,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #agga  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #bi1 #bjag,mr4
 ,bilirakis 7for himself1 ,mrs4         
,mc,morris ,rodgers1 ,mr4 ,jones1 ,mr4  
,duncan of ,tennessee1 and ,mr4 ,gaetz7 
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs1 and in addition to 
the ,committee on ,appropriations1 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     
improve the organization of the         
,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 to   
ensure the accuracy of health care data 
used by the ,department1 and for other  
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,,va ,guidance for  
,organizational ,reform and ,data       
,integrity for ,accountability ,needs   
,key for ,necessary and ,optimal        
,transformation ,act or the ,,va        

,,gordian ,,knot ,act4  #b4             
,organization of ,department of         
,veterans ,affairs  7a7 ,independent    
assessment  7#a7 ,in general ,the       
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
seek to enter into an agreement with an 
independent entity to conduct an        
assessment of the organization of the   
,department of ,veterans ,affairs4  7#b7
 ,elements ,the assessment under        
paragraph 7#a7 shall include the        
following3 7,a7 ,whether the current    
organization of the ,department is      
conducive to meeting the performance    
goals of the ,department4  7,b7 ,an     
identification of the mission statement 
and function of each element of the     
,department1 including whether any such 
elements have duplicative functions4    
7,c7 ,identification of the strengths   
and weaknesses of the current           
organization4  7,d7 ,how many full-time 
equivalent positions1 including with    
respect to senior executives1 are in    
each of the ,veterans ,benefits         

,administration1 the ,national ,cemetery
 ,administration1 and the ,central      
,office4  7,e7 ,a description of the    
hierarchy in each element of the        
,department4  7,f7 ,an evaluation of the
 cost to the ,department of providing   
hospital care and medical services to   
veterans at medical facilities of the   
,department as compared to the cost of  
paying for such care and services       
furnished by a non-,department provider 
pursuant to the ,veterans ,choice       
,program established by section #aja of 
the ,veterans ,access1 ,choice1 and     
,accountability ,act of #bjad 7#ch      
,u4,s4,c4 #agja note7 or other provision
 of law authorizing non-,department     
hospital care or medical services4  7,g7
 ,to assist in developing a long-term   
sustainable capital asset planning      
process1 identification of underused    
facilities of the ,department that1 if  
closed or disposed of1 would not        
negatively affect the health care or    
benefits provided to veterans4  7,h7    

,with respect to the facilities         
described in subparagraph 7,e71 a plan  
to engage veteran populations1 veteran  
service organizations1 and other        
organizations and stakeholders that work
 with veterans to identify such         
facilities and determine whether        
veterans have the ability to seek       
services by non-,department providers   
under the laws administered by the      
,secretary4  7#c7 ,submission ,not later
 than one year after the date of the    
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
shall submit to the ,committees on      
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of    
,representatives and the ,senate the    
assessment under paragraph 7#a74  7b7   
,status of organization ,not later than 
,october #a of #bjbj1 and annually      
thereafter1 the ,secretary shall-- 7#a7 
either--  7,a7 update the organizational
 structure of the ,office of the        
,secretary1 the ,veterans ,health       
,administration1 the ,veterans ,benefits
 ,administration1 and the ,national     

,cemetery ,administration to ensure that
 such structure is best able to provide 
benefits to veterans2 or  7,b7 certify  
to the ,committees on ,veterans'        
,affairs of the ,house of               
,representatives and the ,senate that   
such structure does not require such    
updates2 and  7#b7 make publically      
available such update or certification1 
as the case may be1 including clear     
organizational charts of the ,office of 
the ,secretary1 the ,veterans ,health   
,administration1 the ,veterans ,benefits
 ,administration1 and the ,national     
,cemetery ,administration4  #c4         
,improvements to hiring and retaining   
employees  7a7 ,improvements to hiring  
7#a7 ,hiring plan ,the ,secretary of    
,veterans ,affairs shall ensure that    
each medical facility of the ,department
 of ,veterans ,affairs1 including       
community based outpatient clinics1 has 
a hiring plan to address the health care
 needs of the facility4  7#b7 ,sharing  
of information ,the ,secretary shall    

