S 654
· 119th Congress
· Armed Forces and National Security
A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish an external provider scheduling program to assist the Department of Veterans Affairs in scheduling appointments for care and services under the Veterans Community Care Program, and for other purposes.
Sponsor
Latest action
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 274.
Action timeline
Every recorded action on this bill, newest first. Stage badges color-code the legislative path.
Dec 02, 2025
committee
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Reported by Senator Moran with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
Veterans' Affairs Committee
Dec 02, 2025
other
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 274.
Jul 30, 2025
committee
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Veterans' Affairs Committee
Mar 11, 2025
committee
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held.
Veterans' Affairs Committee
Feb 20, 2025
introduced
Introduced in Senate
Feb 20, 2025
introduced
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Veterans' Affairs Committee
Text versions
Each stage of the bill — official text published by GPO. Click any format to read on congress.gov / govinfo.
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.
00
Introduced in Senate
Feb 20, 2025
This bill establishes within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) a national External Provider Scheduling Program to assist the VA in scheduling appointments for care and services under the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP). The program must consist of technology that allows VA schedulers to view the schedules of health care providers participating in the VCCP in real time.
The VA must ensure the program reduces the time (1) from referral to the actual scheduling of appointments for care or services, and (2) for VA schedulers to schedule appointments for care or services.
The VA must also ensure the program is available to all VA medical centers by September 30, 2025.
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.
+125
−53
20 unchanged
--- Introduced (Senate)
+++ Reported (Senate)
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
-[S. 654 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
+[S. 654 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
+Calendar No. 274
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 654
@@ -22,6 +23,12 @@
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs
+December 2, 2025
+
+Reported by Mr. Moran, with an amendment
+[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
+in italic]
+
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
@@ -34,59 +41,124 @@
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
+<DELETED>SECTION 1. EXTERNAL PROVIDER SCHEDULING PROGRAM OF DEPARTMENT
+OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.</DELETED>
+
+<DELETED> (a) Establishment.--</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (1) In general.--Subchapter I of chapter 17 of
+title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting after
+section 1703G the following new section:</DELETED>
+<DELETED>``Sec. 1703H. External Provider Scheduling Program</DELETED>
+<DELETED> ``(a) In General.--There is established within the
+Department a national External Provider Scheduling Program (in this
+section referred to as the `Program') to assist the Department in
+scheduling appointments for care and services under the Veterans
+Community Care Program under section 1703 of this title.</DELETED>
+<DELETED> ``(b) Elements of Program.--The Program shall consist of
+technology that allows schedulers of the Department to view the
+schedules of health care providers participating in the Veterans
+Community Care Program under section 1703 of this title and schedule,
+in real-time, appointments for care and services under such
+section.</DELETED>
+<DELETED> ``(c) Use of Contracts.--The Secretary shall carry out the
+Program through an existing contract entered into by the Department, if
+feasible, or a new contract.</DELETED>
+<DELETED> ``(d) Reduction in Wait Times.--The Secretary shall ensure
+that the Program--</DELETED>
+<DELETED> ``(1) reduces the time (measured in days) from
+referral of veterans to health care providers under the
+Veterans Community Care Program under section 1703 of this
+title to the actual scheduling of appointments for care or
+services under such section; and</DELETED>
+<DELETED> ``(2) reduces the time (measured in days and
+hours) for schedulers of the Department to schedule
+appointments for care or services under such section.</DELETED>
+<DELETED> ``(e) Annual Report.--Not later than September 30 of each
+year through 2028, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on
+Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
+of the House of Representatives a report on the progress of the
+Secretary in establishing the Program.''.</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at
+the beginning of chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, is
+amended by inserting after the item relating to section 1703G
+the following new item:</DELETED>
+
+<DELETED>``1703H. External Provider Scheduling Program.''.
+<DELETED> (b) Availability of Program.--The Secretary of Veterans
+Affairs shall ensure that the national External Provider Scheduling
+Program established under section 1703H of title 38, United States
+Code, as added by subsection (a)(1), is available to all medical
+centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs by not later than
+September 30, 2025.</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (c) Conforming Amendments.--Section 1703 of title 38,
+United States Code, is amended--</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (1) in subsection (a)(2)(A), by inserting ``,
+including pursuant to the program under section 1703H of this
+title,'' after ``medical appointments''; and</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (2) in subsection (h)(2)(B), by inserting ``,
+including pursuant to the program under section 1703H of this
+title'' before the period at the end.</DELETED>
+
SECTION 1. EXTERNAL PROVIDER SCHEDULING PROGRAM OF DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS.
