[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 23, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5230-S5231]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2961. Mr. SCOTT of Florida (for himself and Mr. Ossoff) submitted 
an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4638, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2025 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for 
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military 
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which 
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

        At the end of subtitle H of title X, add the following:

     SEC. 1095. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE STANDARD FOR TIMING 
                   BETWEEN REFERRAL AND APPOINTMENT FOR CARE FROM 
                   DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

       (a) Establishment of Standard.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
     establish a comprehensive standard for timing between the 
     date on which a referral for care for a veteran under the 
     laws administered by the Secretary is entered into the care 
     coordination system of the Department of Veterans Affairs and 
     the date on which an appointment for care for the veteran 
     occurs, whether at a facility of the Department or through 
     care in the community.
       (2) Modification.--The Secretary may modify the standard 
     established under paragraph (1) as the appointment scheduling 
     processes of the Department for care at a facility of the 
     Department or through care in the community are updated.
       (3) Publication.--Not later than 30 days before 
     establishing under paragraph (1) or modifying under paragraph 
     (2) the comprehensive standard required under this 
     subsection, the Secretary shall publish such standard in the 
     Federal Register and on a publicly available internet website 
     of the Department.
       (b) Report.--
       (1) In general.--Not less frequently than quarterly, the 
     Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the number and 
     percentage of referrals from the Department to facilities of 
     the Department or providers in the community that meet the 
     standard under subsection (a).
       (2) Elements.--Each report submitted under paragraph (1) 
     shall include the following:
       (A) The number and percentage of total referrals from each 
     facility of the Department that meet, for the quarter covered 
     by the report--
       (i) the standard under subsection (a);
       (ii) with respect to referrals to a facility of the 
     Department, the three-business-day standard for scheduling an 
     appointment at a facility of the Department; and
       (iii) with respect to referrals for care in the community, 
     the seven-calendar-day standard for scheduling an appointment 
     for care in the community.
       (B) The number and percentage of referrals from each 
     facility of the Department that meet each of the standards 
     specified in subparagraph (A), disaggregated by each of the 
     five, or more, most in-demand categories of care provided at 
     such facility (such as mental health, cardiology, neurology, 
     oncology, etc.).
       (C) A list of all medical centers of the Department ranked 
     from best to worst in meeting the standard under subsection 
     (a), including a disaggregated list by State.
       (3) Annually included information.--Not less frequently 
     than annually, the Secretary shall include in the report 
     required under paragraph (1)--
       (A) aggregated data for the four-quarter period preceding 
     the date of the report;
       (B) a description of steps taken by the Department to 
     improve the timeliness of the provision of care by the 
     Department and an estimate of when the Department will be 
     fully compliant with the standard under subsection (a).
       (4) Public availability.--The Secretary shall make each 
     report required under paragraph (1) publicly available on a 
     website of the Veterans Health Administration.

[[Page S5231]]

  

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