,in the ,senate of the ,united ,states1 
,november #ag1 #bjaf4  ,amendment3      
,that the bill from the ,house of       
,representatives 7,h4,r4 #cdga7 entitled
 ,an ,act to amend title #ch1 ,united   
,states ,code1 to make certain          
improvements in the provision of        
automobiles and adaptive equipment by   
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs41 
do pass with the following ,strike all  
after the enacting clause and insert the
 following3 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,veterans ,mobility 
,safety ,act of #bjaf4  #b4 ,personal   
selections of automobiles and adaptive  
equipment ,section #cijc7;b7 of title   
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended--
 7#a7 by striking ,except and inserting 
7#a7 ,except2 and  7#b7 by adding at the
 end the following new paragraph3  7#b7 
,the ,secretary shall ensure that to the
 extent practicable an eligible person  
who is provided an automobile or other  
conveyance under this chapter is given  
the opportunity to make personal        

selections relating to such automobile  
or other conveyance4  4  #c4            
,comprehensive policy for the           
automobiles adaptive equipment program  
7a7 ,comprehensive policy ,the          
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
develop a comprehensive policy regarding
 quality standards for providers who    
provide modification services to        
veterans under the automobile adaptive  
equipment program4  7b7 ,scope ,the     
policy developed under subsection 7a7   
shall cover each of the following3 7#a7 
,the ,department of ,veterans           
,affairs-wide management of the         
automobile adaptive equipment program4  
7#b7 ,the development of standards for  
safety and quality of equipment and     
installation of equipment through the   
automobile adaptive equipment program1  
including with respect to the defined   
differentiations in levels of           
modification complexity4  7#c7 ,the     
consistent application of standards for 
safety and quality of both equipment and

 installation throughout the            
,department4  7#d7 ,in accordance with  
subsection 7c77#a71 the certification of
 a provider by a manufacturer if the    
,secretary designates the quality       
standards of such manufacturer as       
meeting or exceeding the standards      
developed under this section4  7#e7 ,in 
accordance with subsection 7c77#b71 the 
certification of a provider by a third  
party1 nonprofit organization if the    
,secretary designates the quality       
standards of such organization as       
meeting or exceeding the standards      
developed under this section4  7#f7 ,the
 education and training of personnel of 
the ,department who administer the      
automobile adaptive equipment program4  
7#g7 ,the compliance of the provider    
with the ,americans with ,disabilities  
,act of #aiij 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #abaja et  
seq47 when furnishing automobile        
adaptive equipment at the facility of   
the provider4  7#h7 ,the allowance1     
where technically appropriate1 for      

veterans to receive modifications at    
their residence or location of choice1  
including standards that ensure such    
receipt and notification to veterans of 
the availability of such receipt4  7c7  
,certification of manufacturers and     
third party1 nonprofit organizations    
7#a7 ,certification of manufacturers    
,the ,secretary shall approve a         
manufacturer as a certifying            
manufacturer for purposes of subsection 
7b77#d71 if the manufacturer            
demonstrates that its certification     
standards meet or exceed the quality    
standards developed under this section4 
7#b7 ,certification of third party1     
nonprofit organizations  7,a7 ,in       
general ,the ,secretary may approve two 
or more private1 nonprofit organizations
 as third party1 nonprofit certifying   
organizations for purposes of subsection
 7b77#e74  7,b7 ,limitation ,if at any  
time there is only one third party1     
nonprofit certifying organization       
approved by the ,secretary for purposes 

of subsection 7b77#e71 such organization
 shall not be permitted to provide      
certifications under such subsection    
until such time as the ,secretary       
approves a second third party1 nonprofit
 certifying organization for purposes of
 such subsection4  7d7 ,updates  7#a7   
,initial updates ,not later than #a year
 after the date of the enactment of this
 ,act1 the ,secretary shall update      
,veterans ,health ,administration       
,handbook #aagc4d1 or any successor     
handbook or directive1 in accordance    
with the policy developed under         
subsection 7a74  7#b7 ,subsequent       
updates ,not less frequently than once  
every #f years thereafter1 the          
,secretary shall update such handbook1  
or any successor handbook or directive4 
7e7 ,consultation ,the ,secretary shall 
develop the policy under subsection 7a71
 and revise such policy under subsection
 7d71 in consultation with veterans     
service organizations1 the ,national    
,highway ,transportation                

,administration1 industry               
representatives1 manufacturers of       
automobile adaptive equipment1 and other
 entities with expertise in installing1 
repairing1 replacing1 or manufacturing  
mobility equipment or developing        
mobility accreditation standards for    
automobile adaptive equipment4  7f7     
,conflicts ,in developing and           
implementing the policy under subsection
 7a71 the ,secretary shall-- 7#a7       
minimize the possibility of conflicts of
 interest1 to the extent practicable2   
and  7#b7 establish procedures that     
ensure against the use of a certifying  
organization referred to in subsection  
7b77#e7 that has a financial conflict of
 interest regarding the certification of
 an eligible provider4  7g7 ,biennial   
report  7#a7 ,in general ,not later than
 #a year after the date on which the    
,secretary updates ,veterans ,health    
,administration ,handbook #aagc4d1 or   
any successor handbook or directive1    
under subsection 7d71 and not less      

