(5) in 2011, Codex Alimentarius, the food standards
organization of the United Nations, adopted a text that
indicates that governments can decide on whether and how to
label foods produced with genetic engineering; and
(6) mandatory identification of food produced with genetic
engineering can be a critical method of preserving the economic
value of exports or domestically sensitive markets with
labeling requirements for genetically engineered foods.

SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO THE FEDERAL FOOD, DRUG, AND COSMETIC ACT.

(a) In General.--Section 403 of the Federal Food, Drug, and
Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 343) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
''(z)(1) If it is a food that has been genetically engineered or
contains 1 or more genetically engineered ingredients, unless such
information is clearly disclosed, as determined by the Secretary.
''(2) This paragraph does not apply to food that--
''(A) is served in restaurants or other similar eating
establishments, such as cafeterias and carryouts;
''(B) is a medical food (as defined in section 5(b) of the
Orphan Drug Act);
''(C) is a food that would be subject to this paragraph
solely because it was produced using a genetically engineered
vaccine; or
''(D) is a food or processed food that would be subject to
this paragraph solely because it includes the use of a
genetically engineered processing aid (including yeast) or
enzyme.
''(3) In this paragraph:
''(A) The term 'genetic engineering' means a process
involving the application of--
''(i) in vitro nucleic acid techniques, including
recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and direct
injection of nucleic acid into cells or organelles; or
''(ii) fusion of cells beyond the taxonomic family
that--
''(I) overcome natural physiological
reproductive or recombinant barriers; and
''(II) are not techniques used in
traditional breeding and selection.
''(B) The term 'genetically engineered', used with respect
to a food, means a material intended for human consumption that
is--
''(i) an organism that is produced through the
intentional use of genetic engineering; or
''(ii) the progeny of intended sexual or asexual
reproduction (or both) of 1 or more organisms that is
the product of genetic engineering.
''(C) The term 'genetically engineered ingredient' means a
material that is an ingredient in a food that is derived from
any part of an organism that has been genetically engineered,
without regard to whether--
''(i) the altered molecular or cellular
characteristics of the organism are detectable in the
material; and
''(ii) the organism is capable for use as human
food.''.
(b) Guaranty.--
(1) In general.--Section 303(d) of the Federal Food, Drug,
and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 333(d)) is amended--
(A) by striking ''(d)'' and inserting ''(d)(1)'';
and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
''(2)(A) No person shall be subject to the penalties of
subsection (a)(1) for a violation of subsection (a), (b), or
(c) of section 301 involving food that is misbranded within the
meaning of section 403(z) if such person (referred to in this
paragraph as the 'recipient') establishes a guaranty or
undertaking that--
''(i) is signed by, and contains the name and
address of, a person residing in the United States from
whom the recipient received in good faith the food
(including the receipt of seeds to grow raw
agricultural commodities); and
''(ii) contains a statement to the effect that the
food is not genetically engineered or does not contain
a genetically engineered ingredient.
''(B) In the case of a recipient who, with respect to a
food, establishes a guaranty or undertaking in accordance with
subparagraph (A), the exclusion under such subparagraph from
being subject to penalties applies to the recipient without
regard to the manner in which the recipient uses the food,
including whether the recipient is--
''(i) processing the food;
''(ii) using the food as an ingredient in a food
product;
''(iii) repacking the food; or
''(iv) growing, raising, or otherwise producing the
food.
''(C) No person may avoid responsibility or liability for a
violation of subsection (a), (b), or (c) of section 301
involving food that is misbranded within the meaning of section
403(z) by entering into a contract or other agreement that
specifies that another person shall bear such responsibility or
liability, except that a recipient may require a guaranty or
undertaking as described in this subsection.
''(D) In this subsection, the terms 'genetically
engineered' and 'genetically engineered ingredient' have the
meanings given the terms in section 403(z).''.
(2) False guaranty.--Section 301(h) of the Federal Food,
Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 331(h)) is amended by
inserting ''or 303(d)(2)'' after ''section 303(c)(2)''.
(c) Unintended Contamination.--Section 303(d) of the Federal Food,
Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 333(d)), as amended by subsection
(b), is further amended by adding at the end the following:
''(3)(A) No person shall be subject to the penalties of
subsection (a)(1) for a violation of subsection (a), (b), or
(c) of section 301 involving food that is misbranded within the
meaning of section 403(z) if--
''(i) such person is an agricultural producer and
the violation occurs because food that is grown,
raised, or otherwise produced by such producer, which
food does not contain a genetically engineered material
and was not produced with a genetically engineered
material, is contaminated with a food that contains a
genetically engineered material or was produced with a
genetically engineered material; and
''(ii) such contamination is not intended by the
agricultural producer.
''(B) Subparagraph (A) does not apply to an agricultural
producer to the extent that the contamination occurs as a
result of the negligence of the producer.''.
(d) Promulgation of Regulations.--Not later than 1 year after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall promulgate proposed
regulations establishing labeling requirements for compliance in
accordance with section 403(z) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic
Act, as added by subsection (a).
answer:
Genetically Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to deem misbranded any food that has been genetically engineered or contains one or more genetically engineered ingredients, unless such information is clearly disclosed. Exempts from this requirement any food that: (1) is served in restaurants or other similar eating establishments, (2) is a medical food, (3) would be subject to such requirement solely because it was produced using a genetically engineered vaccine, or (4) would be subject to such requirement solely because it includes the use of a genetically engineered processing aid (including yeast) or enzyme. Defines "genetically engineered" as a material intended for human consumption that is: (1) an organism produced through the intentional use of genetic engineering, or (2) the progeny of intended sexual or asexual reproduction (or both) of one or more organisms that is the product of genetic engineering. Defines "genetically engineered ingredient" as an ingredient in a food that is derived from any part of an organism that has been genetically engineered, without regard to whether: (1) the altered molecular or cellular characteristics of the organism are detectable in the material, and (2) the organism is capable for use as human food. Excludes from penalties for misbranding of genetically engineered food or ingredients any recipient that establishes a guaranty or undertaking that: (1) is signed by, and contains the name and address of, a person residing in the United States from whom the recipient received the food in good faith (including the receipt of seeds to grow raw agricultural commodities); and (2) contains a statement to the effect that the food is not genetically engineered or does not contain a genetically engineered ingredient. Applies this exclusion from penalties without regard to the manner in which the recipient uses the food. Excludes an agricultural producer also from such penalties when a violation occurs because food the producer has grown, raised, or otherwise produced, which neither contains nor was produced with a genetically engineered material, is subsequently contaminated with a food that does contain or was produced with a genetically engineered material, and the agricultural producer has not intended any such contamination nor was negligent in the matter.

question:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Hudson River Valley Special Resource
Study Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:
(1) Secretary.--The term ''Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
(2) Study area.--The term ''study area''--
(A) means the portion of the Hudson River that
flows from Rodgers Island at Fort Edward to the
southern-most boundary of Westchester County, New York;
and
(B) includes any relevant sites and landscapes
within the counties in New York that abut the area
described in subparagraph (A).

SEC. 3. FINDINGS.

Congress finds as follows:
(1) The Hudson River Valley possesses important and unique
cultural, historical, natural, recreational and scenic
resources that have been central to the development and
sustainment of our Nation.
(2) The Hudson River Valley encompasses a rich array of
sensitive natural resources ranging from the River itself and
its vast estuarine district, to its wetlands, refuges, parks,
forests, farmlands, preserves, cliffs, mountains, and valleys.
(3) The Hudson River and its tributaries are home to a
number of rare and threatened animal species, habitats, and
plants.
(4) The Hudson River Valley is home to myriad biking,
heritage, pedestrian and scenic trail systems on the eastern
and western sides of the River that are now connected by the
Walkway Over the Hudson bridge, which has been designated as a
National Recreation Trail.
(5) Throughout history, the Hudson River Valley has played
a central role in the development of our nation, starting from
the vibrant Native American communities that first inhabited
the land, to Henry Hudson's voyage up the river later named for
him in the vessel Half Moon in 1609 and later with the American
Revolution, the debate on our Constitution, the first
successful steamboat voyage by Robert Fulton in 1807, the
Industrial Revolution, and the modern labor and environmental
movements.
(6) The Hudson River Valley gave birth to important
movements in American art, architecture and literature through
the work of Andrew Jackson Downing, Alexander Jackson Davis,
Thomas Cole, Frederick Church and their associates from the
Hudson River School of Art, as well as through authors such as
Washington Irving, James Fenimore Cooper, William Cullen
Bryant, Susan and Anna Warner, and John Burroughs.
(7) The depictions and descriptions of the Hudson River
Valley's renowned scenery and natural resources played a
central role in the recognition of the value of the landscape
and the development of an American esthetic and environmental
ideal.
(8) A 1996 National Park Service study called the Hudson
River Valley ''the landscape that defined America.''.
(9) The Hudson River Valley has been the subject of
multiple State and Federal inventories, studies, and plans that
should greatly assist a National Park Service special resource
study.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF STUDY.

