,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bfed  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #bd1     
#bjad,ms4 ,landrieu introduced the      
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
require the ,secretary of ,veterans     
,affairs to conduct outreach to veterans
 regarding the effect of certain delayed
 payments by the ,secretary1 to require 
the ,secretary to submit to ,congress an
 annual report regarding such delayed   
payments1 and for other purposes4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,veterans' ,credit ,protection ,act4
  #b4 ,outreach to veterans regarding   
effect of delayed payments by ,veterans 
,integrated ,service ,networks  7a7     
,outreach  7#a7 ,in general ,the        
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
conduct outreach1 including through     
national and local veterans service     
organizations1 to inform veterans of how
 to resolve credit issues caused by a   

delayed payment4  7#b7 ,ability to      
report issues ,the ,secretary shall     
establish a toll-free telephone number  
for veterans to report credit issues    
described in paragraph 7#a7 to the      
,veterans ,integrated ,service ,networks
 of the ,department of ,veterans        
,affairs4  7b7 ,annual report  7#a7 ,in 
general ,not later than one year after  
the date of the enactment of this ,act1 
and not less frequently than annually   
thereafter1 the ,secretary shall submit 
to ,congress a report on the            
effectiveness of each ,veterans         
,integrated ,service ,network in        
providing timely payment of a proper    
invoice by the required payment date    
during both the five-year period        
preceding the date of the report and the
 one-year period preceding such date4   
7#b7 ,elements ,each report required by 
paragraph 7#a7 shall include1 for each  
period covered by the report1 the       
following3 7,a7 ,the number of veterans 
who contacted the ,secretary regarding a

 delayed payment that negatively        
affected1 or will potentially negatively
 affect1 the credit of the veteran4     
7,b7 ,the total amount of interest      
penalties paid by the ,secretary under  
section #cijb of title #ca1 ,united     
,states ,code1 by reason of a delayed   
payment4  7,c7 ,the number of proper    
invoices submitted1 listed in a table   
for each quarter and fiscal year of each
 such period that includes the          
following3 7i7 ,the total amount owed by
 the ,secretary under the proper        
invoices4  7ii7 ,the payment status of  
each proper invoice1 as of the date of  
the report4  7iii7 ,the period that     
elapsed until each proper invoice was   
paid1 including an explanation of any   
delayed payment4  7,d7 ,such comments   
made by medical providers regarding     
delayed payments to such medical        
providers that the ,secretary has       
received and considers relevant4  7,e7  
,an identification of the ,veterans     
,integrated ,service ,network with the  

least number of delayed payments and the
 ,veterans ,integrated ,service ,network
 with the most number of delayed        
payments4  7,f7 ,a description of the   
best practices that a ,veterans         
,integrated ,service ,network can carry 
out to provide timely payment of a      
proper invoice1 including a plan for    
underperforming ,veterans ,integrated   
,service ,networks to improve such      
timely payments4  7c7 ,comptroller      
,general study  7#a7 ,in general ,the   
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states shall conduct a study that      
assesses the effectiveness of each      
,veterans ,integrated ,service ,network 
in providing timely payment of a proper 
invoice by the required payment date4   
7#b7 ,submittal ,the ,comptroller       
,general shall submit to ,congress a    
report on the study conducted under     
paragraph 7#a71 including the total     
amount of interest penalties paid by the
 ,secretary under section #cijb of title
 #ca1 ,united ,states ,code1 by reason  

of a delayed payment4  7d7 ,definitions 
,in this section3 7#a7 ,delayed payment 
,the term delayed payment means a proper
 invoice that is not paid by the        
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs until  
after the required payment date4  7#b7  
,proper invoice ,the term proper invoice
 has the meaning given that term in     
section #cija7;a7 of title #ca1 ,united 
,states ,code4  7#c7 ,required payment  
date ,the term required payment date    
means the date that payment is due for a
 contract pursuant to section #cijc7;a7 
of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code4    
7#d7 ,veterans service organization ,the
 term veterans service organization     
means an organization recognized by the 
,secretary for the representation of    
veterans under section #eijb of title   
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code4