Ask Veterans Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 8269 To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct annual surveys of veterans on experiences obtaining hospital care and medical services from medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 Ms. ESCOBAR introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs A BILL To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct annual surveys of veterans on experiences obtaining hospital care and medical services from medical facilities of the De- partment of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ask Veterans Act’’. 4 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:45 Sep 25, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8269.IH H8269 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 8269 IH SEC. 2. SURVEY OF VETERANS’ EXPERIENCES WITH DE- 1 PARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL 2 CARE. 3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 4 shall seek to enter into a contract with a non-government 5 entity with significant experience conducting scientifically 6 verifiable surveys and research to conduct an annual sur- 7 vey of a statistically significant sample of veterans who 8 reside in the geographic area served by each of the medical 9 facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs to deter- 10 mine the nature of the experiences of such veterans in ob- 11 taining hospital care and medical services furnished by the 12 Secretary at each such medical facility. Each such survey 13 shall be conducted using scientific and verifiable methods. 14 Such contract shall provide that the non-government enti- 15 ty shall conduct such annual surveys during the five-year 16 period beginning on the date on which the Secretary en- 17 ters into the contract with the non-government entity. 18 (b) CONTENTS.—The contract entered into under 19 subsection (a) shall provide that each survey conducted 20 pursuant to the contract shall be specific to a medical fa- 21 cility of the Department and shall include questions relat- 22 ing to the experiences of veterans in requesting and receiv- 23 ing appointments for hospital care and medical services 24 furnished by the Secretary at that medical facility, includ- 25 ing questions relating to each of the following: 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:45 Sep 25, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8269.IH H8269 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 8269 IH (1) The veteran’s ability to obtain hospital care 1 and medical services at the facility in a timely man- 2 ner. 3 (2) The period of time between the date on 4 which the veteran requests an appointment at the 5 facility and the date on which the appointment is 6 scheduled. 7 (3) The frequency with which scheduled ap- 8 pointments are canceled by the facility. 9 (4) The quality of hospital care or medical serv- 10 ices the veteran has received at the facility. 11 (c) CONSULTATION.—The contract entered into 12 under subsection (a) shall provide that in designing and 13 conducting the surveys for each medical facility of the De- 14 partment pursuant to such contract, the non-government 15 entity shall consult with veterans service organizations. 16 (d) CERTIFICATION.—The contract entered into 17 under subsection (a) shall provide that— 18 (1) before conducting a survey pursuant to the 19 contract, the non-government entity shall submit the 20 proposed survey to the Comptroller General who 21 shall assess whether the survey is scientifically valid 22 and whether the proposed sample size of veterans to 23 be surveyed is statistically significant; and 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:45 Sep 25, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8269.IH H8269 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 8269 IH (2) the non-government entity may not conduct 1 such a survey until the Comptroller General provides 2 such a certification for the survey. 3 (e) SUBMITTAL OF RESULTS AND PUBLIC AVAIL- 4 ABILITY OF INFORMATION.—Not later than 30 days after 5 the completion of the surveys conducted pursuant to a 6 contract entered into under subsection (a) for a year, the 7 Secretary shall make the results of the surveys publicly 8 available on the internet website of the Department. 9 (f) PAPERWORK REDUCTION.—Subchapter I of chap- 10 ter 35 of title 44, United States Code, shall not apply to 11 this section. 12 (g) DEADLINE FOR IMPLEMENTATION.—The Sec- 13 retary shall enter into a contract under subsection (a) for 14 each medical facility of the Department by not later than 15 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 16 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:18 Sep 29, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H8269.IH H8269 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS