,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bafh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,november #bh1 
#bjag ,mr4 ,gardner introduced the      
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
amend the ,veterans ,access1 ,choice1   
and ,accountability ,act of #bjad to    
include in the ,veterans ,choice        
,program all veterans enrolled in the   
patient enrollment system of the        
,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 and  
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,veterans
 ,improved ,access and ,care ,act of    
#bjag4  #b4 ,expansion of ,veterans     
,choice ,program to include all enrolled
 veterans ,section #aja of the ,veterans
 ,access1 ,choice1 and ,accountability  
,act of #bjad 7,public ,law #aac-adf2   
#ch ,u4,s4,c4 #agja note7 is amended--  
7#a7 in subsection 7b71 by amending     
paragraph 7#b7 to read as follows3  7#b7
 the veteran elects to receive hospital 

care or medical services under this     
section4  2  7#b7 in subsection         
7c77#a7-- 7,a7 in the matter preceding  
subparagraph 7,a71 by striking ,in the  
case of an eligible veteran described in
 subsection 7b77#b77;,a71 the ,secretary
 shall1 at the election of the eligible 
veteran and inserting ,the ,secretary   
shall1 at the election of an eligible   
veteran2 and  7,b7 in subparagraph      
7,a7-- 7i7 by striking provide the      
veteran and inserting provide the       
eligible veteran2 and  7ii7 by striking 
described in such subsection and        
inserting of the ,veterans ,health      
,administration2  7#c7 in subsection    
7g71 by striking paragraph 7#c72 and    
7#d7 in subsection 7q77#b77;,a71 by     
striking 1 disaggregated by and all that
 follows through subsection             
7b77#b77;,d74  #c4 ,pilot program on    
expediting the ,department of ,veterans 
,affairs process for onboarding new     
medical providers  7a7 ,pilot program   
authorized ,the ,secretary of ,veterans 

,affairs shall carry out a pilot program
 to assess the feasibility and          
advisability of expediting the process  
of the ,veterans ,health ,administration
 for onboarding new medical providers4  
,under the pilot program1 the ,secretary
 shall seek to reduce the length of time
 it takes to onboard medical providers  
to no more than #fj days4  7b7          
,locations ,the ,secretary shall select 
medical facilities at which to carry out
 the pilot program4 ,in selecting such  
facilities1 the ,secretary shall give   
priority to medical facilities facing   
hiring shortages of licensed independent
 medical providers4  7c7 ,onboarding    
process defined ,in this section1 the   
term onboarding process means the       
process of bringing on a medical        
provider applicant after the medical    
provider is offered a tentative         
position1 including certification of    
credentialing1 background investigation1
 assessment of health status1 and such  
other actions are necessary for starting

 employment4  #d4 ,strategy to reduce   
duration of hiring process of           
,department of ,veterans ,affairs for   
licensed professional medical providers 
,not later than #ahj days after the date
 of the enactment of this ,act1 the     
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
submit to ,congress a strategy to reduce
 the duration of the hiring process of  
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs   
for licensed professional medical       
providers by half4 ,such strategy shall 
describe how the overall certification  
of credentials process for licensed     
professional medical providers can be   
expedited4  #e4 ,improving              
accountability within ,veterans ,health 
,administration by requiring reporting  
of major adverse actions taken to       
national practitioner data bank and     
,state licensing boards ,section #gdfa  
of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is 
amended by adding at the end the        
following new subsection3  7f7 ,whenever
 the ,under ,secretary for ,health 7or  

an official designated by the ,under    
,secretary7 brings charges based on     
conduct or performance against a section
 #gdja7a7 employee and as a result of   
those charges a major adverse action is 
taken against the employee1 the ,under  
,secretary shall1 not later than #cj    
days after the date on which such major 
adverse action is carried out1 transmit 
to the ,national ,practitioner ,data    
,bank and the applicable ,state         
licensing board the name of the         
employee1 a description of the major    
adverse action1 and a description of the
 reason for the major adverse action4  4