Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that an Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights is printed on signage in accessible formats and displayed prominently and conspicuously in each Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) prosthetics and orthotics clinic. Requires VA employees who work at such clinics, as well as patient advocates of veterans who receive care there, to receive training on such Bill of Rights. Directs the Secretary to conduct outreach to inform veterans of such Bill of Rights.
Includes in the Bill of Rights the right to: (1) access the highest quality prosthetic and orthotic care; (2) select the practitioner that best meets their prosthetic and orthotic needs; (3) timely and efficient prosthetic and orthotic care; and (4) transition and readjust to civilian life in an honorable manner, including by having ample access to vocational rehabilitation, employment programs, and housing assistance.
Directs: (1) the Secretary to collect information relating to the alleged mistreatment of injured and amputee veterans, (2) the veteran liaison at each VA medical center to submit quarterly to the VA's Chief Consultant of Prosthetics and Sensory Aids a report on such information, and (3) the Chief Consultant to investigate and address such information.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3408 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3408
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to educate certain staff of
the Department of Veterans Affairs and to inform veterans about the
Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 30, 2013
Mrs. Ellmers (for herself, Mr. Roe of Tennessee, Ms. Brownley of
California, Mr. McIntyre, Mr. Ruiz, Mr. Coble, Mr. Price of North
Carolina, and Mr. Pittenger) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to educate certain staff of
the Department of Veterans Affairs and to inform veterans about the
Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights, 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 ``Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of
Rights''.
SEC. 2. INJURED AND AMPUTEE VETERANS BILL OF RIGHTS.
(a) Display.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that
the Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights described in subsection
(d) is printed on signage in accessible formats and displayed
prominently and conspicuously in each prosthetics and orthotics clinic
of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(b) Education of Department Employees.--The Secretary of Veterans
Affairs shall ensure that employees of the Department of Veterans
Affairs who work at prosthetics and orthotics clinics and who work as
patient advocates with veterans who receive care at such clinics,
including Federal recovery coordinators and case managers, receive
training on the Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights described
in subsection (d).
(c) Outreach to Veterans.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
conduct outreach to inform veterans about the Injured and Amputee
Veterans Bill of Rights described in subsection (d) by--
(1) ensuring that such Bill of Rights is available on the
Internet Web site of the Department of Veterans Affairs; and
(2) conducting other types of outreach targeted at specific
groups of veterans, which may include outreach conducted on
other Internet Web sites or through veterans service
organizations.
(d) Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights.--The Injured and
Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights described in this subsection is a
statement that injured and amputee veterans should have, at a minimum,
the following rights:
(1) The right to access the highest quality prosthetic and
orthotic care, including the right to the most appropriate
technology and best qualified practitioners.
(2) The right to continuity of care in the transition from
the Department of Defense health program to the Department of
Veterans Affairs health care system, including comparable
benefits relating to prosthetic and orthotic services.
(3) The right to select the practitioner that best meets
their orthotic and prosthetic needs, whether or not that
practitioner is an employee of the Department of Veterans
Affairs, a private practitioner who has entered into a contract
with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide prosthetic
and orthotic services, or a private practitioner with
specialized expertise.
(4) The right to consistent and portable health care,
including the right to obtain comparable services and
technology at any medical facility of the Department of
Veterans Affairs across the country.
(5) The right to timely and efficient prosthetic and
orthotic care, including a speedy authorization process with
expedited authorization available for veterans visiting from
another area of the country.
(6) The right to play a meaningful role in rehabilitation
decisions, including the right to receive a second opinion
regarding prosthetic and orthotic treatment options.
(7) The right to receive appropriate treatment, including
the right to receive both a primary prosthesis or orthosis and
a functional spare.
(8) The right to be treated with respect and dignity and
have an optimal quality of life both during and after
rehabilitation.
(9) The right to transition and readjust to civilian life
in an honorable manner, including by having ample access to
vocational rehabilitation, employment programs, and housing
assistance.
(e) Monitoring and Resolution of Complaints.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, acting
through the veteran liaison at each medical center of the
Department of Veterans Affairs, shall collect information
relating to the alleged mistreatment of injured and amputee
veterans.
(2) Quarterly reports.--For each fiscal quarter, the
veteran liaison at each medical center of the Department shall
submit to the Chief Consultant of Prosthetics and Sensory Aids
of the Department a report on any information collected under
paragraph (1) during that quarter.
(3) Investigation and addressing of complaints.--The Chief
Consultant, in cooperation with appropriate employees of a
medical center of the Department, shall investigate and address
any information collected under paragraph (1) at that medical
center.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
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