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HOUSE 217117th CongressReferred to the House Committee on House Administration.

Providing amounts for the expenses of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs in the One Hundred Seventeenth Congress.

Last Action
3/10/2021

Actions

  • 2021-02-17Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
  • 2021-01-06Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  • 2021-01-06Introduced in House
  • 2021-01-06Introduced in House

CRS Summary

As of 2021-01-06 (00)

Improving Confidence in Veterans' Care Act

This bill prescribes oversight requirements for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regarding health care professionals at VA medical centers.

Specifically, the bill requires the VA to ensure each VA medical center consistently compiles, verifies, and reviews specified documentation for each VA health care professional (including contractors).

The VA shall ensure that specified health care professionals hold an active Drug Enforcement Administration registration.

Each VA medical center must implement (1) monitoring of the performance and quality of the health care delivered by each health care professional at the center, and (2) reviews of such care if an individual notifies the VA of any potential concerns relating to a failure to meet generally accepted standards of clinical practice.

The bill imposes notification requirements in situations where the VA substantiates a concern relating to the clinical competency of, or quality of care delivered by, a current or former VA health care professional.

The VA is prohibited from entering into a settlement agreement relating to an adverse action against a VA health care professional if such agreement includes terms that require the VA to conceal certain information from the employee's personnel file. Such prohibition does not apply to adverse actions determined to be prohibited personnel practices.

The VA must provide mandatory training, at least biannually, to employees of each medical center who are responsible for specified tasks (e.g., those who are responsible for compiling, validating, or reviewing the credentials of VA health care professionals).

Cosponsors (20)

  • Rick Allen (R-GA)
  • W. Steube (R-FL)
  • Warren Davidson (R-OH)
  • Jack Bergman (R-MI)
  • Gary Palmer (R-AL)
  • John Rutherford (R-FL)
  • James Baird (R-IN)
  • Ashley Hinson (R-IA)
  • Matt Gaetz (R-FL)
  • David McKinley (R-WV)
  • Dusty Johnson (R-SD)
  • Fred Keller (R-PA)
  • Chris Stewart (R-UT)
  • Ted Budd (R-NC)
  • Bob Gibbs (R-OH)
  • Thomas Tiffany (R-WI)
  • Tom Rice (R-SC)
  • Lisa McClain (R-MI)
  • Jody Hice (R-GA)
  • Ronny Jackson (R-TX)

Subjects

  • Accounting and auditing
  • Administrative remedies
  • Congressional oversight
  • Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Drug trafficking and controlled substances
  • Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
  • Employee hiring
  • Employee performance
  • Employment and training programs
  • Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
  • Government studies and investigations
  • Health care quality
  • Health facilities and institutions
  • Health personnel
  • Licensing and registrations
  • Medical ethics
  • Personnel records
  • Prescription drugs
  • Public contracts and procurement
Read on Congress.gov

Sourced from Congress.gov (public domain).

This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.