VA Electronic Health Record Transparency Act of 2021
Bill: S.3341 | Sponsor: Sen. Moran, Jerry (R-KS)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
VA Electronic Health Record Transparency Act of 2021
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to report on the costs of its Electronic Health Record Modernization Program, including by describing all expenses driven by the program.

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress 
periodic reports on the costs, performance metrics, and outcomes of the 
 Department of Veterans Affairs Electronic Health Record Modernization 
                                program.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``VA Electronic Health Record 
Transparency Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. REPORTS ON COSTS, PERFORMANCE METRICS, AND OUTCOMES OF 
              DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD 
              MODERNIZATION PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Section 503 of the Veterans Benefits and 
Transition Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-407; 38 U.S.C. 5701 note prec.) 
is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f);
            (2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following new 
        subsection (e):
    ``(e) Quarterly Reports.--
            ``(1) Reports on costs of program.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the 
                date of the enactment of the VA Electronic Health 
                Record Transparency Act of 2021, and not later than the 
                date that is 30 days after the last day of each fiscal 
                quarter thereafter until the termination date specified 
                in paragraph (3), the Secretary shall submit to the 
                appropriate congressional committees a report on the 
                costs of the Electronic Health Record Modernization 
                Program.
                    ``(B) Elements.--Each report under subparagraph (A) 
                shall include, for the period covered by the report and 
                for the total period beginning on the date of the 
                enactment of the VA Electronic Health Record 
                Transparency Act of 2021 and ending on the date of the 
                submittal of the report, a description of all actual 
                expenses of, and driven by, the Electronic Health 
                Record Modernization Program, including any such 
                expenses paid using--
                            ``(i) any funds appropriated for the 
                        Department of Veterans Affairs, for any source 
                        or account, expended by any organizational 
                        element of the Department or by the Federal 
                        Electronic Health Record Modernization Office 
                        for the Electronic Health Record Modernization 
                        Program;
                            ``(ii) any funds, from any source or 
                        account, expended by any organizational element 
                        of the Department for physical or technology 
                        infrastructure modifications, enhancements, 
                        improvements, or expansions at a facility of 
                        the Department necessitated by, or related or 
                        pertaining to, the Electronic Health Record 
                        Modernization Program; and
                            ``(iii) any funds, from any source or 
                        account, expended by any organizational element 
                        of the Department or by the Federal Electronic 
                        Health Record Modernization Office for 
                        consultants, support contractors, or experts 
                        related or pertaining to the Electronic Health 
                        Record Modernization Program.
            ``(2) Reports on performance metrics and outcomes.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the 
                date of the enactment of the VA Electronic Health 
                Record Transparency Act of 2021, and not later than the 
                date that is 30 days after the last day of each fiscal 
                quarter thereafter until the termination date specified 
                in paragraph (3), the Secretary shall submit to the 
                appropriate congressional committees a report on the 
                performance metrics and outcomes of the Electronic 
                Health Record Modernization Program.
                    ``(B) Elements.--Each report under subparagraph (A) 
                shall include, for the period covered by the report--
                            ``(i) a list of the quality, performance, 
                        safety, or value metrics, key performance 
                        indicators, and other diagnostic or evaluation 
                        criteria in use to assess the Electronic Health 
                        Record Modernization Program and the electronic 
                        health record system, in general and at 
                        individual facilities, with respect to 
                        veterans, employees of the Department, and 
                        operations of the Department;
                            ``(ii) an explanation of any change to any 
                        of such metrics, indicators, and criteria 
                        compared to the metrics, indicators, and 
                        criteria included in any previous report 
                        submitted under subparagraph (A);
                            ``(iii) the data supporting or 
                        demonstrating each such metric, indicator, and 
                        criteria compared to the data supporting or 
                        demonstrating such metric, indicator, or 
                        criteria as included in the previous report 
                        submitted under subparagraph (A); and
                            ``(iv) a list of patient safety reports, 
                        incidents, alerts, or disclosures at each 
                        facility of the Department where the electronic 
                        health record system has been implemented.
            ``(3) Termination date.--The requirements to submit reports 
        under paragraphs (1) and (2) shall terminate on the date that 
        is 90 days after the date on which the Secretary submits to the 
        appropriate congressional committees a certification that the 
        Electronic Health Record Modernization Program has been fully 
        implemented.''; and
            (3) in subsection (f), as redesignated by paragraph (1), by 
        adding at the end the following new paragraphs:
            ``(3) The term `electronic health record system' means the 
        electronic health record system implemented pursuant to the 
        Electronic Health Record Modernization Program.
            ``(4) The term `facility of the Department' includes a 
        joint facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the 
        Department of Defense.
            ``(5) The term `Federal Electronic Health Record 
        Modernization Office' means the office established under 
        section 1635(b) of the Wounded Warrior Act (title XVI of Public 
        Law 110-181; 10 U.S.C. 1071 note).''.
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