,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #adgg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #bi1     
#bjag ,mr4 ,flake introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
prohibit the use of official time for   
labor organizing activities by employees
 of the ,department of ,veterans        
,affairs unless all veterans seeking    
hospital care or medical services from  
the ,department are able to schedule    
their appointments within the wait-time 
goals of the ,veterans ,health          
,administration1 and for other purposes4
  #a4 ,short title  ,this ,act may be   
cited as the ,serve ,veterans ,first    
,act of #bjag4  #b4 ,temporary          
prohibition on use of official time by  
employees of ,department of ,veterans   
,affairs for labor organizing activities
  7a7 ,temporary prohibition            
,notwithstanding section #gaca of title 
#e1 ,united ,states ,code1 no employee  

of the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs
 may use official time for any purpose  
relating to a labor organization--  7#a7
 before any determination has been made 
under subsection 7b72 or  7#b7 if the   
most recent determination made under    
subsection 7b7 was that a veteran       
attempted to schedule an appointment for
 the receipt of hospital care or a      
medical service under chapter #ag of    
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 but   
was unable to schedule the appointment  
within the wait-time goals of the       
,veterans ,health ,administration for   
the furnishing of such care or service4 
7b7 ,determinations  7#a7 ,annual       
determinations ,at the end of each      
calendar year1 the ,inspector ,general  
of the ,department shall determine      
whether any veteran attempted1 during   
such year1 to schedule an appointment   
for the receipt of hospital care or a   
medical service under chapter #ag of    
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 but   
was unable to schedule the appointment  

within the wait-time goals of the       
,veterans ,health ,administration for   
the furnishing of such care or service4 
7#b7 ,investigations and subsequent     
determinations ,the ,inspector ,general 
of the ,department-- 7,a7 shall         
investigate each report the ,inspector  
,general receives of the case of an     
attempt by a veteran to schedule an     
appointment for the receipt of hospital 
care or a medical service under chapter 
#ag of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1
 in which the veteran was unable to     
schedule the appointment within the     
wait-time goals of the ,veterans ,health
 ,administration for the furnishing of  
such care or service2 and  7,b7 may1    
pursuant to an investigation carried out
 under subparagraph 7,a71 determine that
 a veteran attempted to schedule an     
appointment for the receipt of hospital 
care or a medical service under chapter 
#ag of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1
 but was unable to schedule the         
appointment within the wait-time goals  

of the ,veterans ,health ,administration
 for the furnishing of such care or     
service4  7c7 ,definitions ,in this     
section3 7#a7 ,official time ,the term  
official time means any period of time--
  7,a7 which may be granted to an       
employee under chapter #ga of title #e1 
,united ,states ,code1 including a      
collective bargaining agreement entered 
into under such chapter1 or chapter #gd 
of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 to 
perform representational or consultative
 functions2 and  7,b7 during which the  
employee would otherwise be in a duty   
status4  7#b7 ,wait-time goals of the   
,veterans ,health ,administration ,the  
term wait-time goals of the ,veterans   
,health ,administration means not more  
than #cj days from the date on which a  
veteran requests an appointment for     
hospital care or medical services from  
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs4