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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1089 Reported in House (RH)]

<DOC>

                                                 Union Calendar No. 796
118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 1089

                          [Report No. 118-947]

 To require directors of medical centers of the Department of Veterans 
   Affairs to submit annual fact sheets to the Secretary of Veterans 
   Affairs on the status of such facilities, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 17, 2023

Mrs. Lesko (for herself and Ms. Lee of Nevada) introduced the following 
     bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

                           December 24, 2024

  Additional sponsors: Mr. Kustoff, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Fleischmann, Mr. 
                       Ezell, and Ms. Spanberger

                           December 24, 2024

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]
    [For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on 
                           February 17, 2023]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
 To require directors of medical centers of the Department of Veterans 
   Affairs to submit annual fact sheets to the Secretary of Veterans 
   Affairs on the status of such facilities, and for other purposes.

 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``VA Medical Center Facility 
Transparency Act''.

SEC. 2. INFORMATION ON MEDICAL FACILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
              AFFAIRS.

    (a) Fact Sheets.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure 
that each director of a medical center of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs submits to the Secretary, the Committees on Veterans' Affairs 
of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and the appropriate 
Members of Congress the following:
            (1) An annual concise, easy-to-read fact sheet containing, 
        with respect to the year covered by the fact sheet each of the 
        following:
                    (A) Statistics regarding--
                            (i) the number of veterans who were treated 
                        at a medical facility of the Department under 
                        the jurisdiction of the director;
                            (ii) the number of appointments conducted 
                        by each such facility;
                            (iii) the most common illnesses or 
                        conditions for which treatment was furnished;
                            (iv) the satisfaction of veterans who were 
                        treated at each such facility;
                            (v) how each such facility compares with 
                        other facilities with respect to the 
                        satisfaction of veterans who were treated at 
                        the facilities; and
                            (vi) other matters the director determines 
                        appropriate.
                    (B) A description of any successes or achievements 
                experienced by such facilities, including--
                            (i) actions taken to improve such 
                        facilities;
                            (ii) actions taken to improve the access to 
                        and quality of the care provided at such 
                        facilities; and
                            (iii) any other accomplishments determined 
                        appropriate by the director.
                    (C) A description of special areas of emphasis or 
                specialization by such facilities, such as efforts 
                aimed at meeting the needs of women veterans, suicide 
                prevention and other mental health initiatives, opioid 
                abuse prevention and pain management, or special 
                efforts on veteran homelessness, or other matters as 
                the director determines appropriate.
                    (D) A description of matters concerning such 
                facilities that have previously been identified as 
                deficient and needing remediation that are still in 
                need of such remediation.
            (2) A quarterly fact sheet containing, with respect to the 
        quarter covered by the fact sheet, the average wait time for 
        veterans to receive treatment at the medical facility of the 
        Department under the jurisdiction of the director.
    (b) Availability.--Each fact sheet under subsection (a) shall be 
made publicly available--
            (1) in a physical form at the relevant medical facility of 
        the Department in a conspicuous location; and
            (2) in an electronic form on the internet website of the 
        facility.
    (c) Timing of Fact Sheets.--The fact sheets under subsection (a) 
shall be submitted during the first fiscal year beginning after the 
date that is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act and 
not less frequently than--
            (1) once each fiscal year thereafter with respect to the 
        annual fact sheet under paragraph (1) of such subsection; and
            (2) once each fiscal quarter thereafter with respect to the 
        quarterly fact sheet under paragraph (2) of such subsection.
    (d) Standardized Format.--The Secretary shall establish a standard 
format for the fact sheets under subsection (a) to ensure that each 
director of a medical center of the Department carries out such 
subsection in a consistent manner.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``appropriate Members of Congress'' means, 
        with respect to a medical facility of the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs about which a fact sheet is submitted under 
        subsection (a), the Senators representing the State, and the 
        Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner of the House of 
        Representatives representing the district, that includes the 
        facility.
            (2) The term ``State'' means each of the several States, 
        the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and 
        any territory or possession of the United States.

