[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5686 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5686

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the Physician 
 Ambassadors Helping Veterans program to seek to employ physicians at 
 the Department of Veterans Affairs on a without compensation basis in 
    practice areas and specialties with staffing shortages and long 
                       appointment waiting times.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 12, 2014

 Mr. Culberson (for himself and Mr. O'Rourke) introduced the following 
     bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the Physician 
 Ambassadors Helping Veterans program to seek to employ physicians at 
 the Department of Veterans Affairs on a without compensation basis in 
    practice areas and specialties with staffing shortages and long 
                       appointment waiting times.

    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 ``Physician Ambassadors Helping 
Veterans Act''.

SEC. 2. PHYSICIAN AMBASSADORS HELPING VETERANS PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter I of chapter 74 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after section 7405 the following 
new section:
``Sec. 7405A. Physician Ambassadors Helping Veterans program
    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall seek to use the authority 
under section 7405 of this title to employ physicians on a without 
compensation basis in any practice area or speciality for which--
            ``(1) the average waiting time for veterans seeking an 
        appointment with a physician in such practice area or specialty 
        exceeds the waiting time goals established by the Department; 
        or
            ``(2) the Department facility where the physician will be 
        employed has demonstrated staffing shortages, as determined by 
        the Secretary.
    ``(b) Volunteer Coordinators.--There shall be in each medical 
facility of the Department a volunteer coordinator. The volunteer 
coordinator for a medical facility shall--
            ``(1) seek to establish relationships with medical 
        associations serving the area where the facility is located;
            ``(2) recruit physicians for employment on a without 
        compensation basis in the facility; and
            ``(3) serve as the initial point of contact for physicians 
        seeking employment on a without compensation basis in the 
        facility.
    ``(c) Qualifications.--A physician employed on a without 
compensation basis shall agree, as a condition of being granted a 
credential or privilege to practice medicine in a facility of the 
Department, to commit to serving a minimum of 40 hours in the facility 
during the 12-month period beginning on the date on which such 
credential or privilege is granted.
    ``(d) Credentialing Process.--(1) The Secretary shall ensure that 
each physician who seeks employment at the Department on a without 
compensation basis receives a credential or privilege to practice 
medicine in the Department, or a decision that such a credential or 
privilege will not be granted, by not later than 60 days after the date 
on which the physician requests such credential or privilege.
    ``(2) The director of a medical facility of the Department shall 
approve, and accept the services of, any physician who meets the 
qualifications under subsection (c) and receives a credential or 
privilege to practice medicine in the facility under paragraph (1).
    ``(e) Annual Report.--Not later than March 31 of each year, the 
Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs and the 
Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and House of Representatives 
a report on physicians employed on a without compensation basis at the 
Department. Each such report shall include, for the year preceding the 
year during which the report is submitted, each of the following:
            ``(1) The number of physicians employed on a without 
        compensation basis by the Department in each of the Veterans 
        Integrated Service Networks.
            ``(2) Information about staffing levels and appointment 
        waiting times for facilities located in each such Veterans 
        Integrated Service Networks.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
7405 the following new item:

``7405A. Physician Ambassadors Helping Veterans program.''.
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