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H.R.217 / 117th Congress

Improving Confidence in Veterans’ Care Act

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in House · Jan 6, 2021

Improving Confidence in Veterans' Care Act

This bill prescribes oversight requirements for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regarding health care professionals at VA medical centers.

Specifically, the bill requires the VA to ensure each VA medical center consistently compiles, verifies, and reviews specified documentation for each VA health care professional (including contractors).

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The VA shall ensure that specified health care professionals hold an active Drug Enforcement Administration registration.

Each VA medical center must implement (1) monitoring of the performance and quality of the health care delivered by each health care professional at the center, and (2) reviews of such care if an individual notifies the VA of any potential concerns relating to a failure to meet generally accepted standards of clinical practice.

The bill imposes notification requirements in situations where the VA substantiates a concern relating to the clinical competency of, or quality of care delivered by, a current or former VA health care professional.

The VA is prohibited from entering into a settlement agreement relating to an adverse action against a VA health care professional if such agreement includes terms that require the VA to conceal certain information from the employee's personnel file. Such prohibition does not apply to adverse actions determined to be prohibited personnel practices.

The VA must provide mandatory training, at least biannually, to employees of each medical center who are responsible for specified tasks (e.g., those who are responsible for compiling, validating, or reviewing the credentials of VA health care professionals).

Read the summary on Congress.gov
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Who introduced it

Rep. Cloud, Michael [R-TX-27] · R–TX

Committees

  • Veterans' Affairs Committee
45 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Actions

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  1. Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

  2. Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

  3. Introduced in House

  4. Introduced in House

Bill text & related measures

Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.

Related bills identified by Congress.gov

Source last updated: Jan 3, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

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Objective

Analyze H.R.217 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

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Fairness and public impact

Progressive lens

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Individual rights and government power

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