,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #dej  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,february #ab1      
#bjai,mr4 ,gardner 7for himself and ,mr4
 ,peters7 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 carry out a pilot
 program to expedite the onboarding     
process for new medical providers of the
 ,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 to  
reduce the duration of the hiring       
process for such medical providers1 and 
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,veterans
 ,improved ,access and ,care ,act of    
#bjai4  #b4 ,pilot program on expediting
 the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs  
process for onboarding new medical      
providers  7a7 ,pilot program authorized
  7#a7 ,in general ,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  7#b7 ,goal for      
program ,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  7#a7 ,in general 
,the ,secretary shall select not fewer  
than ten medical facilities of the      
,department of ,veterans ,affairs at    
which to carry out the pilot program4   
7#b7 ,regional diversity ,the medical   
facilities selected under paragraph 7#a7
 shall be located in regionally diverse 
areas1 as determined by the ,secretary4 
7#c7 ,priority ,in selecting medical    
facilities under paragraph 7#a71 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 as are necessary for      
starting employment4  #c4 ,strategy to  
reduce duration of hiring process of    
,department of ,veterans ,affairs for   
licensed professional medical providers 
7a7 ,in general ,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 
7b7 ,expedited certification ,the       
strategy submitted under subsection 7a7 
shall describe how the overall          
certification of credentials process of 
the ,department for licensed            
professional medical providers can be   
expedited4