[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4861 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4861
To establish the Commission on Access to Care to undertake a
comprehensive evaluation and assessment of access to health care at the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 12, 2014
Mr. Heck of Washington (for himself, Ms. DelBene, and Mr. Kilmer)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the Commission on Access to Care to undertake a
comprehensive evaluation and assessment of access to health care at the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
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 ``Commission for Our Veterans' Care
Act''.
SEC. 2. COMMISSION ON ACCESS TO CARE.
(a) Establishment of Commission.--
(1) In general.--There is established the Commission on
Access to Care (in this section referred to as the
``Commission'').
(2) Membership.--
(A) Voting members.--The Commission shall be
composed of voting members who are appointed by the
President as follows:
(i) At least two members who represent an
organization recognized by the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs for the representation of
veterans under section 5902 of title 38, United
States Code.
(ii) At least one member from among persons
who are experts concerning a public or private
hospital system.
(iii) At least one member from among
persons who are leading experts in the private
insurance industry.
(iv) At least two members from among
persons who are familiar with the Veterans
Health Administration of the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
(B) Nonvoting members.--In addition to members
appointed under subparagraph (A), the Commission shall
be composed of nonvoting members who are appointed by
the President as follows:
(i) At least two members who represent an
organization recognized by the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs for the representation of
veterans under section 5902 of title 38, United
States Code.
(ii) At least one member from among persons
who are experts in a public or private hospital
system.
(iii) At least one member from among
persons who are leading experts in the private
insurance industry.
(iv) At least two members from among
persons who are familiar with the Veterans
Health Administration.
(C) Date.--The appointments of members of the
Commission shall be made not later than 60 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act.
(3) Period of appointment; vacancies.--Members shall be
appointed for the life of the Commission. Any vacancy in the
Commission shall not affect its powers, but shall be filled in
the same manner as the original appointment.
(4) Initial meeting.--Not later than 15 days after the date
on which seven voting members of the Commission have been
appointed, the Commission shall hold its first meeting.
(5) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet at the call of the
Chairperson.
(6) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Commission
shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number of members may
hold hearings.
(7) Chairperson and vice chairperson.--The Commission shall
select a Chairperson and Vice Chairperson from among its
members.
(b) Duties of Commission.--
(1) Evaluation and assessment.--The Commission shall
undertake a comprehensive evaluation and assessment of access
to health care at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(2) Matters evaluated and assessed.--The matters evaluated
and assessed by the Commission shall include the following:
(A) The appropriateness of current standards of the
Department of Veterans Affairs concerning access to
health care.
(B) The measurement of such standards.
(C) The appropriateness of performance standards
and incentives in relation to standards described in
subparagraph (A).
(D) Staffing levels throughout the Veterans Health
Administration and whether they are sufficient to meet
current demand for health care from the Administration.
(3) Reports.--The Commission shall submit to the President,
through the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, reports as follows:
(A) Not later than 90 days after the date of the
initial meeting of the Commission, an interim report
on--
(i) the findings of the Commission with
respect to the evaluation and assessment
required by this subsection; and
(ii) such recommendations as the Commission
may have for legislative or administrative
action to improve access to health care through
the Veterans Health Administration.
(B) Not later than 180 days after the date of the
initial meeting of the Commission, a final report on--
(i) the findings of the Commission with
respect to the evaluation and assessment
required by this subsection; and
(ii) such recommendations as the Commission
may have for legislative or administrative
action to improve access to health care through
the Veterans Health Administration.
(c) Powers of the Commission.--
(1) Hearings.--The Commission may hold such hearings, sit
and act at such times and places, take such testimony, and
receive such evidence as the Commission considers advisable to
carry out this section.
(2) Information from federal agencies.--The Commission may
secure directly from any Federal department or agency such
information as the Commission considers necessary to carry out
this section. Upon request of the Chairperson of the
Commission, the head of such department or agency shall furnish
such information to the Commission.
(d) Commission Personnel Matters.--
(1) Compensation of members.--Each member of the Commission
who is not an officer or employee of the Federal Government
shall be compensated at a rate equal to the daily equivalent of
the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level IV of the
Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United States
Code, for each day (including travel time) during which such
member is engaged in the performance of the duties of the
Commission. All members of the Commission who are officers or
employees of the United States shall serve without compensation
in addition to that received for their services as officers or
employees of the United States.
(2) Travel expenses.--The members of the Commission shall
be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of
subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies
under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States
Code, while away from their homes or regular places of business
in the performance of services for the Commission.
(3) Staff.--
(A) In general.--The Chairperson of the Commission
may, without regard to the civil service laws and
regulations, appoint and terminate an executive
director and such other additional personnel as may be
necessary to enable the Commission to perform its
duties. The employment of an executive director shall
be subject to confirmation by the Commission.
(B) Compensation.--The Chairperson of the
Commission may fix the compensation of the executive
director and other personnel without regard to chapter
51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United
States Code, relating to classification of positions
and General Schedule pay rates, except that the rate of
pay for the executive director and other personnel may
not exceed the rate payable for level V of the
Executive Schedule under section 5316 of such title.
(4) Detail of government employees.--Any Federal Government
employee may be detailed to the Commission without
reimbursement, and such detail shall be without interruption or
loss of civil service status or privilege.
(5) Procurement of temporary and intermittent services.--
The Chairperson of the Commission may procure temporary and
intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United
States Code, at rates for individuals which do not exceed the
daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for
level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of such
title.
(e) Termination of the Commission.--The Commission shall terminate
30 days after the date on which the Commission submits its report under
subsection (b)(3)(B).
(f) Funding.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall make
available to the Commission from amounts appropriated or otherwise made
available to the Secretary such amounts as the Secretary and the
Chairperson of the Commission jointly consider appropriate for the
Commission to perform its duties under this section.
(g) Executive Action.--
(1) Action on recommendations.--The President shall require
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and such other heads of
relevant Federal departments and agencies to implement each
recommendation set forth in a report submitted under subsection
(b)(3) that the President--
(A) considers feasible and advisable; and
(B) determines can be implemented without further
legislative action.
(2) Reports.--Not later than 60 days after the date on
which the President receives a report under subsection (b)(3),
the President shall submit to the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of
the House of Representatives and such other committees of
Congress as the President considers appropriate a report
setting forth the following:
(A) An assessment of the feasibility and
advisability of each recommendation contained in the
report received by the President.
(B) For each recommendation assessed as feasible
and advisable under subparagraph (A) the following:
(i) Whether such recommendation requires
legislative action.
(ii) If such recommendation requires
legislative action, a recommendation concerning
such legislative action.
(iii) A description of any administrative
action already taken to carry out such
recommendation.
(iv) A description of any administrative
action the President intends to be taken to
carry out such recommendation and by whom.
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