[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4779 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4779

  To amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that veterans who 
     experience extended waiting times for appointments at medical 
 facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs may receive care at 
                       non-Department facilities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 30, 2014

  Mr. Denham introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that veterans who 
     experience extended waiting times for appointments at medical 
 facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs may receive care at 
                       non-Department facilities.

    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 Need Timely Access to Care 
Act''.

SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF FEE-BASIS CARE BY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
              FOR PATIENTS WHO EXPERIENCE EXTENDED WAITING TIMES.

    Section 1703 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (b) through (d) as 
        subsections (c) through (e), respectively;
            (2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following new 
        subsection (b):
    ``(b) As authorized by section 1710 of this title, the Secretary 
shall enter into contracts with such non-Department facilities as may 
be necessary in order to furnish hospital care or medical services to 
any veteran enrolled in the patient enrollment system under section 
1705 of this title who--
            ``(1) has waited--
                    ``(A) seven days or longer for an appointment for 
                primary care in a Department facility; or
                    ``(B) 14 days or longer for an appointment for 
                speciality care in a Department facility; and
            ``(2) elects to receive such care in a non-Department 
        facility.''; and
            (3) in subsection (c), as redesignated by paragraph (1), by 
        inserting ``or (b)'' after ``subsection (a)''.
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