H.R. 3956 — what changed

VA Health Center Management Stability and Improvement Act

From Introduced in House to Engrossed in House. 2 added between Introduced in House and Engrossed in House.

Sec. 4 Compliance with scheduling requirements

added

(a)

added Annual certification—

(1)

added In general— The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that the director of each medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs annually certifies to the Secretary that the medical facility is in full compliance with all provisions of law and regulations relating to scheduling appointments for veterans to receive hospital care and medical services, including pursuant to Veterans Health Administration Directive 2010–027, or any successor directive.

(2)

added Prohibition on waiver— The Secretary may not waive any provision of the laws or regulations described in paragraph (1) for a medical facility of the Department if such provision otherwise applies to the medical facility.

(b)

added Explanation of noncompliance— If a director of a medical facility of the Department does not make a certification under subsection (a)(1) for any year, the director shall submit to the Secretary a report containing—

(1)

added an explanation of why the director is unable to make such certification; and

(2)

added a description of the actions the director is taking to ensure full compliance with the laws and regulations described in such subsection.

(c)

added Prohibition on bonuses based on noncompliance—

(1)

added In general— If a director of a medical facility of the Department does not make a certification under subsection (a)(1) for any year, each covered official described in paragraph (2) may not receive an award or bonus under chapter 45 or 53 of title 5, United States Code, or any other award or bonus authorized under such title or title 38, United States Code, during the year following the year in which the certification was not made.

(2)

added Covered official— A covered official described in this paragraph is each official who serves in the following positions at a medical facility of the Department during a year, or portion thereof, for which the director does not make a certification under subsection (a)(1):

(A)

added The director.

(B)

added The chief of staff.

(C)

added The associate director.

(D)

added The associate director for patient care.

(E)

added The deputy chief of staff.

(d)

added Annual report— The Secretary shall annually submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representative and the Senate a report containing, with respect to the year covered by the report—

(1)

added a list of each medical facility of the Department for which a certification was made under subsection (a)(1); and

(2)

added a list of each medical facility of the Department for which such a certification was not made, including a copy of each report submitted to the Secretary under subsection (b).

Sec. 5 Uniform application of directives and policies of Department of Veterans Affairs

added

(a)

added In general— The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that the directives and policies of the Department of Veterans Affairs apply to each office or facility of the Department in a uniform manner.

(b)

added Notification— If the Secretary does not uniformly apply the directives and policies of the Department pursuant to subsection (a), including by waiving such a directive or policy with respect to an office, facility, or element of the Department, the Secretary shall notify the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representative and the Senate of such nonuniform application, including an explanation for the nonuniform application.