SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Improved Ac-
cess to Care Act of 2021’’. 
SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF QUARTERLY UPDATE OF INFORMA-
TION ON STAFFING AND VACANCIES AT FA-
CILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VET-
ERANS AFFAIRS TO INCLUDE INFORMATION 
ON DURATION OF HIRING PROCESS. 
(a) QUARTERLY UPDATE.—Subsection (a)(1) of sec-
tion 505 of the VA MISSION Act of 2018 (Public Law 
115–182; 38 U.S.C. 301 note) is amended by adding at 
the end the following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(E) Beginning with any update under 
paragraph (3) on or after the date of the enact-
ment of the Veterans Improved Access to Care 
Act of 2021, the following: 
‘‘(i) For employees appointed under 
paragraphs (1) and (3) of section 7401 of 
title 38, United States Code, the number 
of employees for which the duration of the 
process from validation of vacancy to re-
ceipt of official offer and notification of ac-
tual start date exceeds the metrics laid out 
in the Time to Hire Model of the Veterans 
Health Administration, or successor model. 
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‘‘(ii) The percentage of employees who 
are described in clause (i) compared to all 
employees appointed under paragraphs (1) 
and (3) of section 7401 of such title dur-
ing the same period. 
‘‘(iii) The average number of days po-
tential hires or new hires appointed under 
paragraphs (1) and (3) of section 7401 of 
such title spent in each phase of the Time 
to Hire Model, or successor model.’’. 
(b) REDUCTION IN FREQUENCY OF INSPECTOR GEN-
ERAL REVIEWS.—Subsection (a)(5) of such section is 
amended by striking ‘‘a semi-annual basis’’ and inserting 
‘‘an annual basis’’. 
(c) ANNUAL REPORT.—Subsection (b) of such section 
is amended, in the first sentence, by adding before the 
period at the end the following: ‘‘and to improve the on-
board timeline for facilities for which the duration of the 
onboarding process exceeds the metrics laid out in the 
Time to Hire Model of the Veterans Health Administra-
tion, or successor model’’. 
SEC. 3. PILOT PROGRAM ON EXPEDITING THE DEPART-
MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PROCESS FOR 
ONBOARDING NEW MEDICAL PROVIDERS. 
(a) PILOT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.— 
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(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs shall implement a pilot 
program to assess the feasibility and advisability of 
expediting the process of the Veterans Health Ad-
ministration for onboarding new medical providers. 
(2) GOAL FOR PROGRAM.—Under the pilot pro-
gram, the Secretary shall seek to reduce the length 
of time it takes to onboard medical providers to no 
more than 60 days. 
(3) TERMINATION.—The pilot program shall 
terminate two years after implementation. The Sec-
retary may extend the pilot program for two addi-
tional years if the Secretary submits to Congress 
written notification not later than 30 days before the 
beginning of such extension. 
(b) LOCATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall select 
not fewer than ten medical facilities of the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs at which to carry out the 
pilot program. 
(2) REGIONAL DIVERSITY.—The medical facili-
ties selected under paragraph (1) shall be located in 
regionally diverse areas, as determined by the Sec-
retary. 
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(3) POPULATION DENSITY.—Of the medical fa-
cilities selected under paragraph (1), at least three 
facilities shall be selected in areas with fewer than 
100,000 people. 
(4) PRIORITY.—In selecting medical facilities 
under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give pri-
ority to medical facilities facing hiring shortages of 
licensed independent medical providers. 
(c) INTERIM BRIEFINGS; FINAL REPORT.—The Sec-
retary shall submit to Congress— 
(1) a briefing at the end of each year of the 
pilot program; and 
(2) a report at the termination of the pilot pro-
gram. 
(d) ONBOARDING PROCESS DEFINED.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘‘onboarding process’’ means the process of 
bringing on a medical provider applicant after the medical 
provider is offered a tentative position, including— 
(1) certification of credentials; 
(2) background investigation; 
(3) assessment of health status; and 
(4) other actions the Secretary determines are 
necessary for starting employment. 
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SEC. 4. STRATEGY TO REDUCE DURATION OF HIRING 
PROCESS OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF-
FAIRS FOR LICENSED PROFESSIONAL MED-
ICAL PROVIDERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs shall submit to Congress a strategy to reduce 
the duration of the hiring process of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs for licensed professional medical pro-
viders by half. 
(b) EXPEDITED CERTIFICATION.—The strategy sub-
mitted under subsection (a) shall describe how the process 
of the Department to certify the credentials of licensed 
professional medical providers may be expedited. 
Æ 
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