Sens. Jon Tester, D-Mont.; Jerry Moran, R-Kan.; and Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, have introduced bipartisan legislation to advance the Department of Veterans Affairs’ emergency response and management capabilities.
The Advancing VA’s Emergency Response to Crises Act of 2023 would require the VA to implement a fully operational high-frequency emergency communications system to maintain communications across its medical facilities during disasters or emergencies without requiring external infrastructure, the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs said Tuesday.
“In the last few years, we’ve seen disasters strike all parts of this country, from the COVID-19 pandemic to massive flooding in my home state of Montana. Due to its size and reach, VA is in a prime position to respond to these crises,” said Committee Chairman Tester.
The bill would also require the VA to report to Congress on the current status of its Regional Readiness Centers, establish a tracking system to ensure that its emergency caches and emergency pharmacy vehicles are fully stocked with unexpired inventory and coordinate with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to analyze cross-agency coordination during emergencies.
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