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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] 


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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. 


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1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘VA Medical Center Fa5 cility Transparency Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. INFORMATION ON MEDICAL FACILITIES OF THE DE7 PARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

8 (a) FACT SHEETS.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

9 shall ensure that each director of a medical center of the 

10 Department of Veterans Affairs submits to the Secretary, 

11 the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep12 resentatives and the Senate, and the appropriate Members 

13 of Congress the following: 

14 (1) An annual concise, easy-to-read fact sheet 

15 containing, with respect to the year covered by the 

16 fact sheet each of the following: 

17 (A) Statistics regarding— 

18 (i) the number of veterans who were 

19 treated at a medical facility of the Depart20 ment under the jurisdiction of the director; 

21 (ii) the number of appointments con22 ducted by each such facility; 

23 (iii) the most common illnesses or con24 ditions for which treatment was furnished; 


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1 (iv) the satisfaction of veterans who 

2 were treated at each such facility; 

3 (v) how each such facility compares 

4 with other facilities with respect to the sat5 isfaction of veterans who were treated at the 

6 facilities; and 

7 (vi) other matters the director deter8 mines appropriate. 

9 (B) A description of any successes or 

10 achievements experienced by such facilities, in11 cluding— 

12 (i) actions taken to improve such fa13 cilities; 

14 (ii) actions taken to improve the access 

15 to and quality of the care provided at such 

16 facilities; and 

17 (iii) any other accomplishments deter18 mined appropriate by the director. 

19 (C) A description of special areas of empha20 sis or specialization by such facilities, such as ef21 forts aimed at meeting the needs of women vet22 erans, suicide prevention and other mental 

23 health initiatives, opioid abuse prevention and 

24 pain management, or special efforts on veteran 


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1 homelessness, or other matters as the director de2 termines appropriate. 

3 (D) A description of matters concerning 

4 such facilities that have previously been identi5 fied as deficient and needing remediation that 

6 are still in need of such remediation. 

7 (2) A quarterly fact sheet containing, with re8 spect to the quarter covered by the fact sheet, the aver9 age wait time for veterans to receive treatment at the 

10 medical facility of the Department under the jurisdic11 tion of the director. 

12 (b) AVAILABILITY.—Each fact sheet under subsection 

13 (a) shall be made publicly available— 

14 (1) in a physical form at the relevant medical 

15 facility of the Department in a conspicuous location; 

16 and 

17 (2) in an electronic form on the internet website 

18 of the facility. 

19 (c) TIMING OF FACT SHEETS.—The fact sheets under 

20 subsection (a) shall be submitted during the first fiscal year 

21 beginning after the date that is 180 days after the date of 

22 the enactment of this Act and not less frequently than— 

23 (1) once each fiscal year thereafter with respect 

24 to the annual fact sheet under paragraph (1) of such 

25 subsection; and 


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1 (2) once each fiscal quarter thereafter with re2 spect to the quarterly fact sheet under paragraph (2) 

3 of such subsection. 

4 (d) STANDARDIZED FORMAT.—The Secretary shall es5 tablish a standard format for the fact sheets under sub6 section (a) to ensure that each director of a medical center 

7 of the Department carries out such subsection in a con8 sistent manner. 

9 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

10 (1) The term ‘‘appropriate Members of Congress’’ 

11 means, with respect to a medical facility of the De12 partment of Veterans Affairs about which a fact sheet 

13 is submitted under subsection (a), the Senators rep14 resenting the State, and the Member, Delegate, or 

15 Resident Commissioner of the House of Representa16 tives representing the district, that includes the facil17 ity. 

18 (2) The term ‘‘State’’ means each of the several 

19 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth 

20 of Puerto Rico, and any territory or possession of the 

21 United States. 


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1 SEC. 3. REQUIREMENT FOR TIMELY SCHEDULING OF AP2 POINTMENTS AT MEDICAL FACILITIES OF DE3 PARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

4 (a) REQUIREMENT.—Chapter 17 of title 38, United 

5 States Code, is amended— 

6 (1) by redesignating section 1706A as section 

7 1706B; and 

8 (2) by inserting after section 1706 the following 

9 new section: 

10 ‘‘§ 1706A. Management of health care: timely sched11 uling of appointments at Department fa12 cilities 

13 ‘‘(a) REQUIREMENT FOR SCHEDULING.—In managing 

14 the provision of hospital care and medical services at med15 ical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs under 

16 this chapter, the Secretary shall ensure that whenever a cov17 ered veteran contacts the Department by telephone to re18 quest the scheduling of an appointment for care or services 

19 for the covered veteran at such a facility, the scheduling 

20 for the appointment occurs during that telephone call (re21 gardless of the prospective date of the appointment being 

22 scheduled). 

23 ‘‘(b) COVERED VETERAN DEFINED.—In this section, 

24 the term ‘covered veteran’ means a veteran who is enrolled 

25 in the system of patient enrollment of the Department under 

26 section 1705(a) of this title.’’. 


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1 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections at 

2 the beginning of such chapter is amended by striking the 

3 item relating to section 1706A and inserting the following 

4 new items: 

‘‘1706A. Management of health care: timely scheduling of appointments at Department facilities. 

‘‘1706B. Remediation of medical service lines.’’. 

5 (c) APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made by sub6 section (a) shall apply with respect to requests for appoint7 ment scheduling occurring on or after the date that is 180 

8 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

9 SEC. 4. LIMITATION ON DETAIL OF DIRECTORS OF MEDICAL 

10 CENTERS OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF11 FAIRS TO DIFFERENT POSITIONS. 

12 (a) NOTIFICATION.— 

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 

14 detailing a director of a medical center of the Depart15 ment of Veterans Affairs to a different position within 

16 the Department, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

17 shall notify the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 

18 Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 

19 House of Representatives of such detail. 

20 (2) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The notifica21 tion required by paragraph (1) shall include, with re22 spect to a director of a medical center who is detailed 

23 to a different position within the Department, the fol24 lowing information: 


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1 (A) The location at which the director is de2 tailed. 

3 (B) The position title of the detail. 

4 (C) The estimated time the director is ex5 pected to be absent from their duties at the med6 ical center. 

7 (D) Such other information as the Secretary 

8 may determine appropriate. 

9 (b) APPOINTMENT OF ACTING DIRECTOR.—Not later 

10 than 120 days after detailing a director of a medical center 

11 of the Department to a different position within the Depart12 ment, the Secretary shall appoint an individual as acting 

13 director of such medical center with all of the authority and 

14 responsibilities of the detailed director. 

15 (c) UPDATE ON DETAIL.—Not later than 120 days 

16 after detailing a director of a medical center of the Depart17 ment to a different position within the Department, and 

18 not less frequently than every 30 days thereafter while the 

19 detail is in effect or while the director position at the med20 ical center is vacant, the Secretary shall submit to the Com21 mittee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee 

22 on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives an up23 date regarding the status of the detail. 

24 (d) RETURN TO POSITION OR REASSIGNMENT.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para2 graph (2), not later than 180 days after detailing a 

3 director of a medical center of the Department to a 

4 different position within the Department, for a reason 

5 other than an ongoing investigation or administrative 

6 action with respect to the director, the Secretary 

7 shall— 

8 (A) return the individual to the position as 

9 director of the medical center; or 

10 (B) reassign the individual from the posi11 tion as director of the medical center and begin 

12 the process of hiring a new director for such po13 sition. 

14 (2) WAIVER.— 

15 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may 

16 waive the requirement under paragraph (1) with 

17 respect to an individual for successive 90-day in18 crements for a total period of not more than 540 

19 days from the original date the individual was 

20 detailed away from their position as director of 

21 a medical center. 

22 (B) NOTIFICATION.—Not later than 30 days 

23 after exercising a waiver under subparagraph 

24 (A), the Secretary shall notify Congress of the 


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1 waiver and provide to Congress information as 

2 to why the waiver is necessary. 


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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 Deposes. on the status of such facilities, and for other pur- fact sheets to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs partment of Veterans Affairs to submit annual 

DECEMBER 24, 2024 

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


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