,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #aeji  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #aj1 #bjag,mr4
 ,o',rourke 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,jones1  
and ,mr4 ,knight7 introduced the        
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs1  
and in addition to the ,committee on    
,armed ,services1 for a period to be    
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to direct the ,secretary of 
,defense and the ,secretary of ,veterans
 ,affairs to post at certain locations  
the average national wait times for     
veterans to receive an appointment for  
health care at medical facilities of the
 ,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 and 
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,better  
,informing ,veterans' ,healthcare       
,decisions ,act4  #b4 ,posting of       
average national wait times for health  

care appointments and average processing
 times of disability compensation claims
 and appeals  7a7 ,findings2 sense of   
,congress  7#a7 ,findings ,congress     
finds the following3  7,a7 ,according to
 the ,suicide ,data ,report1 #bjab1 of  
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs1  
#bb veterans commit suicide every day4  
7,b7 ,according to estimates of the     
,department1 only approximately five of 
these #bb veterans are enrolled in the  
mental health care system of the        
,department4  7#b7 ,sense of ,congress  
,it is the sense of ,congress that--    
7,a7 the ,department of ,veterans       
,affairs must be more urgent and        
effective in its approach to addressing 
veteran suicide and providing veterans  
access to mental health care2 and  7,b7 
,congress urges the ,department to      
ensure that preventing veteran suicide  
and providing veterans access to mental 
health care is the top reform priority  
of the ,department4  7b7 ,provision of  
information ,not later than #cj days    

after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 and on a monthly basis thereafter1
 the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs   
shall--  7#a7 determine1 with respect to
 the one-year period before the date of 
the determination-- 7,a7 the average    
national wait times 7in days7 for a     
veteran enrolled in the health care     
system established under section        
#agje7;a7 of title #ch1 ,united ,states 
,code--  7i7 to receive an appointment  
for mental health care at a medical     
facility of the ,department of ,veterans
 ,affairs2 and  7ii7 to receive an      
appointment for primary health care at  
such a facility2  7,b7 the average      
claims processing time of the ,secretary
 with respect to claims for disability  
compensation under chapter #aa of such  
title #ch2 and  7,c7 the average appeals
 processing time of the ,secretary to   
decide an appeal to such a claim for    
disability compensation2 and  7#b7      
provide the ,secretary of ,defense with 
such information determined under       

paragraph 7#a74  7c7 ,posting of        
information ,the ,secretary of ,defense 
shall place in a conspicuous location at
 each career counselor or career        
assistance advisor office a sign that-- 
7#a7 is not less than #ah inches tall by
 #bd inches wide2 and  7#b7 is          
continuously updated to display the most
 current information received by the    
,secretary pursuant to subsection       
7b77#b74  7d7 ,definitions ,in this     
section3 7#a7 ,the term appeals         
processing time means1 with respect to a
 veteran filing an appeal to a decision 
of the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs 
denying a claim for disability          
compensation under chapter #aa of title 
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 the period  
beginning on the date on which the      
claimant files a notice of disagreement 
and ending on the date on which the     
claimant is informed of the decision to 
such notice of disagreement4  7#b7 ,the 
term claims processing time means1 with 
respect to a veteran filing a claim for 

disability compensation under chapter   
#aa of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1
 the period beginning on the date on    
which the claim is originally received  
by the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs 
and ending on the date on which the     
,secretary informs the claimant of the  
decision4  7#c7 ,the term wait time     
means1 with respect to a veteran        
receiving an appointment for health care
 at a medical facility of the           
,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 the  
period beginning on the date on which   
the veteran first requests such         
appointment and ending on the date on   
which such appointment occurs4