#aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  ,s4   
#ghg  ,,an ,,act  ,to amend title #ch1  
,united ,states ,code1 to establish a   
commission to review operations at the  
,veterans ,health ,administration and   
submit to ,congress reports with respect
 to that review1 and for other purposes4
  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be    
cited as the ,vet,p,a,c ,act of #bjbe4  
#b4 ,establishment of ,veterans ,health 
,administration ,policy ,advisory       
,commission  7a7 ,in general ,chapter #a
 of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is
 amended by adding at the end the       
following new section3  #abj4 ,veterans 
,health ,administration ,policy         
,advisory ,commission  7a7              
,establishment ,there is established the
 ,veterans ,health ,administration      
,policy ,advisory ,commission 7in this  
section referred to as the ,commission74
  7b7 ,membership  7#a7 ,composition    
,the ,commission shall be composed of   
#ag members appointed by the            
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    

,states1 of which not fewer than #b     
shall be veterans4  7#b7 ,qualifications
  7,a7 ,in general ,an individual is    
eligible for appointment to the         
,commission under paragraph 7#a7 if the 
individual has significant expertise in 
operating or advising large medical     
systems1 including expertise in quality 
of care1 staffing issues1 information   
technology1 artificial intelligence in  
health care1 medical supply chains1     
procurement of medical supplies1 medical
 facility construction or leasing1      
medical facility architecture or        
engineering1 medical research1 and      
managed care plans and networks4  7,b7  
,experience of members ,in appointing   
members under paragraph 7#a71 the       
,comptroller ,general shall select      
individuals from backgrounds that       
reflect the broad diversity of health   
care received by veterans1 including    
nonprofit health systems1 public and    
private health systems1 care furnished  
by the ,veterans ,health                

,administration1 and care furnished by  
the ,department of ,defense4  7#c7      
,ethical disclosure ,a member of the    
,commission shall be considered an      
employee of ,congress whose compensation
 is disbursed by the ,secretary of the  
,senate for purposes of applying        
subchapter ,i of chapter #aca of title  
#e1 ,united ,states ,code1 except that a
 member of the ,commission is required  
to file public financial disclosure     
reports without regard to their number  
of days of service or rate of pay4  7c7 
,period of appointment2 vacancies  7#a7 
,terms ,a member of the ,commission     
shall be appointed under subsection     
7b77#a7 for a term of #e years1 except  
that the ,comptroller ,general shall    
designate staggered terms for the       
members first appointed4  7#b7          
,vacancies  7,a7 ,in general ,a vacancy 
on the ,commission shall be filled in   
the manner in which the original        
appointment was made and shall be       
subject to any conditions that applied  

with respect to the original            
appointment4  7,b7 ,filling unexpired   
term ,an individual chosen to fill a    
vacancy shall be appointed for the      
unexpired term of the member replaced4  
7#c7 ,expiration of terms ,the term of  
any member shall not expire before the  
date on which the member's successor    
takes office4  7d7 ,meetings  7#a7      
,frequency ,the ,commission shall meet  
at the call of the ,chairman1 but not   
less frequently than once per year4     
7#b7 ,quorum ,a majority of the members 
of the ,commission shall constitute a   
quorum1 but a lesser number of members  
may hold meetings4  7e7 ,chairman and   
,vice ,chairman ,the ,comptroller       
,general shall designate one member of  
the ,commission as ,chairman and one    
member of the ,commission as ,vice      
,chairman1 at the time of appointment of
 such member and for the term of        
appointment of such member1 except that 
in the case of vacancy of the           
,chairmanship or ,vice ,chairmanship1   

the ,comptroller ,general may designate 
another member for the remainder of that
 member's term4  7f7 ,duties of the     
,commission  7#a7 ,review ,the          
,commission shall-- 7,a7 review         
operations at the ,veterans ,health     
,administration2 and  7,b7 prepare      
reports for ,congress based on such     
review1 including recommendations to    
,congress4  7#b7 ,topics to be reviewed 
,in conducting a review under paragraph 
7#a77;,a71 the ,commission shall include
 periodic reviews of the following1     
taking into consideration other         
independent assessments in selecting    
topics to limit duplicative efforts3    
7,a7 ,information technology            
infrastructure at medical facilities of 
the ,department1 including with respect 
to electronic health record systems4    
7,b7 ,referrals to care at facilities of
 the ,department and under the ,veterans
 ,community ,care ,program under section
 #agjc of this title1 and factors       
impacting those referrals4  7,c7 ,access

