HR 3482
· 119th Congress
· Armed Forces and National Security
Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act
Sponsor
Latest action
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 496.
Action timeline
Every recorded action on this bill, newest first. Stage badges color-code the legislative path.
Mar 30, 2026
committee
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 119-576.
Veterans' Affairs Committee
Mar 30, 2026
other
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 496.
Feb 12, 2026
committee
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Veterans' Affairs Committee
Feb 12, 2026
committee
Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Veterans' Affairs Committee
Feb 05, 2026
committee
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Discharged
Veterans' Affairs Committee
Jun 11, 2025
committee
Subcommittee Hearings Held
Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
Jun 06, 2025
committee
Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
May 19, 2025
introduced
Introduced in House
May 19, 2025
introduced
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Veterans' Affairs Committee
Text versions
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CRS summaries
Plain-English summaries written by the Congressional Research Service — neutral, nonpartisan staff who summarize bills as they advance through stages. The authoritative description of what each version of the bill does.
07
Reported to House
Mar 30, 2026
Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement an electronic process for scheduling health care appointments furnished by the VA or through the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP). Under the bill, the VA must implement the electronic process not later than two years after the enactment of this bill.
The VA must implement a mandatory training program for VA schedulers or other employees involved in scheduling appointments regarding guidelines for the implementation of the electronic process. Additionally, the VA must prescribe performance benchmarks and outcome-based metrics for the electronic process.
The VA must also implement an outreach strategy to encourage non-VA health care providers participating in the VCCP to participate in the electronic process.
Finally, the bill extends the limitation on pension amounts for certain hospitalized or institutionalized veterans through June 30, 2033.
via Congressional Research Service · published through congress.gov
Changelog
ⓘ
How a bill moves through Congress. Each stage produces a new official text. The diff between them shows what changed at that step.
ih / is — Introduced in House / Senate. First filed version.rfh / rfs — Referred to a committee for review.rh / rs — Reported back by the committee to the floor (often with amendments — this is where most language changes happen).pcs / pch — Placed on Calendar for floor consideration.eh / es — Engrossed. Passed by the originating chamber. Text is now what was actually voted on.rdh / rds — Received by the other chamber.eah / eas — Engrossed Amendment. The other chamber passed an amended version.ath / ats — Agreed to. Both chambers settled on the same text.enr — Enrolled. Final reconciled text, sent to the President.pl — Public Law. Signed by the President. It's now law.pp — Public Print. Official printing post-enactment.
Most bills die before eh/es. Going from pcs → enr is the full path through both chambers.
ⓘ
How a bill moves through Congress. Each stage produces a new official text. The diff between them shows what changed at that step.
ih/is— Introduced in House / Senate. First filed version.rfh/rfs— Referred to a committee for review.rh/rs— Reported back by the committee to the floor (often with amendments — this is where most language changes happen).pcs/pch— Placed on Calendar for floor consideration.eh/es— Engrossed. Passed by the originating chamber. Text is now what was actually voted on.rdh/rds— Received by the other chamber.eah/eas— Engrossed Amendment. The other chamber passed an amended version.ath/ats— Agreed to. Both chambers settled on the same text.enr— Enrolled. Final reconciled text, sent to the President.pl— Public Law. Signed by the President. It's now law.pp— Public Print. Official printing post-enactment.
Most bills die before eh/es. Going from pcs → enr is the full path through both chambers.
Line-level diff between text versions of this bill — what actually changed at each legislative stage.
+205
−94
47 unchanged
--- Introduced (House)
+++ Reported (House)
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
-[H.R. 3482 Introduced in House (IH)]
+[H.R. 3482 Reported in House (RH)]
<DOC>
+Union Calendar No. 496
119th CONGRESS
-1st Session
+2d Session
H. R. 3482
+
+[Report No. 119-576]
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish an online program
through which an employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs may
@@ -22,6 +25,19 @@
Mr. Barrett introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs
+March 30, 2026
+
+Additional sponsor: Ms. Budzinski
+
+March 30, 2026
+
+Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
+House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
+[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
+in italic]
+[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on May 19,
+2025]
+
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
@@ -43,111 +59,176 @@
SEC. 2. SCHEDULING OF APPOINTMENTS UNDER THE VETERANS COMMUNITY CARE
PROGRAM.
