#aae? ,,congress  #a/ ,session  ,h4 ,r4 
#ahdh  ,,an ,,act  ,to direct !         
,secret>y ( ,vet]ans ,affairs to c>ry   
out a pilot program on ! use ( m$ical   
scribes 9 ,dep>tm5t ( ,vet]ans ,affairs 
m$ical c5t]s1 & = o!r purposes4  #a4    
,%ort title ,?is ,act may be cit$ z !   
,vet]ans ,affairs ,m$ical ,scribe ,pilot
 ,act ( #bjag4  #b4 ,dep>tm5t ( ,vet]ans
 ,affairs m$ical scribe pilot program   
7a7 ,9 g5]al ,! ,secret>y ( ,vet]ans    
,affairs %all c>ry out a #b-ye> pilot   
program "u :i* ! ,secret>y %all increase
 ! use ( m$ical scribes at ,dep>tm5t (  
,vet]ans ,affairs m$ical c5t]s4  7b7    
,locations ,! ,secret>y %all c>ry out ! 
pilot program at ! #aj m$ical c5t]s ( ! 
,dep>tm5t z foll[s3 7#a7 ,at lea/ f\r   
su* m$ical c5t]s locat$ 9 rural areas4  
7#b7 ,at lea/ f\r su* m$ical c5t]s      
locat$ 9 urban areas4  7#c7 ,two su*    
m$ical c5t]s locat$ 9 areas ) ne$ =     
increas$ access or increas$ effici5cy1 z
 det]m9e by ! ,secret>y4  7c7 ,m$ical   
scribes  7#a7 ,hir+ ,"u ! pilot program 

! ,secret>y %all-- 7,a7 hire #bj new    
,dep>tm5t ( ,vet]ans ,affairs t]m       
employees z m$ical scribes2 &  7,b7 seek
 to ent] into contracts ) appropriate   
entities = ! employm5t ( #bj additional 
m$ical scribes4  7#b7 ,di/ribution ,!   
,secret>y %all assign f\r m$ical scribes
 to ea* ( ! #aj m$ical c5t]s ( !        
,dep>tm5t :]e ! ,secret>y c>ries out !  
pilot program z foll[s3  7,a7 ,two      
scribes %all be assign$ to ea* ( two    
physicians4  7,b7 ,?irty p]c5t ( !      
scribes %all be employ$ 9 ! provision ( 
em]g5cy c>e4  7,c7 ,sev5ty p]c5t ( !    
scribes %all be employ$ 9 ! provision ( 
speciality c>e 9 specialties ) ! longe/ 
pati5t wait times or l[e/ effici5cy     
rat+s1 z det]m9$ by ! ,secret>y4  7d7   
,reports  7#a7 ,reports to ,congress ,n 
lat] ?an #ahj days aft] ! comm5cem5t ( !
 pilot program requir$ "u ?is section1 &
 e #ahj days !reaft] = ! duration ( !   
pilot program1 ! ,secret>y ( ,vet]ans   
,affairs %all submit to ,congress a     
report on ! pilot program4 ,ea* su*     

report %all include ea* ( ! foll[+3     
7,a7 ,a sep>ate analysis ( ea* ! foll[+ 
) respect to m$ical scribes employ$ by !
 ,dep>tm5t ( ,vet]ans ,affairs & m$ical 
scribes p]=m+ ,dep>tm5t ( ,vet]ans      
,affairs functions "u a contract3 7i7   
,provid] effici5cy4  7ii7 ,pati5t       
satisfaction4  7iii7 ,av]age wait "t4   
7iv7 ,! numb] ( pati5ts se5 p] day by   
ea* physician or practition]4  7v7 ,!   
am\nt ( "t requir$ to hire & tra9 an    
employee to p]=m m$ical scribe functions
 "u ! pilot program4  7,b7 ,metrics &   
data = analyz+ ! effects ( ! pilot      
program1 includ+ an evaluation ( ! ea* (
 ! elem5ts "u clauses 7i7 ?r\gh 7iv7 (  
subp>agraph 7,a7 at m$ical c5t]s :o     
employ$ scribes "u ! pilot program = an 
appropriate p]iod prec$+ ! hir+ ( su*   
scribes4  7#b7 ,comptroll] ,g5]al report
 ,n lat] ?an #ij days aft] ! t]m9ation (
 ! pilot program "u ?is section1 !      
,comptroll] ,g5]al ( ! ,unit$ ,/ates    
%all submit to ,congress a report on !  
pilot program4 ,su* report %all include 