frequently than once every other year   
thereafter through #bjbb1 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 implementation and facility     
compliance with the policy developed    
under subsection 7a74  7#b7 ,contents   
,the report required by paragraph 7#a7  
shall include the following3 7,a7 ,a    
description of the implementation plan  
for the policy developed under          
subsection 7a7 and any revisions to such
 policy under subsection 7d74  7,b7 ,a  
description of the performance measures 
used to determine the effectiveness of  
such policy in ensuring the safety of   
veterans enrolled in the automobile     
adaptive equipment program4  7,c7 ,an   
assessment of safety issues due to      
improper installations based on a survey
 of recipients of adaptive equipment    
from the ,department4  7,d7 ,an         
assessment of the adequacy of the       

adaptive equipment services of the      
,department based on a survey of        
recipients of adaptive equipment from   
the ,department4  7,e7 ,an assessment of
 the training provided to the personnel 
of the ,department with respect to      
administering the program4  7,f7 ,an    
assessment of the certified providers of
 the ,department of adaptive equipment  
with respect to meeting the minimum     
standards developed under subsection    
7b77#b74  7h7 ,definitions ,in this     
section3 7#a7 ,automobile adaptive      
equipment program ,the term automobile  
adaptive equipment program means the    
program administered by the ,secretary  
of ,veterans ,affairs pursuant to       
chapter #ci of title #ch1 ,united       
,states ,code4  7#b7 ,veterans service  
organization ,the term veterans service 
organization means any organization     
recognized by the ,secretary for the    
representation of veterans under section
 #eijb of title #ch1 ,united ,states    
,code4  #d4 ,appointment of licensed    

hearing aid specialists in ,veterans    
,health ,administration  7a7 ,licensed  
hearing aid specialists  7#a7           
,appointment ,section #gdja7c7 of title 
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended  
by inserting licensed hearing aid       
specialists1 after ,audiologists14  7#b7
 ,qualifications ,section #gdjb7;b77#ad7
 of such title is amended by inserting 1
 hearing aid specialist after dental    
technologist4  7b7 ,requirements ,with  
respect to appointing hearing aid       
specialists under sections #gdja and    
#gdjb of title #ch1 ,united ,states     
,code1 as amended by subsection 7a71 and
 providing services furnished by such   
specialists1 the ,secretary shall ensure
 that-- 7#a7 a hearing aid specialist   
may only perform hearing services       
consistent with the hearing aid         
specialist's ,state license related to  
the practice of fitting and dispensing  
hearing aids without excluding other    
qualified professionals1 including      
audiologists1 from rendering services in

 overlapping practice areas2  7#b7      
services provided to veterans by hearing
 aid specialists shall be provided as   
part of the non-medical treatment plan  
developed by an audiologist2 and  7#c7  
the medical facilities of the           
,department of ,veterans ,affairs       
provide to veterans access to the full  
range of professional services provided 
by an audiologist4  7c7 ,consultation   
,in determining the qualifications      
required for hearing aid specialists and
 in carrying out subsection 7b71 the    
,secretary shall consult with veterans  
service organizations1 audiologists1    
otolaryngologists1 hearing aid          
specialists1 and other stakeholder and  
industry groups as the ,secretary       
determines appropriate4  7d7 ,annual    
report  7#a7 ,in general ,not later than
 #a year after the date of the enactment
 of this ,act1 and annually thereafter  
during the #e-year period beginning on  
the date of the enactment of this ,act1 
the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs    

shall submit to ,congress a report on   
the following3 7,a7 ,timely access of   
veterans to hearing health services     
through the ,department of ,veterans    
,affairs4  7,b7 ,contracting policies of
 the ,department with respect to        
providing hearing health services to    
veterans in facilities that are not     
facilities of the ,department4  7#b7    
,timely access to services ,each report 
shall1 with respect to the matter       
specified in paragraph 7#a77;,a7 for the
 #a-year period preceding the submittal 
of such report1 include the following3  
7,a7 ,the staffing levels of            
audiologists1 hearing aid specialists1  
and health technicians in audiology in  
the ,veterans ,health ,administration4  
7,b7 ,a description of the metrics used 
by the ,secretary in measuring          
performance with respect to appointments
 and care relating to hearing health4   
7,c7 ,the average time that a veteran   
waits to receive an appointment1        
beginning on the date on which the      

veteran makes the request1 for the      
following3 7i7 ,a disability rating     
evaluation for a hearing-related        
disability4  7ii7 ,a hearing aid        
evaluation4  7iii7 ,dispensing of       
hearing aids4  7iv7 ,any follow-up      
hearing health appointment4  7,d7 ,the  
percentage of veterans whose total wait 
time for appointments described in      
subparagraph 7,c71 including an initial 
and follow-up appointment1 if           
applicable1 is more than #cj days4  7#c7
 ,contracting policies ,each report     
shall1 with respect to the matter       
specified in paragraph 7#a77;,b7 for the
 #a-year period preceding the submittal 
of such report1 include the following3  
7,a7 ,the number of veterans that the   
,secretary refers to non-,department    
audiologists for hearing health care    
appointments4  7,b7 ,the number of      
veterans that the ,secretary refers to  
non-,department hearing aid specialists 
for follow-up appointments for a hearing
 aid evaluation1 the dispensing of      

hearing aids1 or any other purpose      
relating to hearing health4  ,secretary