-(a) In General.--Section 3101 of the Johnny Isakson and David P.
-Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020
-(Public Law 116-315; 38 U.S.C. 1701 note) is amended by striking
-subsection (d) and inserting the following new subsection (d):
-``(d) Program on Scheduling Appointments With Community Care
-Providers by Employees of the Department Through Information Technology
-System.--(1) Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of
-the Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act, the Secretary
-shall, instead of the process under subsection (a), carry out a program
-through which a scheduler of the Department--
-``(A) may schedule, for a veteran, an appointment--
-``(i) for health care furnished through the
-Veterans Community Care Program; and
-``(ii) offered by a non-Department health care
-provider that participates in the Veterans Community
-Care Program and elects to participate in the program
-under this subsection; and
-``(B) using an information technology system.
-``(2) The Secretary shall carry out the program under this
-subsection through an existing agreement if practicable.
-``(3) The program under this subsection shall, with regards to an
-appointment available with a Department provider or a non-Department
-provider that participates in the Veterans Community Care Program,
-allow a scheduler--
-``(A) to view, search, and sort such appointments by type
-of care, location, and date;
-``(B) to schedule such an appointment;
-``(C) to provide referral or authorization documents
-directly to a non-Department provider; and
-``(D) to perform any other function the Secretary
+(a) Electronic Process.--Subsection (d) of section 3101 of the
+Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits
+Improvement Act of 2020 (Public Law 116-315; 38 U.S.C. 1701 note) is
+amended to read as follows:
+``(d) Electronic Process.--(1) The Secretary shall implement an
+electronic process through which a scheduler of the Department, using
+an information technology system, may schedule an appointment for
+health care furnished by the Department or through the Veterans
+Community Care Program, under section 1703 of this title, by a non-
+Department health care provider.
+``(2) The electronic process under this subsection shall allow a
+scheduler, with regards to appointments described in--
+``(A) either clause of subparagraph (A) of subsection
+(a)(1), to view, search, and sort such appointments by type of
+care, location, and date; and
+``(B) clause (ii) of such subparagraph--
+``(i) to schedule such an appointment;
+``(ii) to provide referral and authorization
+documents directly to a non-Department provider; and
+``(iii) to perform any other function the Secretary
determines necessary.
-``(4) Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of the
-Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act, the Secretary shall
-prescribe regulations under this subsection. Such regulations shall
-include a directive to employees at medical centers of the Department
-to use the information technology system under this subsection to
-schedule appointments described in paragraph (1) instead of the process
-under subsection (a) whenever practicable.
-``(5) Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of the
-Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act, the Secretary shall
-plan and carry out an outreach campaign to encourage non-Department
-providers that participate in the Veterans Community Care Program to
-participate in the program under this subsection. Such outreach shall
-include the publication of a publicly accessible website of the
-Department regarding--
-``(A) details of the program;
-``(B) how a provider may elect to participate in the
-program; and
-``(C) a point of contact in the Department regarding the
-program.
-``(6) The Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans'
+``(3) The Secretary shall ensure that the electronic process allows
+a scheduler to schedule an appointment for health care furnished by the
+Secretary through a health care provider of the Department.
+``(4) The Secretary shall implement the electronic process through
+an existing agreement if practicable.
+``(5) The Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans'
Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives the following
-documents regarding the program under this subsection:
-``(A) Not later than 30 days after each determination
-described in paragraph (3)(D), a report regarding each function
-described in such subparagraph.
-``(B) Not later than 30 days after prescription, a copy of
-the regulations prescribed under paragraph (4).
