,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bdd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,january #bb1       
#bjae,mr4 ,tester introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
require an independent comprehensive    
review of the process by which the      
,department of ,veterans ,affairs       
assesses cognitive impairments that     
result from traumatic brain injury for  
purposes of awarding disability         
compensation1 and for other purposes4   
#a4 ,independent review of process by   
which ,department of ,veterans ,affairs 
assesses cognitive impairments that     
result from traumatic brain injury for  
purposes of awarding disability         
compensation  7a7 ,agreement  7#a7 ,in  
general ,the ,secretary of ,veterans    
,affairs shall seek to enter into an    
agreement with the ,institute of        
,medicine of the ,national ,academies to
 perform the services covered by this   

section4  7#b7 ,timing ,the ,secretary  
shall seek to enter into the agreement  
described in paragraph 7#a7 not later   
than the latest date by which the       
,secretary considers reasonable for the 
,institute of ,medicine to begin        
performing the services covered by this 
section and complete them before the    
date described subsection 7c77#a74  7b7 
,comprehensive review  7#a7 ,in general 
,under an agreement between the         
,secretary and the ,institute of        
,medicine under this section1 the       
,institute of ,medicine shall conduct a 
comprehensive review of examinations    
provided by the ,department of ,veterans
 ,affairs to individuals who submit     
claims to the ,secretary for            
compensation under chapter #aa of title 
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 for         
traumatic brain injury to assess the    
cognitive impairments of such           
individuals4  7#b7 ,elements ,the       
comprehensive review carried out        
pursuant to paragraph 7#a7 shall include

 the following3 7,a7 ,a determination of
 the adequacy of the tools and protocols
 used by the ,department to provide     
examinations described in paragraph     
7#a74  7,b7 ,a determination of which   
credentials are necessary for health    
care specialists and providers to       
perform such portions of such           
examinations that relate to assessment  
of cognitive functions1 such as a       
neuropsychological evaluation4  7#c7    
,group of experienced health care       
providers ,in carrying out the          
comprehensive review pursuant to        
paragraph 7#a71 the ,institute of       
,medicine shall convene a group of      
experts in clinical neuropsychology and 
other related disciplines4  7c7 ,report 
7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #edj   
days after the date on which the        
,secretary enters into an agreement     
under subsection 7a77#a71 the ,secretary
 shall submit to ,congress a report on  
the comprehensive review conducted under
 this section4  7#b7 ,elements ,the     

report submitted under paragraph 7#a7   
shall include the following3 7,a7 ,the  
findings of the ,institute of ,medicine 
with respect to the comprehensive review
 conducted under this section4  7,b7    
,such recommendations for legislative or
 administrative action as the ,institute
 of ,medicine may have for the          
improvement of the adjudication of      
claims described in subsection 7b77#a74 
7d7 ,alternate contract organization    
7#a7 ,in general ,if the ,secretary is  
unable within the period prescribed in  
subsection 7a77#b7 to enter into an     
agreement described in subsection       
7a77#a7 with the ,institute of ,medicine
 on terms acceptable to the ,secretary1 
the ,secretary shall seek to enter into 
such an agreement with another          
appropriate organization that-- 7,a7 is 
not part of the ,government2  7,b7      
operates as a not-for-profit entity2 and
  7,c7 has expertise and objectivity    
comparable to that of the ,institute of 
,medicine4  7#b7 ,treatment ,if the     

,secretary enters into an agreement with
 another organization as described in   
paragraph 7#a71 any reference in this   
section to the ,institute of ,medicine  
shall be treated as a reference to the  
other organization4