Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester, D-Mont., Ranking Member Jerry Moran, R-Kan., and Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, introduced new legislation this week that would instruct the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to create an emergency communications system.
The Advancing VA’s Emergency Response to (AVERT) Crises Act of 2023 aims to bolster VA’s emergency response to ensure it can continue to provide medical care for veterans. It also looks to better prepare the agency to activate its “Fourth Mission,” which is to improve the nation’s response to emergencies.
“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 Chairman Tester. “I’m proud to join my colleagues to ensure that VA is prepared to respond to these emergencies while continuing to provide high-quality care for veterans.”
“It is important the VA develop and implement fully operational emergency coordination measures to make certain that in times of crisis, veterans and VA staff are still receiving high-quality care and support,” added Ranking Member Moran. “This legislation aims to improve VA’s response to emergencies and will address concerns I have heard from Kansas VA medical center staff about emergency management systems and responses to security breaches.”
Specifically, the bill calls on the VA to “implement a fully operational high-frequency emergency communications system” to be used in VA medical facilities. The goal is to have a system that can maintain communications during an emergency without the need for external infrastructure.
Additionally, the system would allow communication with other VA medical sites and other government agencies with similar high-frequency communications capabilities.
The bill would also instruct the VA to “renegotiate any contract” that provides for the high-frequency radio network or “solicit such new contracts” as appropriate.
The legislation also would require the VA to report to Congress on the current status of its regional readiness centers, and offer recommendations; ensure its emergency pharmacy vehicles and emergency caches are fully stocked with unexpired inventory; and work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to analyze cross-department coordination during emergencies.
“As natural disasters and extreme weather events – such as wildfires – become increasingly common across the country, it is crucial that the VA has the resources it needs to respond to these events,” Sen. Hirono said. “The AVERT Crises Act will help the VA in its efforts to fulfill its emergency preparedness mission and enable Congress to determine how it can provide the agency with additional support to strengthen its response to future extreme weather events and disasters.”
