Bill Summary
The "State Veterans Homes Inspection Simplification Act" aims to streamline the certification process for State Veterans Homes by allowing those certified by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to be deemed compliant with certain Medicare and Medicaid requirements. This legislation amends titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to facilitate this process.
Key components of the Act include:
1. **Deeming Compliance**: State Veterans Homes that meet VA certification standards will be considered compliant with specific Medicare conditions, provided the VA submits proper documentation and undergoes joint reviews with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) every two years.
2. **Oversight and Accountability**: The Secretary of Health and Human Services retains the authority to conduct investigations and enforce compliance standards, including revoking deemed status if necessary.
3. **Public Reporting**: Inspection data from VA-certified homes will be publicly reported to ensure transparency and accountability in care quality.
4. **Alignment of Data**: The Act mandates coordination between the VA and HHS to integrate inspection findings into public reporting platforms like the Nursing Home Care Compare website.
5. **Review Requirement**: A report will be generated by the Government Accountability Office three years post-enactment to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the new deeming authority on care quality and survey efficiency.
Overall, the Act aims to enhance the efficiency of oversight while ensuring that veterans receive high-quality care in State Veterans Homes.
Possible Impacts
The "State Veterans Homes Inspection Simplification Act" could affect people in several ways:
1. **Improved Access to Care for Veterans**: By streamlining the certification process for State Veterans Homes, veterans may have quicker access to care and services. This could reduce the time it takes for these facilities to become operational or for veterans to receive necessary care, ultimately improving the quality of life for veterans who rely on these services.
2. **Enhanced Transparency and Accountability**: The legislation mandates that inspection findings and quality metrics are publicly reported. This increased transparency allows veterans and their families to make more informed decisions about care options, ensuring that they can choose facilities that meet high standards of safety and care. Additionally, it holds State Veterans Homes accountable for maintaining standards, potentially leading to better overall care.
3. **Potential Quality Improvements**: With the VA's certification being deemed sufficient for Medicare and Medicaid compliance, there may be an impetus for State Veterans Homes to improve their quality of care to meet both VA and federal standards. This could lead to enhanced living conditions, better staffing, and greater focus on resident safety and satisfaction, directly benefiting the veterans living in these homes.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7747 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7747
To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to streamline
the certification process for State Veterans Homes by allowing certain
facilities certified by the Department of Veterans Affairs to be deemed
in compliance with specified Medicare and Medicaid requirements, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 2, 2026
Mr. Bergman (for himself, Mr. Suozzi, and Mr. Owens) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means,
and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and 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 titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to streamline
the certification process for State Veterans Homes by allowing certain
facilities certified by the Department of Veterans Affairs to be deemed
in compliance with specified Medicare and Medicaid requirements, and
for other purposes.
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 ``State Veterans Homes Inspection
Simplification Act''.
SEC. 2. DEEMING OF STATE VETERANS HOMES CERTIFIED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS AS MEETING MEDICARE CONDITIONS OF
PARTICIPATION.
(a) Medicare Deeming Authority.--Section 1819 of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395i-3) is amended by adding at the end the
following new subsection:
``(l) Special Rule for State Veterans Homes.--
``(1) Deemed compliance.--
``(A) In general.--A State home (as defined in
section 101 of title 38, United States Code) that is
inspected and certified by the Department of Veterans
Affairs (in this subsection referred to as the `VA') in
accordance with standards approved by the Secretary
shall be deemed to meet the requirements of subsections
(b) through (i) of this section if the Secretary
determines that the following requirements are met:
``(i) The VA provides the Secretary with
documentation of inspection and certification,
which must include survey findings, statements
of deficiencies, and related corrective
actions.
``(ii) Not less than once every 2 years,
the VA submits its State home survey standards
and inspection procedures for joint review with
the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to
confirm continued alignment with Medicare
Conditions of Participation, including
oversight methodologies.
``(B) Requirements for approval of standards.--In
approving standards under subparagraph (A), the
Secretary shall--
``(i) consult with the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs; and
``(ii) ensure that the inspection and
certification process used by the VA, including
both standards and enforcement practices--
``(I) includes, as a minimum, the
survey protocols and enforcement
expectations of the Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services; and
``(II) upholds, at a minimum, the
same standards of resident care,
safety, transparency, and
accountability required under this
section.
``(2) Oversight and enforcement.--Nothing in paragraph (1)
shall preclude the Secretary from doing any of the following:
``(A) Conducting complaint investigations or
targeted surveys of any State home.
``(B) Imposing remedies under subsection (h),
including civil monetary penalties or termination of
participation under this title.
``(C) Revoking deemed status under paragraph (1) if
the VA certification process is found to be
inconsistent with Federal standards of transparency,
data quality, or enforcement.
``(3) Public reporting.--Survey and certification data from
VA inspections deemed valid under this subsection shall be
reported publicly through the Nursing Home Care Compare website
under subsection (i) or another publicly accessible platform in
a format determined by the Secretary, in consultation with the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
``(4) Congressional notice.--Not later than 15 days after--
``(A) approving standards under paragraph (1);
``(B) revoking or suspending deemed status under
paragraph (2); or
``(C) identifying material non-alignment between VA
inspection practices and Medicare Conditions of
Participation;
the Secretary shall submit written notice to the Committees on
Veterans' Affairs and Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives and the Committees on Veterans' Affairs and
Finance of the Senate.''.
(b) Medicaid Conforming Amendment.--Section 1919 of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396r) is amended by adding at the end the
following new subsection:
``(l) Special Rule for State Veterans Homes.--The provisions of
section 1819(l) shall apply with respect to a nursing facility that is
a State home (as defined in section 101 of title 38, United States
Code) and that is inspected and certified by the Department of Veterans
Affairs in the same manner and to the same extent as such provisions
apply under title XVIII.''.
(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take
effect on the date that is 90 days after the date of enactment of this
Act.
(d) Definition of Enforcement Expectations.--The term ``Enforcement
expectations'' means deficiency citations, corrective action plans, and
remedies in response to individual deficiencies or repeat-deficiency
rates that are as effective as or more effective than, and in lieu of,
those resulting from surveys conducted directly by the Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services.
SEC. 3. ALIGNMENT OF DATA FOR PUBLIC REPORTING.
(a) VA Survey Data on Nursing Home Care Compare.--The Secretary of
Health and Human Services shall coordinate with the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs to ensure that inspection findings, deficiency
statements, and quality metrics from Department of Veterans Affairs-
certified State homes (as defined in section 101 of title 38, United
States Code) are incorporated into the Nursing Home Care Compare
website (or a successor website), to the extent feasible and consistent
with section 1819(g)(5) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395i-
3(g)(5)), and in a manner consistent with the risk-adjustment and case-
mix methodologies otherwise used by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services for public reporting of nursing facility quality measures.
(b) Harmonization of Survey Processes.--Not later than 180 days
after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary of Health
and Human Services, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs, shall issue guidance to align certification and data reporting
processes to ensure consistency and transparency in the public
reporting of quality and compliance information for State homes (as so
defined).
SEC. 4. GAO REVIEW OF DEEMING AUTHORITY.
Not later than 3 years after the effective date of this Act, the
Comptroller General of the United States shall submit a report to the
Congress evaluating--
(1) the impact of deeming authority on survey efficiency
and costs;
(2) comparative enforcement outcomes between VA-conducted
and CMS-conducted surveys;
(3) quality of care and safety outcomes for residents of
State Veterans Homes; and
(4) any recommendations for legislative or administrative
action.
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