establish a system that lists each      
vacant position in a medical facility of
 the ,department that is covered under  
the hiring plan under paragraph 7#a74   
,if the ,secretary determines that an   
applicant for such a vacant position is 
qualified for the position but is not   
selected for the position1 the          
,secretary may consider the applicant   
for other similar positions listed in   
the system4  7#c7 ,data ,the ,secretary 
shall keep records on-- 7,a7 the amount 
of time a vacant position described in  
paragraph 7#b7 remains unfilled2  7,b7  
positions that have been vacant for a   
prolonged period and such vacancy-- 7i7 
is related to a whistleblower case2 and 
7ii7 has affected the ability of the    
,department to provide quality and      
timely health care of veterans2 and     
7,c7 whether an employee of the         
,department who transfers from one      
medical facility of the ,department to  
another such facility was reprimanded1  
placed on administrative leave1 or      

appealed an allegation at the previous  
position of the employee within the     
,department4  7#d7 ,submission ,upon the
 request of either the ,committee on    
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of    
,representatives or the ,committee on   
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate1 the 
,secretary shall submit to the committee
 the records specified in paragraph     
7#c74  7b7 ,exit interviews ,the        
,secretary shall ensure that each       
employee of the ,department who         
voluntarily separates from the          
,department is afforded the opportunity 
to complete an interview in order for   
the ,secretary to ascertain--  7#a7 the 
reason the employee is separating2  7#b7
 the opinion of the employee with       
respect to being employed at the        
,department2 and  7#c7 ways in which the
 ,secretary can better improve the      
retention of employees of the           
,department4  #d4 ,integrity of health  
care data  7a7 ,certain definitions     
,section #gcaa of title #ch1 ,united    

,states ,code1 is amended by inserting  
at the end the following new subsection3
  7f7 ,for purposes of determining the  
validity of health care data collected  
pursuant to this section or any other   
provision of law regarding the employees
 of the ,veterans ,health               
,administration1 the ,secretary shall   
develop standard definitions for--  7#a7
 the actions that constitute the        
manipulation of data regarding          
scheduling appointments for health care2
 and  7#b7 the ways in which such       
employees are held accountable for such 
manipulation4  4  7b7 ,verification of  
data  7#a7 ,designation ,the ,secretary 
of ,veterans ,affairs shall ensure that 
a single position in each office        
described in paragraph 7#b7 is          
designated as being responsible for     
verifying the accuracy of the data      
reported from such office to a superior 
office4  7#b7 ,office described ,an     
office described in this paragraph is   
each of the following3 7,a7 ,a medical  

facility of the ,department of ,veterans
 ,affairs4  7,b7 ,a ,veterans           
,integrated ,service ,network4  7,c7 ,a 
regional office of the ,veterans        
,benefits ,administration4  7,d7 ,the   
central office of the ,veterans         
,benefits ,administration4  7c7         
,assessment  7#a7 ,in general ,the      
,secretary shall seek to enter into an  
agreement with an independent1          
non-governmental entity to assess       
whether this section1 and the amendment 
made by this section1 improves the      
accuracy of data of the ,department of  
,veterans ,affairs4  7#b7 ,submission   
,not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this ,act1 the      
,secretary shall submit to the          
,committees on ,veterans' ,affairs of   
the ,house of ,representatives and the  
,senate the assessment conducted under  
paragraph 7#a74  7d7 ,report ,not later 
than one year after the date of the     
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
shall submit to the ,committees on      

,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of    
,representatives and the ,senate a      
report containing--  7#a7 a study on--  
7,a7 the data collected or used by the  
,veterans ,health ,administration and   
the ,veterans ,benefits ,administration1
 including data that the ,secretary1 as 
of the date of the study1 allows to be  
self-reported by the appropriate office2
 and  7,b7 what metrics the ,secretary  
should be using to track such data2     
7#b7 an implementation plan to correct  
any vulnerabilities regarding the       
accuracy of such data2  7#c7 a          
description of the ,department-wide     
minimal standards and guidelines to     
reprimand employees of the ,department  
who knowingly provide false information 
to ,federal investigators or who        
knowingly provide inaccurate information
 when testifying before a committee of  
,congress2 and  7#d7 an identification  
of the recommendations regarding data   
integrity1 information technology1      
organizational reforms1 management      

