[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 450 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>





                                                       Calendar No. 412
116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                 S. 450

   To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot 
program to expedite the onboarding process for new medical providers of 
   the Department of Veterans Affairs, to reduce the duration of the 
   hiring process for such medical providers, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 12, 2019

 Mr. Gardner (for himself, Mr. Peters, and Mr. Daines) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                           Veterans' Affairs

                            February 5, 2020

 Reported by Mr. Moran, with an amendment and an amendment to the title
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot 
program to expedite the onboarding process for new medical providers of 
   the Department of Veterans Affairs, to reduce the duration of the 
   hiring process for such medical providers, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Improved Access 
and Care Act of 2019''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON EXPEDITING THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
              AFFAIRS PROCESS FOR ONBOARDING NEW MEDICAL 
              PROVIDERS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Pilot Program Authorized.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
        shall carry out a pilot program to assess the feasibility and 
        advisability of expediting the process of the Veterans Health 
        Administration for onboarding new medical providers.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Goal for program.--Under the pilot program, 
        the Secretary shall seek to reduce the length of time it takes 
        to onboard medical providers to no more than 60 days.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Locations.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--The Secretary shall select not 
        fewer than ten medical facilities of the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs at which to carry out the pilot program.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Regional diversity.--The medical facilities 
        selected under paragraph (1) shall be located in regionally 
        diverse areas, as determined by the Secretary.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Priority.--In selecting medical facilities 
        under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give priority to 
        medical facilities facing hiring shortages of licensed 
        independent medical providers.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Onboarding Process Defined.--In this section, the term 
``onboarding process'' means the process of bringing on a medical 
provider applicant after the medical provider is offered a tentative 
position, including certification of credentialing, background 
investigation, assessment of health status, and such other actions as 
are necessary for starting employment.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. STRATEGY TO REDUCE DURATION OF HIRING PROCESS OF 
              DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR LICENSED PROFESSIONAL 
              MEDICAL PROVIDERS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
submit to Congress a strategy to reduce the duration of the hiring 
process of the Department of Veterans Affairs for licensed professional 
medical providers by half.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Expedited Certification.--The strategy submitted under 
subsection (a) shall describe how the overall certification of 
credentials process of the Department for licensed professional medical 
providers can be expedited.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Improved Access and Care 
Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF QUARTERLY UPDATE OF INFORMATION ON STAFFING AND 
              VACANCIES AT FACILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
              AFFAIRS TO INCLUDE INFORMATION ON DURATION OF HIRING 
              PROCESS.

    (a) Quarterly Update.--Subsection (a)(1) of section 505 of the VA 
MISSION Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-182; 38 U.S.C. 301 note) is amended 
by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(E) Beginning with any update under paragraph (3) 
                on or after the date of the enactment of the Veterans 
                Improved Access and Care Act of 2020, the following:
                            ``(i) For employees appointed under 
                        paragraphs (1) and (3) of section 7401 of title 
                        38, United States Code, the number of employees 
                        for which the duration of the process from 
                        validation of vacancy to receipt of official 
                        offer and notification of actual start date 
                        exceeds the metrics laid out in the Time to 
                        Hire Model of the Veterans Health 
                        Administration, or successor model.
                            ``(ii) The percentage of employees who are 
                        described in clause (i) compared to all 
                        employees appointed under paragraphs (1) and 
                        (3) of section 7401 of such title during the 
                        same period.
                            ``(iii) The average number of days 
                        potential hires or new hires appointed under 
                        paragraphs (1) and (3) of section 7401 of such 
                        title spent in each phase of the Time to Hire 
                        Model, or successor model.''.
    (b) Reduction in Frequency of Inspector General Reviews.--
Subsection (a)(5) of such section is amended by striking ``a semi-
annual basis'' and inserting ``an annual basis''.
    (c) Annual Report.--Subsection (b) of such section is amended, in 
the first sentence, by adding before the period at the end the 
following: ``and to improve the onboard timeline for facilities for 
which the duration of the onboarding process exceeds the metrics laid 
out in the Time to Hire Model of the Veterans Health Administration, or 
successor model''.
            Amend the title so as to read: ``A bill to amend the VA 
        MISSION Act of 2018 to expand the quarterly update of 
        information on staffing and vacancies at facilities of the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.''.
                                                       Calendar No. 412

116th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                 S. 450

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

   To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot 
program to expedite the onboarding process for new medical providers of 
   the Department of Veterans Affairs, to reduce the duration of the 
   hiring process for such medical providers, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                            February 5, 2020

        Reported with an amendment and an amendment to the title