(a) In General.--As soon as funds are made available for this
purpose, the Secretary shall complete a study of the Hudson River
Valley in the State of New York to evaluate--
(1) the national significance of the area; and
(2) the suitability and feasibility of designating the area
as a unit of the National Park System.
(b) Study Guidelines.--In conducting the study under subsection
(a), the Secretary shall--
(1) use the criteria for the study of areas for potential
inclusion in the National Park System included in section 8 of
Public Law 91-383, as amended by section 303 of the National
Parks Omnibus Management Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-391; 112
Stat. 3501); and
(2) closely examine park unit models, in particular
national river and recreation areas, as well as other landscape
protection models, that--
(A) encompass large areas of non-Federal lands
within their designated boundaries;
(B) foster public and private collaborative
arrangements for achieving National Park Service
objectives; and
(C) protect and respect the rights of private land
owners.

SEC. 5. REPORT.

Not later than 24 months after the date that funds are first made
available for this purpose, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee
on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on
Natural Resources of the House of Representatives a report on the
findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the study authorized by
this Act.
answer:
Hudson River Valley Special Resource Study Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to complete a study of the Hudson River Valley in the state of New York to evaluate: (1) the national significance of the part of the Hudson River that flows from Rodgers Island at Fort Edward to the southern-most boundary of Westchester County, New York, including any relevant sites and landscapes within counties in New York that abut that part of the River (the study area); and (2) the suitability and feasibility of designating the study area as a unit of the National Park System.

question:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Accountability for Quality VA
Healthcare Act''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON PHYSICAL SECURITY AT DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS MEDICAL FACILITIES.

(a) In General.--Beginning not later than 90 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry
out a pilot program to enhance the physical security of Department of
Veterans Affairs medical facilities. At the medical facilities selected
for the pilot program, the Secretary shall--
(1) ensure that alarm systems effectively notify relevant
staff in the police command and control centers and the unit
nursing stations of the facility; and
(2) require relevant medical center stakeholders to
coordinate and consult on--
(A) plans for new and renovated units; and
(B) any changes to physical security features,
including closed-circuit television cameras.
(b) Locations.--The Secretary shall select five medical facilities
of the Department to participate in the pilot program.
(c) Termination.--The pilot program shall terminate on the date
that is two years after the date on which the pilot program commences.
(d) Report.--Not later than 30 days after the termination of the
pilot program under subsection (c), the Secretary shall submit to
Congress a report on the pilot program.

SEC. 3. REPORT ON DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS IMPROVEMENT OF
FACILITY ALIGNMENT.

(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit
to Congress a report on the findings and recommendations of the report
of the Government Accountability Office entitled ''VA Real Property: VA
Should Improve Its Efforts to Align Facilities with Veterans' Needs''.
The report submitted by the Secretary shall include the plan of the
Secretary, including a time frame for completion, to specifically
address the following recommendations:
(1) To address identified limitations to the strategic
capital investment planning process, including limitations to
scoring and approval and access to information.
(2) To assess the value of the Department of Veterans
Affairs Integrated Planning facility master plans as a
facility-planning tool, and based on conclusions contained in
the Government Accountability Office report, either discontinue
the development of such master plans or address the limitations
of such master plans.
(3) To develop and distribute guidance for Veterans
Integrated Service Networks and facilities using best practices
on how to effectively communicate with stakeholders about
alignment change.
(4) To develop and implement a mechanism to evaluate
Veterans Integrated Service Network and facility communication
efforts with stakeholders to ensure that such communication
efforts are working as intended and align with guidance and
best practices.
(b) Public Availability.--Upon submittal of the report under
subsection (a), the Secretary shall make the report publicly available
on an internet website of the Department.

SEC. 4. UPDATE OF HANDBOOK TO IMPROVE LEASING PROJECTS.

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this
Act, and not less than once every five-year period thereafter, the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall update the handbook of the
Department of Veterans Affairs titled ''Planning and Activating
Community Based Outpatient Clinics'', or a successor handbook, to
reflect current policies, best practices, and clarify the roles and
responsibilities of the personnel of the Department involved in the
leasing projects of the Department.

