,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dfic  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,october #af1        
#bjai,mr4 ,hudson 7for himself and ,mr4 
,ruppersberger7 introduced the following
 bill2 which was referred to the        
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a   
,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 to establish an advisory 
committee on the implementation by the  
,department of ,veterans ,affairs of an 
electronic health record4  #a4 ,short   
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,department of ,veterans ,affairs       
,electronic ,health ,record ,advisory   
,committee ,act4  #b4 ,establishment of 
advisory committee on implementation of 
electronic health record  7a7 ,in       
general ,subchapter ,,ii of chapter #gc 
of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is 
amended by adding at the end the        
following new section3  #gccj;,d4       
,electronic ,health ,record ,advisory   
,committee  7a7 ,establishment ,not     
later than #ahj days after the date of  

the enactment of this section1 the      
,secretary shall establish the          
,electronic ,health ,record ,advisory   
,committee 7referred to in this section 
as the ,committee7 to provide guidance  
to the ,secretary and ,congress         
regarding the implementation of and     
transition to an electronic health      
record system of the ,department4  7b7  
,membership  7#a7 ,the ,committee shall 
be composed of #aa members appointed by 
the ,secretary as follows3 7,a7 ,one    
physician4  7,b7 ,one nurse4  7,c7 ,one 
individual with expertise in clinical   
support4  7,d7 ,one individual with     
expertise in medical business and       
administration who is or was in an      
executive management position at an     
organization that provides inpatient and
 outpatient care4  7,e7 ,two information
 technology developers4  7,f7 ,two      
individuals with expertise in health    
care information technology change      
management4  7,g7 ,one interoperability 
specialist4  7,h7 ,two individuals who  

are members of a veterans service       
organization and are enrolled in the    
system of annual patient enrollment of  
the ,department established and operated
 under section #agje of this title4     
7#b7 ,no member of the ,committee may-- 
7,a7 be an employee of the ,federal     
,government2  7,b7 have worked during   
the two-year period before joining the  
,committee for any company contracted or
 subcontracted to the ,department1 the  
,department of ,defense1 the ,department
 of ,state1 the ,department of ,health  
and ,human ,services1 or the ,department
 of ,homeland ,security for the delivery
 of any electronic health record or     
interoperability software2 or  7,c7 have
 provided during the two-year period    
before joining the ,committee any       
consulting or project management        
services relating to the delivery of any
 electronic health record or            
interoperability software for any of the
 ,federal agencies specified in         
subparagraph 7,b74  7#c7 ,no individual 

who was involved in the procurement of  
an electronic health record for the     
,department1 or privy to contract       
information relating to such            
procurement1 may be a member of the     
,committee4  7#d7  7,a7 ,a term for a   
member of the ,committee shall be two   
years and a member may not serve more   
than three consecutive terms4  7,b7     
,initial members1 at the election of the
 ,secretary1 may be appointed for one or
 two terms1 with six members appointed  
for two terms and five members appointed
 for one term4  7,c7 ,any vacancy in the
 ,committee shall be filled by the      
,secretary in the same manner as the    
original appointment and not later than 
#ahj days after the occurrence of the   
vacancy4  7c7 ,chairperson and ,vice    
,chairperson ,the ,committee shall      
select a ,chairperson and ,vice         
,chairperson from among the members of  
the ,committee4  7d7 ,duties ,the       
,committee shall carry out the following
 duties3 7#a7 ,analyze the priorities   

and plans of the ,department for        
implementing the electronic health      
record of the ,department and provide   
advice on the best strategies to achieve
 those priorities and plans4  7#b7      
,conduct a risk identification analysis 
and develop recommendations to best     
mitigate the most prominent risks4  7#c7
 ,conduct periodic1 informal evaluations
 of the implementation of the electronic
 health record and suggest              
recommendations for such implementation4
  7#d7 ,tour facilities of the          
,department as those facilities begin   
use of the electronic health record to  
analyze implementation1 including       
soliciting feedback from employees of   
the ,department4  7#e7 ,ensure the      
voices of stakeholders1 veterans1 and   
other participants in the transition    
process to the electronic health record 
are elevated4  7e7 ,initial meeting     
7#a7 ,not later than #ij days after the 
establishment of the ,committee1 the    
,committee shall hold the initial       

