[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 150 (Wednesday, September 25, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H5776-H5777]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           STUCK ON HOLD ACT

  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 6656) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the 
Commissioner of Social Security to implement automated systems with 
callback functionality for each customer service telephone line of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration, 
respectively, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 6656

       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 ``Stuck On Hold Act''.

     SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS REGARDING WAIT TIMES FOR CALLERS TO 
                   CERTAIN SERVICE TELEPHONE LINES OF THE 
                   DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

       (a) Automated System.--Not later than one year after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs shall implement, for each covered line, an automated 
     system that--
       (1) informs any caller to a covered line about the 
     anticipated wait time, if any; and
       (2) automatically offers a callback to any such caller with 
     an anticipated wait time of more than 10 minutes.
       (b) Guidance Regarding Caller Wait Times.--The Secretary 
     shall issue such guidance the Secretary determines necessary 
     to reduce the average wait time of a caller to a covered line 
     to not more than 10 minutes.
       (c) Covered Line Defined.--In this section, the term 
     ``covered line'' means a customer service telephone line of 
     the Department of Veterans Affairs. Such term does not 
     include--
       (1) the toll-free hotline for veterans provided by the 
     Secretary under section 1720F(h) of title 38, United States 
     Code; or
       (2) a phone line for the emergency department of a health 
     care facility of the Department.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Bost) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 
6656, as amended.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6656, offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert), my good friend and colleague.
  The Stuck on Hold Act would require the VA to implement an automated 
callback system. This bill would inform veterans of the expected wait 
time for their call to be answered. This change would make life easier 
for veterans while ensuring the VA responds to them in a timely manner.
  During my time in Congress, I have long heard horror stories from 
veterans about waiting on hold for over an hour to talk to someone at 
the VA. That is unacceptable in today's digital age, and the VA needs 
to do better.
  Representative Calvert's bill is in lockstep with the House 
Republicans'

[[Page H5777]]

effort to modernize VA care and services. I thank the VFW and DAV for 
their support of this bipartisan legislation, and I urge my colleagues 
to support H.R. 6656, as amended.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1345

  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 6656, the Stuck On 
Hold Act, as amended.
  This bill mandates that the Department of Veterans Affairs implement 
automated callback systems for their customer phone lines and aim to 
limit wait time for veterans on hold to no more than 10 minutes.
  Since we skipped regular order on this bill, we were not able to mark 
it up in committee and make the needed improvements to the bill. I was 
not informed why we are rushing this bill to the floor without a 
markup, but I appreciate that the chairman's staff worked with mine to 
amend the bill to include important changes to improve the bill to 
ensure that veterans who should be prioritized for assistance are not 
negatively impacted by excessive wait times.
  Considering the Senate is unlikely to take this bill up as written 
due to concerns with implementation, I also hope we can continue to 
work with our Senate colleagues to determine the correct amount of time 
we should target for veterans on hold.
  Obviously, no one likes being on hold, but ideally every veteran 
should have the option to receive a callback instead of needlessly 
remaining on hold and waiting for assistance.
  During our limited committee consideration, our committee heard from 
VA about concerns for implementation, and I believe limiting hold time 
is not simply picking a number but also requires us to understand what 
resources are necessary to limit hold times.
  The rush to get this bill to the floor did not allow for a more 
detailed conversation about resources and impacts, so I hope a 
truncated committee process will not prevent us from engaging with the 
Senate to ensure we enact the best possible bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I will support the bill for now with the expectation 
that there is more work to do, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert).
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 6656, the Stuck 
On Hold Act, legislation I introduced to support American veterans.
  This legislation is simple yet powerful in its potential to make 
government services more accessible to those who served our country.
  In a time when technology has advanced significantly in the private 
sector, it is long overdue that we bring the same level of efficiency 
and user-friendly approach to our Federal agencies, like the VA.
  Right now, when a veteran picks up the phone to call the VA, they 
often face long, uncertain wait times. They sit on hold, sometimes for 
hours, with no clear idea of when their call will be answered or how 
long they will have to wait.
  The frustration this causes is immeasurable, and frankly, it is 
unacceptable.
  That is why the Stuck On Hold Act is so crucial. The bill requires 
the VA to implement a system to inform callers of their estimated wait 
times and, when those times exceed 10 minutes, give them the option of 
receiving an automated callback when it is their turn.
  Many of us are familiar with this kind of system from our 
interactions with private companies. It is not a new idea, and it is 
not revolutionary technology, but for millions of Americans who rely on 
the VA for benefits or medical treatment, it is a game changer. It 
shows respect for their time and acknowledges the importance of their 
needs.
  Mr. Speaker, it is time for Congress to set acceptable customer 
service standards for our Federal departments and agencies. The 
American people, especially those who have served our country, deserve 
a responsible and efficient government.
  That is why the Stuck On Hold Act is supported by the veterans 
service organizations, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the 
Disabled American Veterans, and others.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Bost and Ranking Member Takano of the 
Veterans' Affairs Committee, as well as Chairman Van Orden and Ranking 
Member Levin of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee and their 
respective staff for helping us bring this important legislation to the 
House floor.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 6656, as amended, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support 
the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 6656, 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.

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