Instructions: In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.
Input: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Veterans' Credit Protection Act''.

SEC. 2. OUTREACH TO VETERANS REGARDING EFFECT OF CERTAIN DELAYED
PAYMENTS BY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS CHIEF BUSINESS
OFFICE.

(a) Outreach.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct
outreach, including through national and local veterans service
organizations, to inform veterans of how to resolve credit issues
caused by delayed payment of a claim for emergency hospital care,
medical services, or other emergency health care furnished through a
non-Department of Veterans Affairs provider. The Secretary shall
establish a toll-free telephone number for veterans to report such
credit issues to the Chief Business Office of the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
(b) Annual Report.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
annually submit to Congress a report on the effectiveness of
the Chief Business Office in providing timely payment of proper
invoices for emergency hospital care, medical services, or
other emergency health care furnished through non-Department of
Veterans Affairs providers by the required payment date during
both the five-year period preceding the date of the report and
the one-year period preceding such date. For any part of the
period covered by a report under this subsection that occurred
before October 1, 2014, the report shall evaluate the provision
of such payments by the Veterans Integrated Service Networks.
(2) Matters included.--The reports under paragraph (1)
shall include, for each period covered by the report, the
following:
(A) The number of veterans who contacted the
Secretary regarding a delayed payment that negatively
affected, or will potentially negatively affect, the
credit of the veteran.
(B) The total amount of interest penalties paid by
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs under section 3902 of
title 31, United States Code, by reason of a delayed
payment.
(C) The number of proper invoices submitted, listed
in a table for each quarter and fiscal year of each
such period that includes--
(i) the total amount owed by the Secretary
under the proper invoices;
(ii) the payment status of each proper
invoice, as of the date of the report; and
(iii) the period that elapsed until each
proper invoice was paid, including an
explanation of any delayed payment.
(D) Any comments regarding delayed payments made by
medical providers.
(E) A description of the best practices that the
Chief Business Office can carry out to provide timely
payment of a proper invoice, including a plan to
improve such timely payments.
(c) Quarterly Reports on Pending Claims.--The Chief Business Office
of the Department of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress
quarterly reports on the number of pending claims for reimbursement for
emergency hospital care, medical services, and other emergency health
care furnished through non-Department of Veterans Affairs providers.
Each such report shall include each of the following:
(1) The total number of such pending claims for each
hospital system of the Department, as of the last day of the
quarter covered by the report.
(2) The total number of veterans who submitted such a
pending claim in each State, as of such day.
(3) The aggregate amount of all such pending claims in each
State, as of such day.
(4) As of such day--
(A) the number of such pending claims that have
been pending for 30 days or longer;
(B) the number of such pending claims that have
been pending for 90 days or longer; and
(C) the number of such pending claims that have
been pending for 365 days or longer.
(5) For each hospital system, for the quarter covered by
the report--
(A) the number of claims for reimbursement for
emergency hospital care, medical services, and other
emergency health care furnished through non-Department
of Veterans Affairs providers approved during such
quarter;
(B) the number of such claims denied during such
quarter; and
(C) the number of such claims denied listed by each
denial reason group.
(d) Comptroller General Study.--
(1) In general.--The Comptroller General of the United
States shall conduct a study that evaluates the effectiveness
of the Chief Business Office in providing timely payment of a
proper invoice for emergency hospital care, medical services,
or other emergency health care furnished through non-Department
of Veterans Affairs providers by the required payment date.
(2) Submittal.--The Comptroller General shall submit to
Congress a report on the study conducted under paragraph (1),
including the total amount of interest penalties paid by the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs under section 3902 of title 31,
United States Code, by reason of a delayed payment.
(e) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) The term ''delayed payment'' means a proper invoice
that is not paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs until
after the required payment date.
(2) The term ''proper invoice'' has the meaning given that
term in section 3901(a) of title 31, United States Code.
(3) The term ''required payment date'' means the date that
payment is due for a contract pursuant to section 3903(a) of
title 31, United States Code.
Output:
Veterans' Credit Protection Act Directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to: (1) conduct outreach to inform veterans of how to resolve credit issues caused by a delayed payment of a claim for emergency hospital care, medical services, or other emergency health care furnished through a non-VA provider; and (2) establish a toll-free telephone number for veterans to report such issues to the Chief Business Office of the VA. Requires the VA to report annually on the effectiveness of such Office in providing timely payment of proper invoices for emergency hospital care, medical services, or other emergency health care furnished through non-VA providers by the required payment date during both the preceding five-year period and the preceding one-year period. Requires the report, for any part of the period covered by such a report that occurred before October 1, 2014, to evaluate the provision of such payments by the Veterans Integrated Service Networks. Requires such report to include: the number of veterans who contacted the VA regarding delayed payments that could negatively affect their credit; the total amount of interest penalties paid by the VA by reason of delayed payments; the number of proper invoices submitted, the amount owed for and the payment status of such invoices, and the periods that elapsed before such invoices were paid; any comments regarding delayed payments made by medical providers; and a description of the best practices to provide timely payment of a proper invoice, including a plan to improve such timely payments. Directs: (1) the Office to submit to Congress quarterly reports on the number of pending claims for reimbursement for emergency hospital care, medical services, and other emergency health care furnished through non-VA providers; and (2) the Comptroller General to conduct a study that evaluates the effectiveness of the Office in providing timely payment of a proper invoice for such care by the required payment date.