Bill > HR8199

This bill, known as the SCHED-ULES Act of 2026, requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to create a clear and comprehensive standard for how long veterans should wait between being referred for care and actually receiving an appointment, whether that care is at a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facility or through community providers. The Secretary must publish this standard in the Federal Register and on the VA's website at least 30 days before it takes effect or is changed. Furthermore, the Secretary must regularly report to Congress, at least quarterly, detailing how many referrals meet this new standard, and specifically how many meet a three-business-day standard for VA facilities and a seven-calendar-day standard for community care. These reports will also break down performance by the most in-demand types of care and rank VA medical centers based on their success in meeting the standard, with all reports being made publicly available online. Annually, the reports will include aggregated data and a description of the VA's efforts to improve timeliness and a projection of when full compliance with the standard is expected.