I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4096 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to require an annual report on 

veteran access to gender specific services under community care contracts, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 30, 2019 

Mr. CORREA (for himself, Mr. CISNEROS, Ms. WILD, Mr. PAPPAS, Mr. 

THOMPSON of California, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. 

O’HALLERAN, Ms. TITUS, Mr. PETERSON, Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, Ms. 

MOORE, Mr. MOULTON, Ms. ESCOBAR, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Miss 

GONZA ́LEZ-COLO ́N of Puerto Rico, Mrs. RADEWAGEN, and Mr. 

CA ́RDENAS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to require an annual 

report on veteran access to gender specific services under 

community care contracts, 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 ‘‘Improving Oversight 

5 of Women Veterans’ Care Act of 2019’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. ANNUAL REPORT ON VETERAN ACCESS TO GENDER 

2 SPECIFIC SERVICES UNDER DEPARTMENT OF 

3 VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMUNITY CARE CON4 TRACTS. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter III of chapter 17 of 

6 title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 

7 end the following new section: 

8 ‘‘§ 1730D. Annual report on veteran access to gender 

9 specific services under community care 

10 contracts 

11 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall submit to 

12 the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and 

13 the House of Representatives an annual report on the ac14 cess of women veterans to gender specific services under 

15 contracts, agreements, or other arrangements with non16 Department medical providers entered into by the Sec17 retary for the provision of hospital care or medical services 

18 to veterans. Such report shall include data and perform19 ance measures for the availability of gender specific serv20 ices, including— 

21 ‘‘(1) the average wait time between the vet22 eran’s preferred appointment date and the date on 

23 which the appointment is completed; 

24 ‘‘(2) the average driving time required for vet25 erans to attend appointments; and 


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1 ‘‘(3) reasons why appointments could not be 

2 scheduled with non-Department medical providers. 

3 ‘‘(b) GENDER SPECIFIC SERVICES.—In this section, 

4 the term ‘gender specific services’ means mammography, 

5 obstetric care, gynecological care, and such other services 

6 as the Secretary determines appropriate.’’. 

7 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

8 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 

9 after the item relating to section 1730C the following new 

10 item: 

‘‘1730D. Annual report on veteran access to gender specific services under community care contracts.’’. 

11 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF ENVIRONMENT OF CARE 

12 STANDARDS AND INSPECTIONS AT DEPART13 MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CEN14 TERS. 

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

16 shall establish a policy under which— 

17 (1) the environment of care standards and in18 spections at Department of Veterans Affairs medical 

19 centers include— 

20 (A) an alignment of the requirements for 

21 such standards and inspections with the wom22 en’s health handbook of the Veterans Health 

23 Administration; 


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1 (B) a requirement for the frequency of 

2 such inspections; 

3 (C) delineation of the roles and responsibil4 ities of staff at the medical center who are re5 sponsible for compliance; and 

6 (D) the requirement that each medical cen7 ter submit to the Secretary a report on the 

8 compliance of the medical center with the 

9 standards; and 

10 (2) for the purposes of the End of Year Hos11 pital Star Rating, no medical center is eligible for a 

12 five star rating as reported under the Strategic Ana13 lytics for Improvement and Learning Value Model 

14 unless it meets the environment of care standards. 

15 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 

16 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 

17 to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and 

18 House of Representatives certification in writing that the 

19 policy required by subsection (a) has been finalized and 

20 disseminated to Department all medical centers. 

Æ 


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