,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fde  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,january #bd1        
#bjag,mr4 ,bost 7for himself1 ,mr4      
,o',rourke1 ,mrs4 ,radewagen1 and ,ms4  
,gabbard7 introduced the following bill2
 which was referred to the ,committee on
 ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to    
require the ,secretary of ,veterans     
,affairs to provide for the inspection  
of kitchens and food service areas at   
medical facilities of the ,department of
 ,veterans ,affairs to ensure that the  
same standards for kitchens and food    
service areas at hospitals in the       
private sector are being met at kitchens
 and food service areas at medical      
facilities of the ,department4  #a4     
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,requiring ,accountability and      
,inspections for ,dining ,service ,act4 
#b4 ,inspection of kitchens and food    
service areas at medical facilities of  
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs   
7a7 ,in general ,not later than #ij days

 after the date of the enactment of this
 ,act1 and not less frequently than     
annually thereafter1 the ,secretary of  
,veterans ,affairs shall provide for the
 conduct of inspections of kitchens and 
food service areas at each medical      
facility of the ,department of ,veterans
 ,affairs to ensure that the same       
standards for kitchens and food service 
areas at hospitals in the private sector
 are being met at kitchens and food     
service areas at medical facilities of  
the ,department4  7b7 ,agreement  7#a7  
,in general ,the ,secretary shall seek  
to enter into an agreement with the     
,joint ,commission on ,accreditation of 
,hospital ,organizations under which the
 ,joint ,commission on ,accreditation of
 ,hospital ,organizations conducts the  
inspections required under subsection   
7a74  7#b7 ,alternate organization ,if  
the ,secretary is unable to enter into  
an agreement described in paragraph 7#a7
 with the ,joint ,commission on         
,accreditation of ,hospital             

,organizations 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 ,federal
 ,government2  7,b7 operates as a       
not-for-profit entity2 and  7,c7 has    
expertise and objectivity comparable to 
that of the ,joint ,commission on       
,accreditation of ,hospital             
,organizations4  7c7 ,remediation plan  
7#a7 ,initial failure ,if a kitchen or  
food service area of a medical facility 
of the ,department is determined        
pursuant to an inspection conducted     
under subsection 7a7 not to meet the    
standards for kitchens and food service 
areas in hospitals in the private       
sector1 that medical facility fails the 
inspection and the ,secretary shall--   
7,a7 implement a remediation plan for   
that medical facility within #dh hours2 
and  7,b7 conduct a second inspection   
under subsection 7a7 at that medical    
facility within #g days of the failed   

inspection4  7#b7 ,second failure ,if a 
medical facility of the ,department     
fails the second inspection conducted   
under paragraph 7#a77;,b71 the          
,secretary shall close the kitchen or   
food service area at that medical       
facility that did not meet the standards
 for kitchens and food service areas in 
hospitals in the private sector until   
remediation is completed and all        
kitchens and food service areas at that 
medical facility meet such standards4   
7#c7 ,provision of food ,if a kitchen or
 food service area is closed at a       
medical facility of the ,department     
pursuant to paragraph 7#b71 the         
,director of the ,veterans ,integrated  
,service ,network in which the medical  
facility is located shall enter into a  
contract with a vendor approved by the  
,general ,services ,administration to   
provide food at the medical facility4   
7d7 ,reports  7#a7 ,quarterly ,not less 
frequently than quarterly1 the ,director
 of each ,veterans ,integrated ,service 

,network shall submit to ,congress a    
report on inspections conducted under   
this section during that quarter at     
medical facilities of the ,department   
under the jurisdiction of that          
,director4  7#b7 ,subsequent period ,a  
,director of a ,veterans ,integrated    
,service ,network may submit to         
,congress the report described in       
paragraph 7#a7 not less frequently than 
semiannually if the ,director does not  
report any failed inspections for the   
one-year period preceding the submittal 
of the report4