H.R. 1848House115th Congress (2017-2019)Passed House

Veterans Affairs Medical Scribe Pilot Act of 2017

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Updated April 15, 2026 at 2:26 PM UTC

The Veterans Affairs Medical Scribe Pilot Act of 2017 directs the VA to run a two‑year test of using medical scribes at ten VA medical centers—four rural, four urban, and two in high‑need areas—to see if they improve efficiency and patient care. It also adds a new rule that bans indoor smoking in all VA health facilities (with a later outdoor ban) and updates related definitions. The bill affects VA hospitals, their staff, and the veterans they serve.

Key Provisions

The VA must conduct a two‑year pilot program using medical scribes at ten selected medical centers (at least four rural, four urban, and two in areas needing better access or efficiency).
The program will hire 20 VA term employees as scribes and contract for another 20, assigning four scribes to each center (two per physician), with 30% working in emergency care and 70% in specialty care with the longest wait times.
The Secretary must submit performance reports to Congress every 180 days, covering provider efficiency, patient satisfaction, wait times, patients seen per day, and hiring/training costs; a final Comptroller General report is required after the pilot ends.
Funding for the pilot must come from amounts already authorized for the VA; no new appropriations are provided.
The Act amends the law to prohibit indoor smoking in all Veterans Health Administration facilities (with community living centers exempt until Dec. 31, 2018) and to ban outdoor smoking on VA property after Oct. 1, 2021.
Definitions for “medical scribe,” “urban,” “rural,” and “facility of the Veterans Health Administration” are added, and a prior related statute is repealed.

Legislative Activity

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17 earlier actions

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

July 25, 2017

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

April 3, 2017

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

April 3, 2017

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Health Subcommittee

April 5, 2017

HouseCommittee

Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .

Health Subcommittee

April 6, 2017

HouseCommittee

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

May 17, 2017

HouseCommittee

Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

May 17, 2017

HouseCommittee

Reported by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 115-151.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

May 23, 2017

HouseCalendars

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 99.

May 23, 2017

HouseFloor

Mr. Roe (TN) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

July 24, 2017 • 3:44 PM

HouseFloor

Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H6173-6174)

July 24, 2017 • 3:44 PM

HouseFloor

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1848.

July 24, 2017 • 3:44 PM

HouseFloor

At the conclusion of debate, the chair put the question on the motion to suspend the rules. Mr. Walz objected to the vote on the grounds that a quorum was not present. Further proceedings on the motion were postponed. The point of no quorum was considered as withdrawn.

July 24, 2017 • 3:48 PM

HouseFloor

Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H6198-6199)

July 24, 2017 • 7:15 PM

HouseFloor

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H6173-6174)

July 24, 2017 • 7:15 PM

HouseFloor

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H6173-6174)

July 24, 2017 • 7:15 PM

HouseFloor

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

July 24, 2017 • 7:15 PM

HouseFloor

The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.

July 24, 2017 • 7:15 PM

SenateIntro Referral

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

July 25, 2017

Floor Debate

2 members

What members said about H.R. 1848 on the floor

1 Republican1 Democrat

Rep. David P. RoeR-TN-1 · Jul 24, 2017

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1848) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program on the use of medical scribes in Department of Veterans…

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1848, as amended, the Veterans Affairs Medical Scribe Pilot Act of 2017, which I am proud to sponsor.

One of my priorities as chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs is to increase access to care for veteran patients. One way to do that is help hardworking Department of Veterans Affairs clinicians to be more efficient in the practice of high-quality care.

The Veterans Affairs Medical Scribe Pilot Act of 2017 would do just that by creating a 2-year pilot program to test the use of scribes in VA medical centers.

Scribes are increasingly used in the private sector to help doctors navigate and document a patient's electronic health record. That allows doctors to place their focus not on a computer screen, but squarely on the patient.

I jokingly say, Mr. Speaker, that it was electronic health records that made me a Congressman. Basically, it ran me out of the medical office. That is a slight exaggeration, but it is not too far off.

Like many doctors I hear from today, I found the increasing amount of time that I was spending attending to electronic health record requirements, necessary as they may be, detracted from the quality of my patients' interactions and significantly slowed down how smoothly my clinic day would operate. I believe the same is true at VA. Many doctors now, Mr. Speaker, are spending over half their time entering information, just basically being data entry people.

Onsite visits to VA medical facilities across the country, my staff and I always ask VA employees how we can help them provide safer, better care and see more patients. By far, one of the most common responses that we hear is a plea to ``give us scribes; give us some help.''

That is exactly what passage of H.R. 1848, as amended, will do.

This bill also includes provisions of H.R. 1662, a bill sponsored by Dr. Brad Wenstrup, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, which would bring VA medical centers in line with every other major healthcare system by prohibiting smoking on VA medical facility properties.

