[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1509 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1509

   To direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans 
 Affairs to post at certain locations the average national wait times 
   for veterans to receive an appointment for health care at medical 
    facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 10, 2017

 Mr. O'Rourke (for himself, Mr. Jones, and Mr. Knight) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
  Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, 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 direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans 
 Affairs to post at certain locations the average national wait times 
   for veterans to receive an appointment for health care at medical 
    facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 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 ``Better Informing Veterans' 
Healthcare Decisions Act''.

SEC. 2. POSTING OF AVERAGE NATIONAL WAIT TIMES FOR HEALTH CARE 
              APPOINTMENTS AND AVERAGE PROCESSING TIMES OF DISABILITY 
              COMPENSATION CLAIMS AND APPEALS.

    (a) Findings; Sense of Congress.--
            (1) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
                    (A) According to the Suicide Data Report, 2012, of 
                the Department of Veterans Affairs, 22 veterans commit 
                suicide every day.
                    (B) According to estimates of the Department, only 
                approximately five of these 22 veterans are enrolled in 
                the mental health care system of the Department.
            (2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
                    (A) the Department of Veterans Affairs must be more 
                urgent and effective in its approach to addressing 
                veteran suicide and providing veterans access to mental 
                health care; and
                    (B) Congress urges the Department to ensure that 
                preventing veteran suicide and providing veterans 
                access to mental health care is the top reform priority 
                of the Department.
    (b) Provision of Information.--Not later than 30 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, and on a monthly basis thereafter, 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall--
            (1) determine, with respect to the one-year period before 
        the date of the determination--
                    (A) the average national wait times (in days) for a 
                veteran enrolled in the health care system established 
                under section 1705(a) of title 38, United States Code--
                            (i) to receive an appointment for mental 
                        health care at a medical facility of the 
                        Department of Veterans Affairs; and
                            (ii) to receive an appointment for primary 
                        health care at such a facility;
                    (B) the average claims processing time of the 
                Secretary with respect to claims for disability 
                compensation under chapter 11 of such title 38; and
                    (C) the average appeals processing time of the 
                Secretary to decide an appeal to such a claim for 
                disability compensation; and
            (2) provide the Secretary of Defense with such information 
        determined under paragraph (1).
    (c) Posting of Information.--The Secretary of Defense shall place 
in a conspicuous location at each career counselor or career assistance 
advisor office a sign that--
            (1) is not less than 18 inches tall by 24 inches wide; and
            (2) is continuously updated to display the most current 
        information received by the Secretary pursuant to subsection 
        (b)(2).
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``appeals processing time'' means, with 
        respect to a veteran filing an appeal to a decision of the 
        Secretary of Veterans Affairs denying a claim for disability 
        compensation under chapter 11 of title 38, United States Code, 
        the period beginning on the date on which the claimant files a 
        notice of disagreement and ending on the date on which the 
        claimant is informed of the decision to such notice of 
        disagreement.
            (2) The term ``claims processing time'' means, with respect 
        to a veteran filing a claim for disability compensation under 
        chapter 11 of title 38, United States Code, the period 
        beginning on the date on which the claim is originally received 
        by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and ending on the date on 
        which the Secretary informs the claimant of the decision.
            (3) The term ``wait time'' means, with respect to a veteran 
        receiving an appointment for health care at a medical facility 
        of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the period beginning on 
        the date on which the veteran first requests such appointment 
        and ending on the date on which such appointment occurs.
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