I 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4977 

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 

APRIL 18, 2016 

Mrs. WALORSKI introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

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. 

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’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. COMPLIANCE WITH SCHEDULING REQUIREMENTS. 

2 (a) ANNUAL CERTIFICATION.— 

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

4 Affairs shall ensure that the director of each medical 

5 facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs annu6 ally certifies to the Secretary that the medical facil7 ity is in full compliance with all provisions of law 

8 and regulations relating to scheduling appointments 

9 for veterans to receive hospital care and medical 

10 services, including pursuant to Veterans Health Ad11 ministration Directive 2010–027, or any successor 

12 directive. 

13 (2) PROHIBITION ON WAIVER.—The Secretary 

14 may not waive any provision of the laws or regula15 tions described in paragraph (1) for a medical facil16 ity of the Department if such provision otherwise ap17 plies to the medical facility. 

18 (b) EXPLANATION OF NONCOMPLIANCE.—If a direc19 tor of a medical facility of the Department does not make 

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

21 director shall submit to the Secretary a report con22 taining— 

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

24 to make such certification; and 


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

2 taking to ensure full compliance with the laws and 

3 regulations described in such subsection. 

4 (c) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Secretary shall annually 

5 submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the 

6 House of Representatives and the Senate a report con7 taining, with respect to the year covered by the report— 

8 (1) a list of each medical facility of the Depart9 ment for which a certification was made under sub10 section (a)(1); and 

11 (2) a list of each medical facility of the Depart12 ment for which such a certification was not made, 

13 including a copy of each report submitted to the 

14 Secretary under subsection (b). 

15 SEC. 3. UNIFORM APPLICATION OF DIRECTIVES AND POLI16 CIES OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF17 FAIRS. 

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

19 shall ensure that the directives and policies of the Depart20 ment of Veterans Affairs apply to each office or facility 

21 of the Department in a uniform manner. 

22 (b) NOTIFICATION.—If the Secretary does not uni23 formly apply the directives and policies of the Department 

24 pursuant to subsection (a), including by waiving such a 

25 directive or policy with respect to an office, facility, or eleVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:43 Apr 22, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4977.IH H4977

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1 ment of the Department, the Secretary shall notify the 

2 Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep3 resentatives and the Senate of such nonuniform applica4 tion, including an explanation for the nonuniform applica5 tion. 

Æ 


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