a comp>ison ( ! pilot program ) simil>  
programs c>ri$ out 9 ! private sector4  
7e7 ,def9itions ,9 ?is section3 7#a7 ,! 
t]m m$ical scribe means an unlic5s$     
individual hir$ to ent] in=mation into !
 electronic heal? record or *>t at !    
direction ( a physician or lic5s$       
indep5d5t practition] ^:                
responsibilities include ! foll[+3  7,a7
 ,assi/+ ! physician or practition] 9   
navigat+ ! electronic heal? record4     
7,b7 ,respond+ to v>i\s messages z      
direct$ by ! physician or practition]4  
7,c7 ,ent]+ in=mation into ! electronic 
heal? record1 z direct$ by ! physician  
or practition]4  7#b7 ,! t]ms urban &   
rural h ! mean+s giv5 su* t]ms "u !     
rural-urban commut+ codes develop$ by ! 
,secret>y ( ,agriculture & ! ,secret>y (
 ,heal? & ,human ,s]vices4  7f7 ,fund+  
,! pilot program "u ?is section %all be 
c>ri$ out us+ am\nts o!rwise au?oriz$ to
 be appropriat$ = ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,vet]ans
 ,affairs4 ,no additional am\nts are    
au?oriz$ to be appropriat$ to c>ry out  

su* program4  #c4 ,prohibition on smok+ 
9 facilities ( ! ,vet]ans ,heal?        
,adm9i/ration  7a7 ,prohibition ,section
 #agae ( title #ch1 ,unit$ ,/ates ,code1
 is am5d$ to read z foll[s3  #agae4     
,prohibition on smok+ 9 facilities ( !  
,vet]ans ,heal? ,adm9i/ration  7a7      
,prohibition  7#a7  7,a7 ,except z      
provid$ 9 subp>agraph 7,b71 no p]son may
 smoke indoors 9 any facility ( !       
,vet]ans ,heal? ,adm9i/ration4  7,b7 ,9 
! case ( a facility ( ! ,vet]ans ,heal? 
,adm9i/ration t is a community liv+     
c5t]1 no p]son may smoke indoors 9 su*  
facility on or aft] ,decemb] #ca1 #bjah4
  7#b7 ,no p]son may smoke outdoors 9   
any facility ( ! ,vet]ans ,heal?        
,adm9i/ration on or aft] ,octob] #a1    
#bjba4  7b7 ,def9itions ,9 ?is section3 
7#a7 ,! t]m smoke includes ! smok+ (    
cig>ettes 7includ+ e-cig>ettes or       
electronic cig>ettes71 cig>s1 pipes1 &  
any o!r combu/ion ( tobacco4  7#b7 ,!   
t]m facility ( ! ,vet]ans ,heal?        
,adm9i/ration means any l& or build+    

7includ+ any m$ical c5t]1 nurs+ home1   
domicili>y facility1 outpati5t cl9ic1 or
 c5t] t provides readju/m5t c\nsel+7 t  
is--  7,a7 "u ! jurisdiction ( !        
,dep>tm5t ( ,vet]ans ,affairs2  7,b7 "u 
! control ( ! ,vet]ans ,heal?           
,adm9i/ration2 &  7,c7 n "u ! control ( 
! ,g5]al ,s]vices ,adm9i/ration4  7#c7  
,! t]m community liv+ c5t] means a      
facility ( ! ,dep>tm5t t provides nurs+ 
home c>e4  4  7b7 ,con=m+ am5dm5ts  7#a7
 ,! table ( sections at ! beg9n+ ( *apt]
 #ag ( su* title is am5d$ by /rik+ !    
item relat+ to section #agae & ins]t+ ! 
foll[+3  #agae4 ,prohibition on smok+ 9 
facilities ( ! ,vet]ans ,heal?          
,adm9i/ration4  4  7#b7 ,section #ebf ( 
! ,vet]ans ,heal? ,c>e ,act ( #aiib     
7,public ,law #ajb-ehe7 is repeal$4  7c7
 ,effective date ,?is section %all take 
effect #ij days aft] ! date ( ! enactm5t
 ( ?is ,act4  ,pass$ ! ,h\se (          
,repres5tatives ,july #bd1 #bjag4;,cl]k4