Plain English summary not yet available
The full original text is available below. Check back soon as we process this bill.
II
117TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 539
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress a report
on the use of video cameras for patient safety and law enforcement
at medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
MARCH 2 (legislative day, MARCH 1), 2021
Mrs. CAPITO (for herself, Mr. MANCHIN, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr. BRAUN, and Ms.
SINEMA) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred
to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to
Congress a report on the use of video cameras for patient
safety and law enforcement at medical centers of the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. REPORT ON USE OF CAMERAS AT MEDICAL
3
CENTERS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VET-
4
ERANS AFFAIRS.
5
(a) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than one year
6
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary
7
of Veterans Affairs, in collaboration with the Office of Op-
8
VerDate Sep 11 2014
22:30 Mar 31, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\S539.IS
S539
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
2
•S 539 IS
erations, Security, and Preparedness of the Department
1
of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Health Administration,
2
and the Office of Construction and Facilities Management
3
of the Department, shall submit to the Committee on Vet-
4
erans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Vet-
5
erans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report
6
analyzing the policies, use, and maintenance of cameras
7
deployed by the Department for patient safety and law
8
enforcement at medical centers of the Department.
9
(b) ELEMENTS.—The report required by subsection
10
(a) shall include the following:
11
(1) A comprehensive review of the policies and
12
procedures of the Department regarding the use and
13
maintenance of cameras at medical centers of the
14
Department with respect to the following:
15
(A) Patient safety, including—
16
(i) an analysis of how cameras are
17
used to monitor staff and patients;
18
(ii) an analysis of the specific units
19
within medical centers in which the use of
20
cameras is prioritized to protect patient
21
safety;
22
(iii) an analysis of the procedures re-
23
garding the positioning of cameras; and
24
VerDate Sep 11 2014
22:30 Mar 31, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\S539.IS
S539
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
3
•S 539 IS
(iv) an analysis of the extent to which
1
cameras monitor locations where drugs are
2
stored to ensure that drugs are accounted
3
for, and an assessment of whether that is
4
a widely used practice.
5
(B) Law enforcement, including—
6
(i) how exterior cameras are used;
7
(ii) how interior cameras are used;
8
and
9
(iii) an analysis of locations, interior
10
and exterior, in which use of cameras is
11
prioritized.
12
(2) Recommendations of the Secretary to im-
13
prove patient safety and law enforcement, includ-
14
ing—
15
(A) the placement and maintenance of
16
cameras at medical centers of the Department;
17
(B) the storage of data from such cameras;
18
(C) the authority of supervisors at medical
19
centers of the Department to review recordings
20
from such cameras;
21
(D) the number of staff required to mon-
22
itor live footage from such cameras at each
23
medical center of the Department;
24
VerDate Sep 11 2014
22:30 Mar 31, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\S539.IS
S539
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
4
•S 539 IS
(E) the funding necessary to address
1
shortfalls with respect to the use of such cam-
2
eras and the specific uses for such funding; and
3
(F) such other matters as the Secretary
4
determines appropriate.
5
(c) CAMERA DEFINED.—In this section, the term
6
‘‘camera’’ means any video camera used at a medical cen-
7
ter of the Department of Veterans Affairs for purposes
8
of patient safety or law enforcement.
9
Æ
VerDate Sep 11 2014
22:30 Mar 31, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\S539.IS
S539
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS