[114th Congress Public Law 286]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[[Page 130 STAT. 1459]]
Public Law 114-286
114th Congress
An Act
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program
establishing a patient self-scheduling appointment system, and for other
purposes. <<NOTE: Dec. 16, 2016 - [H.R. 4352]>>
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Faster Care for
Veterans Act of 2016.>>
SECTION 1. <<NOTE: 38 USC 1701 note.>> SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Faster Care for Veterans Act of
2016''.
SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ESTABLISHING A PATIENT SELF-SCHEDULING
APPOINTMENT SYSTEM.
(a) <<NOTE: Deadline. Website. Mobile application.>> Pilot
Program.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall commence a pilot
program under which veterans use an Internet website or mobile
application to schedule and confirm medical appointments at medical
facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(b) Selection of Locations.--The Secretary shall select not less
than three Veterans Integrated Services Networks in which to carry out
the pilot program under subsection (a).
(c) <<NOTE: Deadlines.>> Contracts.--
(1) Authority.--The Secretary shall seek to enter into a
contract using competitive procedures with one or more
contractors to provide the scheduling capability described in
subsection (a).
(2) Notice of competition.--Not later than 60 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue a
request for proposals for the contract described in paragraph
(1). Such request shall be full and open to any contractor that
has an existing commercially available, off-the-shelf online
patient self-scheduling system that includes the capabilities
specified in section 3(a).
(3) Selection.--Not later than 120 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall award a contract
to one or more contractors pursuant to the request for proposals
under paragraph (2).
(d) Duration of Pilot Program.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided by paragraph (2), the
Secretary shall carry out the pilot program under subsection (a)
for an 18-month period.
(2) <<NOTE: Determination.>> Extension.--The Secretary may
extend the duration of the pilot program under subsection (a),
and may expand the selection of Veterans Integrated Services
Networks under
[[Page 130 STAT. 1460]]
subsection (b), if the Secretary determines that the pilot
program is reducing the wait times of veterans seeking medical
care and ensuring that more available appointment times are
filled.
(e) Mobile Application Defined.--In this section, the term ``mobile
application'' means a software program that runs on the operating system
of a cellular telephone, tablet computer, or similar portable computing
device that transmits data over a wireless connection.
SEC. 3. CAPABILITIES OF PATIENT SELF-SCHEDULING APPOINTMENT
SYSTEM.
(a) Minimum Capabilities.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
ensure that the patient self-scheduling appointment system used in the
pilot program under section 2, and any other patient self-scheduling
appointment system developed or used by the Department of Veterans
Affairs, includes, at a minimum, the following capabilities:
(1) Capability to schedule, modify, and cancel appointments
for primary care, specialty care, and mental health.
(2) Capability to support appointments for the provision of
health care regardless of whether such care is provided in
person or through telehealth services.
(3) Capability to view appointment availability in real
time.
(4) Capability to make available, in real time, appointments
that were previously filled but later cancelled by other
patients.
(5) Capability to provide prompts or reminders to veterans
to schedule follow-up appointments.
(6) Capability to be used 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
(7) Capability to integrate with the Veterans Health
Information Systems and Technology Architecture of the
Department, or such successor information technology system.
(b) Independent Validation and Verification.--
(1) Independent entity.--
(A) <<NOTE: Contracts.>> The Secretary shall seek
to enter into an agreement with an appropriate non-
governmental, not-for-profit entity with expertise in
health information technology to independently validate
and verify that the patient self-scheduling appointment
system used in the pilot program under section 2, and
any other patient self-scheduling appointment system
developed or used by the Department of Veterans Affairs,
includes the capabilities specified in subsection (a).
(B) <<NOTE: Deadlines.>> Each independent
validation and verification conducted under subparagraph
(A) shall be completed as follows:
(i) With respect to the validation and
verification of the patient self-scheduling
appointment system used in the pilot program under
section 2, by not later than 60 days after the
date on which such pilot program commences.
(ii) With respect to any other patient self-
scheduling appointment system developed or used by
the Department of Veterans Affairs, by not later
than 60 days after the date on which such system
is deployed, regardless of whether such deployment
is on a limited
[[Page 130 STAT. 1461]]
basis, but not including any deployments for
testing purposes.
(2) GAO evaluation.--
(A) The Comptroller General of the United States
shall evaluate each validation and verification
conducted under paragraph (1).
(B) <<NOTE: Deadline.>> Not later than 30 days
after the date on which the Comptroller General
completes an evaluation under paragraph (1), the
Comptroller General shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a report on such evaluation.
(C) <<NOTE: Definition.>> In this paragraph, the
term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(i) the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the
House of Representatives and the Senate; and
(ii) the Committees on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives and the Senate.
(c) Certification.--
(1) <<NOTE: Deadline.>> Capabilities included.--Not later
than December 31, 2017, the Secretary shall certify to the
Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives
and the Senate that the patient self-scheduling appointment
system used in the pilot program under section 2, and any other
patient self-scheduling appointment system developed or used by
the Department of Veterans Affairs as of the date of the
certification, includes the capabilities specified in subsection
(a).
(2) <<NOTE: Deadline.>> New systems.--If the Secretary
develops or begins using a new patient self-scheduling
appointment system that is not covered by a certification made
under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall certify to such
committees that such new system includes the capabilities
specified in subsection (a) by not later than 30 days after the
date on which the Secretary determines to replace the previous
patient self-scheduling appointment system.
(3) Effect of capabilities not included.--If the Secretary
does not make a timely certification under paragraph (1) or
paragraph (2), the Secretary shall replace any patient self-
scheduling appointment system developed by the Secretary that is
in use with a commercially available, off-the-shelf online
patient self-scheduling system that includes the capabilities
specified in subsection (a).
[[Page 130 STAT. 1462]]
SEC. 4. PROHIBITION ON NEW APPROPRIATIONS.
No additional funds are authorized to carry out the requirements of
this Act. Such requirements shall be carried out using amounts otherwise
authorized.
Approved December 16, 2016.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 4352:
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 162 (2016):
Dec. 6, considered and passed House.
Dec. 9, considered and passed Senate.
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