119-s787

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 787 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 787

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a commission to 
 review operations at the Veterans Health Administration and submit to 
 Congress reports with respect to that review, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 February 27, 2025

Mr. Cassidy (for himself and Ms. Hirono) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a commission to 
 review operations at the Veterans Health Administration and submit to 
 Congress reports with respect to that review, and for other purposes.

 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 ``VetPAC Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION POLICY ADVISORY 
 COMMISSION.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter I of chapter 73 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``

Sec. 7310B. Veterans Health Administration Policy Advisory Commission
 ``

    (a) Establishment.--There is established the Veterans Health 
Administration Policy Advisory Commission (in this section referred to 
as the `Commission').
 ``

    (b) Membership.--
 ``

    (1) Composition.--The Commission shall be composed of 17 
 members appointed by the Comptroller General of the United 
 States, of which not fewer than 2 shall be veterans.
 ``

    (2) Qualifications.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--An individual is eligible for 
 appointment to the Commission under paragraph

    (1) if 
 the individual has significant expertise in operating 
 or advising large medical systems, including expertise 
 in quality of care, staffing issues, information 
 technology, artificial intelligence in health care, 
 medical supply chains, procurement of medical supplies, 
 medical facility construction or leasing, medical 
 facility architecture or engineering, medical research, 
 and managed care plans and networks.
 ``
        (B) Experience of members.--In appointing members 
 under paragraph

    (1) , the Comptroller General shall 
 select individuals from backgrounds that reflect the 
 broad diversity of health care received by veterans, 
 including nonprofit health systems, public and private 
 health systems, care furnished by the Veterans Health 
 Administration, and care furnished by the Department of 
 Defense.
 ``

    (3) Ethical disclosure.--A member of the Commission shall 
 be considered an employee of Congress whose compensation is 
 disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate for purposes of 
 applying subchapter I of chapter 131 of title 5, United States 
 Code, except that a member of the Commission is required to 
 file public financial disclosure reports without regard to 
 their number of days of service or rate of pay.
 ``
            (c) Period of Appointment; Vacancies.--
 ``

    (1) Terms.--A member of the Commission shall be appointed 
 under subsection

    (b)

    (1) for a term of 5 years, except that the 
 Comptroller General shall designate staggered terms for the 
 members first appointed.
 ``

    (2) Vacancies.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--A vacancy on the Commission 
 shall be filled in the manner in which the original 
 appointment was made and shall be subject to any 
 conditions that applied with respect to the original 
 appointment.
 ``
        (B) Filling unexpired term.--An individual chosen 
 to fill a vacancy shall be appointed for the unexpired 
 term of the member replaced.
 ``

    (3) Expiration of terms.--The term of any member shall 
 not expire before the date on which the member's successor 
 takes office.
 ``
            (d) Meetings.--
 ``

    (1) Frequency.--The Commission shall meet at the call of 
 the Chairman, but not less frequently than once per year.
 ``

    (2) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Commission 
 shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number of members may 
 hold meetings.
 ``

    (e) Chairman and Vice Chairman.--The Comptroller General shall 
designate one member of the Commission as Chairman and one member of 
the Commission as Vice Chairman, at the time of appointment of such 
member and for the term of appointment of such member, except that in 
the case of vacancy of the Chairmanship or Vice Chairmanship, the 
Comptroller General may designate another member for the remainder of 
that member's term.
 ``

    (f) Duties of the Commission.--
 ``

    (1) Review.--The Commission shall--
 ``
        (A) review operations at the Veterans Health 
 Administration; and
 ``
        (B) prepare reports for Congress based on such 
 review, including recommendations to Congress.
 ``

