,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hija  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,december #h1        
#bjbj,mr4 ,kennedy 7for himself and ,mr4
 ,neal7 introduced the following bill2  
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
amend title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 
to establish new requirements for ,state
 homes for veterans that receive per    
diem from the ,secretary of ,veterans   
,affairs1 and for other purposes4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,holyoke ,veterans ,act4  #b4 ,state
 homes for veterans3 governing bodies2  
administrators2 infection preventionists
  7a7 ,in general ,section #agda of     
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is    
amended by adding at the end the        
following new subsection3  7g7 ,a ,state
 home shall-- 7#a7 have a governing body
 that-- 7,a7 is legally responsible for 
establishing and implementing policies  
regarding the management and operation  
of the ,state home2  7,b7 consists of   

more than one person2 and  7,c7 appoints
 an administrator or deputy             
superintendent described in paragraph   
7#b72  7#b7 employ an administrator or  
deputy superintendent who-- 7,a7 is     
licensed by the ,state1 if required by  
,state law2 and  7,b7 meets standards   
established by the ,secretary of ,health
 and ,human ,services under subsection  
7f77#d7 of sections #ahai and #aiai of  
the ,social ,security ,act 7#db         
,u4,s4,c4 #acie;i-#c1 #acifr72  7#c7    
employ an infection preventionist 7as   
that term is defined in section #agdd;a 
of this title72 and  7#d7 include in    
information submitted each year to the  
,secretary-- 7,a7 the name of the       
infection preventionist under paragraph 
7#c72 and  7,b7 an emergency plan1      
updated annually1 in case of public     
health emergency or other disaster4  4  
7b7 ,funding of infection preventionists
  7#a7 ,establishment ,chapter #ag of   
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is    
amended by inserting after section #agdd

 the following new section3  #agdd;a4   
,hiring and retention of infection      
preventionists3 payments to assist      
,states  7a7 ,payment program ,the      
,secretary shall make payments to       
,states under this section for the      
purpose of assisting ,state homes in the
 hiring and retention of infection      
preventionists4  7b7 ,eligible          
recipients ,payments to a ,state for a  
fiscal year under this section shall1   
subject to submission of an application1
 be made to any ,state that during that 
fiscal year receives per diem payments  
under this subchapter for that fiscal   
year4  7c7 ,limitations on amount of    
payment ,a payment under this section   
may not be used to provide more than #ej
 percent of the salary or wages for an  
infection preventionist for a fiscal    
year4  7d7 ,applications ,a payment     
under this section for any fiscal year  
with respect to any ,state home may only
 be made based upon an application      
submitted by the ,state seeking the     

payment with respect to that ,state     
home4 ,any such application shall       
describe the salary or wages of the     
infection preventionist4  7e7 ,source of
 funds ,payments under this section     
shall be made from funds available for  
other payments under this subchapter4   
7f7 ,disbursement ,payments under this  
section to a ,state home shall be made  
as part of the disbursement of payments 
under section #agda of this title with  
respect to that ,state home4  7g7 ,use  
of certain receipts ,the ,secretary     
shall require as a condition of any     
payment under this section that1 in any 
case in which the ,state home receives a
 refund payment made by an employee in  
breach of the terms of an agreement for 
employee assistance that used funds     
provided under this section1 the payment
 shall be returned to the ,state home's 
incentive program account and credited  
as a non-,federal funding source4  7h7  
,annual report from payment  7#a7 ,any  
,state home receiving a payment under   

this section for any fiscal year1 shall1
 as a condition of the payment1 be      
required to agree to provide to the     
,secretary a report setting forth in    
detail the use of funds received through
 the payment1 including the emergency   
plan under subsection 7g7 of section    
#agda of this title4  7#b7 ,the report  
for any fiscal year shall be provided to
 the ,secretary within #fj days of the  
close of the fiscal year and shall be   
subject to audit by the ,secretary4     
,eligibility for a payment under this   
section for any later fiscal year is    
contingent upon the receipt by the      
,secretary of the annual report under   
this subsection for the previous fiscal 
year in accordance with this subsection4
  7i7 ,regulations ,the ,secretary shall
 prescribe regulations to carry out this
 section4 ,the regulations shall include
 the establishment of criteria for the  
award of payments under this section4   
7j7 ,infection preventionist defined ,in
 this section1 the term infection       

preventionist means an individual-- 7#a7
 who has primary professional training  
in nursing1 medical technology1         
microbiology1 epidemiology1 or a related
 field2  7#b7 whom the ,secretary       
determines is qualified by education1   
training1 experience1 or certification2 
7#c7 who works at least part-time at the
 ,state home2 and  7#d7 who has         
completed specialized training in       
infection prevention and control4  4    
7#b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of  
sections at the beginning of such       
chapter is amended by inserting1 after  
the item relating to section #agdd1 the 
following new item3  #agdd;a4 ,hiring   
and retention of infection              
preventionists3 payments to assist      
,states4  4  7c7 ,,gao study ,not later 
than one year after the date of the     
enactment of this ,act1 the ,comptroller
 ,general of the ,united ,states shall  
submit a report to ,congress containing 
the results of a study regarding how to 
improve oversight of ,state homes by the

 ,secretary4