I 
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4861 
To establish the Commission on Access to Care to undertake a comprehensive 
evaluation and assessment of access to health care at the Department 
of Veterans Affairs. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 12, 2014 
Mr. HECK of Washington (for himself, Ms. DELBENE, and Mr. KILMER) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Vet-
erans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To establish the Commission on Access to Care to undertake 
a comprehensive evaluation and assessment of access to 
health care at the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Commission for Our 
Veterans’ Care Act’’. 
SEC. 2. COMMISSION ON ACCESS TO CARE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.— 
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(1) IN
GENERAL.—There is established the 
Commission on Access to Care (in this section re-
ferred to as the ‘‘Commission’’). 
(2) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(A) VOTING MEMBERS.—The Commission 
shall be composed of voting members who are 
appointed by the President as follows: 
(i) At least two members who rep-
resent an organization recognized by the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs for the rep-
resentation of veterans under section 5902 
of title 38, United States Code. 
(ii) At least one member from among 
persons who are experts concerning a pub-
lic or private hospital system. 
(iii) At least one member from among 
persons who are leading experts in the pri-
vate insurance industry. 
(iv) At least two members from 
among persons who are familiar with the 
Veterans Health Administration of the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs. 
(B) NONVOTING
MEMBERS.—In addition 
to members appointed under subparagraph (A), 
the Commission shall be composed of nonvoting 
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members who are appointed by the President as 
follows: 
(i) At least two members who rep-
resent an organization recognized by the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs for the rep-
resentation of veterans under section 5902 
of title 38, United States Code. 
(ii) At least one member from among 
persons who are experts in a public or pri-
vate hospital system. 
(iii) At least one member from among 
persons who are leading experts in the pri-
vate insurance industry. 
(iv) At least two members from 
among persons who are familiar with the 
Veterans Health Administration. 
(C) DATE.—The appointments of members 
of the Commission shall be made not later than 
60 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act. 
(3) PERIOD
OF
APPOINTMENT; VACANCIES.— 
Members shall be appointed for the life of the Com-
mission. Any vacancy in the Commission shall not 
affect its powers, but shall be filled in the same 
manner as the original appointment. 
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(4) INITIAL MEETING.—Not later than 15 days 
after the date on which seven voting members of the 
Commission have been appointed, the Commission 
shall hold its first meeting. 
(5) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet at 
the call of the Chairperson. 
(6) QUORUM.—A majority of the members of 
the Commission shall constitute a quorum, but a 
lesser number of members may hold hearings. 
(7) CHAIRPERSON AND VICE CHAIRPERSON.— 
The Commission shall select a Chairperson and Vice 
Chairperson from among its members. 
(b) DUTIES OF COMMISSION.— 
(1) EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT.—The Com-
mission shall undertake a comprehensive evaluation 
and assessment of access to health care at the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs. 
(2) MATTERS
EVALUATED
AND
ASSESSED.— 
The matters evaluated and assessed by the Commis-
sion shall include the following: 
(A) The appropriateness of current stand-
ards of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
concerning access to health care. 
(B) The measurement of such standards. 
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(C) The appropriateness of performance 
standards and incentives in relation to stand-
ards described in subparagraph (A). 
(D) Staffing levels throughout the Vet-
erans Health Administration and whether they 
are sufficient to meet current demand for 
health care from the Administration. 
(3) REPORTS.—The Commission shall submit 
to the President, through the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs, reports as follows: 
(A) Not later than 90 days after the date 
of the initial meeting of the Commission, an in-
terim report on— 
(i) the findings of the Commission 
with respect to the evaluation and assess-
ment required by this subsection; and 
(ii) such recommendations as the 
Commission may have for legislative or ad-
ministrative action to improve access to 
health care through the Veterans Health 
Administration. 
(B) Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the initial meeting of the Commission, a final 
report on— 
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(i) the findings of the Commission 
with respect to the evaluation and assess-
ment required by this subsection; and 
(ii) such recommendations as the 
Commission may have for legislative or ad-
ministrative action to improve access to 
health care through the Veterans Health 
Administration. 