    (2) Topics to be reviewed.--In conducting a review under 
 paragraph

    (1)
        (A) , the Commission shall include periodic reviews 
 of the following, taking into consideration other independent 
 assessments in selecting topics to limit duplicative efforts:
 ``
        (A) Information technology infrastructure at 
 medical facilities of the Department, including with 
 respect to electronic health record systems.
 ``
        (B) Referrals to care at facilities of the 
 Department and under the Veterans Community Care 
 Program under 

section 1703 of this title, and factors 
 impacting those referrals.
 ``
            (C) Access and wait times at medical facilities 
 of the Department and under the Veterans Community Care 
 Program, including both primary and specialty care, and 
 factors impacting those wait times.
 ``
            (D) The quality of health care furnished by the 
 Department and through the Veterans Community Care 
 Program.
 ``
        (E) Workforce issues, including workforce 
 performance, recruitment, and retention factors.
 ``
        (F) Patient satisfaction and customer service at 
 medical facilities of the Department and through the 
 Veterans Community Care Program.
 ``
        (G) The training of health care providers and the 
 standards of care at facilities of the Department and 
 in the Veterans Community Care Program.
 ``
        (H) The long-term budgetary outlook of the 
 Veterans Health Administration, as well as key 
 components driving budgetary changes over time.
 ``
            (I) Procurement of supplies at medical facilities 
 of the Department.
 ``
        (J) The research program of the Department, 
 including both internal and external research.
 ``
        (K) Hospital construction, leasing, and capital 
 requirements.
 ``
            (L) The interaction of care under the Medicare 
 program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act 
 (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.), the Medicaid program under 
 title XIX of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.), the 
 TRICARE program under chapter 55 of title 10, and 
 commercial health care plans with care furnished by the 
 Veterans Health Administration.
 ``

    (3) Issues regarding veteran health care delivery 
 generally.--In carrying out the requirements of this 
 subsection, the Commission shall review the effect of policies 
 under this title on the delivery of health care services to 
 veterans and assess the implications of changes in health care 
 delivery for veterans in the United States.
 ``

    (4) Transmittal of certain reports.--If the Secretary or 
 the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
 submits to Congress (or a committee of Congress) a report that 
 is required by law and that relates to policies for health care 
 furnished under the laws administered by the Secretary, the 
 Secretary shall transmit a copy of that report to the 
 Commission.
 ``

    (5) Consultation and additional reviews and studies.--
 ``
        (A) Consultation.--In carrying out the 
 requirements of this subsection, the Commission shall 
 consult periodically with the chairmen and ranking 
 members of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
 Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
 House of Representatives regarding the agenda of the 
 Commission and progress towards achieving that agenda.
 ``
        (B) Additional reviews and reports.--The 
 Commission may conduct additional reviews, and may 
 submit additional reports to the Committee on Veterans' 
 Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' 
 Affairs of the House of Representatives, from time to 
 time on such topics relating to the activities of the 
 Commission as may be requested by the Chairman and 
 members and as the Commission determines appropriate.
 ``
            (C) Special studies.--The Commission may conduct 
 special studies requested by the chairman or ranking 
 member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
 Senate or the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
 House of Representatives and as the Commission 
 determines appropriate.
 ``

    (6) Budgetary considerations.--Before making any 
 recommendations to Congress, the Commission shall examine the 
 budget consequences of such recommendations, directly or 
 through consultation with appropriate expert entities.
 ``

    (7) Report.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--By not later than March 15 of 
 each year, the Commission shall submit to Congress a 
 report containing the results and recommendations from 
 the review conducted under paragraph

    (1) .
 ``
        (B) Inclusion of recommendations.--A 
 recommendation may be included in a report under 
 subparagraph
        (A) if a simple majority of the members of 
 the Commission vote to include the recommendation in 
 the report.
 ``

