[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 83 (Monday, May 21, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H4265-H4267]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        IMPROVING OVERSIGHT OF WOMEN VETERANS' CARE ACT OF 2018

  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 4334) to provide for certain reporting requirements 
relating to medical care for women veterans provided by the Department 
of Veterans Affairs and through contracts entered into by the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs with non-Department medical providers, and for 
other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4334

       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 ``Improving Oversight of Women 
     Veterans' Care Act of 2018''.

     SEC. 2. ANNUAL REPORT ON VETERAN ACCESS TO COVERED SEX-
                   SPECIFIC SERVICES UNDER COMMUNITY CARE 
                   CONTRACTS.

       (a) Annual Report.--The Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
     shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the 
     Senate and the House of Representatives an annual report on 
     the access of women veterans to covered sex-specific medical 
     care under contracts with non-Department medical providers 
     entered into by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for the 
     provision of hospital care or medical services to veterans 
     eligible for enrollment in the patient enrollment system of 
     the Department of Veterans Affairs maintained under section 
     1705 of title 38, United States Code. Such report shall 
     include data and performance measures for the availability of 
     covered sex-specific medical care, including--
       (1) the average wait time between the veteran's preferred 
     appointment date and the date on which the appointment is 
     completed;
       (2) driving time required for veterans to attend 
     appointments; and
       (3) reasons why appointments could not be scheduled with 
     non-Department medical providers.
       (b) Sunset.--The requirement to submit a report under this 
     section shall terminate on the date that is seven years after 
     the date of the enactment of this Act.
       (c) Covered Sex-Specific Medical Care.--In this section, 
     the term ``covered sex-specific medical care'' means 
     mammography, maternity care, and gynecological care.

     SEC. 3. REPORTING ON VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION 
                   ENVIRONMENT OF CARE STANDARDS FOR WOMEN 
                   VETERANS.

       (a) Medical Facility Reporting.--Each medical facility of 
     the Department shall submit to the Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs a quarterly report on the compliance and 
     noncompliance of the facility with the environment of care 
     standards for women veterans. Each such report shall include 
     the name of each person associated with such facility who is 
     responsible for such compliance and the specific role or 
     responsibility assigned to each such person.
       (b) Report to Congress.--Not later than 180 days after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs 
     of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on 
     the plan of the Secretary to strengthen the environment of 
     care standards for women veterans at Department of Veterans 
     Affairs medical facilities. Such report shall include--
       (1) a description of the process established to verify that 
     noncompliance information reported under subsection (a) is 
     accurate and complete; and
       (2) a description of the method by which the Secretary 
     will--
       (A) ensure that all patient care areas of each Department 
     medical facility are inspected as required; and
       (B) expand the list of items that facility staff inspect 
     for compliance to align with the women's health handbook of 
     the Veterans Health Administration.
       (c) Sunset.--The requirement to submit a report under this 
     section shall terminate on the date that is seven years after 
     the date of the enactment of this Act.
       (d) Environment of Care Standards for Women Veterans.--In 
     this section, the term ``environment of care standards for 
     women veterans'' has the meaning given that term in Veterans 
     Health Administration Directive 1330.01(1).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Roe) and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Walz) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and insert extraneous material into the Record on H.R. 4334, as 
amended.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4334, as amended, 
Improving Oversight of Women Veterans' Care Act of 2018.
  While VA has vastly improved its capacity to care for gender-specific 
needs of women veterans, many are still referred to the community when 
VA cannot provide the appropriate services.
  Mr. Speaker, last week, the House overwhelmingly approved the VA 
MISSION Act by a vote of 347-70. The MISSION Act will, among other 
things, improve the ability for eligible veterans to seek care from 
community providers when VA cannot meet strict access standards.
  With more veterans becoming eligible to seek care in the community, 
it is incumbent upon us as members of the House VA Committee to provide 
oversight over the care delivered within the community as well.
  This bill, offered by my friend and fellow committee member from 
California (Mr. Correa), would help us do just that. H.R. 4334 would 
require VA medical centers to report to the Secretary on the compliance 
of contracted community providers with standards of care for women 
veterans, as established by VA.
  The Secretary would also be required to report to Congress on the 
accessibility of gender-specific medical care for women with community 
providers, as well as to develop a plan to strengthen standards of care 
within the facilities.
  Mr. Speaker, as we await Senate passage of the VA MISSION Act, I urge

[[Page H4266]]

