[115th Congress Public Law 95]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 131 STAT. 2042]]

Public Law 115-95
115th Congress

                                 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. <<NOTE: Dec. 20, 2017 -  [S. 1266]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Enhancing 
Veteran Care Act. 38 USC 101 note.>> 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Enhancing Veteran Care Act''.
SEC. 2. <<NOTE: 38 USC 1701 note.>>  INVESTIGATION OF MEDICAL 
                    CENTERS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) <<NOTE: Assessment. Reports.>>  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.

    (b) Authority of Directors.--
            (1) 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.
            (2) <<NOTE: Notification.>>  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.

    (c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be 
construed--
            (1) 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
            (2) to modify the requirement that employees of the 
        Department assist with any review, audit, evaluation, or 
        inspection

[[Page 131 STAT. 2043]]

        conducted by the Office of the Inspector General of the 
        Department.

    Approved December 20, 2017.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 1266:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 163 (2017):
            Nov. 9, considered and passed Senate.
            Dec. 5, 6, considered and passed House.

                                  <all>