meeting of the ,committee4  7#b7 ,the   
initial meeting under paragraph 7#a7 may
 be conducted either in person or via   
telephone conference4  7f7 ,meetings1   
hearings1 and subcommittees  7#a7 ,after
 the initial meeting under subsection   
7e71 the ,committee shall meet at the   
call of the ,chairperson1 not less      
frequently than monthly4 ,each such     
meeting may be conducted via telephone  
conference4  7#b7 ,the ,committee shall 
meet with the ,secretary in person1 or a
 designee of the ,secretary1 not less   
frequently than twice each year4  7#c7  
,a majority of the members of the       
,committee shall constitute a quorum1   
but a lesser number of members may hold 
hearings4  7#d7  7,a7 ,the ,committee   
may establish subcommittees that report 
to the ,committee to enhance the        
function of the ,committee4  7,b7 ,any  
subcommittee established under          
subparagraph 7,a7 may not supersede the 
authority of the ,committee or provide  
direct advice or work products to the   

,department4  7,c7 ,the ,inspector      
,general of the ,department and the     
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states1 or a designee of the ,inspector
 ,general and the ,comptroller ,general1
 may attend any meeting of the          
,committee as observers1 including the  
initial meeting under subsection 7e71   
regardless of whether the meeting is    
open to the public4  7g7 ,reports  7#a7 
,the ,committee shall submit to the     
,secretary1 the ,committee on ,veterans'
 ,affairs of the ,senate1 and the       
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,house of ,representatives an annual   
report on the activities of the         
,committee during the year covered by   
the report that includes recommendations
 for activities of the ,committee during
 the following year4  7#b7 ,not later   
than #ij days after receiving the report
 submitted under paragraph 7#a71 the    
,secretary shall submit to the          
,committee1 the ,committee on ,veterans'
 ,affairs of the ,senate1 and the       

,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,house of ,representatives a written   
response addressing any recommendations 
or questions raised by the ,committee in
 such report4  7#c7 ,not less frequently
 than twice each year during the first  
two years following the establishment of
 the ,committee1 and as the ,committee  
determines necessary thereafter1 the    
,committee shall submit to the          
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,senate and the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of    
,representatives such recommendations   
for legislative or administrative       
actions relating to the work of the     
,committee as the ,committee considers  
appropriate4  7h7 ,pay and reimbursement
 for travel expenses  7#a7 ,members of  
the ,committee shall serve without pay4 
7#b7 ,a member of the ,committee shall  
be allowed travel expenses1 including   
per diem in lieu of subsistence1 at     
rates authorized for employees of       
agencies under subchapter ,i of chapter 

#eg of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 
while away from their home or regular   
places of business in the performance of
 services for the ,committee4  7i7      
,information from contractors ,on and   
after the date of the enactment of this 
section1 the ,secretary shall include in
 any contract or contract renewal       
entered into with a person working on   
the electronic health record of the     
,department that is not part of the     
,federal ,government a provision        
requiring that the person provide to the
 ,committee1 upon request by the        
,committee1 records relating to the work
 of the person on the electronic health 
record4  7j7 ,veterans service          
organization defined ,in this section1  
the term veterans service organization  
means an organization recognized by the 
,secretary for the representation of    
veterans under section #eijb of title   
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code4  4  7b7     
,clerical amendment ,the table of       
sections at the beginning of chapter #gc

 of such title is amended by inserting  
after the item relating to section      
#gccj;,c the following new item3        
#gccj;,d4 ,electronic ,health ,record   
,advisory ,committee4  4