,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #hcb  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,april #be1 #bjac   
,mr4 ,donnelly introduced the following 
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs
  ,a ,,bill  ,to require the ,secretary 
of ,veterans ,affairs to carry out pilot
 programs on furnishing case management 
services and assisted living to children
 of ,vietnam veterans and certain ,korea
 service veterans born with spina bifida
 and children of women ,vietnam veterans
 born with certain birth defects1 and   
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,improving the ,lives of ,children with 
,spina ,bifida ,act of #bjac4  #b4      
,pilot program on furnishing case       
management services to children of      
,vietnam veterans and certain ,korea    
service veterans born with spina bifida 
and children of women ,vietnam veterans 
born with certain birth defects  7a7    
,pilot program ,commencing not later    

than #ahj days after the date of the    
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,veterans ,affairs shall carry out a 
pilot program to assess the feasibility 
and advisability of furnishing to       
covered individuals case management     
services under a national contract with 
a third party entity4  7b7 ,covered     
individuals ,for purposes of this       
section1 a covered individual is any    
individual who--  7#a7 is entitled to   
health care or other benefits under     
chapter #ah of title #ch1 ,united       
,states ,code2 and  7#b7 lives in a     
rural area and does not have access to  
case management services at the         
,department of ,veterans ,affairs or    
otherwise4  7c7 ,duration  7#a7 ,in     
general ,except as otherwise provided in
 this subsection1 the pilot program     
shall be carried out during the         
three-year period beginning on the date 
of the commencement of the pilot        
program4  7#b7 ,continuation ,subject to
 paragraph 7#c71 the ,secretary may     

continue the pilot program for an       
additional two-year period as the       
,secretary considers appropriate4  7#c7 
,termination ,the pilot program may not 
operate after the date that is five     
years after the date of the commencement
 of the pilot program4  7d7 ,locations  
,the ,secretary shall select locations  
in which to carry out the pilot program 
from among locations that the ,secretary
 considers rural and where individuals  
who reside in such locations lack access
 to comprehensive case management       
services through the ,department or     
otherwise4  7e7 ,scope of services      
,under the pilot program1 the ,secretary
 shall provide covered individuals with 
integrated1 comprehensive services1     
including the following3  7#a7          
,coordination and management of needed  
health care1 monetary1 and general care 
services authorized under chapter #ah of
 title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code4  7#b7
 ,transportation services4  7#c7 ,such  
other services as the ,secretary        

considers appropriate for the care of   
covered individuals under the pilot     
program4  7f7 ,program requirements ,in 
carrying out the pilot program1 the     
,secretary shall--  7#a7 inform all     
covered individuals of the services     
available under the pilot program2  7#b7
 enter into contracts with appropriate  
third party entities for the provision  
of case management services under the   
pilot program2 and  7#c7 determine the  
appropriate number of covered           
individuals to be enrolled in the pilot 
program and criteria for such           
enrollment4  7g7 ,reports  7#a7         
,preliminary reports  7,a7 ,in general  
,not later than one year after the date 
of the commencement of the pilot program
 and1 if the pilot program is continued 
under subsection 7c77#b71 not later than
 three years after the date of the      
commencement of the pilot program1 the  
,secretary shall submit to the          
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,senate and the ,committee on          

,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of    
,representatives a report on the pilot  
program4  7,b7 ,contents ,each report   
submitted under subparagraph 7,a7 shall 
include the following3  7i7 ,a          
description of the implementation and   
operation of the pilot program4  7ii7   
,the number of covered individuals      
receiving benefits under the pilot      
program4  7iii7 ,an analysis of the     
costs and benefits under the pilot      
program4  7iv7 ,an assessment of the    
utilization of case management under the
 pilot program4  7v7 ,the findings and  
conclusions of the ,secretary with      
respect to the pilot program4  7vi7     
,such recommendations for the           
continuation or expansion of the pilot  
program as the ,secretary may have4     
7#b7 ,final report  7,a7 ,in general    
,not later than #ahj days after the     
completion of the pilot program1 the    
,secretary shall submit to the          
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,senate and the ,committee on          

