Sec. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ESTABLISHING A PATIENT SELF-SCHEDULING APPOINTMENT SYSTEM

351 words·~2 min read·/statute-compilations/comps-13001/sec-2

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

## SEC. 2 PILOT PROGRAM ESTABLISHING A PATIENT SELF-SCHEDULING APPOINTMENT SYSTEM ###

(a)Pilot Program Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall commence a pilot program under which veterans use an Internet website or mobile application to schedule and confirm medical appointments at medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs. ###

(b)Selection of Locations The Secretary shall select not less than three Veterans Integrated Services Networks in which to carry out the pilot program under subsection (a). ###

(c)Contracts ####

(1)Authority The Secretary shall seek to enter into a contract using competitive procedures with one or more contractors to provide the scheduling capability described in subsection (a). ####

(2)Notice of competition Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue a request for proposals for the contract described in paragraph (1). Such request shall be full and open to any contractor that has an existing commercially available, off-the-shelf online patient self-scheduling system that includes the capabilities specified in section 3(a). ####

(3)Selection Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall award a contract to one or more contractors pursuant to the request for proposals under paragraph (2). ###

(d)Duration of Pilot Program ####

(1)In general Except as provided by paragraph (2), the Secretary shall carry out the pilot program under subsection

(a)for an 18-month period. ####

(2)Extension The Secretary may extend the duration of the pilot program under subsection (a), and may expand the selection of Veterans Integrated Services Networks under subsection (b), if the Secretary determines that the pilot program is reducing the wait times of veterans seeking medical care and ensuring that more available appointment times are filled. ###

(e)Mobile Application Defined In this section, the term “mobile application” means a software program that runs on the operating system of a cellular telephone, tablet computer, or similar portable computing device that transmits data over a wireless connection.