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116TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1674
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program
to expedite the onboarding process for new medical providers of the
Department of Veterans Affairs, to reduce the duration of the hiring
process for such medical providers, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 11, 2019
Mr. TIPTON (for himself and Mr. CROW) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out
a pilot program to expedite the onboarding process for
new medical providers of the Department of Veterans
Affairs, to reduce the duration of the hiring process
for such medical providers, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Improved Ac-
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cess and Care Act of 2019’’.
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•HR 1674 IH
SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON EXPEDITING THE DEPART-
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MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PROCESS FOR
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ONBOARDING NEW MEDICAL PROVIDERS.
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(a) PILOT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans
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Affairs shall carry out a pilot program to assess the
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feasibility and advisability of expediting the process
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of
the
Veterans
Health
Administration
for
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onboarding new medical providers.
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(2) GOAL FOR PROGRAM.—Under the pilot pro-
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gram, the Secretary shall seek to reduce the length
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of time it takes to onboard medical providers to no
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more than 60 days.
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(b) LOCATIONS.—
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall select
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not fewer than ten medical facilities of the Depart-
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ment of Veterans Affairs at which to carry out the
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pilot program.
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(2) REGIONAL DIVERSITY.—The medical facili-
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ties selected under paragraph (1) shall be located in
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regionally diverse areas, as determined by the Sec-
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retary.
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(3) PRIORITY.—In selecting medical facilities
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under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give pri-
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ority to medical facilities facing hiring shortages of
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licensed independent medical providers.
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•HR 1674 IH
(c) ONBOARDING PROCESS DEFINED.—In this sec-
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tion, the term ‘‘onboarding process’’ means the process of
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bringing on a medical provider applicant after the medical
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provider is offered a tentative position, including certifi-
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cation of credentialing, background investigation, assess-
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ment of health status, and such other actions as are nec-
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essary for starting employment.
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SEC. 3. STRATEGY TO REDUCE DURATION OF HIRING
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PROCESS OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF-
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FAIRS FOR LICENSED PROFESSIONAL MED-
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ICAL PROVIDERS.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the
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date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet-
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erans Affairs shall submit to Congress a strategy to reduce
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the duration of the hiring process of the Department of
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Veterans Affairs for licensed professional medical pro-
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viders by half.
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(b) EXPEDITED CERTIFICATION.—The strategy sub-
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mitted under subsection (a) shall describe how the overall
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certification of credentials process of the Department for
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licensed professional medical providers can be expedited.
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Æ
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