Heroes at Home Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to: (1) establish a program on training and certification of family caregivers of veterans and members with traumatic brain injury (TBI); and (2) conduct outreach to enhance awareness of veterans and the public about the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and TBI and the services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs to veterans with such symptoms.
Directs the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs to jointly: (1) establish a demonstration project to assess the feasibility and advisability of using telehealth technology to assess cognitive functioning of members who have sustained head trauma in order to improve their diagnosis and treatment; and (2) conduct an ongoing study of all matters relating to the telehealth and telemental health services of the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.
[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3051 Introduced in House (IH)]
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3051
To improve the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic brain injury in
members and former members of the Armed Forces, to review and expand
telehealth and telemental health programs of the Department of Defense
and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 16, 2007
Mr. Salazar (for himself, Mr. Pascrell, Mr. Ellison, Mr. McDermott,
Mrs. McCarthy of New York, Mr. McNulty, Mr. Payne, Mr. Clay, Mrs.
Emerson, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Nadler, Mr.
Kucinich, Mr. Sestak, Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania, Mr. LoBiondo, Mr.
Kagen, Mr. Emanuel, Ms. Sutton, Mr. Rangel, Ms. Matsui, Mr. Hall of New
York, Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida, Mr. Moran of Virginia, Mrs.
Napolitano, Ms. Hooley, Ms. Linda T. Sanchez of California, Mr. Sires,
Mr. Udall of New Mexico, Mr. Waxman, Mr. Al Green of Texas, Ms.
Woolsey, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Perlmutter, and Mr. Davis of Illinois)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services,
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of
the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic brain injury in
members and former members of the Armed Forces, to review and expand
telehealth and telemental health programs of the Department of Defense
and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
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 ``Heroes at Home Act of 2007''.
SEC. 2. TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION PROGRAM FOR FAMILY CAREGIVER
PERSONAL CARE ATTENDANTS FOR VETERANS AND MEMBERS OF THE
ARMED FORCES WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY.
(a) Program on Training and Certification of Family Caregiver
Personal Care Attendants.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
establish a program on training and certification of family caregivers
of veterans and members of the Armed Forces with traumatic brain injury
as personal care attendants of such veterans and members.
(b) Location.--The program required by subsection (a) shall be
located in each of the medical centers of the Department of Veterans
Affairs.
(c) Training Curricula.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall,
in collaboration with the Secretary of Defense, develop
curricula for the training of personal care attendants
described in subsection (a). Such curricula shall incorporate
applicable standards and protocols utilized by certification
programs of national brain injury care specialist
organizations.
(2) Use of existing curricula.--In developing the curricula
required by paragraph (1), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall, to the extent practicable, utilize and expand upon
training curricula developed pursuant to section 744(b) of the
John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2007 (Public Law 109-364; 120 Stat. 2308).
(d) Program Participation.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
determine the eligibility of a family member of a veteran or
member of the Armed Forces for participation in the program
required by subsection (a).
(2) Basis for determination.--A determination made under
paragraph (1) shall be based on the clinical needs of the
veteran or member of the Armed Forces concerned, as determined
by the physician of such veteran or member.
(e) Eligibility for Compensation.--A family caregiver of a veteran
or member of the Armed Forces who receives certification as a personal
care attendant under this section shall be eligible for compensation
from the Department of Veterans Affairs for care provided to such
veteran or member.
(f) Costs of Training.--
(1) Training of families of veterans.--Any costs of
training provided under the program under this section for
family members of veterans shall be borne by the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs.
(2) Training of families of members of the armed forces.--
The Secretary of Defense shall reimburse the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs for any costs of training provided under the
program under this section for family members of members of the
Armed Forces. Amounts for such reimbursement shall be derived
from amounts available for Defense Health Program for the
TRICARE program.
(g) Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be construed to
require or permit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to deny
reimbursement for health care services provided to a veteran with a
brain injury to a personal care attendant who is not a family member of
such veteran.
SEC. 3. OUTREACH AND PUBLIC AWARENESS.
(a) Outreach Required.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
conduct comprehensive outreach to enhance the awareness of veterans and
the general public about the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder
and traumatic brain injury and the services provided by the Department
of Veterans Affairs to veterans with such symptoms.
(b) Provision of Best Practices.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall make available to non-Department of Veterans Affairs health
practitioners the best practices developed by the Department for the
treatment of traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.
SEC. 4. TELEHEALTH AND TELEMENTAL HEALTH SERVICES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
DEFENSE AND THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) Telehealth and Telemental Health Demonstration Project.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs shall jointly establish a demonstration
project to assess the feasibility and advisability of using
telehealth technology to assess cognitive (including memory)
functioning of members and former members of the Armed Forces
who have sustained head trauma, in order to improve the
diagnosis and treatment of traumatic brain injury.
