,i  #aac? ,,congress  #a/ ,session  ,h4 
,r4 #bffa  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(           
,,repres5tatives  ,july #aa1 #bjac ,mr4 
,mc,carthy ( ,cali=nia 7= himself1 ,mr4 
,c(fman1 ,mr4 ,mc,keon1 ,mr4 ,hunt]1    
,mr4 ,campbell1 ,mrs4 ,davis (          
,cali=nia1 ,mr4 ,calv]t1 & ,mr4 ,issa7  
introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2 :i* 0 ref]r$ to
 ! ,committee on ,vet]ans' ,affairs  ,a 
,,bill  ,to direct ! ,secret>y (        
,vet]ans ,affairs to e/abli% a /&>diz$  
s*$ul+ policy = vet]ans enroll$ 9 !     
heal? c>e sy/em ( ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,vet]ans
 ,affairs1 & = o!r purposes4  #a4 ,%ort 
title ,?is ,act may be cit$ z ! ,vet]ans
 ,access to ,timely ,m$ical ,appo9tm5ts 
,act4  #b4 ,f9d+s ,congress f9ds !      
foll[+3  7#a7 ,! ,secret>y ( ,vet]ans   
,affairs is /atutorily obligat$ to      
provide eligible individuals :o s]v$ 9 !
 ,arm$ ,=ces ) access to heal? c>e &    
b5efits provid$ by ! ,dep>tm5t (        
,vet]ans ,affairs relat$ to su* s]vice4 
7#b7 ,! ,secret>y has giv5 ! ,dep>tm5t !
 goal ( s*$ul+ a prim>y c>e m$ical      

appo9tm5t )9 sev5 days ( ! date reque/$ 
by ! pati5t & or ! provid] & s*$ul+ a   
specialty c>e m$ical appo9tm5t )9 f\rte5
 days ( ! date reque/$ by ! pati5t & or 
! provid]4  7#c7 ,! ability ( !         
,secret>y to accurately s*$ule & provide
 timely access to m$ical appo9tm5ts is  
critical to ensure ! heal? c>e ne$s (   
vet]ans are met & m$ical conditions d n 
wors5 because ( delays 9 receiv+ m$ical 
treatm5t4  7#d7 ,an audit by !          
,comptroll] ,g5]al ( ! ,unit$ ,/ates    
f\nd t m$ical appo9tm5t wait times      
report$ by ! ,vet]ans ,heal?            
,adm9i/ration ( ! ,dep>tm5t are         
unreliable4  7#e7 ,! ,comptroll] ,g5]al 
f\nd t )\t reliable measurem5t ( h[ long
 pati5ts are wait+ = m$ical appo9tm5ts1 
! ,secret>y is n able to id5tify areas t
 ne$ improvem5t & !re=e _c mitigate     
problems t contribute to wait times4    
7#f7 ,! ,comptroll] ,g5]al f\nd t !     
unreliable data & measures = wait times 
create a discrepancy betwe5 ! positive  
results ! ,dep>tm5t publi%es & :at      

vet]ans actually exp]i5ce4  7#g7 ,!     
,comptroll] ,g5]al f\nd t ! ,vet]ans    
,heal? ,adm9i/ration inconsi/5tly       
implem5ts its s*$ul+ policy across      
m$ical c5t]s ( ! ,dep>tm5t1 :i* imp$es  
s*$ul+ timely m$ical appo9tm5ts4  7#h7  
,! ,comptroll] ,g5]al f\nd t ov]sight ( 
compliance ) su* s*$ul+ policy1 su* z   
ensur+ ! completion ( requir$ s*$ul]    
tra9+1 0 inconsi/5t across facilities4  
7#i7 ,! ,comptroll] ,g5]al f\nd t !     
managem5t by ! ,secret>y ( telephone    
s]vice1 includ+ lack ( /aff d$icat$ to  
answ]+ phones & unreturn$ phone calls1  
imp$e vet]ans' access to timely m$ical  
appo9tm5ts4  7#aj7 ,among ! f\r m$ical  
c5t]s ( ! ,dep>tm5t review$ by !        
,comptroll] ,g5]al1 pati5t compla9ts    
reg>d+ unreturn$ phone calls rank$ among
 ! top two categories ( compla9ts dur+  
fiscal ye> #bjab4  7#aa7 ,! ,comptroll] 
,g5]al f\nd t 9 ,janu>y #bjab1 !        
,vet]ans ,heal? ,adm9i/ration di/ribut$ 
be/ practices = telephone access t1 if  
implem5t$1 c\ld help improve telephone  

access to cl9ical c>e4  7#ab7 ,!        
,secret>y is n meet+ ! /atutory         
obligations ( ! ,secret>y to provide    
vet]ans ) timely access to m$ical       
appo9tm5ts s t su* vet]ans c receive    
b5efits & heal? c>e by ! ,dep>tm5t 9 a  
timely mann]4  #c4 ,improvem5t ( m$ical 
appo9tm5t s*$ul+ policy = vet]ans  7a7  
,/&>diz$ s*$ul+ policy  7#a7 ,9 g5]al ,n
 lat] ?an #ahj days aft] ! date ( !     
enactm5t ( ?is ,act1 ! ,secret>y (      
,vet]ans ,affairs %all implem5t a       
/&>diz$ policy to ensure t a vet]an     
enroll$ 9 ! heal? c>e sy/em e/abli%$ "u 
section #agje7;a7 ( title #ch1 ,unit$   
,/ates ,code1 is able to s*$ule--  7,a7 
prim>y c>e m$ical appo9tm5ts )9 sev5    
days ( ! date reque/$ by ! vet]an or !  
heal? c>e provid] on behalf ( ! vet]an2 
&  7,b7 specialty c>e m$ical appo9tm5ts 
)9 #ad days ( ! date reque/$ by ! vet]an
 or ! heal? c>e provid] on behalf ( !   
vet]an4  7#b7 ,implem5tation ,9         
implem5t+ ! policy "u p>agraph 7#a71 !  
,secret>y %all--  7,a7 ensure t su*     

