H.R. 291, Department of Veterans Affairs Creation of On-Site Treatment Systems Affording Veterans Improvements and Numerous General Safety Enhancements Act

H.R. 291 would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to identify medical facilities that could reduce operating costs by purchasing and using on-site equipment to treat and dispose of medical waste. VA currently has 22 facilities with on-site medical waste treatment systems and plans to install them at four more facilities. The costs of on-site waste removal systems have ranged from $500,000 to $1.5 million. VA’s other facilities dispose of regulated medical waste through contracts with off-site facilities, sharing agreements with other federal agencies, and other forms of on-site activities.