#aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session  ,s4   
#abff  ,,an ,,act  ,to authorize the    
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs to     
enter into contracts with nonprofit     
organizations to investigate medical    
centers of the ,department of ,veterans 
,affairs4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,enhancing ,veteran 
,care ,act4  #b4 ,investigation of      
medical centers of the ,department of   
,veterans ,affairs  7a7 ,in general ,the
 ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs may   
contract with a nonprofit organization  
that accredits health care organizations
 and programs in the ,united ,states to 
investigate a medical center of the     
,department of ,veterans ,affairs to    
assess and report deficiencies of the   
facilities at such medical center4  7b7 
,authority of directors  7#a7 ,in       
general ,subject to coordination under  
paragraph 7#b71 the ,secretary shall    
delegate the authority under subsection 
7a7 to contract for an investigation at 
a medical center of the ,department to  

the ,director of the ,veterans          
,integrated ,service ,network in which  
the medical center is located or the    
director of such medical center4  7#b7  
,coordination ,before entering into a   
contract under paragraph 7#a71 the      
,director of a ,veterans ,integrated    
,service ,network or the director of a  
medical center1 as the case may be1     
shall notify the ,secretary of ,veterans
 ,affairs1 the ,inspector ,general of   
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs1  
and the ,comptroller ,general of the    
,united ,states for purposes of         
coordinating any investigation conducted
 pursuant to such contract with any     
other investigations that may be        
ongoing4  7c7 ,rule of construction     
,nothing in this section may be         
construed-- 7#a7 to prevent the ,office 
of the ,inspector ,general of the       
,department of ,veterans ,affairs from  
conducting any review1 audit1           
evaluation1 or inspection regarding a   
topic for which an investigation is     

conducted under this section2 or  7#b7  
to modify the requirement that employees
 of the ,department assist with any     
review1 audit1 evaluation1 or inspection
 conducted by the ,office of the        
,inspector ,general of the ,department4 
,passed the ,senate ,november #i1       
#bjag4,secretary