Bill Details
Status
Latest action
2025-12-02 - Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 274.
Introduced Date
2025-02-20
Policy Area
Armed Forces and National Security
Committees
View committees (1)
Sponsors
Cosponsors
7
0
0
AI Summary This summary was generated by AI from the bill text. AI can get information wrong.
This bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to create or buy new technology that helps VA staff schedule care for veterans more easily under the Veterans Community Care Program. The goal is to let VA schedulers see the schedules of outside health care providers and book appointments in real time when possible. The bill is meant to speed up scheduling, cut down the days veterans wait after being referred for care, and make it faster for VA staff to set up appointments.
- The VA would need to develop or obtain a scheduling system that connects its schedulers with participating outside providers’ calendars.
- The system should help reduce the time between a veteran’s referral and the actual scheduling of an appointment, as well as the time VA staff spend arranging care.
- The VA could use an existing contract to get the technology if that is practical, or it could sign a new contract.
- The VA would also have to send Congress a progress report each year through 2028 on how it is building and putting this system in place.
Official Summaries
This bill establishes within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) a national External Provider Scheduling Program to assist the VA in scheduling appointments for care and services under the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP). The program must consist of technology that allows VA schedulers to view the schedules of health care providers participating in the VCCP in real time.
The VA must ensure the program reduces the time (1) from referral to the actual scheduling of appointments for care or services, and (2) for VA schedulers to schedule appointments for care or services.
The VA must also ensure the program is available to all VA medical centers by September 30, 2025.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 654 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
Calendar No. 274
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 654
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish an external
provider scheduling program to assist the Department of Veterans
Affairs in scheduling appointments for care and services under the
Veterans Community Care Program, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 20, 2025
Mr. Moran (for himself, Mrs. Fischer, Mr. Boozman, and Mr. Budd)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs
December 2, 2025
Reported by Mr. Moran, with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish an external
provider scheduling program to assist the Department of Veterans
Affairs in scheduling appointments for care and services under the
Veterans Community Care Program, 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. EXTERNAL PROVIDER SCHEDULING PROGRAM OF DEPARTMENT
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) Establishment.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) In general.--Subchapter I of chapter 17 of
title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting after
section 1703G the following new section:</DELETED>
<DELETED>``Sec. 1703H. External Provider Scheduling Program</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(a) In General.--There is established within the
Department a national External Provider Scheduling Program (in this
section referred to as the `Program') to assist the Department in
scheduling appointments for care and services under the Veterans
Community Care Program under section 1703 of this title.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(b) Elements of Program.--The Program shall consist of
technology that allows schedulers of the Department to view the
schedules of health care providers participating in the Veterans
Community Care Program under section 1703 of this title and schedule,
in real-time, appointments for care and services under such
section.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(c) Use of Contracts.--The Secretary shall carry out the
Program through an existing contract entered into by the Department, if
feasible, or a new contract.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(d) Reduction in Wait Times.--The Secretary shall ensure
that the Program--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(1) reduces the time (measured in days) from
referral of veterans to health care providers under the
Veterans Community Care Program under section 1703 of this
title to the actual scheduling of appointments for care or
services under such section; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(2) reduces the time (measured in days and
hours) for schedulers of the Department to schedule
appointments for care or services under such section.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(e) Annual Report.--Not later than September 30 of each
year through 2028, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
of the House of Representatives a report on the progress of the
Secretary in establishing the Program.''.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at
the beginning of chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, is
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 1703G
the following new item:</DELETED>
<DELETED>``1703H. External Provider Scheduling Program.''.
<DELETED> (b) Availability of Program.--The Secretary of Veterans
Affairs shall ensure that the national External Provider Scheduling
Program established under section 1703H of title 38, United States
Code, as added by subsection (a)(1), is available to all medical
centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs by not later than
September 30, 2025.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (c) Conforming Amendments.--Section 1703 of title 38,
United States Code, is amended--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) in subsection (a)(2)(A), by inserting ``,
including pursuant to the program under section 1703H of this
title,'' after ``medical appointments''; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) in subsection (h)(2)(B), by inserting ``,
including pursuant to the program under section 1703H of this
title'' before the period at the end.</DELETED>
SECTION 1. EXTERNAL PROVIDER SCHEDULING PROGRAM OF DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS.
Section 1703 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(2)(A), by inserting ``, including
pursuant to the systems required under subsection (q),'' after
``medical appointments'';
(2) in subsection (h)(2)(B), by inserting ``, including
pursuant to the systems required under subsection (q)'' before
the period at the end;
(3) by redesignating subsection (q) as subsection (r); and
(4) by inserting after subsection (p) the following new
subsection (q):
``(q) Provider Scheduling.--
``(1) In general.--In carrying out the program under this
section, the Secretary shall develop or procure such technology
systems as needed to allow schedulers of the Department to view
the schedules of health care providers participating in the
program and schedule, in real-time, appointments for care and
services under the program, to the extent practicable.
``(2) Use of contracts.--The Secretary may procure such
systems as described in paragraph (1) through an existing
contract entered into by the Department, if feasible, or a new
contract.
``(3) Reduction in wait times.--The Secretary shall develop
or procure the systems described in paragraph (1) with the
intent of--
``(A) reducing the time (measured in days) from
referral date of veterans to health care providers
under subsection (c) to the actual scheduling of
appointments for care or services under this section;
and
``(B) reducing the time (measured in days and
hours) for schedulers of the Department to schedule
appointments for care or services under this section.
``(4) Annual report.--Not later than September 30 of each
year through 2028, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee
on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on
the progress of the Secretary in establishing the systems
required by paragraph (1).''.
Calendar No. 274
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 654
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish an external
provider scheduling program to assist the Department of Veterans
Affairs in scheduling appointments for care and services under the
Veterans Community Care Program, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
December 2, 2025
Reported with an amendment