Department of Veterans Affairs Electronic Health Record Modernization Improvement Act

Bill: 118-hr-592
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Bost, Mike [R-IL-12]
Introduced: 2023-01-27
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Computers and information technology

Congressional oversight

Digital media

Health information and medical records

Veterans' medical care
Latest action: action_date: 2023-07-19
text: Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-01-27
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Department of Veterans Affairs Electronic Health Record Modernization Improvement Act</b></p> <p>This bill prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from commencing a program activity (i.e., an activity under the Electronic Health Record Modernization Program) at a facility of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) until the VA certifies to Congress that the electronic health record system has met specified improvement objectives at each facility where the system is being utilized as of the date of the enactment of this bill.</p> <p>The VA is prohibited from newly implementing the electronic health record system at a VHA facility until the director of the facility, chief of staff of the facility, and the director of the appropriate Veterans Integrated Services Network certify to Congress that (1) the proposed build and configuration of the system are accurate and complete; (2) the staff and infrastructure of the facility are adequately prepared to receive the system; and (3) the implementation will not significantly affect patient safety, patient wait-times for medical care, or health care quality. </p>

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 592 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 27, 2023 Mr. Bost (for himself, Mr. Rosendale , Mrs. Rodgers of Washington , Mr. Carey , Mr. Balderson , Mr. Newhouse , Mr. Simpson , Mr. Bentz , and Mr. Banks ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs A BILL To prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from carrying out certain activities under the Electronic Health Record Modernization Program until certification of system improvements and facility readiness.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Department of Veterans Affairs Electronic Health Record Modernization Improvement Act . 2. Prohibition on certain activities under Electronic Health Record Modernization Program until certification of system improvements and facility readiness (a) Certification of improvement (1) Prohibition The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may not commence a program activity at a facility of the Veterans Health Administration where such activity is not being carried out as of the date of the enactment of this Act until the date on which the Secretary of Veterans Affairs submits to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate written certification that the electronic health record system has met each of the improvement objectives described in paragraph (2) at each facility where such system is being carried out as of the date of the enactment of this Act. (2) Improvement objectives The improvement objectives described in this paragraph are the following: (A) A monthly uptime for the electronic health record system of 99.9 percent for four sequential months. (B) The completion of all improvements or modifications of the electronic health record system required to be completed pursuant to a contract, task order, modification, or other similar instrument, entered into before the date of the enactment of this Act. (b) Certification of readiness The Secretary may not implement the electronic health record system at a facility of the Veterans Health Administration where such system has not been implemented as of the date of the enactment of this Act until the date on which the director of such facility, the chief of staff of such facility, and the director of the Veterans Integrated Services Network in which such facility is located each submit to the Secretary, and the Secretary transmits to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate, written certification that— (1) the build and configuration of the electronic health record system, as proposed to be carried out at such facility, are accurate and complete; (2) the staff and infrastructure of such facility are adequately prepared to receive such system; and (3) the implementation of such system will not have significant, sustained adverse effects on patient safety, patient wait-times for medical care, or health care quality at such facility. (c) Definitions In the section: (1) The term electronic health record system means the electronic health record system implemented pursuant to the Electronic Health Record Modernization Program. (2) The term program activity means an activity under the Electronic Health Record Modernization Program, including any site assessment, current state assessment, local or national workshop, training, testing, or any other activity conducted before the activation of the electronic health record system.