IB 

Union Calendar No. 97 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 467 

[Report No. 115–149, Part I] 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that each medical 

facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs complies with requirements 

relating to scheduling veterans for health care appointments, to improve 

the uniform application of directives of the Department, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 12, 2017 

Mrs. WALORSKI introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

MAY 23, 2017 

Additional sponsors: Ms. SINEMA and Mr. YOUNG of Iowa 

MAY 23, 2017 

Reported from the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

MAY 23, 2017 

The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform discharged; committed 

to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed 


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•HR 467 RH

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that 

each medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs complies with requirements relating to scheduling 

veterans for health care appointments, to improve the 

uniform application of directives of the Department, and 

for other purposes. 


asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
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•HR 467 RH

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 Scheduling Ac5 countability Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. COMPLIANCE WITH SCHEDULING REQUIREMENTS. 

7 (a) ANNUAL CERTIFICATION.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans 

9 Affairs shall ensure that the director of each medical 

10 facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs annu11 ally certifies to the Secretary that the medical facil12 ity is in full compliance with all provisions of law 

13 and regulations relating to scheduling appointments 

14 for veterans to receive hospital care and medical 

15 services, including pursuant to Veterans Health Ad16 ministration Directive 2010–027, or any successor 

17 directive. 

18 (2) PROHIBITION ON WAIVER.—The Secretary 

19 may not waive any provision of the laws or regula20 tions described in paragraph (1) for a medical facil21 ity of the Department if such provision otherwise ap22 plies to the medical facility. 

23 (b) EXPLANATION OF NONCOMPLIANCE.—If a direc24 tor of a medical facility of the Department does not make 

25 a certification under subsection (a)(1) for any year, the 


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•HR 467 RH

1 director shall submit to the Secretary a report con2 taining— 

3 (1) an explanation of why the director is unable 

4 to make such certification; and 

5 (2) a description of the actions the director is 

6 taking to ensure full compliance with the laws and 

7 regulations described in such subsection. 

8 (c) PROHIBITION ON BONUSES BASED ON NON9 COMPLIANCE.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—If a director of a medical fa11 cility of the Department does not make a certifi12 cation under subsection (a)(1) for any year, each 

13 covered official described in paragraph (2) may not 

14 receive an award or bonus under chapter 45 or 53 

15 of title 5, United States Code, or any other award 

16 or bonus authorized under such title or title 38, 

17 United States Code, during the year following the 

18 year in which the certification was not made. 

19 (2) COVERED OFFICIAL.—A covered official de20 scribed in this paragraph is each official who serves 

21 in the following positions at a medical facility of the 

22 Department during a year, or portion thereof, for 

23 which the director does not make a certification 

24 under subsection (a)(1): 

25 (A) The director. 


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•HR 467 RH

1 (B) The chief of staff. 

2 (C) The associate director. 

3 (D) The associate director for patient care. 

4 (E) The deputy chief of staff. 

5 (d) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Secretary shall annually 

6 submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the 

7 House of Representative and the Senate a report con8 taining, with respect to the year covered by the report— 

9 (1) a list of each medical facility of the Depart10 ment for which a certification was made under sub11 section (a)(1); and 

12 (2) a list of each medical facility of the Depart13 ment for which such a certification was not made, 

14 including a copy of each report submitted to the 

15 Secretary under subsection (b). 

16 SEC. 3. STANDARDIZED APPLICATION OF DIRECTIVES AND 

17 POLICIES OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF18 FAIRS. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

20 shall ensure that the directives and policies of the Depart21 ment of Veterans Affairs apply to, and are implemented 

22 by, each office or facility of the Department in a standard23 ized manner, including such offices and facilities at the 

24 local level. 


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•HR 467 RH

1 (b) NOTIFICATION.—If the Secretary does not apply 

2 and implement the directives and policies of the Depart3 ment in a standardized manner pursuant to subsection 

4 (a), including by waiving such a directive or policy with 

5 respect to an office or facility of the Department, the Sec6 retary shall notify the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs 

7 of the House of Representatives and the Senate of such 

8 nonstandardized application or implementation, including 

9 an explanation for the nonstandardized application or im10 plementation, as the case may be. 


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asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 97 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 467 

[Report No. 115–149, Part I] 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enpurposes. of directives of the Department, and for other appointments, to improve the uniform application relating to scheduling veterans for health care of Veterans Affairs complies with requirements sure that each medical facility of the Department 

MAY 23, 2017 

Reported from the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

MAY 23, 2017 

The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 

printed House on the State of the Union and ordered to be discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole 


asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS