,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bgde  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #g1 
#bjbc ,mr4 ,peters 7for himself and ,mr4
 ,boozman7 introduced the following     
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs
  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1       
,united ,states ,code1 to eliminate     
conflicts of interest in conduct of     
quality management and administrative   
investigations by the ,veterans ,health 
,administration and to limit the detail 
of directors of medical centers of      
,department of ,veterans ,affairs to    
different positions1 and for other      
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,veterans ,affairs  
,peer ,review ,neutrality ,act of #bjbc4
  #b4 ,elimination of conflicts of      
interest in peer review1 administrative 
investigation boards1 and factfindings  
of ,veterans ,health ,administration    
7a7 ,in general ,subchapter ,,ii of     
chapter #gc of title #ch1 ,united       

,states ,code1 is amended by inserting  
after section #gcaa;,a the following new
 section3  #gcaa;,b4 ,elimination of    
conflicts of interest in peer review1   
administrative investigation boards1 and
 factfindings of ,veterans ,health      
,administration  7a7 ,peer review  7#a7 
,in general ,each individual responsible
 for conducting peer review for quality 
management of care provided by a health 
care provider at a medical facility of  
the ,department and each member of a    
peer review committee with respect to   
quality management of such care shall   
withdraw from participation in a case   
review if-- 7,a7 the individual has     
direct involvement with the care under  
review2 or  7,b7 the individual is      
unable to conduct an objective1         
impartial1 accurate1 and informed       
review4  7#b7 ,neutral assessment of    
conduct of committee members ,each      
medical facility of the ,department     
shall develop procedures and guidelines 
for that facility to require that any   

initial peer review for quality         
management that is conducted with       
respect to care provided by a health    
care provider who is a member of the    
peer review committee for that facility 
be evaluated1 discussed1 and assigned a 
final level review by a neutral peer    
review committee at another facility of 
the ,department4  7b7 ,administrative   
investigation boards and factfindings   
7#a7 ,knowledge of confidential         
information ,individuals with knowledge 
of confidential quality assurance       
information specific to a matter under  
investigation by an administrative      
investigation board or factfinder with  
respect to quality management of care   
provided by a health care provider at a 
medical facility of the ,department may 
not-- 7,a7 serve on the administrative  
investigation board or as a factfinder2 
or  7,b7 disclose such information to an
 administrative investigation board or a
 factfinder4  7#b7 ,personal interest1  
involvement1 or relationship  7,a7 ,in  

general ,the ,secretary shall ensure    
that each member of an administrative   
investigative board or factfinder does  
not have--  7i7 any personal interest or
 other bias concerning the investigation
 being conducted2  7ii7 direct          
involvement in matters being            
investigated2 or  7iii7 a supervisory or
 personal relationship with the subject 
of the investigation4  7,b7 ,recusal ,if
 a potential member of an administrative
 investigative board or factfinder has a
 personal interest or other bias        
concerning the investigation being      
conducted1 direct involvement in matters
 being investigated1 or a supervisory or
 personal relationship with the subject 
of the investigation1 the potential     
member shall inform the authority       
responsible for the investigation and   
recuse themselves from such matter4  4  
7b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of   
sections at the beginning of such       
subchapter is amended by inserting after
 the item relating to section #gcaa;,a  

the following new item3  #gcaa;,b4      
,elimination of conflicts of interest in
 peer review1 administrative            
investigation boards1 and factfindings  
of ,veterans ,health ,administration4  4
  #c4 ,limitation on detail of directors
 of medical centers of ,department of   
,veterans ,affairs to different         
positions  7a7 ,notification  7#a7 ,in  
general ,not later than #ij days after  
detailing a director of a medical center
 of the ,department of ,veterans        
,affairs to a different position within 
the ,department1 the ,secretary of      
,veterans ,affairs shall notify the     
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,senate and the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of    
,representatives of such detail4  7#b7  
,matters ,to be included ,the           
notification required by paragraph 7#a7 
shall include1 with respect to a        
director of a medical center who is     
detailed to a different position within 
the ,department1 the following          

information3 7,a7 ,the location at which
 the director is detailed4  7,b7 ,the   
position title of the detail4  7,c7 ,the
 estimated time the director is expected
 to be absent from their duties at the  
medical center4  7,d7 ,such other       
information as the ,secretary may       
determine appropriate4  7b7 ,appointment
 of acting director ,not later than #abj
 days after detailing a director of a   
medical center of the ,department to a  
different position within the           
,department1 the ,secretary shall       
appoint an individual as acting director
 of such medical center with all of the 
authority and responsibilities of the   
detailed director4  7c7 ,update on      
detail ,not later than #abj days after  
detailing a director of a medical center
 of the ,department to a different      
position within the ,department1 and not
 less frequently than every #cj days    
thereafter while the detail is in effect
 or while the director position at the  
medical center is vacant1 the ,secretary

 shall submit to the ,committee on      
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate and  
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of
 the ,house of ,representatives an      
update regarding the status of the      
detail4  7d7 ,return to position or     
reassignment  7#a7 ,in general ,except  
as provided in paragraph 7#b71 not later
 than #ahj days after detailing a       
director of a medical center of the     
,department to a different position     
within the ,department1 for a reason    
other than an ongoing investigation or  
administrative action with respect to   
the director1 the ,secretary shall--    
7,a7 return the individual to the       
position as director of the medical     
center2 or  7,b7 reassign the individual
 from the position as director of the   
medical center and begin the process of 
hiring a new director for such position4
  7#b7 ,waiver  7,a7 ,in general ,the   
,secretary may waive the requirement    
under paragraph 7#a7 with respect to an 
individual for successive #ij-;day      

increments for a total period of not    
more than #edj days from the original   
date the individual was detailed away   
from their position as director of a    
medical center4  7,b7 ,notification ,not
 later than #cj days after exercising a 
waiver under subparagraph 7,a71 the     
,secretary shall notify ,congress of the
 waiver and provide to ,congress        
information as to why the waiver is     
necessary4