H.R. 6794 — VA Medical Center Facility Transparency Act

This section establishes a requirement that, beginning 180 days after enactment, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) must schedule an appointment at a VA medical facility during the initial telephone call from any enrolled veteran (i.e., covered veteran under VA's patient enrollment system in 38 U.S.C. §1705(a)) requesting hospital care or medical services, regardless of the appointment's prospective date. The requirement sunsets three years after enactment (and redesignates existing §1706A, on remediation of medical service lines, as §1706B).

This section requires each director of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center to submit to the Secretary, the House and Senate Committees on Veterans’ Affairs, and appropriate Members of Congress (1) an annual fact sheet with statistics on veterans treated, appointments, common illnesses or conditions, veteran satisfaction levels and facility comparisons, successes or achievements (including improvements in facilities, access, and care quality), special areas of emphasis or specialization (e.g., women veterans, suicide prevention, mental health, opioid abuse, veteran homelessness), and ongoing deficiencies needing remediation; and (2) a quarterly fact sheet on average wait times for treatment. The fact sheets must be publicly available in physical form at the facility and electronically on its website, submitted beginning in the first fiscal year starting 180 days after enactment and at least annually or quarterly thereafter, and prepared in a standardized format established by the Secretary.

This section requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, upon detailing a director of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center to another position within the VA, to (1) notify the congressional Committees on Veterans' Affairs within 90 days, including the detail location, position title, estimated absence duration from the medical center, and other relevant information; (2) appoint an acting director with full authority and responsibilities within 120 days; and (3) submit status updates to the committees every 30 days beginning 120 days after the detail, continuing while the detail is in effect or the director position is vacant. The section further requires that, within 180 days of the detail (except for an ongoing investigation or administrative action against the director), the Secretary either return the director to the medical center or reassign the director and begin hiring a replacement. The Secretary may waive the 180-day requirement in successive 90-day increments for up to 540 days total from the original detail date, with notification to Congress within 30 days of each waiver explaining its necessity.