II 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2423 

To improve wait times for appointments for hospital care, medical services, 

and other health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs, to 

improve accountability of employees responsible for long wait times for 

such appointments, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 3, 2014 

Mrs. SHAHEEN introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To improve wait times for appointments for hospital care, 

medical services, and other health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs, to improve accountability of 

employees responsible for long wait times for such appointments, 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 ‘‘Veterans Access to 

5 Care Accountability Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. AUDITS BY THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE 

2 UNITED STATES. 

3 The Comptroller General of the United States shall 

4 conduct random, periodic audits of medical facilities of the 

5 Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Veterans Inte6 grated Service Networks, to assess whether such facilities 

7 and Networks are complying with all standards imposed 

8 by law or by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs with respect 

9 to the timely access of veterans to hospital care, medical 

10 services, and other health care from the Department. 

11 SEC. 3. IMPROVEMENT OF WAIT TIMES FOR APPOINT12 MENTS FOR HOSPITAL CARE, MEDICAL SERV13 ICES, AND OTHER HEALTH CARE FROM THE 

14 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

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

16 shall, upon receipt of a report described in subsection (b) 

17 that finds that an eligible veteran has been subjected to 

18 a wait time of more than 30 days for an appointment for 

19 hospital care, medical services, or other health care from 

20 the Department of Veterans Affairs— 

21 (1) not later than 48 hours after the receipt of 

22 such report, notify such eligible veteran of the status 

23 of the appointment of such eligible veteran for such 

24 care or services; and 

25 (2) make every effort possible to schedule an 

26 appointment for such eligible veteran for such care 


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1 or services at a medical facility of the Department 

2 or through a non-Department health care provider 

3 on a date that is not later than seven days after the 

4 receipt of such report. 

5 (b) REPORT DESCRIBED.—A report described in this 

6 subsection is any report as follows: 

7 (1) Any report of the Inspector General of the 

8 Department of Veterans Affairs with respect to the 

9 provision by the Department of hospital care, med10 ical services, or other health care to veterans. 

11 (2) Any report of the Comptroller General of 

12 the United States with respect to the provision by 

13 the Department of such care or services. 

14 (3) Any report of the Department or another 

15 organization with respect to the provision by the De16 partment of such care or services within a Veterans 

17 Integrated Service Network or medical facility of the 

18 Department. 

19 (4) Any other report of the Department with 

20 respect to the provision by the Department of such 

21 care or services. 

22 (c) PRIVACY.—Nothing in this section shall be con23 strued to alter privacy rules of the Department with re24 spect to the disclosure of personal information of eligible 


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1 veterans seeking such care or services from the Depart2 ment. 

3 (d) ELIGIBLE VETERAN DEFINED.—In this section, 

4 the term ‘‘eligible veteran’’ means a veteran who is eligible 

5 for hospital care, medical services, or other health care 

6 under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans 

7 Affairs. 

8 SEC. 4. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION AND BONUSES AC9 COUNTABILITY AT DEPARTMENT OF VET10 ERANS AFFAIRS. 

11 (a) INSPECTOR GENERAL OF DEPARTMENT OF VET12 ERANS AFFAIRS NOTICE.—If the Inspector General of the 

13 Department of Veterans Affairs determines that the direc14 tor of a medical facility of the Department of Veterans 

15 Affairs or other official of the Department responsible for 

16 activities at such facility has purposefully misrepresented 

17 patient records or other data to conceal a failure of the 

18 facility to comply with patient access or care standards 

19 of the Department or for the purpose of qualifying for a 

20 performance award under section 5384 of title 5, United 

21 States Code, or any other compensation that is in addition 

22 to basic pay— 

23 (1) not later than 30 days after the date on 

24 which the Inspector General makes such determina25 tion, the Inspector General shall submit to the ComVerDate Mar 15 2010 06:18 Jun 04, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2423.IS S2423

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1 mittee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the 

2 Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of 

3 Representatives notice of such determination; and 

4 (2) not later than 15 days after the date on 

5 which the Inspector General submits notice under 

6 paragraph (1), the Inspector General shall submit to 

7 the Secretary a list of the names of each director or 

8 other official responsible for such misrepresentation. 

9 (b) LIMITATION ON PERFORMANCE AWARDS.—Not10 withstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary 

11 may not pay a bonus or award, including a performance 

12 award under section 5384 of title 5, United States Code, 

13 to any director or other official of the Department in14 cluded in a list submitted under subsection (a)(2) until 

15 the Secretary determines that all issues relating to the 

16 reasons why such director or other individual was included 

17 in such list have been resolved. 

18 (c) PERFORMANCE REVIEWS.—The Secretary shall 

19 ensure that any performance review or consideration for 

20 promotion of a director or other official of the Department 

21 responsible for activities at a medical facility of the De22 partment with respect to which a notice was submitted 

23 under subsection (a)(1) for a misrepresentation includes 

24 an evaluation of whether the director or other official knew 

25 or should have known about such misrepresentation. 


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1 (d) PROHIBITION ON PUBLICATION OF NAMES.—The 

2 Inspector General may not make public the names of di3 rectors or other officials included in the list under sub4 section (a)(2). 

5 (e) ROLE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL.—Any responsi6 bility or authority of the Inspector General provided under 

7 this section is in addition to any responsibility or authority 

8 provided to the Inspector General in the Inspector General 

9 Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.). 

Æ 


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