(c) POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.— 
(1) HEARINGS.—The Commission may hold 
such hearings, sit and act at such times and places, 
take such testimony, and receive such evidence as 
the Commission considers advisable to carry out this 
section. 
(2) INFORMATION FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES.— 
The Commission may secure directly from any Fed-
eral department or agency such information as the 
Commission considers necessary to carry out this 
section. Upon request of the Chairperson of the 
Commission, the head of such department or agency 
shall furnish such information to the Commission. 
(d) COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS.— 
(1) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.—Each mem-
ber of the Commission who is not an officer or em-
ployee of the Federal Government shall be com-
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pensated at a rate equal to the daily equivalent of 
the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level IV 
of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 
5, United States Code, for each day (including travel 
time) during which such member is engaged in the 
performance of the duties of the Commission. All 
members of the Commission who are officers or em-
ployees of the United States shall serve without com-
pensation in addition to that received for their serv-
ices as officers or employees of the United States. 
(2) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—The members of the 
Commission shall be allowed travel expenses, includ-
ing per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates author-
ized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of 
chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while 
away from their homes or regular places of business 
in the performance of services for the Commission. 
(3) STAFF.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Chairperson of the 
Commission may, without regard to the civil 
service laws and regulations, appoint and termi-
nate an executive director and such other addi-
tional personnel as may be necessary to enable 
the Commission to perform its duties. The em-
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ployment of an executive director shall be sub-
ject to confirmation by the Commission. 
(B) COMPENSATION.—The Chairperson of 
the Commission may fix the compensation of 
the executive director and other personnel with-
out regard to chapter 51 and subchapter III of 
chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code, relat-
ing to classification of positions and General 
Schedule pay rates, except that the rate of pay 
for the executive director and other personnel 
may not exceed the rate payable for level V of 
the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of 
such title. 
(4) DETAIL
OF
GOVERNMENT
EMPLOYEES.— 
Any Federal Government employee may be detailed 
to the Commission without reimbursement, and such 
detail shall be without interruption or loss of civil 
service status or privilege. 
(5) PROCUREMENT OF TEMPORARY AND INTER-
MITTENT SERVICES.—The Chairperson of the Com-
mission may procure temporary and intermittent 
services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United 
States Code, at rates for individuals which do not 
exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of 
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basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive 
Schedule under section 5316 of such title. 
(e) TERMINATION OF THE COMMISSION.—The Com-
mission shall terminate 30 days after the date on which 
the Commission submits its report under subsection 
(b)(3)(B). 
(f) FUNDING.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall make available to the Commission from amounts ap-
propriated or otherwise made available to the Secretary 
such amounts as the Secretary and the Chairperson of the 
Commission jointly consider appropriate for the Commis-
sion to perform its duties under this section. 
(g) EXECUTIVE ACTION.— 
(1) 
ACTION
ON
RECOMMENDATIONS.—The 
President shall require the Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs and such other heads of relevant Federal de-
partments and agencies to implement each rec-
ommendation set forth in a report submitted under 
subsection (b)(3) that the President— 
(A) considers feasible and advisable; and 
(B) determines can be implemented with-
out further legislative action. 
(2) REPORTS.—Not later than 60 days after 
the date on which the President receives a report 
under subsection (b)(3), the President shall submit 
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to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate 
and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 
House of Representatives and such other committees 
of Congress as the President considers appropriate 
a report setting forth the following: 
(A) An assessment of the feasibility and 
advisability of each recommendation contained 
in the report received by the President. 
(B) For each recommendation assessed as 
feasible and advisable under subparagraph (A) 
the following: 
(i) Whether such recommendation re-
quires legislative action. 
(ii) If such recommendation requires 
legislative action, a recommendation con-
cerning such legislative action. 
(iii) A description of any administra-
tive action already taken to carry out such 
recommendation. 
(iv) A description of any administra-
tive action the President intends to be 
taken to carry out such recommendation 
and by whom. 
Æ 
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