Within 120 days of enactment, H.R. 3956 would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to develop and implement a plan to hire directors at each VA medical center that lacks a permanent director. The bill also would require VA to submit semiannual reports to the Congress on the remaining vacant positions. VA reports that it has such a plan in place and is working aggressively to hire new directors.
In addition, H.R. 3956 would require VA to ensure that each director of a medical facility complete an annual certification that the facility is complying with the laws and regulations pertaining to scheduling medical appointments. That provision would codify VA’s current practice, as specified under VA Directive 2010-027. The bill also would require VA to ensure the directives and policies are being implemented in a uniform manner and prohibit paying bonuses to senior staff if they fail to comply. CBO expects that VA would implement that requirement by distributing regular guidance through electronic correspondence and that few, if any, senior staff would be denied bonuses. As a result, CBO estimates that on net implementing H.R. 3956 would cost less than $500,000 over the 2017-2021 period; that spending would be subject to availability of appropriated funds.
Enacting H.R. 3956 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 3956 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2027.
