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[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2316 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2316

To require the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
     to submit a report on wait times for veterans seeking medical 
appointments and treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs, to 
prohibit closure of medical facilities of the Department, and for other 
                               purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 12, 2014

   Mr. Thune introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
To require the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
     to submit a report on wait times for veterans seeking medical 
appointments and treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs, to 
prohibit closure of medical facilities of the Department, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. REPORT ON WAIT TIMES FOR VETERANS SEEKING MEDICAL 
              APPOINTMENTS AND TREATMENT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF 
              VETERANS AFFAIRS AND PROHIBITION ON CLOSURE OF MEDICAL 
              FACILITIES.

    (a) Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Inspector General of the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress a 
        report on wait times for veterans seeking medical appointments 
        and treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
            (2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall 
        include the following:
                    (A) Information on wait times for veterans 
                throughout the United States in seeking medical 
                appointments and treatment from the Department.
                    (B) A determination by the Inspector General as to 
                whether the wait times for veterans seeking medical 
                appointments and treatment from the Department have 
                been prolonged by employees of the Department without a 
                valid medical or administrative reason.
    (b) Prohibition on Closure of Medical Facilities of the 
Department.--After the date of the enactment of this Act, and before 
the submittal of the report under subsection (a), the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall not--
            (1) close any medical facility of the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs; or
            (2) use any funds of the Department to prepare any 
        environment impact statement that is related to the closure of 
        a medical facility of the Department.
    (c) Prolonged Wait Times Without Valid Reason.--
            (1) Prohibition on closure of medical facilities of the 
        department.--Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3), if, 
        in the report submitted under subsection (a), the Inspector 
        General determines that wait times for veterans seeking medical 
        appointments and treatment from the Department have been 
        prolonged by employees of the Department without a valid 
        medical or administrative reason, the Secretary shall not close 
        any medical facility of the Department or use any funds of the 
        Department to prepare any environment impact statement that is 
        related to the closure of a medical facility of the Department.
            (2) Exception.--The Secretary may close a medical facility 
        of the Department or use funds of the Department to prepare an 
        environmental impact statement related to the closure of a 
        medical facility of the Department if, not later than 180 days 
        before such closure or use of funds, the Secretary determines 
        and certifies to Congress that the closure of such medical 
        facility will not do any of the following:
                    (A) Increase the wait times for veterans in the 
                catchment area of such medical facility in seeking 
                medical appointments and treatment from such medical 
                facility.
                    (B) Decrease the quality of care provided to such 
                veterans.
                    (C) Impede the access of such veterans to 
                specialized health care services.
                    (D) Impede the access of such veterans to 
                residential rehabilitation treatment programs of the 
                Department and other inpatient care.
                    (E) Increase the distance required to be traveled 
                by such veterans to receive inpatient and outpatient 
                care.
                    (F) Impede the access of such veterans that are 
                members of Indian tribes (as that term is defined in 
                section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and 
                Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b)) to medical 
                care.
            (3) Termination.--The prohibition under paragraph (1) shall 
        terminate on the date on which the Inspector General determines 
        and certifies to Congress that wait times for veterans seeking 
        medical appointments and treatment from the Department are not 
        being prolonged by employees of the Department without a valid 
        medical or administrative reason.
    (d) Environmental Impact Statement Defined.--In this section, the 
term ``environmental impact statement'' means the detailed statement of 
environmental impacts of a project required to be prepared pursuant to 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
                                 <all>
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