SEC. 5. IMPROVEMENT OF INSPECTIONS OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
MEDICAL FACILITIES AND IMPROVEMENT OF CARE FOR WOMEN
PROVIDED BY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The Department of Veterans Affairs has policies in
place to help ensure the privacy, safety, and dignity of women
veterans when they receive care at its medical facilities.
(2) A Government Accountability Office report found many
instances of noncompliance with such policies.
(3) Women veterans are the fastest growing cohort within
the veteran community.
(4) Women serve in every branch of the Armed Forces and
represent nearly 15 percent of the members of the Armed Forces
currently serving on active duty and 18 percent of members of
the National Guard and reserve components.
(5) The number of women veterans using the medical care
provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs is expected to
increase dramatically.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) female veterans are put at risk by a system that is
currently designed for men; and
(2) the Department of Veterans Affairs should follow
through with commitments to ensure female veterans can access
services tailored to their needs.
(c) Improvement of Inspections of Department of Veterans Affairs
Medical Facilities and Improvement of Care for Women Provided by
Department of Veterans Affairs.--
(1) Improvement of inspections process.--The Secretary of
Veterans Affairs shall strengthen the environment of care
inspections process and oversight of such process by--
(A) expanding the list of requirements that
facility staff inspect for compliance to align with the
policy of the Veterans Health Administration;
(B) ensuring that all patient care areas of
Department medical facilities are inspected as
required;
(C) clarifying the roles and responsibilities of
Department medical facility staff responsible for
identifying and addressing compliance; and
(D) establishing a process to verify that
noncompliance information reported by facilities to the
Veterans Health Administration central office is
accurate and complete.
(2) Improvement of care for women.--
(A) Monitoring of gender-specific care services.--
To improve care for women veterans, the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs shall monitor women veterans' access
to gender-specific care services under current and
future community care contracts or agreements. Such
monitoring shall include an examination of appointment
scheduling and completion times, driving times to
appointments, and reasons appointments could not be
scheduled with community providers.
(B) Definitions.--In this subparagraph:
(i) The term ''gender-specific care
services'' means mammography, maternity care,
and gynecology.
(ii) The term ''community care contract or
agreement'' means an agreement described in
section 101(d) of the Veterans Access, Choice,
and Accountability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-
146), or other contract or agreement under
which the Secretary furnishes hospital care and
medical treatment to veterans at non-Department
of Veterans Affairs health care facilities.

SEC. 6. IMPROVEMENT OF DELIVERY OF CARE AT DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS MEDICAL FACILITIES.

(a) Wait Times.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall clearly
identify measures for wait times for medical appointments in Department
of Veterans Affairs medical facilities in a manner that reduces the
likelihood of an individual misinterpreting such measures.
(b) Scheduling.--The Secretary shall ensure that the term ''patient
indicated date'' is clearly defined for purposes of the scheduling
policy of the Veterans Health Administration and in related training
documents. The Secretary shall take such steps as may be necessary to
ensure such term is correctly implemented by employees who perform
scheduling functions.
(c) Staff Availability.--
(1) Allocation; scheduling.--The Secretary shall develop a
policy requiring Department of Veterans Affairs medical
facilities to routinely assess the scheduling needs and
resources required to ensure that employees of such facilities
are allocated in such a manner as to adequately respond to the
demand for scheduling medical appointments.
(2) Recruitment and retention.--The Secretary shall develop
a strategy to improve recruitment and retention of Department
of Veterans Affairs medical providers and employees who perform
scheduling functions for Department medical facilities. Such
strategy shall be designed to ensure adequate staffing of
Department medical facilities and shall emphasize recruitment
and retention in facilities located in rural areas.
(d) Telephone Access.--The Secretary shall--
(1) ensure that all Department medical facilities provide
oversight of telephone access and implement the best practices
outlined in the Department 2015 Telephone Access and Contact
Management Improvement Guide, or a successor guide; and
(2) identify medical facilities that are using outdated
telephone technology and replace such technology with new
systems designed to improve telephone service and access to
health care.

SEC. 7. EVALUATIONS OF ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF VETERANS HEALTH
ADMINISTRATION AND REALIGNMENT OF VETERANS INTEGRATED
SERVICE NETWORKS.