my colleagues to support this complementary piece of legislation, H.R. 
4334, as amended, Improving Oversight of Women Veterans' Care Act, and 
I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of Congressman Correa's and Chairman Roe's bill, 
H.R. 4334, the Improving Oversight of Women Veterans' Care Act.
  The gentleman from California has proven over the course of his time 
in Congress that he is a dedicated advocate for our fastest growing 
population of veterans: female veterans. His experience working on 
behalf of veterans in the State of California in the legislature has 
translated into an informed compassion that has earned the respect of 
the committee.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4334 does require VA to exercise proper oversight 
of community care providers it contracts with in order to provide sex-
specific healthcare to women when its facilities do not have the 
equipment or the specialists necessary to care for them.
  The latest study by the RAND Corporation confirms that VA delivers 
superior healthcare to veterans, when compared to the private sector. 
Previous independent studies confirm this.
  For this reason, VA should better monitor the quality of care 
received by women in the community, and this bill would require that 
careful monitoring so that women veterans receive high-quality care.
  VA should always remain at the center of managing veterans' 
healthcare. And managing the care veterans receive in the community by 
only contracting with high-quality providers with the competence to 
provide treatment to veterans is a major part of ensuring that they 
receive the highest quality care.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Correa), the chief author of this bill and a good 
friend to veterans across the country.
  Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bipartisan 
legislation, H.R. 4334, the Improving Oversight of Women Veterans' Care 
Act.
  Women are the fastest growing cohort of veterans. There are currently 
2 million women veterans in the United States and Puerto Rico, almost 
10 percent of the overall veteran population.
  According to some projections, women veterans are expected to grow to 
represent 15 percent of all veterans by 2030. Therefore, it is 
important that we ensure that women veterans receive quality care in a 
safe and dignified environment, as well as in a timely manner, in and 
outside the Department of Veterans Affairs.
  Specifically, this bill will require an annual report on veteran 
access to gender-specific care under community care contracts and 
quarterly reports on environment of care standards for women veterans.
  In conclusion, I would like to thank my colleague and friend, Ranking 
Member Walz, and Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Brownley for the 
support of this legislation. I thank Chairman Roe as well.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4334.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I wholeheartedly agree with Mr. Correa's legislation. I, too, was, an 
OB/GYN physician who saw VA patients. I would like to think that Mr. 
Correa had all these ideas himself, but I have had the opportunity to 
find out that he definitely married above himself. His wife is an OB/
GYN, so I think he probably got most of those ideas from her.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Brownley), a champion of veterans--a champion in many 
areas--and on this issue of treating our female veterans with the 
dignity, respect, and services that they have earned.

  Ms. BROWNLEY of California. Mr. Speaker, again, I thank the gentleman 
from Minnesota for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4334, the Improving 
Oversight of Women Veterans' Care Act.
  I want to thank my colleague on the committee, the gentleman from 
California, for introducing this important legislation to improve the 
care we deliver for women veterans.
  During my time on this committee, I have made it a special priority 
to ensure women veterans have access to high-quality, gender-specific 
care in a safe and welcoming environment. This bill will advance that 
goal in two important ways.
  First, it requires the VA to practice additional oversight on the 
community care providers that the VA contracts with and report on the 
access women veterans have to gender-specific medical care in the 
community. This is especially timely, as the House recently passed a 
bipartisan update to the VA's community care programs. As we stand up 
the new community care program, we need to do a better job tracking the 
quality of care provided to women veterans.
  Second, this bill requires the VA to report to Congress on their 
compliance with environment of care standards for women veterans.
  Too often, we have heard reports of women veterans who experience 
issues at VA clinics. A VA Inspector General's report last year found 
that up to 20 percent of VA clinics did not meet the VA's own 
requirements for protecting the privacy of women veterans. This is 
unacceptable. We need to ensure that women veterans are well served, no 
matter where they get their care, and this bill will help us get closer 
to that goal.
  I urge my colleagues to support the bill. I thank the gentleman from 
California for his efforts.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I would certainly encourage my colleagues to 
vote ``yes'' on this important piece of legislation, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my 
time.
  I also concur with my colleague: I urge support of H.R. 4334. I just 
want to say, right before Memorial Day, it is obviously next week, and 
many people will go home to picnics and families. We have just heard 
this afternoon on the House floor the sacrifice of many, many of our 
veterans and really amazing people that live in our country.
  In the past week, the Veterans' Affairs Committee--and I want to 
thank members on both sides of the aisle--have put together 15 bills: 
one was a major bill, the VA MISSION Act, which will be taken up by the 
Senate this week, and 14 bills this afternoon to improve both the care 
and services provided to our Nation's heroes.
  For me, it is a true privilege to get up every day and come to this 
House, to this body, the U.S. House of Representatives, and to advocate 
for those men and women that I have so much respect for.
  And with that, Mr. Speaker, I wish a happy Memorial Day to everyone, 
and I encourage everyone to vote for this today.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4334, 
the Improving Oversight of Women Veterans' Care Act of 2017.
  H.R. 4334 provides for certain reporting requirements relating to 
medical care for women veterans provided by the Department of Veterans 
Affairs and through contracts entered into by the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs with non-Department medical providers.
  By passing this bill ensuring these requirements, we are ensuring 
equitable attention to health care for veteran men and women.
  Such requirements include an annual report to Congress on veteran 
access to covered sex-specific services such as mammography, maternity 
care, and gynecological care under community care contracts.
  Our United States veterans bravely put their lives on the line to 
defend our freedoms and to keep our nation safe.
  I want to thank all of our armed serviceman and women for their 
selfless dedication to our nation.
  The debt that we owe to them is immeasurable because their 
sacrifices, and those of their families, are our freedom's foundation.
  Mr. Speaker, of the nation's 21.6 million brave veterans, more than 2 
million are women.
  Further, 20 percent of veterans who have served on active duty since 
September 2001 are women.

[[Page H4267]]

  Male and female veterans alike deserve access to health care, and 
this bill will ensure that discrepancies in care among male and female 
veterans can be identified and addressed.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for H.R. 4334.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 4334, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________