-(a) Establishment.--
-(1) In general.--Subchapter I of chapter 17 of title 38,
-United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1703G
-the following new section:
-``Sec. 1703H. External Provider Scheduling Program
-``(a) In General.--There is established within the Department a
-national External Provider Scheduling Program (in this section referred
-to as the `Program') to assist the Department in scheduling
-appointments for care and services under the Veterans Community Care
-Program under section 1703 of this title.
-``(b) Elements of Program.--The Program shall consist of technology
-that allows schedulers of the Department to view the schedules of
-health care providers participating in the Veterans Community Care
-Program under section 1703 of this title and schedule, in real-time,
-appointments for care and services under such section.
-``(c) Use of Contracts.--The Secretary shall carry out the Program
-through an existing contract entered into by the Department, if
-feasible, or a new contract.
-``(d) Reduction in Wait Times.--The Secretary shall ensure that the
-Program--
-``(1) reduces the time (measured in days) from referral of
-veterans to health care providers under the Veterans Community
-Care Program under section 1703 of this title to the actual
-scheduling of appointments for care or services under such
-section; and
-``(2) reduces the time (measured in days and hours) for
-schedulers of the Department to schedule appointments for care
-or services under such section.
-``(e) Annual Report.--Not later than September 30 of each year
-through 2028, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans'
-Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the
-House of Representatives a report on the progress of the Secretary in
-establishing the Program.''.
-(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the
-beginning of chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, is
-amended by inserting after the item relating to section 1703G
-the following new item:
+Section 1703 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
+(1) in subsection (a)(2)(A), by inserting ``, including
+pursuant to the systems required under subsection (q),'' after
+``medical appointments'';
+(2) in subsection (h)(2)(B), by inserting ``, including
+pursuant to the systems required under subsection (q)'' before
+the period at the end;
+(3) by redesignating subsection (q) as subsection (r); and
+(4) by inserting after subsection (p) the following new
+subsection (q):
+``(q) Provider Scheduling.--
+``(1) In general.--In carrying out the program under this
+section, the Secretary shall develop or procure such technology
+systems as needed to allow schedulers of the Department to view
+the schedules of health care providers participating in the
+program and schedule, in real-time, appointments for care and
+services under the program, to the extent practicable.
+``(2) Use of contracts.--The Secretary may procure such
+systems as described in paragraph (1) through an existing
+contract entered into by the Department, if feasible, or a new
+contract.
+``(3) Reduction in wait times.--The Secretary shall develop
+or procure the systems described in paragraph (1) with the
+intent of--
+``(A) reducing the time (measured in days) from
+referral date of veterans to health care providers
+under subsection (c) to the actual scheduling of
+appointments for care or services under this section;
+and
+``(B) reducing the time (measured in days and
+hours) for schedulers of the Department to schedule
+appointments for care or services under this section.
+``(4) Annual report.--Not later than September 30 of each
+year through 2028, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee
+on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on
+Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on
+the progress of the Secretary in establishing the systems
+required by paragraph (1).''.
+Calendar No. 274
-``1703H. External Provider Scheduling Program.''.
-(b) Availability of Program.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs
-shall ensure that the national External Provider Scheduling Program
-established under section 1703H of title 38, United States Code, as
-added by subsection (a)(1), is available to all medical centers of the
-Department of Veterans Affairs by not later than September 30, 2025.
-(c) Conforming Amendments.--Section 1703 of title 38, United States
-Code, is amended--
-(1) in subsection (a)(2)(A), by inserting ``, including
-pursuant to the program under section 1703H of this title,''
-after ``medical appointments''; and
-(2) in subsection (h)(2)(B), by inserting ``, including
-pursuant to the program under section 1703H of this title''
-before the period at the end.
-<all>
+119th CONGRESS
+
+1st Session
+
+S. 654
+
+_______________________________________________________________________
+
+A BILL
+
+To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish an external
+provider scheduling program to assist the Department of Veterans
+Affairs in scheduling appointments for care and services under the
+Veterans Community Care Program, and for other purposes.
+
+_______________________________________________________________________
+
+December 2, 2025
+
+Reported with an amendment
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Cosponsors (3)
Members who signed on to support this bill.