One Hundred Fifteenth Congress of the United States of America
1st Session
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday, the third day of January, two thousand and seventeen
S. 1266
AN ACT
To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enter into contracts with nonprofit organizations to investigate medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the Enhancing Veteran Care Act
.
Investigation of medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs
In general
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may contract with a nonprofit organization that accredits health care organizations and programs in the United States to investigate a medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs to assess and report deficiencies of the facilities at such medical center.
Authority of directors
In general
Subject to coordination under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall delegate the authority under subsection (a) to contract for an investigation at a medical center of the Department to the Director of the Veterans Integrated Service Network in which the medical center is located or the director of such medical center.
Coordination
Before entering into a contract under paragraph (1), the Director of a Veterans Integrated Service Network or the director of a medical center, as the case may be, shall notify the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Comptroller General of the United States for purposes of coordinating any investigation conducted pursuant to such contract with any other investigations that may be ongoing.
Rule of construction
Nothing in this section may be construed—
to prevent the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs from conducting any review, audit, evaluation, or inspection regarding a topic for which an investigation is conducted under this section; or
to modify the requirement that employees of the Department assist with any review, audit, evaluation, or inspection conducted by the Office of the Inspector General of the Department.
Speaker of the House of Representatives
Vice President of the United States and President of the Senate