(a) Organizational Structure.--
(1) Process.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, acting
through the Under Secretary for Health, shall implement a
process to consistently evaluate reviews described in paragraph
(3).
(2) Matters included.--The process under paragraph (1)
shall include the following:
(A) Identification of the officials and the offices
of the Department of Veterans Affairs responsible for
evaluating and approving, and ensuring the
implementation of, recommendations made by reviews
described in paragraph (3), including--
(i) the roles of each such official and
office; and
(ii) a description of how decisions are
made and documented to approve such
implementation.
(B) A description of how recommendations made by
reviews described in paragraph (3) should be evaluated.
(C) A description of how timelines should be
established to ensure recommendations are evaluated and
implemented in a timely manner and metrics to assess
the progress made with respect to such implementation.
(3) Reviews described.--The reviews described in this
paragraph are reviews of the organizational structure of the
Veterans Health Administration conducted by the Secretary, the
Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the
Comptroller General of the United States, the Commission on
Care established by section 202 of the Veterans Access, Choice,
and Accountability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-146; 128 Stat.
1773), or by an independent entity, as determined appropriate
by the Secretary.
(4) First use.--The Under Secretary shall use the process
under paragraph (1) to evaluate the results of the evaluation
conducted under subsection (b)(1). The Under Secretary shall
make any required improvements to such process based on the
lessons learned by the Under Secretary resulting from such use.
(b) Veterans Integrated Service Networks.--
(1) Evaluation.--Consistent with the report of the
Comptroller General of the United States titled ''VA Health
Care: Processes to Evaluate, Implement, and Monitor
Organizational Structure Changes Needed'' (GAO-16-803), the
Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary for Health, shall
conduct an evaluation of all the Veterans Integrated Service
Networks, including with respect to--
(A) the implementation by the Secretary of
realignments to such Networks; and
(B) identifying deficiencies to such Networks that
require corrective action.
(2) Assessment and implementation.--In accordance with
subsection (a)(4), the Under Secretary shall use the process
implemented under subsection (a) to assess the results of the
evaluation conducted under paragraph (1) and to implement
changes and other actions to improve the Veterans Integrated
Service Networks.
(c) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Under Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that
includes a description of--
(1) the process implemented under subsection (a)(1);
(2) the deficiencies identified under paragraph (1) of
subsection (b); and
(3) how the Under Secretary will carry out paragraph (2) of
such subsection.
(d) Prohibition on New Appropriations.--No additional funds are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, and this
section shall be carried out using amounts otherwise made available for
such purposes.

SEC. 8. ANNUAL REPORT REGARDING THE RECRUITMENT, HIRING, AND RETENTION
OF NURSES FOR THE VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION.

(a) Report Required.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act and annually thereafter, the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs shall publish and submit to the Committees on
Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives a
report regarding efforts to recruit, hire, and retain nurses for the
Veterans Health Administration.
(b) Elements.--The report under subsection (a) shall include
details relating to--
(1) efforts to recruit, hire, and retain nurses at each
medical facility of the Department;
(2) resources provided by the Secretary to recruit, hire,
and retain nurses for the Veterans Health Administration; and
(3) recommendations for legislation the Secretary considers
appropriate.

SEC. 9. REINSTATEMENT OF REPORTING REQUIREMENT REGARDING THE DEPARTMENT
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS HEALTH PROFESSIONALS EDUCATIONAL
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

Section 3003(a)(1) of the Federal Reports Elimination and Sunset
Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-66; 31 U.S.C. 1113 note) shall not apply to
the report required under section 7632 of title 38, United States Code.
answer:
Accountability for Quality VA Healthcare Act This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a two-year pilot program to enhance the physical security of VA medical facilities. The VA shall periodically update its Planning and Activating Community Based Outpatient Clinics handbook to reflect current policies and clarify the responsibilities of VA leasing project personnel. The VA shall: (1) strengthen its medical facility inspection process; and (2) monitor women veterans' access to gender-specific care services under community care contracts, including appointment scheduling and completion times. The VA shall: (1) clarify measures for medical appointment wait times in a manner that reduces the likelihood of misinterpretation, (2) ensure that "patient indicated date" (the earliest date the patient needs to be seen) is clearly defined for purposes of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) scheduling and related training documents, (3) improve recruitment and retention of scheduling staff and require facilities to routinely assess scheduling and resource needs, and (4) improve telephone access at its medical facilities. The VA shall conduct evaluations of the VHA's organizational structure and the Veterans Integrated Service Networks (regional VA health care administrative areas).