,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #djei  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,october #ab1        
#bjag,mrs4 ,mc,morris ,rodgers 7for     
herself1 ,mr4 ,roe of ,tennessee1 and   
,mr4 ,poliquin7 introduced the following
 bill2 which was referred to the        
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a   
,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 to ensure that physicians
 of the ,department of ,veterans        
,affairs fulfill the ethical duty to    
report to ,state licensing authorities  
impaired1 incompetent1 and unethical    
health care activities4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,ethical ,patient ,care for ,veterans   
,act of #bjag4  #b4 ,duty to report     
impaired1 incompetent1 and unethical    
health care activities  7a7 ,in general 
,subchapter ,,ii of chapter #gd of title
 #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended 
by adding at the end the following new  
section3  #gccj;,c4 ,duty to report     
impaired1 incompetent1 and unethical    

health care activities  7a7 ,reporting  
to ,state licensing authority ,in       
addition to confidential reporting under
 the quality-assurance program pursuant 
to section #gcaa7;b77#d7 of this title  
and any other reporting authorized or   
required by the ,secretary1 the         
,secretary shall ensure that each       
physician of the ,department is informed
 of the duty of the physician to report 
directly any covered activity committed 
by another physician that the physician 
witnesses or otherwise directly         
discovers to the applicable licensing   
authority of each ,state in which the   
physician who is the subject of the     
report is licensed to practice medicine4
  7b7 ,timing of reporting ,each        
physician of the ,department shall make 
a direct report to the ,state licensing 
authority of a covered activity under   
subsection 7a7 not later than five days 
after the date on which the physician   
witnesses or otherwise directly         
discovers the covered activity4  7c7    

,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,the
 term covered activity means any        
activity occurring in a medical facility
 of the ,department that consists of or 
causes the provision of impaired1       
incompetent1 or unethical health care   
that requires direct reporting under    
opinion number #i4jca of the ,code of   
,medical ,ethics of the ,american       
,medical ,association4  7#b7 ,the term  
physician of the ,department includes   
any contractor who is a physician at a  
medical facility of the ,department4  4 
7b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of   
sections at the beginning of such       
chapter is amended by inserting after   
the item relating to section #gccj;,b   
the following new item3  #gccj;,c4 ,duty
 to report impaired1 incompetent1 and   
unethical health care activities4  4    
7c7 ,conforming amendment ,section      
#gdfb7;a77#a77;,a7 of such title is     
amended by inserting before the         
semicolon the following3 1 including    
pursuant to section #gccj;,c7c7 of this 

title4