text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Increasing Medical Oversight in the 
  Department of Veterans Affairs Act of 2014''.
  
  SEC. 2. OFFICE OF THE MEDICAL INSPECTOR.
  
      (a) Establishment.--Subchapter I of chapter 73 of title 38, United 
  States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
  ``Sec. 7310. Office of the Medical Inspector
      ``(a) In General.--There is established in the Department within 
  the Office of the Under Secretary for Health an office to be known as 
  the `Office of the Medical Inspector' (in this section referred to as 
  the `Office').
      ``(b) Head.--(1) The Medical Inspector shall be the head of the 
  Office.
      ``(2) The Medical Inspector shall be appointed by the Secretary 
  from among individuals qualified to perform the duties of the position.
      ``(3) The Medical Inspector shall report directly to the Under 
  Secretary for Health.
      ``(c) Functions.--The functions of the Office shall include the 
  following:
              ``(1) To review the quality of health care provided to 
          veterans--
                      ``(A) by the Department generally; and
                      ``(B) by the Department through contracts with non-
                  Department health care providers.
              ``(2) To review offices of the Veterans Health 
          Administration that have an impact on the quality of health 
          care provided to veterans by the Department and the performance 
          of the Department in providing such care.
              ``(3) To review offices and facilities of the Veterans 
          Health Administration to ensure that policies and procedures of 
          the Department and the Veterans Health Administration are 
          applied consistently at all such offices and facilities.
              ``(4) To investigate any systemic issues, as determined by 
          the Medical Inspector, that arise within the Veterans Health 
          Administration, including the following:
                      ``(A) Improper issuance of credentials and 
                  privileges to health care providers.
                      ``(B) Impediments to the access of veterans to 
                  health care from the Department.
                      ``(C) Wait times for appointments by veterans at 
                  medical facilities of the Department in excess of wait-
                  time goals established by the Department.
                      ``(D) Intentional falsification by employees of the 
                  Department of information or data with respect to wait 
                  times for such appointments.
              ``(5) To establish temporary investigative teams to carry 
          out reviews or investigations described in paragraphs (1), (2), 
          (3), and (4) in response to specific incidents or inquiries, 
          including the following:
                      ``(A) Investigations of complaints by a veteran, a 
                  family member of a veteran, or another individual that 
                  may require a visit to a facility or facilities of the 
                  Department.
                      ``(B) Assessments to examine potential systemic 
                  issues within the Veterans Health Administration that 
                  may require the conduct of surveys, the collection of 
                  data, and the analysis of databases of the Department.
              ``(6) To recommend policies to promote economy and 
          efficiency in the administration of, and to prevent and detect 
          criminal activity, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in, programs 
          and operations of the Veterans Health Administration.
              ``(7) To carry out any other tasks required of the Office 
          by the Secretary or the Under Secretary for Health before, on, 
          or after the date of the enactment of this section.
      ``(d) Reports.--(1) Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
  enactment of this section, and periodically thereafter, the Medical 
  Inspector shall submit to the Secretary, the Under Secretary for 
  Health, and Congress reports on any problems or deficiencies 
  encountered in programs and operations of the Veterans Health 
  Administration, including any recommendations for corrective actions.
      ``(2) Each report required by paragraph (1) shall be made available 
  to the public on an Internet website of the Department.
      ``(3) Any other report prepared by the Medical Inspector in 
  carrying out the functions of the Office under this section shall be--
              ``(A) submitted to Congress; and
              ``(B) made available to the public on an Internet website 
          of the Department.
      ``(e) Privacy Matters.--Any medical or other personal information 
  obtained by the Office shall be protected from disclosure or misuse in 
  accordance with the laws on privacy applicable to such information.''.
      (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
  chapter 73 of such title is amended by inserting after the item 
  relating to section 7309 the following new item:
  
  ``7310. Office of the Medical Inspector.''.
      (c) Conforming Amendments.--Section 7306(a) of such title is 
  amended by--
              (1) redesignating paragraph (10) as paragraph (11); and
              (2) inserting after paragraph (9) the following new 
          paragraph (10):
              ``(10) The Medical Inspector, who shall be the head of the 
          Office of the Medical Inspector under section 7310 of this 
          title.''.
      (d) Continuation in Office.--The individual serving as the Medical 
  Inspector of the Department of Veterans Affairs on the day before the 
  date of the enactment of this Act may serve as the Medical Inspector of 
  the Department of Veterans Affairs after that date until the date on 
  which the Secretary of Veterans Affairs appoints an individual to be 
  the Medical Inspector pursuant to section 7310(b)(2) of title 38, 
  United States Code, as added by subsection (a).
target: Increasing Medical Oversight in the Department of Veterans Affairs Act of 2014 - Establishes the Office of the Medical Inspector of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) within the Office of the Under Secretary for Health. Includes among the functions of the Office to:  review the quality of health care provided to veterans by the VA generally and by the VA through contracts with non-VA health care providers; review offices of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) that have an impact on the quality of health care provided to veterans by the VA and the performance of the VA in providing such care; review VHA offices and facilities to ensure that VA and VHA policies and procedures are applied consistently; investigate any systemic issues that arise within VHA, including improper issuance of credentials and privileges to health care providers, impediments to access to VA health care, wait times for appointments at VA medical facilities in excess of VA goals, and intentional falsification by VA employees of information regarding wait times; establish temporary investigative teams to carry out reviews in response to specific incidents or inquiries, including veterans' complaints and potential systemic issues within VHA that may require the conduct of surveys, the collection of data, and the analysis of VA databases;  recommend policies to promote economy and efficiency in the administration of, and to prevent and detect criminal activity, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in, VHA programs and operations; and report on problems or deficiencies encountered in VHA programs and operations and recommend corrective actions. 
feat_title: Increasing Medical Oversight in the Department of Veterans Affairs Act of 2014