VA Medical Center Facility Transparency Act
This bill requires the directors of medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to submit to the VA and Congress an annual fact sheet containing specified information about their facility of jurisdiction (e.g., the number of veterans treated at the facility) and a quarterly fact sheet containing the average wait time for veterans to receive treatment at the facility.
The required fact sheets must be made publicly available in physical form at each medical facility and in an electronic form on the facility's website.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 765 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 765
To require directors of medical centers of the Department of Veterans
Affairs to submit annual fact sheets to the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs on the status of such facilities, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 3, 2021
Mrs. Lesko (for herself, Mrs. Lee of Nevada, Mr. Luetkemeyer, and Mrs.
Hartzler) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require directors of medical centers of the Department of Veterans
Affairs to submit annual fact sheets to the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs on the status of such facilities, 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 ``VA Medical Center Facility
Transparency Act''.
SEC. 2. INFORMATION ON MEDICAL FACILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS.
(a) Fact Sheets.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure
that each director of a medical center of the Department of Veterans
Affairs submits to the Secretary, the Committees on Veterans' Affairs
of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and the appropriate
Members of Congress the following:
(1) An annual concise, easy-to-read fact sheet containing,
with respect to the year covered by the fact sheet:
(A) Statistics regarding--
(i) the number of veterans who were treated
at a medical facility of the Department under
the jurisdiction of the director;
(ii) the number of appointments conducted
by each such facility;
(iii) the most common illnesses or
conditions for which treatment was furnished;
(iv) the satisfaction of veterans who were
treated at each such facility;
(v) how each such facility compares with
other facilities with respect to the
satisfaction of veterans who were treated at
the facilities; and
(vi) other matters the director determines
appropriate.
(B) A description of any successes or achievements
experienced by such facilities, including--
(i) actions taken to improve such
facilities;
(ii) actions taken to improve the access to
and quality of the care provided at such
facilities; and
(iii) any other accomplishments determined
appropriate by the director.
(C) A description of special areas of emphasis or
specialization by such facilities, such as efforts
aimed at meeting the needs of women veterans, suicide
prevention and other mental health initiatives, opioid
abuse prevention and pain management, or special
efforts on veteran homelessness, or other matters as
the director determines appropriate.
(D) A description of matters concerning such
facilities that have previously been identified as
deficient and needing remediation that are still in
need of such remediation.
(2) A quarterly fact sheet containing, with respect to the
quarter covered by the fact sheet, the average wait time for
veterans to receive treatment at the medical facility of the
Department under the jurisdiction of the director.
(b) Availability.--Each fact sheet under subsection (a) shall be
made publicly available--
(1) in a physical form at the relevant medical facility of
the Department in a conspicuous location; and
(2) in an electronic form on the internet website of the
facility.
(c) Timing of Fact Sheets.--The fact sheets under subsection (a)
shall be submitted during the first fiscal year beginning after the
date that is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act and
not less frequently than--
(1) once each fiscal year thereafter with respect to the
annual fact sheet under paragraph (1) of such subsection; and
(2) once each fiscal quarter thereafter with respect to the
quarterly fact sheet under paragraph (2) of such subsection.
(d) Standardized Format.--The Secretary shall establish a standard
format for the fact sheets under subsection (a) to ensure that each
director of a medical center of the Department carries out such
subsection in a consistent manner.
(e) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) The term ``appropriate Members of Congress'' means,
with respect to a medical facility of the Department of
Veterans Affairs about which a fact sheet is submitted under
subsection (a), the Senators representing the State, and the
Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner of the House of
Representatives representing the district, that includes the
facility.
(2) The term ``State'' means each of the several States,
the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and
any territory or possession of the United States.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
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