,i  #aaf? ,,congress  #a/ ,session  ,h4 
,r4 #cjab  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(           
,,repres5tatives  ,may #bc1 #bjai,mr4   
,r\z] 7= himself1 ,mr4 ,mead[s1 ,mr4    
,la,malfa1 ,mr4 ,hudson1 & ,mr4         
,f]guson7 introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2 :i* 0
 ref]r$ to ! ,committee on ,vet]ans'    
,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to direct !       
,secret>y ( ,vet]ans ,affairs to conduct
 outrea* to vet]ans reg>d+ ! effect (   
delay$ paym5ts ( claims = em]g5cy m$ical
 c>e furni%$ by non-,dep>tm5t ( ,vet]ans
 ,affairs m$ical provid]s by ! ,(fice ( 
,community ,c>e & to direct ! ,secret>y 
to submit to ,congress an annual report 
reg>d+ su* delay$ paym5ts4  #a4 ,%ort   
title ,?is ,act may be cit$ z !         
,vet]ans' ,cr$it ,protection ,act4  #b4 
,outrea* to vet]ans reg>d+ effect (     
c]ta9 delay$ paym5ts by ,dep>tm5t (     
,vet]ans ,affairs ,(fice ( ,community   
,c>e  7a7 ,outrea* ,! ,secret>y (       
,vet]ans ,affairs %all conduct outrea*1 
includ+ ?r\gh national & local vet]ans  
s]vice organizations1 to in=m vet]ans ( 

h[ to resolve cr$it issues caus$ by     
delay$ paym5t ( an eligible claim =     
em]g5cy hospital c>e1 em]g5cy m$ical    
s]vices1 or o!r em]g5cy heal? c>e       
furni%$ ?r\gh a non-,dep>tm5t ( ,vet]ans
 ,affairs provid]4  7b7 ,annual report  
7#a7 ,9 g5]al ,dur+ ! five-ye> p]iod    
foll[+ ! date ( ! enactm5t ( ?is ,act1 !
 ,secret>y ( ,vet]ans ,affairs %all     
annually submit to ,congress a report on
 ! effectiv5ess ( ! ,(fice ( ,community 
,c>e 7or successor (fice7 9 provid+     
timely paym5t ( prop] invoices = em]g5cy
 hospital c>e1 em]g5cy m$ical s]vices1  
or o!r em]g5cy heal? c>e furni%$ ?r\gh  
non-,dep>tm5t ( ,vet]ans ,affairs       
provid]s by ! requir$ paym5t date4  7#b7
 ,p]iods cov]$  7,a7 ,! fir/ report     
submitt$ "u p>agraph 7#a7 %all cov] !   
five-ye> p]iod prec$+ ! date ( ! report1
 to ! greate/ ext5t practicable4 ,)     
respect to cov]+ ! "p ( su* p]iod t     
occurr$ be=e ,octob] #a1 #bjae1 ! report
 %all evaluate ! provision by ! ,vet]ans
 ,integrat$ ,s]vice ,networks ( paym5ts 

describ$ 9 su* p>agraph4  7,b7 ,!       
reports foll[+ ! fir/ report %all ea*   
cov] ! p]iod foll[+ ! date on :i* !     
prior report 0 submitt$4  7#c7 ,matt]s  
includ$ ,! reports "u p>agraph 7#a7 %all
 include1 = ! p]iod cov]$ by ! report1 !
 foll[+3 7,a7 ,! numb] ( vet]ans :o     
contact$ ! ,secret>y reg>d+ a delay$    
paym5t t negatively affect$1 or w       
pot5tially negatively affect1 ! cr$it ( 
! vet]an4  7,b7 ,! numb] ( prop]        
invoices submitt$1 li/$ 9 a table = ea* 
qu>t] & fiscal ye> ( ea* su* p]iod t    
includes--  7i7 ! total am\nt ow$ by !  
,secret>y "u ! prop] invoices2  7ii7 !  
paym5t /atus ( ea* prop] invoice1 z ( ! 
date ( ! report2 &  7iii7 ! p]iod t     
elaps$ until ea* prop] invoice 0 paid1  
includ+ an explanation ( any delay$     
paym5t4  7,c7 ,any comm5ts reg>d+ delay$
 paym5ts made by m$ical provid]s4  7,d7 
,a description ( ! be/ practices t !    
,(fice ( ,community ,c>e 7or successor  
(fice7 c c>ry out to provide timely     
paym5t ( a prop] invoice1 includ+ a plan

