,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bcaf  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #ab1 #bjad
 ,mr4 ,thune introduced the following   
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs
  ,a ,,bill  ,to require the ,inspector 
,general of the ,department of ,veterans
 ,affairs to submit a report on wait    
times for veterans seeking medical      
appointments and treatment from the     
,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 to   
prohibit closure of medical facilities  
of the ,department1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,report on wait times for
 veterans seeking medical appointments  
and treatment from the ,department of   
,veterans ,affairs and prohibition on   
closure of medical facilities  7a7      
,report  7#a7 ,in general ,not later    
than #ahj days after the date of the    
enactment of this ,act1 the ,inspector  
,general of the ,department of ,veterans
 ,affairs shall submit to ,congress a   
report on wait times for veterans       

seeking medical appointments and        
treatment from the ,department of       
,veterans ,affairs4  7#b7 ,elements ,the
 report required by paragraph 7#a7 shall
 include the following3 7,a7            
,information on wait times for veterans 
throughout the ,united ,states in       
seeking medical appointments and        
treatment from the ,department4  7,b7 ,a
 determination by the ,inspector        
,general as to whether the wait times   
for veterans seeking medical            
appointments and treatment from the     
,department have been prolonged by      
employees of the ,department without a  
valid medical or administrative reason4 
7b7 ,prohibition on closure of medical  
facilities of the ,department ,after the
 date of the enactment of this ,act1 and
 before the submittal of the report     
under subsection 7a71 the ,secretary of 
,veterans ,affairs shall not-- 7#a7     
close any medical facility of the       
,department of ,veterans ,affairs2 or   
7#b7 use any funds of the ,department to

 prepare any environment impact         
statement that is related to the closure
 of a medical facility of the           
,department4  7c7 ,prolonged wait times 
without valid reason  7#a7 ,prohibition 
on closure of medical facilities of the 
,department ,except as provided in      
paragraphs 7#b7 and 7#c71 if1 in the    
report submitted under subsection 7a71  
the ,inspector ,general determines that 
wait times for veterans seeking medical 
appointments and treatment from the     
,department have been prolonged by      
employees of the ,department without a  
valid medical or administrative reason1 
the ,secretary shall not close any      
medical facility of the ,department or  
use any funds of the ,department to     
prepare any environment impact statement
 that is related to the closure of a    
medical facility of the ,department4    
7#b7 ,exception ,the ,secretary may     
close a medical facility of the         
,department or use funds of the         
,department to prepare an environmental 

impact statement related to the closure 
of a medical facility of the ,department
 if1 not later than #ahj days before    
such closure or use of funds1 the       
,secretary determines and certifies to  
,congress that the closure of such      
medical facility will not do any of the 
following3 7,a7 ,increase the wait times
 for veterans in the catchment area of  
such medical facility in seeking medical
 appointments and treatment from such   
medical facility4  7,b7 ,decrease the   
quality of care provided to such        
veterans4  7,c7 ,impede the access of   
such veterans to specialized health care
 services4  7,d7 ,impede the access of  
such veterans to residential            
rehabilitation treatment programs of the
 ,department and other inpatient care4  
7,e7 ,increase the distance required to 
be traveled by such veterans to receive 
inpatient and outpatient care4  7,f7    
,impede the access of such veterans that
 are members of ,indian tribes 7as that 
term is defined in section #d of the    

,indian ,self-,determination and        
,education ,assistance ,act 7#be        
,u4,s4,c4 #dej;b77 to medical care4     
7#c7 ,termination ,the prohibition under
 paragraph 7#a7 shall terminate on the  
date on which the ,inspector ,general   
determines and certifies to ,congress   
that wait times for veterans seeking    
medical appointments and treatment from 
the ,department are not being prolonged 
by employees of the ,department without 
a valid medical or administrative       
reason4  7d7 ,environmental impact      
statement defined ,in this section1 the 
term environmental impact statement     
means the detailed statement of         
environmental impacts of a project      
required to be prepared pursuant to the 
,national ,environmental ,policy ,act of
 #aifi 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dcba et seq474