 and wait times at medical facilities of
 the ,department and under the ,veterans
 ,community ,care ,program1 including   
both primary and specialty care1 and    
factors impacting those wait times4     
7,d7 ,the quality of health care        
furnished by the ,department and through
 the ,veterans ,community ,care         
,program4  7,e7 ,workforce issues1      
including workforce performance1        
recruitment1 and retention factors4     
7,f7 ,patient satisfaction and customer 
service at medical facilities of the    
,department and through the ,veterans   
,community ,care ,program4  7,g7 ,the   
training of health care providers and   
the standards of care at facilities of  
the ,department and in the ,veterans    
,community ,care ,program4  7,h7 ,the   
long-term budgetary outlook of the      
,veterans ,health ,administration1 as   
well as key components driving budgetary
 changes over time4  7,i7 ,procurement  
of supplies at medical facilities of the
 ,department4  7,j7 ,the research       

program of the ,department1 including   
both internal and external research4    
7,k7 ,hospital construction1 leasing1   
and capital requirements4  7,l7 ,the    
interaction of care under the ,medicare 
program under title ,,xviii of the      
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#acie et seq471 the ,medicaid program   
under title ,,xix of such ,act 7#db     
,u4,s4,c4 #acif et seq471 the ,,tricare 
program under chapter #ee of title #aj1 
and commercial health care plans with   
care furnished by the ,veterans ,health 
,administration4  7#c7 ,use of existing 
data ,in carrying out the requirements  
of this subsection1 the ,commission1 to 
the extent practicable1 shall use       
existing data that has been compiled by 
the ,department1 compiled for the       
,department1 or purchased by the        
,department1 including-- 7,a7 data      
described in subsection 7c77#a7 of      
section #agjd;,a of this title2 and     
7,b7 the results of the independent     
assessments conducted under such        

section4  7#d7 ,issues regarding veteran
 health care delivery generally ,in     
carrying out the requirements of this   
subsection1 the ,commission shall review
 the effect of policies under this title
 on the delivery of health care services
 to veterans and assess the implications
 of changes in health care delivery for 
veterans under the laws administered by 
the ,secretary4  7#e7 ,transmittal of   
certain reports ,if the ,secretary or   
the ,inspector ,general of the          
,department of ,veterans ,affairs       
submits to ,congress 7or a committee of 
,congress7 a report that is required by 
law and that relates to policies for    
health care furnished under the laws    
administered by the ,secretary1 the     
,secretary shall transmit a copy of that
 report to the ,commission4  7#f7       
,consultation and additional reviews and
 studies  7,a7 ,consultation ,in        
carrying out the requirements of this   
subsection1 the ,commission shall       
consult periodically with the chairmen  

and ranking members of the ,committee on
 ,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate and 
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of
 the ,house of ,representatives         
regarding the agenda of the ,commission 
and progress towards achieving that     
agenda4  7,b7 ,additional reviews and   
reports ,the ,commission may conduct    
additional reviews1 and may submit      
additional reports to the ,committee on 
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate and  
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of
 the ,house of ,representatives1 from   
time to time on such topics relating to 
the activities of the ,commission as may
 be requested by the ,chairman and      
members and as the ,commission          
determines appropriate4  7,c7 ,special  
studies ,the ,commission may conduct    
special studies requested by the        
chairman or ranking member of the       
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,senate or the ,committee on ,veterans'
 ,affairs of the ,house of              
,representatives and as the ,commission 

determines appropriate4  7#g7           
,coordination ,in carrying out reviews1 
preparing reports1 and conducting       
studies under this section1 the         
,commission shall1 to the extent        
practicable1 coordinate with the        
,inspector ,general of the ,department  
to ensure the work of the ,commission   
does not interfere with investigations  
or remediations underway by the         
,inspector ,general4  7#h7 ,budgetary   
considerations ,before making any       
recommendations to ,congress1 the       
,commission shall examine the budget    
consequences of such recommendations1   
directly or through consultation with   
appropriate expert entities4  7#i7      
,report  7,a7 ,in general ,by not later 
than ,march #ae of each year1 the       
,commission shall submit to ,congress a 
report containing the results and       
recommendations from the review         
conducted under paragraph 7#a74  7,b7   
,inclusion of recommendations ,a        
recommendation may be included in a     

report under subparagraph 7,a7 if a     
simple majority of the members of the   
,commission vote to include the         
recommendation in the report4  7g7      
,powers of ,commission  7#a7 ,in general
 ,the ,commission may-- 7,a7 employ and 
fix the compensation of an ,executive   
,director 7at a rate of pay not greater 
than that provided for level ,,iii of   
the ,executive ,schedule under section  
#ecad of title #e7 and such other       
personnel as may be necessary to carry  
out the duties of the ,commission1      
without regard to the provisions of     
title #e governing appointments in the  
competitive service2  7,b7 seek such    
assistance and support as may be        
required in the performance of its      
duties from appropriate departments and 
agencies of the ,united ,states or      
departments or agencies of a ,state2    
7,c7 enter into contracts or make other 
arrangements1 as may be necessary for   
the conduct of the work of the          
,commission 7without regard to section  

#cgji of the ,revised ,statutes 7#da    
,u4,s4,c4 #faja772  7,d7 make advance1  
progress1 and other payments that relate
 to the work of the ,commission2  7,e7  
provide transportation and subsistence  
for individuals serving the ,commission 
without compensation2 and  7,f7         
prescribe such rules and regulations as 
the ,commission determines necessary    
with respect to the internal            
organization and operation of the       
,commission4  7#b7 ,data collection ,in 
order to carry out its functions1 the   
,commission shall-- 7,a7 utilize        
existing information1 both published and
 unpublished1 if possible1 collected and
 assessed either by its own staff or    
under other arrangements made in        
accordance with this section2  7,b7     
carry out1 or award grants or contracts 
for1 original research and              
experimentation1 if existing information
 is inadequate2 and  7,c7 adopt         
procedures allowing any interested party
 to submit information for use by the   

,commission in making reports and       
recommendations4  7#c7 ,information from
 ,federal agencies  7,a7 ,in general    
,the ,commission may secure directly    
from any relevant department or agency  
of the ,united ,states health care      
information the ,chairman determines    
would be helpful to enable the          
,commission to carry out this section4  
7,b7 ,timing ,upon request of the       
,chairman1 the head of a department or  
agency of the ,united ,states shall     
furnish information requested under     
subparagraph 7,a7 to the ,commission on 
an agreed upon schedule or not later    
than #ahj days after the date of the    
request4  7h7 ,compensation  7#a7       
,members  7,a7 ,in general ,while       
conducting the business of the          
,commission 7including travel time71 a  
member of the ,commission shall be      
entitled to compensation at the per diem
 equivalent of the rate provided for    
level ,,iv of the ,executive ,schedule  
under section #ecae of title #e4  7,b7  

,travel expenses ,while conducting the  
business of the ,commission away from   
home and the regular place of business  
of the member1 a member may be allowed  
travel expenses1 as authorized by the   
,chairman4  7#b7 ,physician             
comparability allowance for personnel   
,the ,commission may provide a physician
 comparability allowance to physicians  
serving as personnel of the ,commission 
in the same manner as physicians of the 
,federal ,government may be provided    
such an allowance by an agency under    
section #eidh of title #e1 and for such 
purpose1 subsection 7i7 of such section 
shall apply to the ,commission in the   
same manner as it applies to the        
,tennessee ,valley ,authority4  7#c7    
,treatment of personnel ,for purposes of
 pay 7other than pay of members of the  
,commission7 and employment benefits1   
rights1 and privileges1 all personnel of
 the ,commission shall be treated as if 
they were employees of the ,united      
,states ,senate4  7i7 ,detail of        

,federal employees ,an employee of the  
,federal ,government may be detailed to 
the ,commission without reimbursement   
and without interruption or loss of     
civil service status or privileges4  7j7
 ,access of congressional support       
agencies to information ,the ,commission
 shall provide to the ,comptroller      
,general1 the ,congressional ,research  
,service1 and the ,congressional ,budget
 ,office unrestricted access to all     
deliberations1 records1 and             
nonproprietary data of the ,commission  
not later than #cj days after such      
access is requested4  7k7 ,authorization
 of appropriations ,the ,commission     
shall submit requests for appropriations
 in the same manner as the ,comptroller 
,general submits requests for           
appropriations1 but amounts appropriated
 for the ,commission shall be separate  
from amounts appropriated for the       
,comptroller ,general4  4  7b7 ,clerical
 amendment ,the table of sections at the
 beginning of such chapter is amended by

 inserting after the item relating to   
section #aai the following new item3    
#abj4 ,veterans ,health ,administration 
,policy ,advisory ,commission4  4  7c7  
,initial appointment ,not later than    
#bhj days after the date on which       
amounts are first appropriated to the   
,veterans ,health ,administration       
,policy ,advisory ,commission           
established under section #abj of title 
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 as added by 
subsection 7a71 the ,comptroller        
,general of the ,united ,states shall   
make initial appointments of members to 
the ,commission under subsection 7b77#a7
 of such section4  ,passed the ,senate  
,december #ah1 #bjbe4,secretary