policy--  7i7 w n be subject to         
int]pretation or prone to s*$ul] error2 
&  7ii7 provides ! ,secret>y ) reliable 
data reg>d+ ! l5g? ( "t t vet]ans are   
wait+ = appo9tm5ts describ$ 9 p>agraph  
7#a7 t ! ,secret>y c use to accurately  
report ! p]=mance ( ! policy z comp>$ to
 ! goals ( ! policy2  7,b7 ensure t !   
,vet]ans ,heal? ,adm9i/ration c>ries out
 uni=m proc$ures ) respect to su*       
policy2  7,c7 issue detail$ guidance to 
! directors ( ! ,vet]ans ,integrat$     
,s]vice ,networks to ensure ! consi/5t  
implem5tation ( su* policy at ea* m$ical
 c5t] & o!r relat$ facilities ( !       
,dep>tm5t2  7,d7 ensure t only employees
 ( ! ,dep>tm5t :o h complet$ requir$    
tra9+ are all[$ to s*$ule m$ical        
appo9tm5ts2 &  7,e7 make public annual  
p]=mance reports = ea* ,vet]ans         
,integrat$ ,s]vice ,network ) respect to
 su* policy4  7b7 ,res\rce allocation   
7#a7 ,assessm5t ,n lat] ?an #ahj days   
aft] ! date ( ! enactm5t ( ?is ,act1 &  
ea* #ahj-;day p]iod !reaft]1 ! ,secret>y

 %all assess ! res\rces ( ea* ,vet]ans  
,integrat$ ,s]vice ,network to det]m9e !
 ability ( ! ,network to meet ! s*$ul+  
requirem5ts describ$ 9 subsection       
7a77#a74  7#b7 ,allocation ,! ,secret>y 
may reprogram funds & allocate or       
transf] /aff & o!r res\rces )9 !        
,vet]ans ,heal? ,adm9i/ration & !       
,vet]ans ,integrat$ ,s]vice ,network to 
ensure t ea* ,network meets ! s*$ul+    
requirem5ts describ$ 9 subsection       
7a77#a74  7#c7 ,notification ,!         
,secret>y %all notify ,congress ( any   
reprogramm+ made pursuant to p>agraph   
7#b74  7c7 ,phone access ,! ,secret>y   
%all direct ea* m$ical c5t] ( !         
,dep>tm5t to provide ov]sight (         
telephone access & implem5t ! be/       
practices outl9$ 9 ! telephone sy/ems   
improvem5t guide ( ! ,vet]ans ,heal?    
,adm9i/ration1 includ+1 at a m9imum1    
practices to ensure t--  7#a7 calls are 
answ]$ 9 a timely mann] & ! messages (  
pati5ts w h a return call n lat] ?an #bd
 h\rs aft] ! pati5t leaves ! message2 & 

7#b7 a call c5t] at ea* su* m$ical c5t] 
is prop]ly /aff$ to meet ! ne$s ( !     
vet]an population s]v$ by ! m$ical c5t]4
  7d7 ,inspector ,g5]al report ,!       
,inspector ,g5]al ( ! ,dep>tm5t (       
,vet]ans ,affairs1 9 consultation )     
vet]ans s]vice organizations1 %all      
submit to ,congress an annual report on 
! progress ( ! ,secret>y ( ,vet]ans     
,affairs 9 implem5t+ ?is ,act4 ,ea* su* 
report %all include1 = ! "t p]iod cov]$ 
by ! report1 ea* ( ! foll[+3  7#a7 ,an  
assessm5t ( ! reliability ( data reg>d+ 
! wait times = appo9tm5ts describ$ 9    
p>agraph 7#a7 ( subsection 7a7 z requir$
 by p>agraph 7#b77;,a77ii7 ( su*        
subsection4  7#b7 ,an assessm5t ( !     
ext5t to :i* ! ,secret>y met ! telephone
 call timeframes z requir$ by subsection
 7c74  7#c7 ,an assessm5t ( ! ext5t to  
:i* m$ical appo9tm5ts s*$ul$ at         
,dep>tm5t m$ical facilities reflect !   
date t ! vet]an 7or heal? c>e provid] on
 behalf ( ! vet]an7 reque/s = su*       
appo9t4  7#d7 ,z assessm5t ( ! ext5t to 

:i* m$ical appo9tm5ts s*$ul$ at         
,dep>tm5t m$ical facilities 7 n *ang$ )9
 ! s*$ul+ sy/em ( ! ,vet]ans ,heal?     
,adm9i/ration unless su* *anges 7       
reque/$ by ! vet]an 7or heal? c>e       
provid] on behalf ( ! vet]an74