(2) Location.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary of Defense and the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out the
demonstration project required by paragraph (1) at one
or more locations selected by the Secretaries for
purposes of the demonstration project.
(B) Priority for rural areas.--In selecting
locations to carry out the demonstration project
required by paragraph (1), the Secretary of Defense and
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall give priority
to locations that would provide service in a rural
area.
(3) Requirements.--The demonstration project required by
paragraph (1) shall include the following:
(A) The use of telehealth technology to assess the
cognitive (including memory) functioning of a member or
former member of the Armed Forces, including the
following:
(i) Obtaining information regarding the
nature of any brain injury incurred by such
member or former member.
(ii) Assessing any symptoms of traumatic
brain injury in such member or former member.
(B) The use of telehealth technology to
rehabilitate members or former members of the Armed
Forces who have traumatic brain injury, and the use, to
the extent practicable, of applicable standards and
protocols used by certification programs of national
brain injury care specialist organizations in order to
assess progress in such rehabilitation.
(C) The use of telehealth technology to disseminate
education material to members and former members of the
Armed Forces and the family members of such members on
techniques, strategies, and skills for caring for and
assisting such members, and to the extend practicable,
such education materials shall incorporate training
curricula developed pursuant to section 744(b) of the
John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2007 (Public Law 109-364; 120 Stat. 2308).
(4) Use of proven technologies.--Any assessment
administered as a part of the demonstration project required by
paragraph (1) shall incorporate telemental health technology
that has proven effective in the diagnosis and treatment of
mental health conditions associated with traumatic brain
injury.
(5) Administration.--
(A) In general.--The demonstration project required
by paragraph (1) shall be administered under the joint
incentives program and carried out pursuant to section
8111(d) of title 38, United States Code.
(B) Funding.--Amounts to carry out the
demonstration project shall be derived from amounts in
the DOD-VA Health Care Sharing Incentive Fund
established under paragraph (2) of such section.
(6) Report.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary of Defense and the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly submit to
Congress a report on the demonstration project required
by paragraph (1).
(B) Submission with annual joint report.--The
report required by subparagraph (A) shall be submitted
to Congress at the same time as the annual joint report
required by section 8111(f) of title 38, United States
Code, for the fiscal year following the fiscal year of
the date of the enactment of this Act.
(b) Ongoing Study on Telehealth and Telemental Health Services.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs shall, through the Joint Executive Council
(JEC) of the Department of Defense and the Department of
Veterans Affairs, conduct an ongoing study of all matters
relating to the telehealth and telemental health services of
the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans
Affairs.
(2) Matters studied.--The matters studied under paragraph
(1) shall include the following:
(A) The number of members and former members of the
Armed Forces who have used telehealth or telemental
health services of the Department of Defense or the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
(B) The extent to which members of the National
Guard and the Reserves are utilizing telehealth or
telemental health services of the Department of Defense
or the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(C) The ways in which the Department of Defense and
the Department of Veterans Affairs can improve the
integration of telehealth and telemental health
services with clinical medicine.
(D) The extent to which telehealth and telemental
health services of the Department of Defense and the
Department of Veterans Affairs are provided in rural
settings and through community-based outpatient clinics
(CBOCs).
(E) Best practices of civilian mental health
providers and facilities with respect to the provision
of telehealth and telemental health services, including
how such practices can be adopted to improve telehealth
and telemental health services of the Department of
Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(F) The feasability and advisability of partnering
with civilian mental health facilities to provide
telehealth and telemental health services to members
and former members of the Armed Forces.
(3) Annual reports.--Not later than one year after the date
of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the
Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall jointly submit to Congress a report on the findings of
the Joint Executive Counsel under this subsection during the
preceding year.
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) The term ``national brain injury care specialist
organization'' means a national organization or association
with demonstrated experience in providing training, education,
and technical assistance in the provision of care for
individuals with brain injury.
(2) The term ``neurocognitive'' means of, relating to, or
involving the central nervous system and cognitive or
information processing abilities (thinking, memory, and
reasoning), as well as sensory processing (sight, hearing,
touch, taste, and smell), and communication (expression and
understanding).
(3) The term ``traumatic brain injury'' means an acquired
injury to the brain, including brain injuries caused by anoxia
due to trauma and such other injuries as the Secretary
considers appropriate, except that such term excludes brain
dysfunction caused by--
(A) congenital or degenerative disorders; or
(B) birth trauma.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
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