,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hbab  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,september #aa1      
#bjbj,mr4 ,cunningham 7for himself and  
,mr4 ,banks7 introduced the following   
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a   
,,bill  ,to direct the ,secretary of    
,veterans ,affairs to conduct studies on
 alternative work schedules for         
employees of the ,veterans ,health      
,administration1 and for other matters4 
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,,va ,expanded ,care ,hours ,act
 or the ,,echo ,act4  #b4 ,studies on   
alternative work schedules for employees
 of ,veterans ,health ,administration   
7a7 ,study of veterans  7#a7 ,in general
 ,not later than #ahj days after the    
date of the enactment of this ,act1 the 
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
conduct a study on the attitudes of     
eligible veterans toward the ,department
 of ,veterans ,affairs offering         
appointments outside the usual operating

 hours of facilities of the ,department1
 including through the use of telehealth
 appointments4  7#b7 ,eligible veteran  
defined ,in this subsection1 the term   
eligible veteran means a veteran who--  
7,a7 is enrolled in the patient         
enrollment system of the ,department    
under section #agje7;a7 of title #ch1   
,united ,states ,code2 and  7,b7        
received health care from the           
,department at least once during the    
two-year period ending on the date of   
the commencement of the study under     
paragraph 7#a74  7b7 ,department study  
7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #ahj   
days after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act1 the ,secretary shall conduct 
a study on the feasibility and          
advisability of offering appointments   
outside the usual operating hours of    
facilities of the ,department4  7#b7    
,study of employees ,the study required 
by paragraph 7#a7 shall include a study 
of the opinions of employees of the     
,veterans ,health ,administration1      

including clinical1 nonclinical1 and    
support staff1 with respect to offering 
appointments outside the usual operating
 hours of facilities of the ,department1
 including through the use of telehealth
 appointments4