S. 654, a bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish an external provider scheduling program to assist the Department of Veterans Affairs in scheduling appointments for care and services under the Veterans Community Care Program, and for other purposes
Cost Estimate
As ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on July 30, 2025
S. 654, a bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish an external provider scheduling program to assist the Department of Veterans Affairs in scheduling appointments for care and services under the Veterans Community Care Program, and for other purposes
As ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on July 30, 2025
By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars
2025
2025-2030
2025-2035
Direct Spending (Outlays)
0
0
0
Revenues
0
0
0
Increase or Decrease (-) in the Deficit
0
0
0
Spending Subject to Appropriation (Outlays)
0
*
*
Increases net direct spending in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2036?
No
Statutory pay-as-you-go procedures apply?
No
Mandate Effects
Increases on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2036?
S. 654 would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), to the extent practicable, to implement an information technology system that allows VA employees to view current appointment availability with medical providers outside of the department in order to reduce the time it takes VA to schedule veterans for medical appointments with those providers. The bill also would require VA to report to the Congress annually through 2028 on its progress in deploying that system.
A scheduling system meeting the bill’s requirement is available at several VA facilities, and the department continues to deploy the system to additional locations. Thus, the costs of implementing that requirement will occur under current law. On the basis of costs of similar reports, CBO estimates that satisfying the bill’s reporting requirements would cost less than $500,000; such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Logan Smith. The estimate was reviewed by Christina Hawley Anthony, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