improvements1 or hiring and retaining   
employees reported by or made by the    
independent assessment under section    
#bja of the ,veterans ,access1 ,choice1 
and ,accountability ,act of #bjad       
7,public ,law #aac-adf2 #abh ,stat4     
#agfi71 the ,commission on ,care1 the   
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states1 and the ,inspector ,general of 
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs   
that1 as of the date of the report1 have
 not been implemented1 and a plan to    
implement such recommendations and track
 the progress of such implementation4   
7e7 ,study of costs  7#a7 ,in general   
,the ,secretary shall conduct a study to
 determine the costs to the ,united     
,states relating to officials and       
employees of the ,department of         
,veterans ,affairs manipulating health  
care data1 providing negligent          
management1 and retaliating against     
whistleblowers1 during the five-year    
period preceding such study4  7#b7      
,elements ,the study under paragraph    

7#a7 shall include the following3 7,a7  
,the amount of money that the ,federal  
,government has spent1 by fiscal year1  
on settlements 7including confidential  
settlements7 with whistleblowers of the 
,department4  7,b7 ,the number of hours 
that employees of the ,federal          
,government have spent to defend the    
,department in administrative or        
judicial proceedings with respect to    
employees of the ,department accused of 
manipulating health care data1 providing
 negligent management1 or retaliating   
against whistleblowers4  7,c7 ,obstacles
 preventing the ,secretary from         
demoting1 removing1 or terminating an   
employee of the ,department based on    
performance or misconduct4  7#c7        
,submission ,not later than one year    
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,secretary shall submit to the
 ,committees on ,veterans' ,affairs of  
the ,house of ,representatives and the  
,senate a report containing the study   
under paragraph 7#a74  #e4 ,publication 

of wait times  7a7 ,publication of wait 
times ,the ,secretary of ,veterans      
,affairs shall make publically available
 on the ,internet website of the        
,department of ,veterans ,affairs the   
current wait times for a veteran        
enrolled in the health care system      
established under section #agje7;a7 of  
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 to    
receive an appointment for health care  
at a medical facility of the ,department
 of ,veterans ,affairs4 ,such wait time 
shall be categorized by primary care1   
specialty care1 and mental health       
services and include an explanation on  
the metrics used to determine such wait 
times4  7b7 ,transparency ,the          
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
seek to enter into an agreement with the
 ,comptroller ,general of the ,united   
,states or an independent entity to     
conduct an assessment of the accuracy of
 the wait times published under         
subsection 7a74 ,the ,secretary shall   
publish information regarding such      

assessment on the ,internet website     
described in subsection 7a74  7c7 ,wait 
time defined ,in this section1 the term 
wait time means1 with respect to a      
veteran receiving an appointment 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  #f4 ,transfer authority  7a7   
,in general ,chapter #a of title #ch1   
,united ,states ,code1 is amended by    
inserting after section #aag the        
following new section3  #aag;,a4        
,transfer authority  7a7 ,in general ,in
 addition to any other provision of law 
authorizing the transfer of amounts by  
the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs1 in
 any fiscal year in which there is a    
shortfall1 the ,secretary may transfer  
covered amounts to accounts of the      
,department for purposes of mitigating  
or removing such shortfall4  7b7        
,notification ,in any fiscal year in    

which there is a shortfall and the      
,secretary does not make a transfer     
under subsection 7a71 the ,secretary    
shall submit to the ,committees on      
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of    
,representatives and the ,senate        
justifications for not making such      
transfer4  7c7 ,definitions ,in this    
section3 7#a7 ,the term covered amounts 
means amounts made available to the     
,secretary for awards or bonuses under  
chapter #de or #ec of title #e1 ,united 
,states ,code1 or any other awards or   
bonuses authorized under such title or  
this title4  7#b7 ,the term shortfall   
means the event1 as determined by the   
,secretary1 that the funds made         
available to the ,secretary for a fiscal
 year are not sufficient to provide the 
benefits under the laws administered by 
the ,secretary or otherwise carry out   
the responsibilities of the ,department 
during any period of such fiscal year4  
4  7b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of
 sections at the beginning of such      

chapter is amended by inserting after   
the item relating to section #aag the   
following new item3  #aag;,a4 ,transfer 
authority4  4