,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bcaa  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #h1 #bjad 
,mr4 ,tester 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,udall  
of ,new ,mexico1 ,mr4 ,begich1 and ,mr4 
,walsh7 introduced the following bill2  
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a  
,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 to include licensed      
hearing aid specialists as eligible for 
appointment in the ,veterans ,health    
,administration of the ,department of   
,veterans ,affairs1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,appointment of licensed 
hearing aid specialists in ,veterans    
,health ,administration  7a7  ,licensed 
hearing aid specialists  7#a7           
,appointment  ,section #gdja7c7 of title
 #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended 
by inserting licensed hearing aid       
specialists1 after ,audiologists14  7#b7
  ,qualifications  ,section             
#gdjb7;b77#ad7 of such title is amended 
by inserting licensed hearing aid       

specialist1 after licensed physical     
therapist14  7b7  ,annual report  7#a7  
,in general  ,not later than one year   
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 and each year thereafter1 the     
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
submit to ,congress a report on the     
following3  7,a7 ,timely access of      
veterans to hearing health services     
through the ,department of ,veterans    
,affairs4  7,b7 ,contracting policies of
 the ,department with respect to        
providing hearing health services to    
veterans in facilities that are not     
facilities of the ,department4  7#b7    
,timely access to services  ,each report
 shall1 with respect to the matter      
specified in paragraph 7#a77;,a7 for the
 one-year period preceding the submittal
 of such report1 include the following3 
7,a7 ,the staffing levels of            
audiologists1 hearing aid specialists1  
and health technicians in audiology in  
the ,veterans ,health ,administration4  
7,b7 ,a description of the metrics used 

by the ,secretary in measuring          
performance with respect to appointments
 and care relating to hearing health4   
7,c7 ,the average time that a veteran   
waits to receive an appointment1        
beginning on the date on which the      
veteran makes the request1 for the      
following3  7i7 ,a disability rating    
evaluation for a hearing-related        
disability4  7ii7 ,a hearing aid        
evaluation4  7iii7 ,dispensing of       
hearing aids4  7iv7 ,any follow-up      
hearing health appointment4  7,d7 ,the  
percentage of veterans whose total wait 
time for appointments described in      
subparagraph 7,c71 including an initial 
and follow-up appointment1 if           
applicable1 is--  7i7 less than #ae     
days2  7ii7 between #ae days and #bh    
days2  7iii7 between #bi days and #db   
days2  7iv7 between #dc days and #ef    
days2 or  7v7 more than #ef days4  7#c7 
,contracting policies ,each report      
shall1 with respect to the matter       
specified in paragraph 7#a77;,b7 for the

 one-year period preceding the submittal
 of such report1 include the following3 
7,a7 ,the number of veterans that the   
,secretary refers to non-,department    
audiologists for hearing health care    
appointments4  7,b7 ,of the veterans    
described in subparagraph 7,a71 the     
number of veterans that the ,secretary  
refers to non-,department hearing aid   
specialists for follow-up appointments  
for a hearing aid evaluation1 the       
dispensing of hearing aids1 or any other
 purpose relating to hearing health4    
7,c7 ,the policies of the ,veterans     
,health ,administration regarding the   
referral of veterans to non-,department 
hearing aid specialists and a           
description of the manner in which such 
policies will be applied under the      
,patient-,centered ,community ,care     
program of the ,department4