-``(C) Not later than 30 days after the Secretary formulates
-the plan under paragraph (5), a copy of such plan.
-``(D) Not later than 18 months after the date of the
-enactment of the Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement
-Act and every six months thereafter during the following five
-years, a report regarding operation of such program during the
-six months preceding the date of the report. Such a report
-shall include the following:
+regarding the electronic process:
+``(A) Not later than 90 days after the Secretary makes a
+determination under subparagraph (B)(iii) of paragraph (2), a
+briefing regarding the functions the Secretary has determined
+necessary.
+``(B) Not later than six months after the date of the
+enactment of Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement
+Act, and semiannually thereafter during the following three
+years, a report regarding operation of the electronic process
+during both the semiannual period preceding the date of the
+report and the cumulative period since the date of the
+enactment of such Act. Such a report shall include the
+following for each such period:
``(i) The number of non-Department health care
-providers who participated in such program.
-``(ii) The number of appointments under the
-Veterans Community Care Program, scheduled by a
-scheduler of the Department, disaggregated by--
-``(I) whether the appointment was scheduled
-under such program or by the process under
-subsection (a);
-``(II) category of medical services
-provided; and
+providers that participated in such electronic process,
+disaggregated by--
+``(I) category of hospital care or medical
+services provided; and
+``(II) medical center of the Department;
+``(ii) The number of appointments scheduled
+pursuant to the electronic process, disaggregated by--
+``(I) category of hospital care or medical
+services provided;
+``(II) medical center of the Department;
+and
``(III) month.
-``(7) The program under this subsection shall terminate seven years
-after the date of the enactment of the Veterans Community Care
-Scheduling Improvement Act.''.
-(b) Codification.--
+``(iii) A comparison of the average wait time for
+appointments scheduled through the electronic process
+and through non-electronic methods, disaggregated by
+medical center of the Department.
+``(iv) The rates at which veterans cancelled
+appointments scheduled through the electronic process.
+``(v) The rates at which veterans did not appear
+for appointments scheduled through the electronic
+process.''.
+(b) Implementation.--
+(1) Date.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
+implement the electronic process under subsection (d) of
+section 1703H of such title, as added by this section, not
+later than two years after the date of the enactment of this
+Act.
+(2) Guidelines.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
+the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
+shall establish guidelines. Such guidelines shall include the
+following:
+(A) Procedures for schedulers and other employees
+of the Department involved in the scheduling of
+appointments described in such section.
+(B) A directive that employees described in
+subparagraph (A) use the electronic process to the
+extent practicable.
+(C) A directive that employees described in
+subparagraph (A), when scheduling an appointment for a
+covered veteran (as such term is used in section 1703
+of such title) for health care furnished by the
+Secretary, inform such covered veteran of available
+appointments though providers of the Department and
+through providers under the Veterans Community Care
+Program when eligible.
+(D) Procedures for engaging with non-Department
+health care providers in specialized cases.
+(E) Standards regarding timeliness and accuracy.
+(F) Escalation protocols for scheduling failures or
+delays.
+(3) Training.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
+the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall implement a
+mandatory training program for employees described in paragraph
+(2) regarding the guidelines under paragraph (2).
+(4) Evaluation.--Not later than 60 days after the date of
+the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall prescribe
+performance benchmarks and outcome-based metrics for the
+electronic process under such section, including--
+(A) time between a referral and a scheduled
+appointment;
+(B) patient satisfaction; and
+(C) the percentage of appointments scheduled
+exclusively through the electronic process.
+(5) Outreach.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
+enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall plan and carry out
+an outreach strategy to encourage non-Department of Veterans
+Affairs health care providers that participate in the Veterans
+Community Care Program to participate in the electronic process
+under such subsection. Such outreach shall--
+(A) include contacting each such provider during
+such 90 days;
+(B) include seeking to enter into an agreement with
+each such provider under which the provider shall
+participate in the electronic process;
+(C) include collaborating with State hospital
+associations and rural health associations to promote
+such participation;
+(D) focus on providers in specialties or
+underserved areas, as determined by the Secretary; and
+(E) include the publication, on a publicly
+accessible website of the Department, of information
+regarding--
+(i) details of the electronic process;
+(ii) how a provider may elect to
+participate in the electronic process; and
+(iii) a point of contact in the Department
+regarding the electronic process.
