# 115-hr-4642: Veterans Improved Access and Care Act of 2017

115-hr-4642, Veterans Improved Access and Care Act of 2017, is a 115th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Tipton, Scott R. [R-CO-3] (R-CO); status Referred to the Subcommittee on Health. (as of 2025-11-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-4642
- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 115-hr-4642
- Congress: 115
- Title: Veterans Improved Access and Care Act of 2017
- Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- Introduced: 2017-12-14
- Sponsor: Rep. Tipton, Scott R. [R-CO-3] (R-CO)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

Veterans Improved Access and Care Act of 2017 This bill amends the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to provide access to hospital care and medical services in non-Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities for all veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system. (Currently, such access is based upon appointment wait times and distance from, or existence of, VA facilities.) The VA shall: (1) establish a pilot program to expedite the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) process for bringing on a medical provider after such person is offered a tentative VHA position (onboarding), (2) give priority to medical facilities facing hiring shortages of licensed independent medical providers, and (3) submit to Congress a strategy for reducing the length of the medical provider hiring process by half. The bill requires that certain personal information be transmitted to the National Practitioner Data Bank and the applicable state licensing board whenever a major adverse action based upon performance or conduct is taken against certain VHA health care employees.

## Related bills

- 115-hr-7309: To authorize the Every Word We Utter Monument to establish a commemorative work in the District of Columbia and its environs, and for other purposes.
- 115-hr-7263: SAFE Act of 2018
- 115-hr-7226: Good Samaritan Remediation of Orphan Hardrock Mines Act of 2018
- 115-hr-6996: Veterans Right to Expediency Act
- 115-hr-6965: Mancos Water Conservancy District Conveyance Act
- 115-hr-6963: Dental Care for Low-Income Veterans Act

## Sources
- [115-hr-4642 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/4642)

## Related
- [115-hr-7309: To authorize the Every Word We Utter Monument to establish a commemorative work…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-7309)
- [115-hr-7263: SAFE Act of 2018](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-7263)
- [115-hr-7226: Good Samaritan Remediation of Orphan Hardrock Mines Act of 2018](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-7226)
- [115-hr-6996: Veterans Right to Expediency Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-6996)
- [115-hr-6965: Mancos Water Conservancy District Conveyance Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-6965)
- [115-hr-6963: Dental Care for Low-Income Veterans Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-6963)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-4642 (as of 2025-11-18).