,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bdbc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #c1 #bjad
 ,mrs4 ,shaheen introduced the following
 bill2 which was read twice and referred
 to the ,committee on ,veterans'        
,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to improve wait   
times for appointments for hospital     
care1 medical services1 and other health
 care from the ,department of ,veterans 
,affairs1 to improve accountability of  
employees responsible for long wait     
times for such appointments1 and for    
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title  ,this
 ,act may be cited as the ,veterans     
,access to ,care ,accountability ,act4  
#b4 ,audits by the ,comptroller ,general
 of the ,united ,states ,the            
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states shall conduct random1 periodic  
audits of medical facilities of the     
,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 and  
the ,veterans ,integrated ,service      
,networks1 to assess whether such       
facilities and ,networks are complying  

with all standards imposed by law or by 
the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs    
with respect to the timely access of    
veterans to hospital care1 medical      
services1 and other health care from the
 ,department4  #c4 ,improvement of wait 
times for appointments for hospital     
care1 medical services1 and other health
 care from the ,department of ,veterans 
,affairs  7a7 ,in general ,the          
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall1 
upon receipt of a report described in   
subsection 7b7 that finds that an       
eligible veteran has been subjected to a
 wait time of more than #cj days for an 
appointment for hospital care1 medical  
services1 or other health care from the 
,department of ,veterans ,affairs-- 7#a7
 not later than #dh hours after the     
receipt of such report1 notify such     
eligible veteran of the status of the   
appointment of such eligible veteran for
 such care or services2 and  7#b7 make  
every effort possible to schedule an    
appointment for such eligible veteran   

for such care or services at a medical  
facility of the ,department or through a
 non-,department health care provider on
 a date that is not later than seven    
days after the receipt of such report4  
7b7 ,report described ,a report         
described in this subsection is any     
report as follows3 7#a7 ,any report of  
the ,inspector ,general of the          
,department of ,veterans ,affairs with  
respect to the provision by the         
,department of hospital care1 medical   
services1 or other health care to       
veterans4  7#b7 ,any report of the      
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states with respect to the provision by
 the ,department of such care or        
services4  7#c7 ,any report of the      
,department or another organization with
 respect to the provision by the        
,department of such care or services    
within a ,veterans ,integrated ,service 
,network or medical facility of the     
,department4  7#d7 ,any other report of 
the ,department with respect to the     

provision by the ,department of such    
care or services4  7c7 ,privacy ,nothing
 in this section shall be construed to  
alter privacy rules of the ,department  
with respect to the disclosure of       
personal information of eligible        
veterans seeking such care or services  
from the ,department4  7d7 ,eligible    
veteran defined ,in this section1 the   
term eligible veteran means a veteran   
who is eligible for hospital care1      
medical services1 or other health care  
under the laws administered by the      
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs4  #d4  
,executive compensation and bonuses     
accountability at ,department of        
,veterans ,affairs  7a7 ,inspector      
,general of ,department of ,veterans    
,affairs notice ,if the ,inspector      
,general of the ,department of ,veterans
 ,affairs determines that the director  
of a medical facility of the ,department
 of ,veterans ,affairs or other official
 of the ,department responsible for     
activities at such facility has         

purposefully misrepresented patient     
records or other data to conceal a      
failure of the facility to comply with  
patient access or care standards of the 
,department or for the purpose of       
qualifying for a performance award under
 section #echd of title #e1 ,united     
,states ,code1 or any other compensation
 that is in addition to basic pay-- 7#a7
 not later than #cj days after the date 
on which the ,inspector ,general makes  
such determination1 the ,inspector      
,general shall submit to the ,committee 
on ,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate   
and the ,committee on ,veterans'        
,affairs of the ,house of               
,representatives notice of such         
determination2 and  7#b7 not later than 
#ae days after the date on which the    
,inspector ,general submits notice under
 paragraph 7#a71 the ,inspector ,general
 shall submit to the ,secretary a list  
of the names of each director or other  
official responsible for such           
misrepresentation4  7b7 ,limitation on  

performance awards ,notwithstanding any 
other provision of law1 the ,secretary  
may not pay a bonus or award1 including 
a performance award under section #echd 
of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 to  
any director or other official of the   
,department included in a list submitted
 under subsection 7a77#b7 until the     
,secretary determines that all issues   
relating to the reasons why such        
director or other individual was        
included in such list have been         
resolved4  7c7 ,performance reviews ,the
 ,secretary shall ensure that any       
performance review or consideration for 
promotion of a director or other        
official of the ,department responsible 
for activities at a medical facility of 
the ,department with respect to which a 
notice was submitted under subsection   
7a77#a7 for a misrepresentation includes
 an evaluation of whether the director  
or other official knew or should have   
known about such misrepresentation4  7d7
 ,prohibition on publication of names   

,the ,inspector ,general may not make   
public the names of directors or other  
officials included in the list under    
subsection 7a77#b74  7e7 ,role of       
,inspector ,general ,any responsibility 
or authority of the ,inspector ,general 
provided under this section is in       
addition to any responsibility or       
authority provided to the ,inspector    
,general in the ,inspector ,general ,act
 of #aigh 7#e ,u4,s4,c4 ,app474