UNOFFICIAL COPY 22 RS BR 861
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AN ACT relating to hospital after-care for veterans. 1
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2
SECTION 1. A NEW SECTION OF KRS 216B.230 TO 216B.239 IS 3
CREATED TO READ AS FOLLOWS: 4
(1) As used in this section: 5
(a) "Benefits representative" means a Kentucky Department of Veterans' 6
Affairs employee assigned to assist veterans in accessing services, resources, 7
or entitlements; 8
(b) "Discharge" means a patient's exit or release from a hospital; 9
(c) "Hospital" means a health facility as defined in KRS 216B.015 or a trauma 10
center as defined in KRS 211.492; 11
(d) "Serious physical injury" has the same meaning as in KRS 500.080. 12
(e) "Trauma" has the same meaning as in KRS 311A.010; and 13
(f) "Veteran" means a person who served in the Armed Forces of the United 14
States and was released, separated, discharged, or retired therefrom under 15
conditions other than dishonorable. 16
(2) To ensure continuity of care and access to eligible resources, prior to discharge, a 17
hospital shall make all possible efforts to determine if a patient is a veteran. The 18
hospital shall incorporate the assistance of a benefits representative into the 19
discharge plan of a veteran who is being released due to serious physical injury 20
or trauma. 21
(3) Prior to discharge after treatment for a serious physical injury or trauma, the 22
hospital shall, with consent of the veteran, veteran's legal guardian, or veteran's 23
lay caregiver, notify the Kentucky Department of Veterans' Affairs to initiate 24
services for after-care. If the hospital does not have consent, the hospital shall 25
provide the veteran, veteran's legal guardian, or veteran's lay caregiver with the 26
contact information for the Kentucky Department of Veterans' Affairs to request 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 22 RS BR 861
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the assistance of a benefits representative. 1
(4) The Kentucky Department of Veterans' Affairs shall initiate contact with the 2
veteran, veteran's legal guardian, or veteran's lay caregiver, upon notification 3
from the hospital or veteran, within one (1) business day to ensure the veteran 4
receives services, resources, or other qualifying entitlements related to the trauma 5
or serious physical injury. 6
Section 2. KRS 40.317 is amended to read as follows: 7
(1) (a) The Kentucky Department of Veterans' Affairs shall employ no more than five 8
(5) veterans' benefits regional administrators and no fewer than twenty (20) 9
veterans' benefits field representatives. 10
(b)[(1)] The duties of a veterans' benefits regional administrator shall include but 11
not be limited to supervision of veterans' benefits field representatives in an 12
assigned region. 13
(c)[(2)] The duties of a veterans' benefits field representative shall include but 14
not be limited to providing assistance to veterans and their dependents with 15
initiation, preparation, documentation, and adjudication of claims to benefits 16
under federal, state, or local laws. 17
(2) Pursuant to Section 1 of this Act, when a veteran is discharged from a hospital 18
due to trauma or serious physical injury, the department shall initiate contact 19
with the veteran, veteran's legal guardian, or veteran's lay caregiver, upon 20
notification from the hospital or veteran, within one (1) business day to ensure 21
the veteran receives services, resources, or other qualifying entitlements to assist 22
in the veteran's recovery. 23
Section 3. This Act may be cited as the Keeney's Rights Act. 24