Our bipartisan bill would establish a national timing standard between referrals and appointments at VA facilities so that veterans in the 19th Congressional District and beyond can reliably and quickly secure support and make informed decisions about their care. ... The SCHEDULES Act addresses these gaps by requiring the VA to: Establish a standard timeline for care from the moment a referral is entered until the veteran is seen for the related issue; Report to Congress quarterly on progress implementing the new standard; and Provide transparency through performance metrics and rankings for each VA facility.
Support legislation that establishes a national standard timeline for veterans' care referrals and appointments at VA facilities, with quarterly reporting and facility-level transparency metrics.
Occurrences
Evidence
Rep. Jimmy Panetta and Rep. Scott Franklin introduced the bipartisan SCHEDULES Act to ensure timely treatment for veterans seeking specialty care at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Panetta said the bill would establish a national timing standard between referrals and appointments at VA facilities, and the release says the bill would report to Congress quarterly and provide transparency through performance metrics and rankings for each VA facility.
Congress.gov lists H.R.6794 as introduced on 12/17/2025 and shows the latest action as referral to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. The bill text requires an annual fact sheet, a quarterly fact sheet with average wait time, public posting at the facility and on the website, and a standardized format.
Assessments
The promise was to support legislation establishing a national VA referral and appointment timeline standard with quarterly reporting and facility-level transparency metrics. Panetta introduced and advocated for bipartisan legislation matching those elements during his current federal term. Although Congress.gov indicates the bill remains pending and has not been enacted, the promised action was support for such legislation rather than securing enactment of the policy itself, so the support commitment is fulfilled. The effort badge is warranted because he materially advanced the proposal by introducing the bill.