VETS FACILITY: QUARTERLY REPORTS H.B. 5639 (H-3):
SUMMARY OF HOUSE-PASSED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
House Bill 5639 (Substitute H-3 as passed by the House)
Sponsor: Representative Holly Hughes
House Committee: Oversight and Ethics
Senate Committee: Veterans, Military Affairs and Homeland Security
CONTENT
The bill would amend Public Act 152 of 1885, which governs veterans facilities, to require the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency to report quarterly regarding State veterans' facilities to the Governor and Legislature.
Specifically, the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency, its successor agency, or the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) would have to report in writing to the Governor, the Senate and House Committees on Veterans Affairs, and the Senate and House Appropriations subcommittees for the DMVA by January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1 of each year.
The report would have to include all of the following information concerning any State veterans' facility:
-- Staffing levels and the extent to which those levels did or did not meet industry standards.
-- The number of patient complaints, average time to review a complaint and respond, and response to each complaint.
-- Timeliness of the distribution of pharmaceutical drugs.
-- Security provided for pharmaceutical drugs in the facility, including the titles of the people providing security.
-- How patient money was accounted for, including the name and title of the person who supervised patient spending accounts.
-- The number of facility resident deaths that occurred since the most recent report.
The DMVA would have to place the reports on its public website in a prominent and conspicuous manner.
The bill would take effect 90 days after its enactment.
Proposed MCL 36.9 Legislative Analyst: Patrick Affholter
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have a minimal fiscal impact on the Department of Military and Veterans. Most of the information required in the proposed report already is compiled and reported to the Legislature on a monthly or quarterly basis due to requirements in the Department's annual appropriation bills.
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.