,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of    
,representatives a report on the pilot  
program4  7,b7 ,contents ,the report    
submitted subparagraph 7,a7 shall       
include the following3  7i7 ,the        
findings and conclusions of the         
,secretary with respect to the pilot    
program4  7ii7 ,such recommendations for
 the continuation or expansion of the   
pilot program as the ,secretary may     
have4  7h7 ,funding ,amounts to carry   
out the pilot program shall be derived  
from amounts appropriated or otherwise  
made available before the date of the   
enactment of this ,act for the          
furnishing of care and case management  
under chapter #ah of title #ch1 ,united 
,states ,code4  #c4 ,pilot program on   
furnishing assisted living to children  
of ,vietnam veterans and certain ,korea 
service veterans born with spina bifida 
and children of women ,vietnam veterans 
born with certain birth defects  7a7    
,pilot program ,commencing not later    
than #ahj days after the date of the    

enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,veterans ,affairs shall carry out a 
pilot program to assess the feasibility 
and advisability of providing assisted  
living1 group home care1 or similar     
services in lieu of nursing home care to
 covered individuals4  7b7 ,covered     
individuals ,for purposes of this       
section1 a covered individual is any    
individual who is entitled to health    
care or other benefits under chapter #ah
 of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code4   
7c7 ,duration  7#a7 ,in general ,except 
as otherwise provided in this           
subsection1 the pilot program shall be  
carried out during the three-year period
 beginning on the date of the           
commencement of the pilot program4  7#b7
 ,continuation ,subject to paragraph    
7#c71 the ,secretary may continue the   
pilot program for an additional two-year
 period as the ,secretary considers     
appropriate4  7#c7 ,termination ,the    
pilot program may not operate after the 
date that is five years after the date  

of the commencement of the pilot        
program4  7d7 ,scope of services and    
pilot program ,under the pilot program1 
the ,secretary shall provide covered    
individuals with integrated1            
comprehensive services1 including the   
following3  7#a7 ,assisted living1 group
 home care1 or such other similar       
services as the ,secretary considers    
appropriate4  7#b7 ,transportation      
services4  7#c7 ,such other services as 
the ,secretary considers appropriate for
 the care of covered individuals under  
the pilot program4  7e7 ,program        
requirements ,in carrying out the pilot 
program1 the ,secretary shall--  7#a7   
inform all covered individuals of the   
services available under the pilot      
program2  7#b7 consider entering into an
 agreement with appropriate providers of
 assisted living1 group home care1 or   
other similar services for provision of 
services under the pilot program2 and   
7#c7 determine the appropriate number of
 covered individuals to be enrolled in  

the pilot program and criteria for such 
enrollment4  7f7 ,reports  7#a7         
,preliminary reports  7,a7 ,in general  
,not later than one year after the date 
of the commencement of the pilot program
 and1 if the pilot program is continued 
under subsection 7c77#b71 not later than
 three years after the date of the      
commencement of the pilot program1 the  
,secretary shall submit to the          
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,senate and the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of    
,representatives a report on the pilot  
program4  7,b7 ,contents ,each report   
submitted under subparagraph 7,a7 shall 
include the following3  7i7 ,a          
description of the implementation and   
operation of the pilot program4  7ii7   
,the number of covered individuals      
receiving benefits under the pilot      
program4  7iii7 ,an analysis that       
compares the costs of furnishing        
assisted living1 group home care1 or    
similar service with the costs of       

furnishing nursing home care4  7iv7 ,an 
analysis of the costs and benefits under
 the pilot program4  7v7 ,the findings  
and conclusions of the ,secretary with  
respect to the pilot program4  7vi7     
,such recommendations for the           
continuation or expansion of the pilot  
program as the ,secretary may have4     
7#b7 ,final report  7,a7 ,in general    
,not later than #ahj days after the     
completion of the pilot program1 the    
,secretary shall submit to the          
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,senate and the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of    
,representatives a report on the pilot  
program4  7,b7 ,contents ,the report    
submitted subparagraph 7,a7 shall       
include the following3  7i7 ,the        
findings and conclusions of the         
,secretary with respect to the pilot    
program4  7ii7 ,such recommendations for
 the continuation or expansion of the   
pilot program as the ,secretary may     
have4  7g7 ,funding ,amounts to carry   

out the pilot program shall be derived  
from amounts appropriated or otherwise  
made available before the date of the   
enactment of this ,act for the          
furnishing of nursing home care under   
chapter #ah of title #ch1 ,united       
,states ,code4