I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6656 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Commissioner of Social 

Security to implement automated systems with callback functionality 

for each customer service telephone line of the Department of Veterans 

Affairs and the Social Security Administration, respectively, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 7, 2023 

Mr. CALVERT (for himself and Mr. CUELLAR) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, 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 Veterans Affairs and the Commissioner of Social Security to implement automated systems with callback functionality for each customer service 

telephone line of the Department of Veterans Affairs 

and the Social Security Administration, respectively, 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 ‘‘Stuck On Hold Act’’. 

2 

•HR 6656 IH

1 SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS REGARDING WAIT TIMES OF CALL2 ERS TO CUSTOMER SERVICE TELEPHONE 

3 LINES OF CERTAIN AGENCIES. 

4 (a) CUSTOMER SERVICE TELEPHONE LINES OF THE

5 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.— 

6 (1) AUTOMATED SYSTEM.—Not later than 1 

7 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 

8 Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall implement for 

9 each customer service telephone line of the Depart10 ment of Veterans Affairs an automated system 

11 that— 

12 (A) informs any caller to such a telephone 

13 line about the anticipated wait time, if any; and 

14 (B) automatically offers a callback to any 

15 such caller with an anticipated wait time of 

16 more than 15 minutes. 

17 (2) GUIDANCE REGARDING CALLER WAIT

18 TIMES.—The Secretary shall issue such guidance as 

19 is necessary to reduce the average wait time of call20 ers to a customer service telephone line of the De21 partment to not more than 15 minutes. All calls will 

22 be answered in the order in which they are received. 

23 (b) CUSTOMER SERVICE TELEPHONE LINES OF THE

24 SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION.— 

25 (1) AUTOMATED SYSTEM.—Not later than 1 

26 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 

3 

•HR 6656 IH

1 Commissioner of Social Security shall implement for 

2 each customer service telephone line of the Social 

3 Security Administration an automated system 

4 that— 

5 (A) informs any caller to such a telephone 

6 line about the anticipated wait time, if any; and 

7 (B) automatically offers a callback to any 

8 such caller with an anticipated wait time of 

9 more than 15 minutes. All calls will be an10 swered in the order in which they are received. 

11 (2) GUIDANCE REGARDING CALLER WAIT

12 TIMES.—The Commissioner shall issue such guid13 ance as is necessary to reduce the average wait time 

14 of callers to a customer service telephone line of the 

15 Social Security Administration to not more than 15 

16 minutes. 

Æ