I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1509 

To direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

to post at certain locations the average national wait times for veterans 

to receive an appointment for health care at medical facilities of the 

Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 10, 2017 

Mr. O’ROURKE (for himself, Mr. JONES, and Mr. KNIGHT) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, 

and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, 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 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of 

Veterans Affairs to post at certain locations the average 

national wait times for veterans to receive an appointment for health care at medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Better Informing Vet5 erans’ Healthcare Decisions Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. POSTING OF AVERAGE NATIONAL WAIT TIMES FOR 

2 HEALTH CARE APPOINTMENTS AND AVER3 AGE PROCESSING TIMES OF DISABILITY COM4 PENSATION CLAIMS AND APPEALS. 

5 (a) FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.— 

6 (1) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

7 (A) According to the Suicide Data Report, 

8 2012, of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 

9 22 veterans commit suicide every day. 

10 (B) According to estimates of the Depart11 ment, only approximately five of these 22 vet12 erans are enrolled in the mental health care 

13 system of the Department. 

14 (2) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of 

15 Congress that— 

16 (A) the Department of Veterans Affairs 

17 must be more urgent and effective in its ap18 proach to addressing veteran suicide and pro19 viding veterans access to mental health care; 

20 and 

21 (B) Congress urges the Department to en22 sure that preventing veteran suicide and pro23 viding veterans access to mental health care is 

24 the top reform priority of the Department. 

25 (b) PROVISION OF INFORMATION.—Not later than 30 

26 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and on 


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1 a monthly basis thereafter, the Secretary of Veterans Af2 fairs shall— 

3 (1) determine, with respect to the one-year pe4 riod before the date of the determination— 

5 (A) the average national wait times (in 

6 days) for a veteran enrolled in the health care 

7 system established under section 1705(a) of 

8 title 38, United States Code— 

9 (i) to receive an appointment for men10 tal health care at a medical facility of the 

11 Department of Veterans Affairs; and 

12 (ii) to receive an appointment for pri13 mary health care at such a facility; 

14 (B) the average claims processing time of 

15 the Secretary with respect to claims for dis16 ability compensation under chapter 11 of such 

17 title 38; and 

18 (C) the average appeals processing time of 

19 the Secretary to decide an appeal to such a 

20 claim for disability compensation; and 

21 (2) provide the Secretary of Defense with such 

22 information determined under paragraph (1). 

23 (c) POSTING OF INFORMATION.—The Secretary of 

24 Defense shall place in a conspicuous location at each caVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:32 Mar 17, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1509.IH H1509

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1 reer counselor or career assistance advisor office a sign 

2 that— 

3 (1) is not less than 18 inches tall by 24 inches 

4 wide; and 

5 (2) is continuously updated to display the most 

6 current information received by the Secretary pursu7 ant to subsection (b)(2). 

8 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

9 (1) The term ‘‘appeals processing time’’ means, 

10 with respect to a veteran filing an appeal to a deci11 sion of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs denying a 

12 claim for disability compensation under chapter 11 

13 of title 38, United States Code, the period beginning 

14 on the date on which the claimant files a notice of 

15 disagreement and ending on the date on which the 

16 claimant is informed of the decision to such notice 

17 of disagreement. 

18 (2) The term ‘‘claims processing time’’ means, 

19 with respect to a veteran filing a claim for disability 

20 compensation under chapter 11 of title 38, United 

21 States Code, the period beginning on the date on 

22 which the claim is originally received by the Sec23 retary of Veterans Affairs and ending on the date on 

24 which the Secretary informs the claimant of the de25 cision. 


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1 (3) The term ‘‘wait time’’ means, with respect 

2 to a veteran receiving an appointment for health 

3 care at a medical facility of the Department of Vet4 erans Affairs, the period beginning on the date on 

5 which the veteran first requests such appointment 

6 and ending on the date on which such appointment 

7 occurs. 

Æ 


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