I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5193 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct outreach to veterans 

regarding the effect of delayed payments by the Veterans Integrated 

Service Networks and to direct the Secretary to submit to Congress 

an annual report regarding such delayed payments. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 24, 2014 

Mr. BOUSTANY (for himself, Mr. CASSIDY, Mr. MCALLISTER, Mr. SCALISE, 

and Mr. RICHMOND) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct outreach to veterans regarding the effect of delayed payments by the Veterans Integrated Service Networks and 

to direct the Secretary to submit to Congress an annual 

report regarding such delayed payments. 

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 ‘‘Veterans’ Credit Pro5 tection Act’’. 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 5193 IH

1 SEC. 2. OUTREACH TO VETERANS REGARDING EFFECT OF 

2 DELAYED PAYMENTS BY VETERANS INTE3 GRATED SERVICE NETWORKS. 

4 (a) OUTREACH.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

5 shall conduct outreach, including through national and 

6 local veterans service organizations, to inform veterans of 

7 how to resolve credit issues caused by a delayed payment. 

8 The Secretary shall establish a toll-free telephone number 

9 for veterans to report such credit issues to the Veterans 

10 Integrated Service Networks. 

11 (b) ANNUAL REPORT.— 

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

13 Affairs shall annually submit to Congress a report 

14 on the effectiveness of each Veterans Integrated 

15 Service Network in providing timely payment of a 

16 proper invoice by the required payment date during 

17 both the five-year period preceding the date of the 

18 report and the one-year period preceding such date. 

19 (2) MATTERS INCLUDED.—The reports under 

20 paragraph (1) shall include, for each period covered 

21 by the report, the following: 

22 (A) The number of veterans who contacted 

23 the Secretary regarding a delayed payment that 

24 negatively affected, or will potentially negatively 

25 affect, the credit of the veteran. 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 5193 IH

1 (B) The total amount of interest penalties 

2 paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs under 

3 section 3902 of title 31, United States Code, by 

4 reason of a delayed payment. 

5 (C) The number of proper invoices sub6 mitted, listed in a table for each quarter and 

7 fiscal year of each such period that includes— 

8 (i) the total amount owed by the Sec9 retary under the proper invoices; 

10 (ii) the payment status of each proper 

11 invoice, as of the date of the report; and 

12 (iii) the period that elapsed until each 

13 proper invoice was paid, including an ex14 planation of any delayed payment. 

15 (D) Any comments regarding delayed pay16 ments made by medical providers. 

17 (E) An identification of the Veterans Inte18 grated Service Network with the least number 

19 of delayed payments and the Veterans Inte20 grated Service Network with the most number 

21 of delayed payments. 

22 (F) A description of the best practices that 

23 a Veterans Integrated Service Network can 

24 carry out to provide timely payment of a proper 

25 invoice, including a plan for underperforming 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 5193 IH

1 Veterans Integrated Service Networks to im2 prove such timely payments. 

3 (c) COMPTROLLER GENERAL STUDY.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General of 

5 the United States shall conduct a study that com6 pares the effectiveness of each Veterans Integrated 

7 Service Network in providing timely payment of a 

8 proper invoice by the required payment date. 

9 (2) SUBMITTAL.—The Comptroller General 

10 shall submit to Congress a report on the study con11 ducted under paragraph (1), including the total 

12 amount of interest penalties paid by the Secretary of 

13 Veterans Affairs under section 3902 of title 31, 

14 United States Code, by reason of a delayed payment. 

15 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

16 (1) The term ‘‘delayed payment’’ means a prop17 er invoice that is not paid by the Secretary of Vet18 erans Affairs until after the required payment date. 

19 (2) The term ‘‘proper invoice’’ has the meaning 

20 given that term in section 3901(a) of title 31. 

21 (3) The term ‘‘required payment date’’ means 

22 the date that payment is due for a contract pursu23 ant to section 3903(a) of title 31. 

Æ 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS