S.Amdt. 3932

SA 3932. Mr. KIRK submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to
amendment SA 3896 proposed by Ms. Collins (for herself, Mr. Kirk, Mr.
Reed, and Mr. Tester) to the bill H.R. 2577, making appropriations for
the Departments of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development,
and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, and
for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end of title II of division B, add the following:

SEC. 251. INSPECTION OF KITCHENS AND FOOD SERVICE AREAS AT
MEDICAL FACILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS.

(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than
annually thereafter, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
provide for the conduct of inspections of kitchens and food
service areas at each medical facility of the Department of
Veterans Affairs to ensure that the same standards for
kitchens and food service areas at hospitals in the private
sector are being met at kitchens and food service areas at
medical facilities of the Department.
(b) Agreement.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall seek to enter into an
agreement with the Joint Commission on Accreditation of
Hospital Organizations under which the Joint Commission on
Accreditation of Hospital Organizations conducts the
inspections required under subsection (a).
(2) Alternate organization.--If the Secretary is unable to
enter into an agreement described in paragraph (1) with the
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospital Organizations
on terms acceptable to the Secretary, the Secretary shall
seek to enter into such an agreement with another appropriate
organization that--
(A) is not part of the Federal Government;
(B) operates as a not-for-profit entity; and
(C) has expertise and objectivity comparable to that of the
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospital Organizations.
(c) Remediation Plan.--
(1) Initial failure.--If a kitchen or food service area of
a medical facility of the Department is determined pursuant
to an inspection conducted under subsection (a) not to meet
the standards for kitchens and food service areas in
hospitals in the private sector, that medical facility fails
the inspection and the Secretary shall--
(A) implement a remediation plan for that medical facility
within 48 hours; and
(B) Conduct a second inspection under subsection (a) at
that medical facility within 7 days of the failed inspection.
(2) Second failure.--If a medical facility of the
Department fails the second inspection conducted under
paragraph (1)(B), the Secretary shall close the kitchen or
food service area at that medical facility that did not meet
the standards for kitchens and food service areas in
hospitals in the private sector until remediation is
completed and all kitchens and food service areas at that
medical facility meet such standards.
(3) Provision of food.--If a kitchen or food service area
is closed at a medical facility of the Department pursuant to
paragraph (2), the Director of the Veterans Integrated
Service Network in which the medical facility is located
shall enter into a contract with a vendor approved by the
General Services Administration to provide food at the
medical facility.
(d) Reports.--
(1) Quarterly.--Not less frequently than quarterly, the
Director of each Veterans Integrated Service Network shall
submit to Congress a report on inspections conducted under
this section during that quarter at medical facilities of the
Department under the jurisdiction of that Director.
(2) Subsequent period.--A Director of a Veterans Integrated
Service Network may submit to Congress the report described
in paragraph (1) not less frequently than semiannually if the
Director does not report any failed inspections for the one-
year period preceding the submittal of the report.
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