Veterans Improved Access to Care Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.3027 | Sponsor: Rep. Crow, Jason (D-CO)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Veterans Improved Access to Care Act of 2021
This bill addresses the administration of the hiring process for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) personnel.
Under current law, the VA is required to publish on a VA website specified information related to staffing and the duration of the hiring process for certain health care appointees, such as physicians. The bill requires the VA Office of Inspector General to review the administration of such website annually instead of the current semiannual requirement.
The VA must implement a two-year pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of expediting the Veterans Health Administration's onboarding process for new medical providers.
Finally, the bill requires the VA to submit a strategy to reduce by half the duration of the VA's hiring process for licensed professional medical providers.

To amend the VA MISSION Act of 2018 to expand reporting on hiring in 
  the Veterans Health Administration, and to direct the Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to expedite the 
  onboarding process for new medical providers of the Veterans Health 
 Administration, to reduce the duration of the hiring process for such 
               medical providers, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Veterans Improved Access to Care Act 
of 2021''.

SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF QUARTERLY UPDATE OF INFORMATION ON STAFFING AND 
              VACANCIES AT FACILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
              AFFAIRS TO INCLUDE INFORMATION ON DURATION OF HIRING 
              PROCESS.

    (a) Quarterly Update.--Subsection (a)(1) of section 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 enactment 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 receipt of official 
                        offer and notification of actual start date 
                        exceeds the metrics laid out in the Time to 
                        Hire Model of the Veterans Health 
                        Administration, or successor model.
                            ``(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 during the 
                        same period.
                            ``(iii) The average number of days 
                        potential 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 General 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 onboard 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 Administration, or 
successor model''.

SEC. 3. PILOT PROGRAM ON EXPEDITING THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
              PROCESS FOR ONBOARDING NEW MEDICAL PROVIDERS.

    (a) Pilot Program Authorized.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
        shall implement a pilot program to assess the feasibility and 
        advisability of expediting the process of the Veterans Health 
        Administration for onboarding new medical providers.
            (2) Goal for program.--Under the pilot program, 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 Secretary may extend the pilot 
        program for two additional 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 Department of Veterans Affairs at 
        which to carry out the pilot program.
            (2) Regional diversity.--The medical facilities selected 
        under paragraph (1) shall be located in regionally diverse 
        areas, as determined by the Secretary.
            (3) Population density.--Of the medical facilities 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 priority to medical 
        facilities facing hiring shortages of licensed independent 
        medical providers.
    (c) Interim Briefings; Final Report.--The Secretary 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 program.
    (d) Onboarding Process Defined.--In this section, 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.

SEC. 4. STRATEGY TO REDUCE DURATION OF HIRING PROCESS OF DEPARTMENT OF 
              VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR LICENSED PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL 
              PROVIDERS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans 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 
providers by half.
    (b) Expedited Certification.--The strategy submitted under 
subsection (a) shall describe how the process of the Department to 
certify the credentials of licensed professional medical providers may 
be expedited.
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