VA COST SAVINGS Enhancements Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 1962 To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to use on-site regulated medical waste treatment systems at certain Department of Veterans Affairs facili- ties, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 28, 2019 Mr. BOST (for himself, Mr. HARDER of California, Mr. CRIST, and Mr. ROD- NEY DAVIS of Illinois) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs A BILL To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to use on-site regulated medical waste treatment systems at certain Department of Veterans Affairs facilities, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Department of Vet- 4 erans Affairs Creation of On-Site Treatment Systems Af- 5 fording Veterans Improvements and Numerous General 6 Safety Enhancements Act’’ or the ‘‘VA COST SAVINGS 7 Enhancements Act’’. 8 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:24 Apr 11, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1962.IH H1962 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 1962 IH SEC. 2. USE OF ON-SITE REGULATED MEDICAL WASTE 1 TREATMENT SYSTEMS AT DEPARTMENT OF 2 VETERANS AFFAIRS FACILITIES. 3 (a) IDENTIFICATION OF FACILITIES.—The Secretary 4 of Veterans Affairs shall identify Department of Veterans 5 Affairs facilities that would benefit from cost savings asso- 6 ciated with the use of an on-site regulated medical waste 7 treatment system over a five-year period. 8 (b) REGULATED MEDICAL WASTE COST ANALYSIS 9 MODEL.—For purposes of carrying out subsection (a), the 10 Secretary shall develop a uniform regulated medical waste 11 cost analysis model to be used to determine the cost sav- 12 ings associated with the use of an on-site regulated med- 13 ical waste treatment system at Department facilities. Such 14 model shall be designed to calculate savings based on— 15 (1) the cost of treating regulated medical waste 16 at an off-site location under a contract with a non- 17 Department entity, compared to 18 (2) the cost of treating regulated medical waste 19 on-site, based on the equipment specification of 20 treatment system manufacturers, with capital costs 21 amortized over a ten-year period. 22 (c) INSTALLATION.—At each Department facility 23 identified under subsection (a), the Secretary shall secure, 24 install, and operate an on-site regulated medical waste 25 treatment system. 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:24 Apr 11, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1962.IH H1962 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 1962 IH (d) USE OF BLANKET PURCHASE AGREEMENT.— 1 Any medical waste treatment system purchased pursuant 2 to this section shall be purchased under the blanket pur- 3 chase agreement known as the ‘‘VHA Regulated Medical 4 Waste On-Site Treatment Equipment Systems Blanket 5 Purchase Agreement’’ or any successor, contract, agree- 6 ment, or other arrangement. 7 (e) REGULATED MEDICAL WASTE DEFINED.—In 8 this section, the term ‘‘regulated medical waste’’ has the 9 meaning given such term under section 173.134(a)(5) of 10 title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, concerning regu- 11 lated medical waste and infectious substances, or any suc- 12 cessor regulation, except that, in the case of an applicable 13 State law that is more expansive, the definition in the 14 State law shall apply. 15 SEC. 3. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS AUTHORIZED. 16 No additional funds are authorized to be appro- 17 priated to carry out the requirements of this Act. Such 18 requirements shall be carried out using amounts otherwise 19 authorized to be appropriated. 20 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:24 Apr 11, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H1962.IH H1962 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS