SCHEDULES Act of 2026
- Sponsor
- Rep. Franklin, Scott [R-FL-18]
- Committees
- Veterans' Affairs Committee (primary)
- Last action
- Apr 27, 2026
Bottom line
The bill aims to enhance transparency and accountability in VA healthcare scheduling by requiring a new comprehensive standard for referral-to-appointment timing and detailed public reporting on its performance.
What it actually does
This bill mandates the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a new comprehensive standard for the maximum allowable time between a veteran's referral for care and their actual appointment, whether at a VA facility or through community care. It also requires the VA to submit detailed quarterly and annual reports to Congress, which must be publicly available, on the adherence to this new standard and existing scheduling metrics, disaggregated by facility, care category, and state.
Proponents argue
Proponents argue that this legislation will significantly improve veteran access to timely healthcare by establishing a clear, measurable, and comprehensive standard for scheduling. They contend that the mandated detailed and public reporting will increase accountability within the VA, identify systemic issues, and drive data-driven improvements across all VA facilities and care categories, ultimately ensuring veterans receive the care they need without undue delays.
Opponents contend
Opponents, or those with concerns, might argue that the bill could impose a significant administrative and IT burden on the Department of Veterans Affairs, potentially diverting resources from direct patient care to extensive data collection and reporting. They might also suggest that existing scheduling standards and oversight mechanisms are sufficient, and that adding another layer of metrics could create redundancy or lead to unintended consequences such as 'teaching to the test' rather than genuine improvements in care delivery.
The bill text is concise and can be read quickly, allowing for a thorough understanding of its provisions.
Section 2(a)
Establishment of Comprehensive Referral-to-Appointment Standard
This provision requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a single, overarching standard for the maximum allowable time between the date a veteran's referral for care is entered into the VA's system and the date their appointment occurs. This standard applies to care provided at VA facilities and through community providers. The Secretary has the authority to modify this standard as VA scheduling processes evolve, but any new or modified standard must be published in the Federal Register and on a publicly available VA website at least 30 days before its implementation.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that establishing a single, comprehensive standard will ensure veterans receive timely care by setting a clear, measurable goal for the entire referral-to-appointment process, thereby closing potential gaps in current, more fragmented metrics and fostering greater accountability.
Critics contend
Critics might argue that existing standards for VA (3-business-day) and community care (7-calendar-day) appointments are already in place, and that introducing another layer of standards could create redundancy, administrative complexity, or confusion without necessarily leading to tangible improvements in care delivery.
Tradeoffs
This provision balances the desire for comprehensive accountability and a unified metric for veteran care access with the potential for increased administrative overhead and complexity in managing multiple, potentially overlapping, scheduling metrics within a large healthcare system.
Section 2(b)
Mandatory Quarterly and Annual Performance Reporting
This provision requires the VA Secretary to submit detailed reports to Congress at least quarterly, outlining the number and percentage of referrals that meet the new comprehensive standard, as well as existing 3-business-day (VA facility) and 7-calendar-day (community care) scheduling standards. These reports must disaggregate data by individual VA facility, by the five or more most in-demand categories of care (e.g., mental health, cardiology), and include a ranking of all VA medical centers from best to worst in meeting the new standard, disaggregated by State. Annually, the reports must also include aggregated data for the preceding four quarters and describe the steps the VA is taking to improve timeliness and its estimated timeline for full compliance. All these reports must be made publicly available on the Veterans Health Administration website.