SCHEDULES Act of 2026

Key Points

• The bill requires the VA to create a single, comprehensive standard for how long it should take a veteran to get an appointment after a referral is entered into the system. This covers both care at VA facilities and care from private community providers.
• The VA must publish these timing standards in the Federal Register and on a public website at least 30 days before they take effect. If the VA updates the standards as scheduling technology improves, the same 30-day notice requirement applies.
• Every quarter, the VA must report to Congress on how many referrals met the timing standard. Reports must be broken down by individual VA facility and by the most in-demand types of care, such as mental health, cardiology, and oncology.
• The bill creates a public ranking of all VA medical centers from best to worst in meeting the appointment timing standard, broken out by state, so veterans and lawmakers can easily see which facilities are struggling.
• Once a year, the VA must describe the steps it is taking to speed up care and provide an estimate of when it will be fully meeting its own timing goals. All reports must be posted publicly on the Veterans Health Administration website.