S.Amdt. 766

1. Adds SEC. __. PROHIBITION ON COMPETITIVE SOURCING OF CERTAIN ACTIVITIES AT MEDICAL FACILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE wherever appropriate

   Adds a section

   Inserted: SEC. __. PROHIBITION ON COMPETITIVE SOURCING OF CERTAIN ACTIVITIES AT MEDICAL FACILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.

   Inserted: (a) Prohibition on Competitive Sourcing of Certain Activities at Medical Facilities of the Department of Defense.--

   Inserted: (1) Prohibition on initiation of competitive sourcing activities at medical facilities of department of defense during period of major military conflict.--

   Inserted: (A) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), during a period in which the Armed Forces are involved in a major military conflict, the Secretary of Defense shall not take any action under the Office of Management and Budget Circular A-76 or any other similar administrative regulation, directive, or policy--

   Inserted: (i) to subject work performed by an employee of a medical facility of the Department of Defense or employee of a private contractor of such a medical facility to public-private competition; or

   Inserted: (ii) to convert such employee or the work performed by such employee to private contractor performance.

   Inserted: (B) Exception to prevent negative impact on provision of services.--Paragraph (1) shall not apply to any action at a medical facility of the Department of Defense if the Secretary of Defense certifies to Congress that not initiating such action during such period would have a negative impact on the provision of services at such military medical facility.

   Inserted: (2) Study on competitive sourcing activities at medical facilities of department of defense.--The Comptroller General of the United States shall assess the efficiency and advisability of subjecting work performed by an employee of a medical facility of the Department of Defense or a private contractor of such a medical facility to public-private competition, or converting such employee or the work performed by such employee to private contractor performance, under the Office of Management and Budget Circular A-76 or any other similar administrative regulation, directive, or policy.

   Inserted: (b) Minimum Budget for Medical Services of the Armed Forces During Period of Major Military Conflict.--

   Inserted: (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), if the Armed Forces are involved in a major military conflict at the time the President submits the budget for a fiscal year to Congress, the President shall not include in that budget a total aggregate amount allocated for medical services for the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs that is less than the total aggregate amount allocated for such purposes in the budget submitted by the President to Congress for the previous fiscal year.

   Inserted: (2) Exception.--Paragraph (1) shall not apply if the President--

   Inserted: (A) certifies to Congress that submitting a total aggregate amount allocated for medical services for the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs that is less than that required under paragraph (1) is in the national interest; and

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   Inserted: (B) submits to Congress a report on the reasons for the reduction described by subparagraph (A).

   Inserted: (c) Limitation on Implementation of Recommendation To Close Walter Reed Army Medical Center.--

   Inserted: (1) Limitation on implementation of recommendations.--The Secretary of Defense shall not take any action to implement the recommendations of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission under the 2005 round of defense base closure and realignment relating to the transfer of medical services from Walter Reed Army Medical Center to the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda and at Fort Belvoir during the period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act and ending on the date that is 60 days after the date on which Congress receives the plan required under paragraph (2).

   Inserted: (2) Plan required.--Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress a plan that includes an assessment of the following:

   Inserted: (A) The feasibility and advisability of providing current or prospective employees at Walter Reed Army Medical Center a guarantee that their employment will continue for more than two years after the date on which Walter Reed Army Medical Center is closed.

   Inserted: (B) Detailed construction plans for new medical facilities and family housing at the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda and at Fort Belvoir to accommodate the transfer of medical services from Walter Reed Army Medical Center to the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda and at Fort Belvoir.

   Inserted: (C) The costs, feasibility, and advisability of completing all of the construction planned for the transfer of medical services from Walter Reed Army Medical Center to the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda and at Fort Belvoir before any patients are transferred to such new facilities from Walter Reed Army Medical Center as a result of the recommendations of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission under the 2005 round of defense base closure and realignment.

   Inserted: (d) Improving Case Management Services for Members of the Armed Forces.--

   Inserted: (1) Case managers.--

   Inserted: (A) In general.--The Secretary of Defense shall assign at least one case manager for every 20 recovering servicemembers to assist in the recovery of such recovering servicemember.

   Inserted: (B) Minimum contact.--The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that case managers meet with each of their assigned recovering servicemembers not less than once per week.

   Inserted: (C) Training.--The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that case managers of the Department of Defense are familiar with the disability and discharge system of the Department of Defense and that such case managers are able to assist recovering servicemembers complete necessary and related forms.

   Inserted: (2) Recovering servicemember.--In this subsection, the term "recovering servicemember" means a member of the Armed Forces, including a member of the National Guard or a Reserve, who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy, or is otherwise in medical hold or holdover status, for an injury, illness, or disease incurred or aggravated while on active duty in the Armed Forces.

   Inserted: (e) Screening for Traumatic Brain Injury.--

   Inserted: (1) Screening required.--The Secretary of Defense shall screen every member of the Armed Forces returning from deployment in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom for traumatic brain injury upon the return of each such member.

   Inserted: (2) Studies on treating traumatic brain injury as presumptive condition for disability compensation.--

   Inserted: (A) Study by secretary of defense.--

   Inserted: (i) In general.--The Secretary of Defense shall conduct a study on the feasability and advisability of treating traumatic brain injury as a presumptive condition for members of the Armed Forces who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom for the qualification for disability compensation under laws administered by the Secretary of Defense.

   Inserted: (ii) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress a report on the results of the study required by clause (i).

   Inserted: (B) Study by secretary of veterans affairs.--

   Inserted: (i) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct a study on the feasability and advisability of treating traumatic brain injury as a presumptive condition for the qualification for veterans who served as members of the Armed Forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom for disability compensation under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

   Inserted: (ii) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress a report on the results of the study required by clause (i).

   Inserted: (C) Study by director of national institutes of health.--

   Inserted: (i) In general.--The Director of the National Institutes of Health shall conduct a study on traumatic brain injury, including the detection of traumatic brain injury and the measurement and classification of the severity of traumatic brain injury.

   Inserted: (ii) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Institutes of Health shall submit to Congress a report on the results of the study required by clause (i).

   Inserted: (f) Requiring Medical Records Management Systems of Department of Defense To Communicate With Medical Records Management Systems of Department of Veterans Affairs.--

   Inserted: (1) In general.--Not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall ensure that the medical records management systems of the Department of Defense are capable of transmitting medical records to and receiving medical records from the medical records management systems of the Department of Veterans Affairs electronically.

   Inserted: (2) Initiation of activities.--Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall begin any activities required to meet the requirements of paragraph (1).

   Inserted: (g) Department of Veterans Affairs Assessment of Long-Term Care Needs of Veterans.--

   Inserted: (1) Assessment of long-term care needs.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall assess the current ability of the Department of Veterans Affairs to meet long-term care needs of veterans during the 50-year period that begins on the date of the enactment of this Act.

   Inserted: (2) Determination of actions required to meet long-term care needs.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall determine what actions are required to ensure that the needs described in paragraph (1) are satisfied.

   Inserted: (3) Report required.--Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress a report on the assessment required in paragraph (1) and the determination required in paragraph (2).

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As printed