A Republican bill with 3 Democratic cosponsors · See all 8 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "SCHEDULES Act of 2026," directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to create a comprehensive standard for the time between a care referral and a resulting appointment. This standard applies to care within Department facilities and care provided in the community. The Secretary is required to publish any new or modified standards in the Federal Register and on a public website. Additionally, the Secretary must submit quarterly reports to Congress regarding how many referrals meet the established standard. These reports must include specific data on meeting various scheduling standards and rank medical centers from best to worst. Finally, an annual report must include aggregated data and a description of steps taken to improve timeliness.
Yes· 3 of 4
- Scored +6
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
The bill increases transparency by requiring the Secretary to publish scheduling standards and quarterly performance reports on a public website.
- Scored +5
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?
The bill provides veterans with better care through established appointment standards and improved institutional accountability.
- Scored +5
Does this make health care easier to get in general?
The bill improves healthcare access by requiring the Secretary to establish and meet standards for the time between a care referral and an appointment.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Standardized Care Timing: The Secretary must establish a comprehensive standard for the time between a referral and an appointment, whether the care is at a Department facility or in the community (Section 2(a)(1)). This creates a baseline for how quickly veterans should receive care.
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Increased Transparency: The Secretary is required to publish standards in the Federal Register and on a public website (Section 2(a)(3)). Furthermore, reports on how many referrals meet the standard must be made publicly available on a Veterans Health Administration website (Section 2(b)(4)).
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Accountability through Reporting: The Secretary must submit quarterly reports to Congress that include the number and percentage of referrals that meet the standard (Section 2(b)(1)). This includes specific data regarding the three-business-day standard for Department facilities and the seven-calendar-day standard for community care (Section 2(b)(2)(A)).
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Visibility of Performance Trends: Reports must include a list of all medical centers ranked from best to worst in meeting the timing standard, including a list disaggregated by State (Section 2(b)(2)(C)). This allows for the identification of high-performing and low-performing locations.
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Focus on High-Demand Areas: Data must be disaggregated by at least five in-demand categories of care, such as mental health, cardiology, neurology, or oncology (Section 2(b)(2)(B)). This ensures that the timeliness of critical services is tracked specifically.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts are explicitly mentioned in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill increases transparency by requiring the Secretary to publish scheduling standards and quarterly performance reports on a public website.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — The bill provides veterans with better care through established appointment standards and improved institutional accountability.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill improves healthcare access by requiring the Secretary to establish and meet standards for the time between a care referral and an appointment.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive? — The bill improves veterans' benefits by creating standardized timeliness for medical appointments and increasing transparency in care delivery.
- 5/14/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 4/27/2026
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 4/15/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 4/14/2026
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 4/6/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- 3 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Neal DunnRepublican · Florida
Paul GosarRepublican · Arizona
James MoylanRepublican · Guam
Morgan McGarveyDemocrat · Kentucky
Jimmy PanettaDemocrat · California
Jimmy PatronisRepublican · Florida
John RutherfordRepublican · Florida
George WhitesidesDemocrat · California