II 

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. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. REPORT ON WAIT TIMES FOR VETERANS SEEK2 ING MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS AND TREAT3 MENT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF VET4 ERANS AFFAIRS AND PROHIBITION ON CLO5 SURE OF MEDICAL FACILITIES. 

6 (a) REPORT.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 

8 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the In9 spector General of the Department of Veterans Af10 fairs shall submit to Congress a report on wait times 

11 for veterans seeking medical appointments and 

12 treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

13 (2) ELEMENTS.—The report required by para14 graph (1) shall include the following: 

15 (A) Information on wait times for veterans 

16 throughout the United States in seeking med17 ical appointments and treatment from the De18 partment. 

19 (B) A determination by the Inspector Gen20 eral as to whether the wait times for veterans 

21 seeking medical appointments and treatment 

22 from the Department have been prolonged by 

23 employees of the Department without a valid 

24 medical or administrative reason. 

25 (b) PROHIBITION ON CLOSURE OF MEDICAL FACILI26 TIES OF THE DEPARTMENT.—After the date of the enactVerDate Mar 15 2010 02:59 May 14, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2316.IS S2316

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1 ment of this Act, and before the submittal of the report 

2 under subsection (a), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

3 shall not— 

4 (1) close any medical facility of the Department 

5 of Veterans Affairs; or 

6 (2) use any funds of the Department to prepare 

7 any environment impact statement that is related to 

8 the closure of a medical facility of the Department. 

9 (c) PROLONGED WAIT TIMES WITHOUT VALID REA10 SON.— 

11 (1) PROHIBITION ON CLOSURE OF MEDICAL FA12 CILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT.—Except as pro13 vided in paragraphs (2) and (3), if, in the report 

14 submitted under subsection (a), the Inspector Gen15 eral determines that wait times for veterans seeking 

16 medical appointments and treatment from the De17 partment have been prolonged by employees of the 

18 Department without a valid medical or administra19 tive reason, the Secretary shall not close any medical 

20 facility of the Department or use any funds of the 

21 Department to prepare any environment impact 

22 statement that is related to the closure of a medical 

23 facility of the Department. 

24 (2) EXCEPTION.—The Secretary may close a 

25 medical facility of the Department or use funds of 


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1 the Department to prepare an environmental impact 

2 statement related to the closure of a medical facility 

3 of the Department if, not later than 180 days before 

4 such closure or use of funds, the Secretary deter5 mines and certifies to Congress that the closure of 

6 such medical facility will not do any of the following: 

7 (A) Increase the wait times for veterans in 

8 the catchment area of such medical facility in 

9 seeking medical appointments and treatment 

10 from such medical facility. 

11 (B) Decrease the quality of care provided 

12 to such veterans. 

13 (C) Impede the access of such veterans to 

14 specialized health care services. 

15 (D) Impede the access of such veterans to 

16 residential rehabilitation treatment programs of 

17 the Department and other inpatient care. 

18 (E) Increase the distance required to be 

19 traveled by such veterans to receive inpatient 

20 and outpatient care. 

21 (F) Impede the access of such veterans 

22 that are members of Indian tribes (as that term 

23 is defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Deter24 mination and Education Assistance Act (25 

25 U.S.C. 450b)) to medical care. 


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1 (3) TERMINATION.—The prohibition under 

2 paragraph (1) shall terminate on the date on which 

3 the Inspector General determines and certifies to 

4 Congress that wait times for veterans seeking med5 ical appointments and treatment from the Depart6 ment are not being prolonged by employees of the 

7 Department without a valid medical or administra8 tive reason. 

9 (d) ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT DE10 FINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘environmental impact 

11 statement’’ means the detailed statement of environmental 

12 impacts of a project required to be prepared pursuant to 

13 the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 

14 4321 et seq.). 

Æ 


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