I thank Dr. Wenstrup for his leadership on this issue, and I am grateful to be working with him to make VA medical facilities healthy, smoke-free places for VA employees to serve veterans and for veterans to seek care.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support me in supporting H.R. 1448, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Rep. Timothy J. WalzD-MN-1 · Jul 24, 2017

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 1848, as amended, the Veterans Affairs Medical Scribe Pilot Act of 2017, offered by Chairman Roe. No one knows more…

Bill Text

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Referred in SenateIssued July 25, 2017

IIB

115th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 1848

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

July 25, 2017

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

AN ACT

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program on the use of medical scribes in Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Veterans Affairs Medical Scribe Pilot Act of 2017.

Department of Veterans Affairs medical scribe pilot program

(a)

In general

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out a 2-year pilot program under which the Secretary shall increase the use of medical scribes at Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers.

(b)

Locations

The Secretary shall carry out the pilot program at the 10 medical centers of the Department as follows:

(1)

At least four such medical centers located in rural areas.

(2)

At least four such medical centers located in urban areas.

(3)

Two such medical centers located in areas with need for increased access or increased efficiency, as determine by the Secretary.

(c)

Medical scribes

(1)

Hiring

Under the pilot program the Secretary shall—

(A)

hire 20 new Department of Veterans Affairs term employees as medical scribes; and

(B)

seek to enter into contracts with appropriate entities for the employment of 20 additional medical scribes.

(2)

Distribution

The Secretary shall assign four medical scribes to each of the 10 medical centers of the Department where the Secretary carries out the pilot program as follows:

(A)

Two scribes shall be assigned to each of two physicians.

(B)

Thirty percent of the scribes shall be employed in the provision of emergency care.

(C)

Seventy percent of the scribes shall be employed in the provision of speciality care in specialties with the longest patient wait times or lowest efficiency ratings, as determined by the Secretary.

(d)

Reports

(1)

Reports to Congress

Not later than 180 days after the commencement of the pilot program required under this section, and every 180 days thereafter for the duration of the pilot program, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress a report on the pilot program. Each such report shall include each of the following:

(A)

A separate analysis of each the following with respect to medical scribes employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs and medical scribes performing Department of Veterans Affairs functions under a contract:

(i)

Provider efficiency.

(ii)

Patient satisfaction.

(iii)

Average wait time.

(iv)

The number of patients seen per day by each physician or practitioner.

(v)

The amount of time required to hire and train an employee to perform medical scribe functions under the pilot program.

(B)

Metrics and data for analyzing the effects of the pilot program, including an evaluation of the each of the elements under clauses (i) through (iv) of subparagraph (A) at medical centers who employed scribes under the pilot program for an appropriate period preceding the hiring of such scribes.

(2)

Comptroller General report

Not later than 90 days after the termination of the pilot program under this section, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report on the pilot program. Such report shall include a comparison of the pilot program with similar programs carried out in the private sector.

(e)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

The term medical scribe means an unlicensed individual hired to enter information into the electronic health record or chart at the direction of a physician or licensed independent practitioner whose responsibilities include the following:

(A)

Assisting the physician or practitioner in navigating the electronic health record.

(B)

Responding to various messages as directed by the physician or practitioner.

(C)

Entering information into the electronic health record, as directed by the physician or practitioner.

(2)

The terms urban and rural have the meanings given such terms under the rural-urban commuting codes developed by the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

(f)

Funding

The pilot program under this section shall be carried out using amounts otherwise authorized to be appropriated for the Department of Veterans Affairs. No additional amounts are authorized to be appropriated to carry out such program.

Prohibition on smoking in facilities of the Veterans Health Administration

(a)

Prohibition

Section 1715 of title 38, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:

1715.

Prohibition on smoking in facilities of the Veterans Health Administration

(a)

Prohibition

(1)

(A)

Except as provided in subparagraph (B), no person may smoke indoors in any facility of the Veterans Health Administration.

(B)

In the case of a facility of the Veterans Health Administration that is a community living center, no person may smoke indoors in such facility on or after December 31, 2018.

(2)

No person may smoke outdoors in any facility of the Veterans Health Administration on or after October 1, 2021.

(b)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

The term smoke includes the smoking of cigarettes (including e-cigarettes or electronic cigarettes), cigars, pipes, and any other combustion of tobacco.

(2)

The term facility of the Veterans Health Administration means any land or building (including any medical center, nursing home, domiciliary facility, outpatient clinic, or center that provides readjustment counseling) that is—

(A)

under the jurisdiction of the Department of Veterans Affairs;

(B)

under the control of the Veterans Health Administration; and

(C)

not under the control of the General Services Administration.

(3)

The term community living center means a facility of the Department that provides nursing home care.

(b)

Conforming amendments

(1)

The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 17 of such title is amended by striking the item relating to section 1715 and inserting the following:

1715. Prohibition on smoking in facilities of the Veterans Health Administration.

(2)

Section 526 of the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992 (Public Law 102–585) is repealed.

(c)

Effective date

This section shall take effect 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.

Passed the House of Representatives July 24, 2017.

Karen L. Haas,

Clerk.