Davis / 4 Senator Baens

S.B._____

A BILL
To increase funding of the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish more programs and resources for veterans and
create an ombudsman, or oversight, agency that handles all referrals, questions, and issues within the VA.
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE
This act may be cited as the Veteran Health and Safety Act of 2015.
SECTION 2. FINDINGS
Congress hereby finds and declares that,
1) 1,000 veterans and counting have died because VA medical offices delayed their routine screenings.
2) On a single night in January of 2014, there were approximately 49,933 homeless Veterans.

3) 63 percent of women veterans ranging from ages 18 to 24 said that they were unable to afford health
care.
4) 25 percent of appointments scheduled at VA medical clinics had waiting times of over 30 days.
5) More than 1,800 veteran patients of the St. Louis VA Medical Center may have been exposed to HIV and Hepatitis
as a result of unsanitary dental equipment.
6) Files containing names, social security numbers, and birthdates of 26.5 millions were stolen from the home of a
VA employee.
7) Only 22 percent of all veterans receive necessary mental health care.
8) In 76 percent of VA parent facilities, one or more respondents said that they were told by a supervisor to change
the date the veterans desired to be seen by their doctors to a later date in their documentation.
9) VA employees are being incentivised by rewards such as bonuses and promotions in exchange for manipulating
patient reports.
10) Less than 13.1 percent of veterans use VA health care.
SECTION 3. STATUTORY LANGUAGE
A) This measure ensures that all government-funded veteran health clinics will meet necessary health code
regulations by January 1, 2016.
B) With the active participation of both the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department
of Veteran Affairs, veterans and anyone of relation or affiliation to them, may file complaints regarding any possible
health, privacy, and human rights violations electronically via the Office of Civil Rights Complaint Portal or email,
or on paper, by fax or mail within 180 days of the incident. The time frame of 180 days may be extended if the OCR
finds probable good cause.
C) Under Secretary Donalds leadership, the Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014 and Veteran
Health and Safety Act of 2015 shall be enforced, ensuring that all VA employees will be held accountable for their
actions, especially those caught falsifying records. Punishment for these violations include fines beginning at
$50,000 and jail time of a year minimum.
D) With funding aide provided by the budget allotted by the United States Legal Defense Fund, a separate oversight
agency will be created in order to send representatives on junkets in order to resolve all issues regarding any VAfunded establishment. A representative shall be sent within three weeks of the complaint being filed.
E) 500 well-qualified employees with be hired by the aforementioned oversight agency and distributed across the
United States in order to provide their assistance. Clinics, homeless shelters, public housing, and other VA-funded
establishments will be expanded or even, built, if their former facilities do not meet regulations or if they are too
small to serve their purpose.
F) Child care services will be provided at all VA funded establishments.
H) In addition to a trauma hotline, veterans suffering from PTSD will be able to attend weekly support groups led by
certified specialists and other veterans in all VA health clinics.
G) This bill shall be enacted on January 1, 2016 and shall be up for renewal every five years.