H.R. 1792 — Introduced in House

I 113th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1792 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 26, 2013 Mr. Coffman (for himself and Mr. Roe of Tennessee) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to report cases of reportable infectious diseases at medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs in accordance with State law. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Infectious Disease Reporting Act. 2. Report of infectious disease at medical facilities of Department of Veterans Affairs (a) In general Section 7311 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: (f) (1) The Secretary shall report to the appropriate entity each case of a reportable infectious disease that occurs at a medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs in accordance with the laws of the State in which the facility is located. (2) In addition to reporting each case of a reportable infectious disease at a medical facility of the Department pursuant to paragraph (1), the Secretary shall report each such case to the accrediting organization of such facility. (3) (A) If the Secretary fails to report a case of a reportable infectious disease at a medical facility of the Department in accordance with State law pursuant to paragraph (1), the Secretary shall pay to the State an amount equal to the amount that a medical facility not owned by the Federal Government that is located in the same State would pay as a penalty to such State for such failure. (B) The State may file a civil action against the Secretary in the United States district court for the district in which the medical facility is located to recover from the United States the amount described in subparagraph (A). (4) In this subsection, the term reportable infectious disease means, with respect to a medical facility of the Department, a disease that the State in which the facility is located requires to be reported. . (b) Effective date The reporting requirement under section 7311(f) of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall apply with respect to a case of reportable infectious disease occurring at a medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs on or after the date that is 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.