,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #bda  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,january #ad1 #bjac  
,mr4 ,ross introduced the following     
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a   
,,bill  ,to direct the ,secretary of    
,veterans ,affairs to establish         
standards of access to care for veterans
 seeking health care from ,department of
 ,veterans ,affairs medical facilities1 
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,veterans ,timely ,access to ,health    
,care ,act4  #b4 ,department of         
,veterans ,affairs access to medical    
care  7a7 ,standard for access to care  
,section #agjf of title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 is amended by adding at  
the end the following new subsection3   
7d7 7#a7 ,in managing the provision of  
hospital care and medical services under
 section #agaj7;a7 of this title1 the   
,secretary shall ensure that for each   
veteran seeking such care or services   

from a ,department medical facility1 the
 standard for access to care1 determined
 from the date on which the veteran     
contacts the ,department seeking an     
appointment until the date on which a   
visit with an appropriate health care   
provider is completed1 is #cj days4     
7#b7 ,the ,secretary shall periodically 
review the performance of ,department   
medical facilities compared to the      
standard established under paragraph    
7#a74 ,the ,secretary shall submit to   
the ,committees on ,veterans' ,affairs  
of the ,senate and ,house of            
,representatives a semi-annual report   
providing an assessment of the          
,department's performance in meeting    
that standard4  7#c7 7,a7 ,not later    
than #fj days after the end of a        
calendar-year quarter1 the ,secretary   
shall submit to the ,committees on      
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate and  
,house of ,representatives a report for 
that calendar-year quarter on the       
experience of the ,department during the

 quarter covered by the report with     
respect to waiting times for veterans   
seeking appointments at ,department     
medical facilities4  7,b7 ,each report  
under subparagraph 7,a7 shall include   
each of the following3  7i7 ,the total  
number of veterans waiting by the       
following categories3  7,i7 ,those      
waiting under #cj days for scheduled    
appointments4  7,,ii7 ,those waiting    
over #cj days but less than #fj days4   
7,,iii7 ,those waiting over #fj days but
 less than #d months4  7,,iv7 ,those    
waiting over #d months but who cannot be
 scheduled within #f months4  7,v7 ,any 
remaining veterans who cannot be        
scheduled1 with the reasons therefor4   
7ii7 ,for each category set forth in    
subparagraph 7,a71 distinctions         
between--  7,i7 waiting times for       
primary care and specialty care2 and    
7,,ii7 waiting times for veterans who   
are newly enrolled versus those who were
 enrolled before ,october #a1 #bjja4    
7iii7 ,the number of veterans who have  

enrolled in the patient enrollment      
system under section #agje of this title
 but have not since such enrollment     
sought care at a ,department medical    
facility4  4  7b7 ,effective date       
,subsection 7d7 of section #agjf of     
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 shall 
apply with respect to hospital care and 
medical services provided on or after   
the date of the enactment of this ,act4