,i  #aac? ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,h4
 ,r4 #ejed  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(          
,,repres5tatives  ,july #aj1 #bjad ,mrs4
 ,kirkpatrick introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2  
:i* 0 ref]r$ to ! ,committee on         
,vet]ans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to am5d 
title #ch1 ,unit$ ,/ates ,code1 to      
e/abli% )9 ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,vet]ans       
,affairs an ,(fice ( ,:i/lebl[] &       
,pati5t ,protection4  #a4 ,%ort title   
,?is ,act may be cit$ z ! ,vet]ans'     
,:i/lebl[] & ,pati5t ,protection ,act ( 
#bjad4  #b4 ,e/abli%m5t ( ,(fice (      
,:i/lebl[] & ,pati5t ,protection  7a7 ,9
 g5]al ,*apt] #c ( title #ch1 ,unit$    
,/ates ,code1 is am5d$ by ins]t+ aft]   
section #cai ! foll[+ new section3      
#cai;,a4 ,(fice ( ,:i/lebl[] & ,pati5t  
,protection  7a7 ,e/abli%m5t  7#a7 ,!re 
is 9 ! ,dep>tm5t an ,(fice ( ,:i/lebl[] 
& ,pati5t ,protection 79 ?is section    
ref]r$ to z ! ,(fice74 ,!re is at ! head
 ( ! ,(fice a ,director appo9t$ by !    
,secret>y solely on ! basis ( integrity 
& demon/rat$ ability 9 acc\nt+1 audit+1 

f9ancial analysis1 law1 managem5t       
analysis1 public adm9i/ration1 or       
inve/igations4  7#b7 ,! ,director %all  
be a c>e] appo9tee 9 ! ,s5ior ,executive
 ,s]vice4  7#c7 ,! ,director reports    
directly to ! ,secret>y conc]n+ matt]s  
)9 ! responsibility ( ! ,(fice4  7b7    
,compla9ts  7#a7 ,! ,director %all      
e/abli% a d$icat$ ,int]net website &    
toll-free telephone numb] = an          
individual1 reg>dless ( :e!r !          
individual is an employee ( ! ,dep>tm5t1
 to file a cov]$ compla9t directly to ! 
,(fice4  7#b7  7,a7 ,9 addition to cov]$
 compla9ts fil$ directly ) ! ,(fice     
pursuant to p>agraph 7#a71 ! ,secret>y  
%all ref] to ! ,director any cov]$      
compla9t t ! ,secret>y receives         
directly1 includ+ pursuant to ! ,pati5t 
,advocacy ,program ( ! ,vet]ans ,heal?  
,adm9i/ration or o!r simil> program1 or 
t is transmitt$ to ! ,secret>y pursuant 
to section #abac ( title #e4 ,9         
accordance ) subsection 7c71 ! ,director
 %all inve/igate ea* su* compla9t4  7,b7

 ,! ,secret>y may n ref] a cov]$        
compla9t t ! ,secret>y receives z       
describ$ 9 subp>agraph 7,a7 to any      
elem5t ( ! ,dep>tm5t1 includ+ ! ,(fice (
 ,m$ical ,inspection1 o!r ?an ! ,(fice4 
7,c7 ,! ,secret>y %all ensure t         
employees ( ! ,dep>tm5t :o are locat$ at
 a m$ical facility are able to          
effici5tly ref] to ! ,director any cov]$
 compla9ts receiv$ at su* m$ical        
facility4  7#c7 ,! id5tity ( any        
individual :o files a cov]$ compla9t may
 n be disclos$ by ! ,director )\t !     
cons5t ( su* individual unless !        
,director det]m9es t ! disclosure ( !   
id5tity ( ! individual is necess>y      
because ( an imm95t dang] to public     
heal? or safety or imm95t violation (   
any crim9al law4  7c7 ,inve/igation &   
det]m9ation  7#a7 ,! ,director %all     
inve/igate ea* cov]$ compla9t t ! ,(fice
 receives directly pursuant to p>agraph 
7#a7 ( subsection 7b7 or t ! ,secret>y  
ref]s to ! ,director z describ$ 9       
p>agraph 7#b77;,a7 ( su* subsection to  

det]m9e :e!r !re is a sub/antial        
likelihood t ! cov]$ compla9t discloses 
a violation ( any law1 rule1 or         
regulation1 or gross mismanagem5t1 gross
 wa/e ( funds1 abuse ( au?ority1 or     
sub/antial & specific dang] to public   
heal? & safety4 ,! ,director %all make  
su* det]m9ation n lat] ?an #bdj days    
aft] ! date on :i* ! ,director receives 
! cov]$ compla9t4 ,! ,director is ! only
 (ficial ( ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,vet]ans       
,affairs :o may conduct an inve/igation 
t is requir$ to be conduct$ by !        
,dep>tm5t pursuant to section #abac (   
title #e4  7#b7 ,if ! ,director makes a 
positive det]m9ation "u p>agraph 7#a7   
reg>d+ a cov]$ compla9t1 ! ,director    
%all--  7,a7 notify ! ,secret>y ( su*   
det]m9ation1 includ+ ! basis = su*      
det]m9ation & recomm5dations = actions  
to address su* cov]$ compla9t2 &  7,b7 z
 appropriate1 ref] ! cov]$ compla9t to !
 head ( ! appropriate dep>tm5t or ag5cy 
( ! ,f$]al ,gov]nm5t1 includ+ !         
,attorney ,g5]al1 ,special ,c\nsel1 or !

 ,inspector ,g5]al ( ! ,dep>tm5t (      
,vet]ans ,affairs4  7#c7  7,a7 ,if !    
,director does n make a positive        
det]m9ation "u p>agraph 7#a7 reg>d+ a   
cov]$ compla9t1 ! ,director--  7i7 ^u ! 
cons5t ( ! individual :o fil$ !         
compla9t1 may transmit ! compla9t to !  
,secret>y2 &  7ii7 if ! ,director does n
 transmit ! compla9t "u clause 7i71 %all
 in=m ! individual (--  7,i7 ! reasons =
 su* det]m9ation2 &  7,,ii7 o!r (fices (
 ! ,f$]al ,gov]nm5t available = receiv+ 
su* compla9ts if ! individual wi%es to  
pursue ! matt] fur!r4  7,b7 ,)9 a       
reasonable "t aft] a cov]$ compla9t is  
transmitt$ "u subp>agraph 7,a77i71 !    
,secret>y %all in=m ! ,director 9 writ+ 
( :at action has be5 or is be+ tak5 & :5
 su* action w be complet$4 ,! ,director 
%all in=m ! individual :o fil$ !        
compla9t ( ! report ( ! ,secret>y4  7d7 
,/aff & res\rces  7#a7 ,! ,(fice %all   
employ a suffici5t numb] ( attorneys1   
inve/igators1 & o!r p]sonnel z are      
necess>y to c>ry out ! functions ( !    

,(fice1 includ+ p]sonnel ) exp]tise 9   
heal? c>e matt]s4 ,attorneys %all be    
comp5sat$ at a level comm5surate )      
attorneys employ$ by ! ,(fice ( ! ,g5]al
 ,c\nsel4  7#b7 ,! ,secret>y %all ensure
 t ! ,director is furni%$ suffici5t     
res\rces 9 addition to p]sonnel "u      
p>agraph 7#a7 to enable ! ,director to  
c>ry out ! functions ( ! ,(fice 9 a     
timely mann]4  7e7 ,coord9ation ,9 c>ry+
 out ! duties ( ! ,(fice1 ! ,director   
%all coord9ate ) ! ,inspector ,g5]al ( !
 ,dep>tm5t & ! ,special ,c\nsel to      
ensure t ! actions ( ! ,director are n  
duplicative ) ! ,inspector ,g5]al or !  
,special ,c\nsel4  7f7 ,reports  7#a7   
,dur+ ea* #ij-;day p]iod1 ! ,director   
%all submit to ! ,secret>y a report t   
includes ! foll[+3  7,a7 ,! f9d+s &     
recomm5dations made by ! ,director to ! 
,secret>y dur+ ! previ\s #ij-;day p]iod4
  7,b7 ,) respect to su* recomm5dations1
 :e!r ! ,secret>y has made any actions  
bas$ on su* f9d+s dur+ su* p]iod4  7,c7 
,dur+ su* p]iod--  7i7 ! numb] ( cov]$  

compla9ts receiv$ by ! ,director2  7ii7 
! numb] ( inve/igations comm5c$2  7iii7 
! numb] ( positive det]m9ations made "u 
p>agraph 7#b7 ( subsection 7c72  7iv7 ! 
numb] ( cov]$ compla9ts = :i* a positive
 det]m9ation 0 n made pursuant to       
p>agraph 7#c77;,a7 ( su* subsection2 &  
7v7 ! numb] ( cov]$ compla9ts transmitt$
 to ! ,secret>y "u su* p>agraph4  7#b7  
,dur+ ea* #ahj-;day p]iod1 ! ,secret>y  
%all submit to ! ,committees on         
,vet]ans' ,affairs ( ! ,h\se (          
,repres5tatives & ! ,s5ate a report t   
includes ea* report describ$ 9 p>agraph 
7#a7 submitt$ dur+ ! previ\s #ahj-;day  
p]iod & any legislative recomm5dations (
 ! ,secret>y to address problems or     
conc]ns reg>d+ ! ,(fice4  7g7 ,cov]$    
compla9t def9$ ,9 ?is section1 ! t]m    
cov]$ compla9t means a compla9t reg>d+--
  7#a7 an alleg$ prohibit$ p]sonnel     
practice committ$ by an (fic] or        
employee ( ! ,dep>tm5t & describ$ 9     
section #bcjb7;b77#h7 or                
#bcjb7;b77#i77;,a77i71 7,b71 7,c71 or   

7,d7 ( title #e2 or  7#b7 ! safety ( a  
pati5t at a m$ical facility ( !         
,dep>tm5t4  4  7b7 ,cl]ical am5dm5t ,!  
table ( sections at ! beg9n+ ( su* *apt]
 is am5d$ by ins]t+ aft] ! item relat+  
to section #cai ! foll[+ new item3      
#cai;,a4 ,(fice ( ,:i/lebl[] & ,pati5t  
,protection4  4