THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY BARBIN, SAINATO, MICCARELLI, DONATUCCI, MATZIE AND SAMUELSON, OCTOBER 17, 2012

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, OCTOBER 17, 2012  

AN ACT

Providing funding to the Department of Military and Veterans

Affairs for the purpose of providing current sevice members

and veterans with access to high definition fiber tracking

diagnostic tool.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Short title.

This act shall be known and may be cited as the HDFT for

Veterans Act.

Section 2.  Definitions.

The following words and phrases when used in this act shall

have the meanings given to them in this section unless the

context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Department."  The Department of Military and Veterans

Affairs of the Commonwealth.

"Eligible center."  A Department of Military and Veterans

Affairs service center that regularly provides veterans with

retraining, employment, educational and homelessness assistance.

"HDFT."  High Definition Fiber Tracking.

Section 3.  Military members and veterans.

(a)  Diagnosis.--Any military veteran or active duty, reserve

or combat member who has been preliminarily diagnosed with

symptoms of traumatic brain injury or posttraumatic stress shall

be eligible to receive diagnostic treatment through the use of

the new HDFT technology using equipment located in Pennsylvania. 

(b)  Eligible centers.--The military veteran shall visit an

eligible center in order to begin the process for the use of the

diagnostic technology.

Section 4.  Regulations.

The department shall promulgate regulations for the

implementation of this act. The regulations shall allow for the

maximum number of veterans and active members to be able to use

the HDFT technology.

Section 5.  Funding.

All funds appropriated under this act and for the

implementation of this act shall be sent to the department for

distribution to all eligible centers. The amount shall be

distributed proportionally based on the number of veterans

served at each eligible center. The money received by each

eligible center shall be used to pay for the cost of the use of

the diagnostic technology, travel expenses and other

administrative costs directly caused by the new requirements

imposed by this act.

Section 6.  Appropriation.

The sum of $6,000,000, or as much thereof as may be

necessary, is appropriated to the department for the fiscal year

July 1, 2012, through June 30, 2013, to carry out the provisions

of this act.

Section 7.  Effective date.

This act shall take effect in 60 days.