SCHEDULES Act of 2026
- Bill Number
- H.R. 8199
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-04-27: Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
- Last Updated
- 2026-05-23T08:07:31Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The SCHEDULES Act of 2026 (H.R. 8199) aims to improve the timeliness of healthcare appointments for veterans by requiring the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to create and report on a unified standard for the time between when a referral is entered into the VA's system and when the appointment occurs—either at a VA facility or with community providers.
Key Provisions
- Establishment of Standard:
- The Secretary must set a comprehensive standard measuring the gap between referral entry and appointment scheduling.
- The standard can be updated as VA scheduling processes improve.
- Any new or modified standard must be published in the Federal Register (a government publication for official notices) and on a public VA website at least 30 days in advance.
- Reporting Requirements:
- Quarterly reports to Congress on the number and percentage of referrals meeting:
- The new comprehensive standard.
- Existing benchmarks: 3-business-day standard for VA facility appointments and 7-calendar-day standard for community care.
- Data broken down by VA facility, top 5+ categories of care (e.g., mental health, cardiology), and rankings of VA medical centers (best to worst, including by state).
- Annual additions to reports: 1-year aggregated data, steps taken to speed up care, and estimated timeline for full compliance.
- All reports must be posted publicly on the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) website.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Introduces a new overarching standard for referral-to-appointment timing, building on but distinct from current specific benchmarks (3 days for VA facilities, 7 days for community care).
- Mandates regular, detailed public reporting and transparency, including facility rankings and improvement plans—previously not required at this level of detail or frequency.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Increases accountability for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), requiring process improvements, data tracking, and congressional oversight; may strain resources for reporting but drive efficiency in scheduling.
- Citizens (Veterans): Could lead to faster access to care by pressuring VA facilities to meet timelines, benefiting veterans awaiting referrals.
- No notable impacts on international relations.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Veterans: Primary beneficiaries through potentially quicker care.
- Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): Must implement standard, modify processes, and produce reports.
- Congress: Receives oversight data to evaluate VA performance.
- VA Facilities and Medical Centers: Subject to performance rankings and public scrutiny.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Enhances administrative transparency under VA laws without altering core eligibility or funding; enforceable via congressional reporting mandates.
- Constitutional: No apparent issues; aligns with Congress's authority over federal agencies and spending.
- Political: Promotes accountability in veterans' healthcare, potentially influencing VA budget debates or facility performance evaluations; bipartisan sponsorship (introduced by Reps. Franklin, Panetta, Patronis, Moylan).
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Franklin, Scott [R-FL-18]
Cosponsors (8)
Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-19], Rep. Patronis, Jimmy [R-FL-1], Del. Moylan, James C. [R-GU-At Large], Rep. Dunn, Neal P. [R-FL-2], Rep. McGarvey, Morgan [D-KY-3], Rep. Rutherford, John H. [R-FL-5], Rep. Whitesides, George [D-CA-27], Rep. Gosar, Paul A. [R-AZ-9]
Recent Actions
- 2026-04-27: Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
- 2026-04-06: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- 2026-04-06: Introduced in House
- 2026-04-06: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Scheduling for Community Health and Easy Data to Understand for Legislators to Evaluate Services Act of 2026 — issued 2026-04-06 — PDF (4 pages)