Veterans' Health Care Integrity Act of 2017
This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to ensure that the director of each VA medical facility annually certifies that: (1) the facility is in full compliance with all provisions of law and regulations relating to scheduling appointments for veterans hospital care and medical services, and (2) any official data on appointment wait times is accurate.
The VA may not waive any applicable provision of such laws or regulations.
If unable to make such certification, a director shall provide the VA with an explanation of any noncompliance and a description of compliance actions being taken. If a director does not make a certification for any year, each covered official may not receive specified awards or bonuses during the subsequent year. "Covered officials" are a facility's director, chief of staff, associate director, associate director for patient care, and deputy chief of staff.
The VA shall ensure that its directives and policies apply to, and are implemented by, each VA office or facility in a uniform manner.
The following VA positions shall be appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate: (1) Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Operations and Management, (2) Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Policy and Services, (3) Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Benefits, (4) Deputy Under Secretary for Disability Assistance, and (5) Deputy Under Secretary for Field Operations.
[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2555 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2555
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure compliance of
medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs with
requirements relating to the scheduling of appointments, to require
appointment by the President and confirmation by the Senate of certain
health care officials of the Department, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 19, 2017
Mrs. Love (for herself and Ms. Sinema) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in
addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a
period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure compliance of
medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs with
requirements relating to the scheduling of appointments, to require
appointment by the President and confirmation by the Senate of certain
health care officials of the Department, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans' Health Care Integrity Act
of 2017''.
SEC. 2. COMPLIANCE OF MEDICAL FACILITIES WITH REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO
SCHEDULING OF APPOINTMENTS FOR HOSPITAL CARE AND MEDICAL
SERVICES.
(a) Annual Certification.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
ensure that the director of each medical facility of the
Department of Veterans Affairs annually certifies to the
Secretary that--
(A) the medical facility is in full compliance with
all regulations and other provisions of law relating to
scheduling appointments for veterans to receive
hospital care or medical services, including Veterans
Health Administration Directive 1230 or any successor
directive; and
(B) any official data on wait times for
appointments to receive hospital care or medical
services submitted by the director to the Secretary
during the year preceding the submittal of the
certification is true and accurate to the best of the
director's knowledge.
(2) Prohibition on waiver.--The Secretary may not waive any
regulation or other provision of law described in paragraph (1)
for a medical facility of the Department if such regulation or
other provision of law otherwise applies to the medical
facility.
(b) Explanation of Noncompliance.--If a director of a medical
facility of the Department does not make a certification under
subsection (a)(1) for any year, the director shall submit to the
Secretary a report containing--
(1) an explanation of why the director is unable to make
such certification; and
(2) a description of the actions the director is taking to
ensure full compliance with the regulations and other
provisions of law described in such subsection.
(c) Prohibition on Bonuses Based on Noncompliance.--
(1) In general.--If a director of a medical facility of the
Department does not make a certification under subsection
(a)(1) for any year, no covered official described in paragraph
(2) may receive an award or bonus under chapter 45 or 53 of
title 5, United States Code, or any other award or bonus
authorized under such title or title 38, United States Code,
during the year following the year in which the certification
was not made.
(2) Covered official described.--A covered official
described in this paragraph is each official who serves in the
following positions at a medical facility of the Department
during a year, or portion thereof, for which the director does
not make a certification under subsection (a)(1):
(A) The director.
(B) The chief of staff.
(C) The associate director.
(D) The associate director for patient care.
(E) The deputy chief of staff.
(d) Annual Report.--Not less frequently than annually, the
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the
Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of
Representatives a report containing, with respect to the year covered
by the report--
(1) a list of each medical facility of the Department for
which a certification was made under subsection (a)(1); and
(2) a list of each medical facility of the Department for
which such a certification was not made, including a copy of
each report submitted to the Secretary under subsection (b).
SEC. 3. UNIFORM APPLICATION OF DIRECTIVES AND POLICIES OF DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall apply the
directives and policies of the Department of Veterans Affairs to each
office or facility of the Department in a uniform manner.
(b) Notification.--If the Secretary does not uniformly apply the
directives and policies of the Department pursuant to subsection (a),
including by waiving such a directive or policy with respect to an
office, facility, or element of the Department, the Secretary shall
notify the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives of such
nonuniform application, including an explanation for the nonuniform
application.
SEC. 4. REQUIREMENT FOR APPOINTMENT AND CONFIRMATION OF CERTAIN
OFFICIALS OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health.--Subsection (c) of
section 7306 of title 38, United States Code, is amended to read as
follows:
``(c)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), appointments under
subsection (a) shall be made by the Secretary.
``(2) Appointments under subsection (a)(1) shall be made by the
President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.
``(3) In the case of appointments under paragraphs (1), (2), (3),
(4), and (8) of subsection (a), such appointments shall be made upon
the recommendation of the Under Secretary for Health.''.
(b) Other Deputy Under Secretary Positions.--
(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, the Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Operations and
Management of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Deputy
Under Secretary for Health for Policy and Services of the
Department, the Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Benefits
of the Department, the Deputy Under Secretary for Disability
Assistance of the Department, and the Deputy Under Secretary
for Field Operations of the Department shall be appointed by
the President, by and with the advice and consent of the
Senate.
(2) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection shall
be construed to authorize the establishment of any new position
within the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(c) Application.--Subsection (b) and the amendment made by
subsection (a) shall apply to appointments made on and after the date
of the enactment of this Act.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
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