 to improve su* timely paym5ts4  7,e7 ,)
 respect to p5d+ claims = reimbursem5t =
 em]g5cy hospital c>e1 em]g5cy m$ical   
s]vices1 & o!r em]g5cy heal? c>e furni%$
 ?r\gh non-,dep>tm5t ( ,vet]ans ,affairs
 provid]s--  7i7 ! total numb] ( su*    
p5d+ claims = ea* hospital sy/em ( !    
,dep>tm5t1 z ( ! la/ day ( ! p]iod cov]$
 by ! report2  7ii7 ! total numb] (     
vet]ans :o submitt$ su* a p5d+ claim 9  
ea* ,/ate1 z ( su* day2  7iii7 !        
aggregate am\nt ( all su* p5d+ claims 9 
ea* ,/ate1 z ( su* day2  7iv7 z ( su*   
day-- 7,i7 ! numb] ( su* p5d+ claims t h
 be5 p5d+ = #cj days or long]2  7,,ii7 !
 numb] ( su* p5d+ claims t h be5 p5d+ = 
#ij days or long]2 &  7,,iii7 ! numb] ( 
su* p5d+ claims t h be5 p5d+ = #cfe days
 or long]2 &  7v7 = ea* hospital sy/em1 
= ! p]iod cov]$ by ! report-- 7,i7 !    
numb] ( claims = reimbursem5t = em]g5cy 
hospital c>e1 em]g5cy m$ical s]vices1 & 
o!r em]g5cy heal? c>e furni%$ ?r\gh     
non-,dep>tm5t ( ,vet]ans ,affairs       
provid]s approv$ dur+ su* qu>t]2  7,,ii7

 ! numb] ( su* claims d5i$ dur+ su*     
qu>t]2 &  7,,iii7 ! numb] ( su* claims  
d5i$ li/$ by ea* d5ial reason gr\p4  7c7
 ,comptroll] ,g5]al /udy  7#a7 ,9 g5]al 
,! ,comptroll] ,g5]al ( ! ,unit$ ,/ates 
%all conduct a /udy t evaluates !       
effectiv5ess ( ! ,(fice ( ,community    
,c>e 9 provid+ timely paym5t ( a prop]  
invoice = em]g5cy hospital c>e1 em]g5cy 
m$ical s]vices1 or o!r em]g5cy heal? c>e
 furni%$ ?r\gh non-,dep>tm5t ( ,vet]ans 
,affairs provid]s by ! requir$ paym5t   
date4  7#b7 ,submittal ,! ,comptroll]   
,g5]al %all submit to ,congress a report
 on ! /udy conduct$ "u p>agraph 7#a71   
includ+ ! total am\nt ( int]e/ p5alties 
paid by ! ,secret>y ( ,vet]ans ,affairs 
by reason ( a delay$ paym5t4  7d7       
,def9itions ,9 ?is section3 7#a7 ,! t]m 
delay$ paym5t means a prop] invoice t is
 n paid by ! ,secret>y ( ,vet]ans       
,affairs until aft] ! requir$ paym5t    
date4  7#b7 ,! t]m prop] invoice has !  
mean+ giv5 t t]m 9 section #cija7;a7 (  
title #ca1 ,unit$ ,/ates ,code4  7#c7 ,!

 t]m requir$ paym5t date means1 )       
respect to prop] invoices = em]g5cy     
hospital c>e1 em]g5cy m$ical s]vices1 or
 o!r em]g5cy heal? c>e1 ! date t paym5t 
is due pursuant to /&>ds det]m9$        
appropriate by ! ,secret>y4