,,ib  ,union ,calendar ,no4 #edh  #aadth
 ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,h4 ,r4     
#cdga  ,report ,no4 #aad-gji  ,,in ,,the
 ,,house ,,of ,,representatives         
,september #aj1 #bjae ,mrs4 ,walorski   
7for herself1 ,ms4 ,brownley of         
,california1 ,mr4 ,ruiz1 ,mr4 ,duncan of
 ,tennessee1 ,mr4 ,barr1 and ,mr4       
,curbelo of ,florida7 introduced the    
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs   
,september #f1 #bjaf ,additional        
sponsors3 ,mr4 ,amodei1 ,ms4 ,michelle  
,lujan ,grisham of ,new ,mexico1 ,mr4   
,costello of ,pennsylvania1 ,mr4        
,lamborn1 ,mr4 ,carson of ,indiana1 ,mr4
 ,shuster1 ,mr4 ,lowenthal1 ,ms4 ,judy  
,chu of ,california1 ,ms4 ,jenkins of   
,kansas1 ,mr4 ,ryan of ,ohio1 ,mrs4     
,capps1 ,mr4 ,jody ,b4 ,hice of         
,georgia1 ,ms4 ,sinema1 ,mr4 ,cook1 ,ms4
 ,titus1 ,mr4 ,engel1 ,mr4 ,mc,dermott1 
,mr4 ,luetkemeyer1 ,ms4 ,mc,sally1 ,ms4 
,kuster1 ,mr4 ,thompson of              
,pennsylvania1 ,mrs4 ,radewagen1 ,mrs4  

,brooks of ,indiana1 ,mr4 ,roskam1 ,mr4 
,poe of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,marchant1 ,mr4    
,becerra1 ,mr4 ,honda1 ,mr4 ,burgess1   
,mr4 ,coffman1 ,mrs4 ,hartzler1 ,mr4    
,duffy1 ,mr4 ,cole1 ,mr4 ,bucshon1 ,mr4 
,sensenbrenner1 ,mr4 ,hurd of ,texas1   
,mr4 ,cramer1 ,mr4 ,pocan1 ,mr4 ,bera1  
,mr4 ,yarmuth1 ,mr4 ,vargas1 ,mr4       
,polis1 ,mr4 ,jeffries1 ,mr4 ,castro of 
,texas1 ,mr4 ,vela1 and ,ms4 ,frankel of
 ,florida  ,september #f1 #bjaf         
,reported with an amendment1 committed  
to the ,committee of the ,whole ,house  
on the ,state of the ,union1 and ordered
 to be printed ,strike out all after the
 enacting clause and insert the part    
printed in italic ,for text of          
introduced bill1 see copy of bill as    
introduced on ,september #aj1 #bjae  ,a 
,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 to make certain          
improvements in the provision of        
automobiles and adaptive equipment by   
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs4  
#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 ,the certification of
 a provider by a third party            
organization or manufacturer if the     
,secretary designates the quality       
standards of such organization or       
manufacturer as meeting or exceeding the
 standards developed under this section4
  7#e7 ,the education and training of   
personnel of the ,department who        
administer the automobile adaptive      
equipment program4  7#f7 ,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#g7 
,the allowance1 where technically       
appropriate1 for veterans to receive    
modifications at their residence or     
location of choice4  7c7 ,updates ,not  
later than one 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 ,not   
less frequently than once every six     
years thereafter1 the ,secretary shall  
update such handbook1 or any successor  
handbook or directive4  7d7             
,consultation ,the ,secretary shall     
develop the policy under subsection 7a71
 and revise such policy under subsection
 7c71 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  7e7     
,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  
entity referred to in subsection 7b77#d7
 that has a financial conflict of       
interest regarding the certification of 
an eligible provider4  7f7 ,biennial    
report  7#a7 ,in general ,not later than
 one year after the date on which the   
,secretary updates ,veterans ,health    
,administration ,handbook #aagc4d1 or   
any successor handbook or directive1    

under subsection 7c71 and biennially    
thereafter through #bjbb1 the ,secretary
 shall submit to the ,committees on     
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of    
,representatives and the ,senate 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 7c74  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  7g7 ,definitions ,in this     
section3  7#a7 ,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 ,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
 one year after the date of the         
enactment of this ,act1 and annually    
thereafter during the five-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 one-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 one-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    
,september #f1 #bjaf ,reported with an  
amendment1 committed to the ,committee  
of the ,whole ,house on the ,state of   
the ,union1 and ordered to be printed