REVIEW OF PROPOSED CHANGES TO OPERATION OF MEDICAL FACILITIES.

SEC. 301. REVIEW OF PROPOSED CHANGES TO OPERATION OF MEDICAL FACILITIES. Section 8110 is amended by adding at the end the following new subsections: “(d) The Secretary may not in any fiscal year close more than 50 percent of the beds within a bed section (of 20 or more beds) of a Department medical center unless the Secretary first submits to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report providing a justification for the closure. No action to carry out such closure may be taken after the submission of such report until the end of the 21-day period beginning on the date of the submission of the report. “(e) The Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives, not later than January 20 of each year, a report documenting by network for the preceding fiscal year the following: “(1) The number of medical service and surgical service beds, respectively, that were closed during that fiscal year and, for each such closure, a description of the changes in delivery of services that allowed such closure to occur. “(2) The number of nursing home beds that were the subject of a mission change during that fiscal year and the nature of each such mission change. “(f) For purposes of this section: “(1) The term ‘closure’, with respect to beds in a medical center, means ceasing to provide staffing for, and to operate, those beds. Such term includes converting the provision of such bed care from care in a Department facility to care under contract arrangements. “(2) The term ‘bed section’, with respect to a medical center, means psychiatric beds (including beds for treatment of substance abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder), intermediate, neurology, and rehabilitation medicine beds, extended care (other than nursing home) beds, and domiciliary beds. “(3) The term ‘justification’, with respect to closure of beds, means a written report that includes the following: “(A) An explanation of the reasons for the determination that the closure is appropriate and advisable. 113 STAT. 1572 “(B) A description of the changes in the functions to be carried out and the means by which such care and services would continue to be provided to eligible veterans. “(C) A description of the anticipated effects of the closure on veterans and on their access to care.”.