SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Affairs Med-
ical Scribe Pilot Act of 2017’’. 
SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL 
SCRIBE PILOT PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall carry out a 2-year pilot program under which the 
Secretary shall increase the use of medical scribes at De-
partment of Veterans Affairs medical centers. 
(b) LOCATIONS.—The Secretary shall carry out the 
pilot program at the 10 medical centers of the Department 
as follows: 
(1) At least four such medical centers located 
in rural areas. 
(2) At least four such medical centers located 
in urban areas. 
(3) Two such medical centers located in areas 
with need for increased access or increased effi-
ciency, as determine by the Secretary. 
(c) MEDICAL SCRIBES.— 
(1) HIRING.—Under the pilot program the Sec-
retary shall— 
(A) hire 20 new Department of Veterans 
Affairs term employees as medical scribes; and
(B) seek to enter into contracts with ap-
propriate entities for the employment of 20 ad-
ditional medical scribes. 
(2) DISTRIBUTION.—The Secretary shall assign 
four medical scribes to each of the 10 medical cen-
ters of the Department where the Secretary carries 
out the pilot program as follows: 
(A) Two scribes shall be assigned to each 
of two physicians. 
(B) Thirty percent of the scribes shall be 
employed in the provision of emergency care. 
(C) Seventy percent of the scribes shall be 
employed in the provision of speciality care in 
specialties with the longest patient wait times 
or lowest efficiency ratings, as determined by 
the Secretary. 
(d) REPORTS.— 
(1) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 
180 days after the commencement of the pilot pro-
gram required under this section, and every 180 
days thereafter for the duration of the pilot pro-
gram, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit 
to Congress a report on the pilot program. Each 
such report shall include each of the following:
(A) A separate analysis of each the fol-
lowing with respect to medical scribes employed 
by the Department of Veterans Affairs and 
medical scribes performing Department of Vet-
erans Affairs functions under a contract: 
(i) Provider efficiency. 
(ii) Patient satisfaction. 
(iii) Average wait time. 
(iv) The number of patients seen per 
day by each physician or practitioner. 
(v) The amount of time required to 
hire and train an employee to perform 
medical scribe functions under the pilot 
program. 
(B) Metrics and data for analyzing the ef-
fects of the pilot program, including an evalua-
tion of the each of the elements under clauses 
(i) through (iv) of subparagraph (A) at medical 
centers who employed scribes under the pilot 
program for an appropriate period preceding 
the hiring of such scribes. 
(2) COMPTROLLER
GENERAL
REPORT.—Not 
later than 90 days after the termination of the pilot 
program under this section, the Comptroller General 
of the United States shall submit to Congress a re-
port on the pilot program. Such report shall include 
a comparison of the pilot program with similar pro-
grams carried out in the private sector. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘medical scribe’’ means an unli-
censed individual hired to enter information into the 
electronic health record or chart at the direction of 
a physician or licensed independent practitioner 
whose responsibilities include the following: 
(A) Assisting the physician or practitioner 
in navigating the electronic health record. 
(B) Responding to various messages as di-
rected by the physician or practitioner. 
(C) Entering information into the elec-
tronic health record, as directed by the physi-
cian or practitioner. 
(2) The terms ‘‘urban’’ and ‘‘rural’’ have the 
meanings given such terms under the rural-urban 
commuting codes developed by the Secretary of Agri-
culture and the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services. 
(f) FUNDING.—The pilot program under this section 
shall be carried out using amounts otherwise authorized 
to be appropriated for the Department of Veterans Af-
fairs. No additional amounts are authorized to be appro-
priated to carry out such program. 
SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON SMOKING IN FACILITIES OF THE 
VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION. 
(a) PROHIBITION.—Section 1715 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘§ 1715. Prohibition on smoking in facilities of the 
Veterans Health Administration 
‘‘(a) PROHIBITION.—(1)(A) Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), no person may smoke indoors in any 
facility of the Veterans Health Administration. 
‘‘(B) In the case of a facility of the Veterans Health 
Administration that is a community living center, no per-
son may smoke indoors in such facility on or after Decem-
ber 31, 2018. 
‘‘(2) No person may smoke outdoors in any facility 
of the Veterans Health Administration on or after October 
1, 2021. 
‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘smoke’ includes the smoking of 
cigarettes (including e-cigarettes or electronic ciga-
rettes), cigars, pipes, and any other combustion of 
tobacco. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘facility of the Veterans Health 
Administration’ means any land or building (includ-
ing any medical center, nursing home, domiciliary 
facility, outpatient clinic, or center that provides re-
adjustment counseling) that is— 
‘‘(A) under the jurisdiction of the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs; 
‘‘(B) under the control of the Veterans 
Health Administration; and 
‘‘(C) not under the control of the General 
Services Administration. 
‘‘(3) The term ‘community living center’ means 
a facility of the Department that provides nursing 
home care.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 17 of such title is amended by striking the 
item relating to section 1715 and inserting the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘1715. Prohibition on smoking in facilities of the Veterans Health Administra-
tion.’’. 
(2) Section 526 of the Veterans Health Care 
Act of 1992 (Public Law 102–585) is repealed.
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall take effect 
90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
Passed the House of Representatives July 24, 2017. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 1848 
AN ACT 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry 
out a pilot program on the use of medical scribes 
in Department of Veterans Affairs medical cen-
ters, and for other purposes.