    (g) Powers of Commission.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--The Commission may--
 ``
        (A) employ and fix the compensation of an 
 Executive Director (at a rate of pay not greater than 
 that provided for level III of the Executive Schedule 
 under 

section 5314 of title 5) and such other personnel 
 as may be necessary to carry out the duties of the 
 Commission, without regard to the provisions of title 5 
 governing appointments in the competitive service;
 ``
        (B) seek such assistance and support as may be 
 required in the performance of its duties from 
 appropriate departments and agencies of the United 
 States or departments or agencies of a State;
 ``
            (C) enter into contracts or make other 
 arrangements, as may be necessary for the conduct of 
 the work of the Commission (without regard to 

section 3709 of the Revised Statutes (41 U.S.C. 6101));
 ``
            (D) make advance, progress, and other payments 
 that relate to the work of the Commission;
 ``
        (E) provide transportation and subsistence for 
 individuals serving the Commission without 
 compensation; and
 ``
        (F) prescribe such rules and regulations as the 
 Commission determines necessary with respect to the 
 internal organization and operation of the Commission.
 ``

    (2) Data collection.--In order to carry out its 
 functions, the Commission shall--
 ``
        (A) utilize existing information, both published 
 and unpublished, if possible, collected and assessed 
 either by its own staff or under other arrangements 
 made in accordance with this section;
 ``
        (B) carry out, or award grants or contracts for, 
 original research and experimentation, if existing 
 information is inadequate; and
 ``
            (C) adopt procedures allowing any interested 
 party to submit information for use by the Commission 
 in making reports and recommendations.
 ``

    (3) Information from federal agencies.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--The Commission may secure 
 directly from any relevant department or agency of the 
 United States health care information the Chairman 
 determines would be helpful to enable the Commission to 
 carry out this section.
 ``
        (B) Timing.--Upon request of the Chairman, the 
 head of a department or agency of the United States 
 shall furnish information requested under subparagraph
        (A) to the Commission on an agreed upon schedule or not 
 later than 180 days after the date of the request.
 ``

    (h) Compensation.--
 ``

    (1) Members.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--While conducting the business of 
 the Commission (including travel time), a member of the 
 Commission shall be entitled to compensation at the per 
 diem equivalent of the rate provided for level IV of 
 the Executive Schedule under 

section 5315 of title 5.
 ``
        (B) Travel expenses.--While conducting the 
 business of the Commission away from home and the 
 regular place of business of the member, a member may 
 be allowed travel expenses, as authorized by the 
 Chairman.
 ``

    (2) Physician comparability allowance for personnel.--The 
 Commission may provide a physician comparability allowance to 
 physicians serving as personnel of the Commission in the same 
 manner as physicians of the Federal Government may be provided 
 such an allowance by an agency under 

section 5948 of title 5, 
 and for such purpose, subsection
            (i) of such section shall 
 apply to the Commission in the same manner as it applies to the 
 Tennessee Valley Authority.
 ``

    (3) Treatment of personnel.--For purposes of pay (other 
 than pay of members of the Commission) and employment benefits, 
 rights, and privileges, all personnel of the Commission shall 
 be treated as if they were employees of the United States 
 Senate.
 ``
            (i) Detail of Federal Employees.--An employee of the Federal 
Government may be detailed to the Commission without reimbursement and 
without interruption or loss of civil service status or privileges.
 ``

    (j) Access of Congressional Support Agencies to Information.--The 
Commission shall provide to the Comptroller General, the Congressional 
Research Service, and the Congressional Budget Office unrestricted 
access to all deliberations, records, and nonproprietary data of the 
Commission not later than 30 days after such access is requested.
 ``

    (k) Authorization of Appropriations.--
 ``

    (1) Request for appropriations.--The Commission shall 
 submit requests for appropriations in the same manner as the 
 Comptroller General submits requests for appropriations, but 
 amounts appropriated for the Commission shall be separate from 
 amounts appropriated for the Comptroller General.
 ``

    (2) Authorization.--There are authorized to be 
 appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this 
 section.''.

    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to 

section 7310A the following new item:

``7310B. Veterans Health Administration Policy Advisory Commission.''.
            (c) Initial Appointment.--Not later than 280 days after the date on 
which amounts are first appropriated to the Veterans Health 
Administration Policy Advisory Commission established under 

section 7310B of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection

    (a) , the 
Comptroller General of the United States shall make initial 
appointments of members to the Commission under subsection

    (b)

    (1) of 
such section.
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