+(6) Oversight.--The Secretary shall submit to the
+Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of
+Representatives, with regards to the electronic process under
+such subsection, the following:
+(A) Not later than 30 days after the Secretary
+establishes guidelines under paragraph (2) of this
+subsection, a copy of such guidelines.
+(B) Not later than 30 days after the Secretary
+formulates the plan under paragraph (5) of this
+subsection, a briefing on the outreach strategy under
+such paragraph.
+(C) Not later than 180 days after the date of the
+enactment of this Act, the benchmarks and metrics
+prescribed under paragraph (4).
+(c) Expansion.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
+enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on
+Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a plan to
+integrate the scheduling of appointments for health care furnished
+through health care providers of the Department of Veterans Affairs
+into the electronic process under subsection (d) of section 1703H of
+such title. Such plan shall include the following elements:
+(1) A timeline to implement such plan.
+(2) Estimated costs to carry out such plan.
+(3) Changes to policies and procedures of the Department
+the Secretary determines necessary to implement such plan.
+(d) Codification.--
(1) In general.--Section 3101 of such Act, as amended by
subsection (a), is transferred to subchapter I of chapter 17 of
title 38, United States Code, inserted after section 1703G, and
redesignated as section 1703H.
(2) Conforming amendments.--Section 1703H of such title, as
-added by this section, is amended--
+transferred and redesignated by this subsection, is amended--
(A) by striking any heading that is not a section
heading or subsection heading and conforming the
margins accordingly;
(B) by striking ``of title 38, United States Code''
both places it appears and inserting ``of this title'';
-(C) in subsection (a)(1)--
-(i) in the matter preceding subparagraph
-(A), by striking ``Not later than 60 days after
-the date of the enactment of this Act, the
-Secretary of Veterans Affairs'' and inserting
-``The Secretary''; and
-(ii) in subparagraph (A), by striking
-``Department of Veterans Affairs'' and
-inserting ``Department'';
-(D) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ``Not later
+(C) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ``Not later
than one year after the date of the enactment of this
Act, the Secretary'' and inserting ``The Secretary'';
-(E) in subsection (c)--
+(D) in subsection (c)--
(i) in paragraph (1), in the matter
preceding subparagraph (A), by striking ``Not
later than 180 days after the date of the
@@ -158,9 +239,9 @@
Secretary shall require each medical facility
of the Department to use the method or tool
described in paragraph (1).'';
-(F) in the section enumerator, by striking ``sec.''
+(E) in the section enumerator, by striking ``sec.''
and inserting ``Sec. ''; and
-(G) in the section heading--
+(F) in the section heading--
(i) by striking ``process and requirements
for scheduling appointments for health care
from department of veterans affairs and non-
@@ -175,4 +256,34 @@
item relating to section 1703G, the following new item:
``1703H. Scheduling of appointments.''.
-<all>
+
+SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF CERTAIN LIMITS ON PAYMENT OF PENSION.
+
+Section 5503(d)(7) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by
+striking ``January 31, 2033'' and inserting ``June 30, 2033''.
+Union Calendar No. 496
+
+119th CONGRESS
+
+2d Session
+
+H. R. 3482
+
+[Report No. 119-576]
+
+_______________________________________________________________________
+
+A BILL
+
+To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish an online program
+through which an employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs may
+schedule an appointment for a covered veteran with a non-Department
+health care provider under the Veterans Community Care Program, and for
+other purposes.
+
+_______________________________________________________________________
+
+March 30, 2026
+
+Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
+House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
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Cosponsors (1)
Members who signed on to support this bill.