,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #aafc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #ag1      
#bjag,mr4 ,cornyn 7for himself1 ,mr4    
,nelson1 ,mr4 ,hatch1 ,mr4 ,cruz1 and   
,mr4 ,cotton7 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 ensure         
compliance of medical facilities of the 
,department of ,veterans ,affairs with  
requirements relating to the scheduling 
of appointments1 to require appointment 
by the ,president and confirmation by   
the ,senate of certain health care      
officials of the ,department1 and for   
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,veterans'     
,health ,care ,integrity ,act of #bjag4 
#b4 ,compliance of medical facilities   
with requirements relating to scheduling
 of appointments for hospital care and  
medical services  7a7 ,annual           
certification  7#a7 ,in general ,the    

,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
ensure that the director of each medical
 facility of the ,department of         
,veterans ,affairs annually certifies to
 the ,secretary that--  7,a7 the medical
 facility is in full compliance with all
 regulations and other provisions of law
 relating to scheduling appointments for
 veterans to receive hospital care or   
medical services1 including ,veterans   
,health ,administration ,directive #abcj
 or any successor directive2 and  7,b7  
any official data on wait times for     
appointments to receive hospital care or
 medical services submitted by the      
director to the ,secretary during the   
year preceding the submittal of the     
certification is true and accurate to   
the best of the director's knowledge4   
7#b7 ,prohibition on waiver ,the        
,secretary may not waive any regulation 
or other provision of law described in  
paragraph 7#a7 for a medical facility of
 the ,department if such regulation or  
other provision of law otherwise applies

 to the medical facility4  7b7          
,explanation of noncompliance ,if a     
director of a medical facility of the   
,department does not make a             
certification under subsection 7a77#a7  
for any year1 the director shall submit 
to the ,secretary a report containing-- 
7#a7 an explanation of why the director 
is unable to make such certification2   
and  7#b7 a description of the actions  
the director is taking to ensure full   
compliance with the regulations and     
other provisions of law described in    
such subsection4  7c7 ,prohibition on   
bonuses based on noncompliance  7#a7 ,in
 general ,if a director of a medical    
facility of the ,department does not    
make a certification under subsection   
7a77#a7 for any year1 no covered        
official described in paragraph 7#b7 may
 receive an award or bonus under chapter
 #de or #ec of title #e1 ,united ,states
 ,code1 or any other award or bonus     
authorized under such title or title    
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 during the  

year following the year in which the    
certification was not made4  7#b7       
,covered official described ,a covered  
official described in this paragraph is 
each official who serves in the         
following positions at a medical        
facility of the ,department during a    
year1 or portion thereof1 for which the 
director does not make a certification  
under subsection 7a77#a73  7,a7 ,the    
director4  7,b7 ,the chief of staff4    
7,c7 ,the associate director4  7,d7 ,the
 associate director for patient care4   
7,e7 ,the deputy chief of staff4  7d7   
,annual report ,not less frequently than
 annually1 the ,secretary shall submit  
to the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs
 of the ,senate and the ,committee on   
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of    
,representatives a report containing1   
with respect to the year covered by the 
report--  7#a7 a list of each medical   
facility of the ,department for which a 
certification was made under subsection 
7a77#a72 and  7#b7 a list of each       

medical facility of the ,department for 
which such a certification was not made1
 including a copy of each report        
submitted to the ,secretary under       
subsection 7b74  #c4 ,uniform           
application of directives and policies  
of ,department of ,veterans ,affairs    
7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of      
,veterans ,affairs shall apply the      
directives and policies of the          
,department of ,veterans ,affairs to    
each office or facility of the          
,department in a uniform manner4  7b7   
,notification ,if the ,secretary does   
not uniformly apply the directives and  
policies of the ,department pursuant to 
subsection 7a71 including by waiving    
such a directive or policy with respect 
to an office1 facility1 or element of   
the ,department1 the ,secretary shall   
notify the ,committee on ,veterans'     
,affairs of the ,senate and the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,house of ,representatives of such     
nonuniform application1 including an    

explanation for the nonuniform          
application4  #d4 ,requirement for      
appointment and confirmation of certain 
officials of ,department of ,veterans   
,affairs  7a7 ,principal ,deputy ,under 
,secretary for ,health ,subsection 7c7  
of section #gcjf of title #ch1 ,united  
,states ,code1 is amended to read as    
follows3  7c7 7#a7 ,except as provided  
in paragraph 7#b71 appointments under   
subsection 7a7 shall be made by the     
,secretary4  7#b7 ,appointments under   
subsection 7a77#a7 shall be made by the 
,president1 by and with the advice and  
consent of the ,senate4  7#c7 ,in the   
case of appointments under paragraphs   
7#a71 7#b71 7#c71 7#d71 and 7#h7 of     
subsection 7a71 such appointments shall 
be made upon the recommendation of the  
,under ,secretary for ,health4  4  7b7  
,other ,deputy ,under ,secretary        
positions  7#a7 ,in general             
,notwithstanding any other provision of 
law1 the ,deputy ,under ,secretary for  
,health for ,operations and ,management 

of the ,department of ,veterans         
,affairs1 the ,deputy ,under ,secretary 
for ,health for ,policy and ,services of
 the ,department1 the ,principal ,deputy
 ,under ,secretary for ,benefits of the 
,department1 the ,deputy ,under         
,secretary for ,disability ,assistance  
of the ,department1 and the ,deputy     
,under ,secretary for ,field ,operations
 of the ,department shall be appointed  
by the ,president1 by and with the      
advice and consent of the ,senate4  7#b7
 ,rule of construction ,nothing in this 
subsection shall be construed to        
authorize the establishment of any new  
position within the ,department of      
,veterans ,affairs4  7c7 ,application   
,subsection 7b7 and the amendment made  
by subsection 7a7 shall apply to        
appointments made on and after the date 
of the enactment of this ,act4