VA Scheduling Accountability Act

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that each medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs complies with requirements relating to scheduling veterans for health care appointments, to improve the uniform application of directives of the Department, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the VA Scheduling Accountability Act 2. Compliance with scheduling requirements (a) Annual certification (1) In general The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that the director of each medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs annually certifies to the Secretary that the medical facility is in full compliance with all provisions of law and regulations relating to scheduling appointments for veterans to receive hospital care and medical services, including pursuant to Veterans Health Administration Directive 2010–027, or any successor directive. (2) Prohibition on waiver The Secretary may not waive any provision of the laws or regulations described in paragraph (1) for a medical facility of the Department if such provision otherwise applies to the medical facility. (b) Explanation of noncompliance If a director of a medical facility of the Department does not make a certification under subsection (a)(1) for any year, the director shall submit to the Secretary a report containing— (1) an explanation of why the director is unable to make such certification; and (2) a description of the actions the director is taking to ensure full compliance with the laws and regulations described in such subsection. (c) Prohibition on bonuses based on noncompliance (1) In general If a director of a medical facility of the Department does not make a certification under subsection (a)(1) for any year, each covered official described in paragraph (2) may not receive an award or bonus under chapter 45 or 53 of title 5, United States Code, or any other award or bonus authorized under such title or title 38, United States Code, during the year following the year in which the certification was not made. (2) Covered official A covered official described in this paragraph is each official who serves in the following positions at a medical facility of the Department during a year, or portion thereof, for which the director does not make a certification under subsection (a)(1): (A) The director. (B) The chief of staff. (C) The associate director. (D) The associate director for patient care. (E) The deputy chief of staff. (d) Annual report The Secretary shall annually submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representative and the Senate a report containing, with respect to the year covered by the report— (1) a list of each medical facility of the Department for which a certification was made under subsection (a)(1); and (2) a list of each medical facility of the Department for which such a certification was not made, including a copy of each report submitted to the Secretary under subsection (b). 3. Standardized application of directives and policies of Department of Veterans Affairs (a) In general The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that the directives and policies of the Department of Veterans Affairs apply to, and are implemented by, each office or facility of the Department in a standardized manner, including such offices and facilities at the local level. (b) Notification If the Secretary does not apply and implement the directives and policies of the Department in a standardized manner pursuant to subsection (a), including by waiving such a directive or policy with respect to an office or facility of the Department, the Secretary shall notify the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate of such nonstandardized application or implementation, including an explanation for the nonstandardized application or implementation, as the case may be. May 23, 2017 Reported from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs May 23, 2017 The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

Summary: VA Scheduling Accountability Act (Sec. 2) This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to ensure that each VA medical facility annually certifies that it is in full compliance with all provisions of law and regulations relating to scheduling appointments for veterans hospital care and medical services. The VA may not waive any applicable provision of such laws or regulations. If unable to make such certification, the facility shall provide the VA with an explanation of noncompliance and a description of compliance actions being taken. If a facility does not make a certification for any year, each covered official may not receive specified awards or bonuses during the subsequent year. A covered official is the: (1) director, (2) chief of staff, (3) associate director, (4) associate director for patient care, and (5) deputy chief of staff. (Sec. 3) The VA shall ensure that its directives and policies apply to, and are implemented by, each VA office or facility in a standardized manner, including at the local level.