SEC. 3. REQUIREMENT FOR TIMELY SCHEDULING OF APPOINTMENTS AT MEDICAL 
              FACILITIES OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) Requirement.--Chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating section 1706A as section 1706B; and
            (2) by inserting after section 1706 the following new 
        section:
``Sec. 1706A. Management of health care: timely scheduling of 
              appointments at Department facilities
    ``(a) Requirement for Scheduling.--In managing the provision of 
hospital care and medical services at medical facilities of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs under this chapter, the Secretary shall 
ensure that whenever a covered veteran contacts the Department by 
telephone to request the scheduling of an appointment for care or 
services for the covered veteran at such a facility, the scheduling for 
the appointment occurs during that telephone call (regardless of the 
prospective date of the appointment being scheduled).
    ``(b) Covered Veteran Defined.--In this section, the term `covered 
veteran' means a veteran who is enrolled in the system of patient 
enrollment of the Department under section 1705(a) of this title.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by striking the item relating to section 1706A 
and inserting the following new items:

``1706A. Management of health care: timely scheduling of appointments 
                            at Department facilities.
``1706B. Remediation of medical service lines.''.
    (c) Applicability.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
apply with respect to requests for appointment scheduling occurring on 
or after the date that is 180 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act.

SEC. 4. LIMITATION ON DETAIL OF DIRECTORS OF MEDICAL CENTERS OF 
              DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO DIFFERENT POSITIONS.

    (a) Notification.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after detailing a 
        director of a medical center of the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs to a different position within the Department, the 
        Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall notify the Committee on 
        Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' 
        Affairs of the House of Representatives of such detail.
            (2) Matters to be included.--The notification required by 
        paragraph (1) shall include, with respect to a director of a 
        medical center who is detailed to a different position within 
        the Department, the following information:
                    (A) The location at which the director is detailed.
                    (B) The position title of the detail.
                    (C) The estimated time the director is expected to 
                be absent from their duties at the medical center.
                    (D) Such other information as the Secretary may 
                determine appropriate.
    (b) Appointment of Acting Director.--Not later than 120 days after 
detailing a director of a medical center of the Department to a 
different position within the Department, the Secretary shall appoint 
an individual as acting director of such medical center with all of the 
authority and responsibilities of the detailed director.
    (c) Update on Detail.--Not later than 120 days after detailing a 
director of a medical center of the Department to a different position 
within the Department, and not less frequently than every 30 days 
thereafter while the detail is in effect or while the director position 
at the medical center is vacant, the Secretary shall submit to the 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on 
Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives an update regarding 
the status of the detail.
    (d) Return to Position or Reassignment.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), not 
        later than 180 days after detailing a director of a medical 
        center of the Department to a different position within the 
        Department, for a reason other than an ongoing investigation or 
        administrative action with respect to the director, the 
        Secretary shall--
                    (A) return the individual to the position as 
                director of the medical center; or
                    (B) reassign the individual from the position as 
                director of the medical center and begin the process of 
                hiring a new director for such position.
            (2) Waiver.--
                    (A) In general.--The Secretary may waive the 
                requirement under paragraph (1) with respect to an 
                individual for successive 90-day increments for a total 
                period of not more than 540 days from the original date 
                the individual was detailed away from their position as 
                director of a medical center.
                    (B) Notification.--Not later than 30 days after 
                exercising a waiver under subparagraph (A), the 
                Secretary shall notify Congress of the waiver and 
                provide to Congress information as to why the waiver is 
                necessary.
                                                 Union Calendar No. 796

118th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 1089

                          [Report No. 118-947]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To require directors of medical centers of the Department of Veterans 
   Affairs to submit annual fact sheets to the Secretary of Veterans 
   Affairs on the status of such facilities, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                           December 24, 2024

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
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