H.R. 2590 – Reading Mode

113th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 2590

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 28, 2013

Mr. Gibson (for himself, Mr. Bera of California, Mr. Cook, Mr. Ruiz, and Mr. Coffman) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To amend the Wounded Warrior Act to establish a specific timeline for the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to achieve integrated electronic health records, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the 21st Century Health Care for Heroes Act.

Timeline for implementing integrated electronic health records

(a)

Establishment of timeline

Section 1635 of the Wounded Warrior Act (10 U.S.C. 1071 note) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

(k)

Timeline

In carrying out this section, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that—

(1)

the creation of a health data authoritative source is achieved by not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this subsection;

(2)

the ability of patients of both the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to download the medical records of the patient (commonly referred to as the Blue Button Initiative) is achieved by not later than 365 days after the date of the enactment of this subsection;

(3)

the seamless integration of personal health care information between the Departments is achieved by not later than 365 days after the date of the enactment of this subsection;

(4)

the standardization of health care data of the Departments is achieved by not later than 365 days after the date of the enactment of this subsection;

(5)

the acceleration of the exchange of real-time data between the Departments is achieved by not later than 365 days after the date of the enactment of this subsection;

(6)

the upgrade of the graphical user interface to display the new standardized health care data of the Departments is achieved by not later than 365 days after the date of the enactment of this subsection;

(7)

each incoming member of the Armed Forces and the dependent of such a member may elect to receive an electronic copy of the health care record of the individual beginning not later than October 1, 2014; and

(8)

each current member of the Armed Forces and the dependent of such a member may elect to receive an electronic copy of the health care record of the individual beginning not later than October 1, 2015.

(b)

Cloud storage

Section 1635 of such Act is further amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

(l)

Cloud storage

The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall study the feasibility of establishing a secure, remote, network-accessible computer storage system (commonly referred to as cloud storage) to—

(1)

provide members of the Armed Forces and veterans the ability to upload the health care records of the member or veteran if the member or veteran elects to do so; and

(2)

allow medical providers of the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to access such records in the course of providing care to the member or veteran.

(c)

Conforming amendments

Section 1635 of such Act is further amended—

(1)

in subsection (a), by striking The Secretary and inserting In accordance with the timeline described in subsection (k), the Secretary; and

(2)

in the matter preceding paragraph (1) of subsection (e), by inserting in accordance with subsection (k) after under this section.