IIB 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4334 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 22, 2018 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

AN ACT 

To provide for certain reporting requirements relating to 

medical care for women veterans provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs and through contracts entered 

into by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs with non-Department medical providers, and for other purposes. 

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


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
2 

HR 4334 RFS

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Improving Oversight 

3 of Women Veterans’ Care Act of 2018’’. 

4 SEC. 2. ANNUAL REPORT ON VETERAN ACCESS TO COV5 ERED SEX-SPECIFIC SERVICES UNDER COM6 MUNITY CARE CONTRACTS. 

7 (a) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Under Secretary of Vet8 erans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ 

9 Affairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives 

10 an annual report on the access of women veterans to cov11 ered sex-specific medical care under contracts with non12 Department medical providers entered into by the Sec13 retary of Veterans Affairs for the provision of hospital 

14 care or medical services to veterans eligible for enrollment 

15 in the patient enrollment system of the Department of 

16 Veterans Affairs maintained under section 1705 of title 

17 38, United States Code. Such report shall include data 

18 and performance measures for the availability of covered 

19 sex-specific medical care, including— 

20 (1) the average wait time between the veteran’s 

21 preferred appointment date and the date on which 

22 the appointment is completed; 

23 (2) driving time required for veterans to attend 

24 appointments; and 

25 (3) reasons why appointments could not be 

26 scheduled with non-Department medical providers. 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
3 

HR 4334 RFS

1 (b) SUNSET.—The requirement to submit a report 

2 under this section shall terminate on the date that is 7 

3 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

4 (c) COVERED SEX-SPECIFIC MEDICAL CARE.—In 

5 this section, the term ‘‘covered sex-specific medical care’’ 

6 means mammography, maternity care, and gynecological 

7 care. 

8 SEC. 3. REPORTING ON VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRA9 TION ENVIRONMENT OF CARE STANDARDS 

10 FOR WOMEN VETERANS. 

11 (a) MEDICAL FACILITY REPORTING.—Each medical 

12 facility of the Department shall submit to the Secretary 

13 of Veterans Affairs a quarterly report on the compliance 

14 and noncompliance of the facility with the environment of 

15 care standards for women veterans. Each such report shall 

16 include the name of each person associated with such facil17 ity who is responsible for such compliance and the specific 

18 role or responsibility assigned to each such person. 

19 (b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 180 days 

20 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

21 of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on 

22 Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the House of Rep23 resentatives a report on the plan of the Secretary to 

24 strengthen the environment of care standards for women 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
4 

HR 4334 RFS

1 veterans at Department of Veterans Affairs medical facili2 ties. Such report shall include— 

3 (1) a description of the process established to 

4 verify that noncompliance information reported 

5 under subsection (a) is accurate and complete; and 

6 (2) a description of the method by which the 

7 Secretary will— 

8 (A) ensure that all patient care areas of 

9 each Department medical facility are inspected 

10 as required; and 

11 (B) expand the list of items that facility 

12 staff inspect for compliance to align with the 

13 women’s health handbook of the Veterans 

14 Health Administration. 

15 (c) SUNSET.—The requirement to submit a report 

16 under this section shall terminate on the date that is 7 

17 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

18 (d) ENVIRONMENT OF CARE STANDARDS FOR

19 WOMEN VETERANS.—In this section, the term ‘‘environ20 ment of care standards for women veterans’’ has the 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
5 

HR 4334 RFS

1 meaning given that term in Veterans Health Administra2 tion Directive 1330.01(1). 

Passed the House of Representatives May 21, 2018. 

Attest: KAREN L. HAAS, 

Clerk. 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS