VA GORDIAN KNOT Act

To improve the organization of the Department of Veterans Affairs, to ensure the accuracy of health care data used by the Department, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the VA Guidance for Organizational Reform and Data Integrity for Accountability Needs Key for Necessary and Optimal Transformation Act VA GORDIAN KNOT Act 2. Organization of Department of Veterans Affairs (a) Independent assessment (1) In general The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall seek to enter into an agreement with an independent entity to conduct an assessment of the organization of the Department of Veterans Affairs. (2) Elements The assessment under paragraph (1) shall include the following: (A) Whether the current organization of the Department is conducive to meeting the performance goals of the Department. (B) An identification of the mission statement and function of each element of the Department, including whether any such elements have duplicative functions. (C) Identification of the strengths and weaknesses of the current organization. (D) How many full-time equivalent positions, including with respect to senior executives, are in each of the Veterans Benefits Administration, the National Cemetery Administration, and the Central Office. (E) A description of the hierarchy in each element of the Department. (F) An evaluation of the cost to the Department of providing hospital care and medical services to veterans at medical facilities of the Department as compared to the cost of paying for such care and services furnished by a non-Department provider pursuant to the Veterans Choice Program established by section 101 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 ( 38 U.S.C. 1701 (G) To assist in developing a long-term sustainable capital asset planning process, identification of underused facilities of the Department that, if closed or disposed of, would not negatively affect the health care or benefits provided to veterans. (H) With respect to the facilities described in subparagraph (E), a plan to engage veteran populations, veteran service organizations, and other organizations and stakeholders that work with veterans to identify such facilities and determine whether veterans have the ability to seek services by non-Department providers under the laws administered by the Secretary. (3) Submission Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate the assessment under paragraph (1). (b) Status of organization Not later than October 1 of 2020, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall— (1) either— (A) update the organizational structure of the Office of the Secretary, the Veterans Health Administration, the Veterans Benefits Administration, and the National Cemetery Administration to ensure that such structure is best able to provide benefits to veterans; or (B) certify to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate that such structure does not require such updates; and (2) make publically available such update or certification, as the case may be, including clear organizational charts of the Office of the Secretary, the Veterans Health Administration, the Veterans Benefits Administration, and the National Cemetery Administration. 3. Improvements to hiring and retaining employees (a) Improvements to hiring (1) Hiring plan The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that each medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs, including community based outpatient clinics, has a hiring plan to address the health care needs of the facility. (2) Sharing of information The Secretary shall establish a system that lists each vacant position in a medical facility of the Department that is covered under the hiring plan under paragraph (1). If the Secretary determines that an applicant for such a vacant position is qualified for the position but is not selected for the position, the Secretary may consider the applicant for other similar positions listed in the system. (3) Data The Secretary shall keep records on— (A) the amount of time a vacant position described in paragraph (2) remains unfilled; (B) positions that have been vacant for a prolonged period and such vacancy— (i) is related to a whistleblower case; and (ii) has affected the ability of the Department to provide quality and timely health care of veterans; and (C) whether an employee of the Department who transfers from one medical facility of the Department to another such facility was reprimanded, placed on administrative leave, or appealed an allegation at the previous position of the employee within the Department. (4) Submission Upon the request of either the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives or the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate, the Secretary shall submit to the committee the records specified in paragraph (3). (b) Exit interviews The Secretary shall ensure that each employee of the Department who voluntarily separates from the Department is afforded the opportunity to complete an interview in order for the Secretary to ascertain— (1) the reason the employee is separating; (2) the opinion of the employee with respect to being employed at the Department; and (3) ways in which the Secretary can better improve the retention of employees of the Department. 4. Integrity of health care data (a) Certain definitions Section 7311 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting at the end the following new subsection: (f) For purposes of determining the validity of health care data collected pursuant to this section or any other provision of law regarding the employees of the Veterans Health Administration, the Secretary shall develop standard definitions for— (1) the actions that constitute the manipulation of data regarding scheduling appointments for health care; and (2) the ways in which such employees are held accountable for such manipulation. . (b) Verification of data (1) Designation The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that a single position in each office described in paragraph (2) is designated as being responsible for verifying the accuracy of the data reported from such office to a superior office. (2) Office described An office described in this paragraph is each of the following: (A) A medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs. (B) A Veterans Integrated Service Network. (C) A regional office of the Veterans Benefits Administration. (D) The central office of the Veterans Benefits Administration. (c) Assessment (1) In general The Secretary shall seek to enter into an agreement with an independent, non-governmental entity to assess whether this section, and the amendment made by this section, improves the accuracy of data of the Department of Veterans Affairs. (2) Submission Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate the assessment conducted under paragraph (1). (d) Report Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report containing— (1) a study on— (A) the data collected or used by the Veterans Health Administration and the Veterans Benefits Administration, including data that the Secretary, as of the date of the study, allows to be self-reported by the appropriate office; and (B) what metrics the Secretary should be using to track such data; (2) an implementation plan to correct any vulnerabilities regarding the accuracy of such data; (3) a description of the Department-wide minimal standards and guidelines to reprimand employees of the Department who knowingly provide false information to Federal investigators or who knowingly provide inaccurate information when testifying before a committee of Congress; and (4) an identification of the recommendations regarding data integrity, information technology, organizational reforms, management improvements, or hiring and retaining employees reported by or made by the independent assessment under section 201 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 ( Public Law 113–146 (e) Study of costs (1) In general The Secretary shall conduct a study to determine the costs to the United States relating to officials and employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs manipulating health care data, providing negligent management, and retaliating against whistleblowers, during the five-year period preceding such study. (2) Elements The study under paragraph (1) shall include the following: (A) The amount of money that the Federal Government has spent, by fiscal year, on settlements (including confidential settlements) with whistleblowers of the Department. (B) The number of hours that employees of the Federal Government have spent to defend the Department in administrative or judicial proceedings with respect to employees of the Department accused of manipulating health care data, providing negligent management, or retaliating against whistleblowers. (C) Obstacles preventing the Secretary from demoting, removing, or terminating an employee of the Department based on performance or misconduct. (3) Submission Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report containing the study under paragraph (1). 5. Publication of wait times (a) Publication of wait times The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall make publically available on the Internet website of the Department of Veterans Affairs the current wait times for a veteran enrolled in the health care system established under section 1705(a) of title 38, United States Code, to receive an appointment for health care at a medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Such wait time shall be categorized by primary care, specialty care, and mental health services and include an explanation on the metrics used to determine such wait times. (b) Transparency The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall seek to enter into an agreement with the Comptroller General of the United States or an independent entity to conduct an assessment of the accuracy of the wait times published under subsection (a). The Secretary shall publish information regarding such assessment on the Internet website described in subsection (a). (c) Wait time defined In this section, the term wait time 6. Transfer authority (a) In general Chapter 1 section 117 117A. Transfer authority (a) In general In addition to any other provision of law authorizing the transfer of amounts by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in any fiscal year in which there is a shortfall, the Secretary may transfer covered amounts to accounts of the Department for purposes of mitigating or removing such shortfall. (b) Notification In any fiscal year in which there is a shortfall and the Secretary does not make a transfer under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate justifications for not making such transfer. (c) Definitions In this section: (1) The term covered amounts (2) The term shortfall . (b) Clerical amendment The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 117 the following new item: 117A. Transfer authority. .

Summary: VA Guidance for Organizational Reform and Data Integrity for Accountability Needs Key for Necessary and Optimal Transformation Act or the VA GORDIAN KNOT Act This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to enter into an agreement for an independent assessment of its organization, which shall evaluate: (1) whether the VA's current organization is conducive to meeting its performance goals, and (2) the cost of providing hospital care and medical services to veterans at VA medical facilities compared to the cost of paying for such care and services furnished by a non-VA provider pursuant to the Veterans Choice Program. The VA shall ensure that: (1) each VA medical facility has a hiring plan, and (2) each VA employee who voluntarily separates is afforded the opportunity to complete an exit interview. The VA shall: (1) develop standard definitions for the actions that constitute the manipulation of data regarding scheduling health care appointments and the ways in which Veterans Health Administration employees are held accountable for such manipulation; (2) ensure that a single position in each VA medical facility and office is designated as being responsible for verifying the accuracy of reported health care data; (3) enter into an agreement for an independent assessment of whether such requirements improve the accuracy of VA data; and (4) study and report on VA health care data integrity and on costs relating to VA employees manipulating health care data, providing negligent management, and retaliating against whistleblowers. The VA shall: (1) make publicly available on its website the current wait times for a veteran enrolled in the VA health care system to receive an appointment at a VA facility, (2) enter into an agreement for an assessment of the accuracy of such wait times, and (3) publish information regarding such assessment. The VA may transfer specified amounts among its accounts to mitigate or remove any shortfall or justify not making such transfer.