S. 654 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, Feb 20, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summarySpeeds up VA scheduling for community care
This bill creates a new system within the Veterans Affairs Department to help schedule appointments faster for veterans getting care through community doctors and hospitals. The system gives VA staff real-time access to see when outside providers have open appointment slots, so they can book veterans' appointments more quickly without the back-and-forth delays.
How it affects you
If you're a veteran waiting for community care through the VA, this could mean shorter waits between your referral and your actual appointment. The VA has to make sure this scheduling system is working at all VA medical centers by September 2025.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Feb 20, 2025)
This bill establishes within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) a national External Provider Scheduling Program to assist the VA in scheduling appointments for care and services under the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP). The program must consist of technology that allows VA schedulers to view the schedules of health care providers participating in the VCCP in real time.
The VA must ensure the program reduces the time (1) from referral to the actual scheduling of appointments for care or services, and (2) for VA schedulers to schedule appointments for care or services.
The VA must also ensure the program is available to all VA medical centers by September 30, 2025.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionS. 654
A BILL
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.
Sponsor: Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) · Introduced Feb 20, 2025 · Armed Forces and National Security · 2 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Dec 2, 2025: “Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 274.”
Sections
The wording of this bill hasn’t changed across its 2 official versions.