December 16, 2025
Mrs. Blackburn (for herself and Ms. Rosen) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
To direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to jointly select a joint uniform credentialing and privileging system for medical providers, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Joint uniform credentialing and privileging system for medical providers at the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs
(a) Report
(1) In general
Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the Domestic Policy Council, shall jointly submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the medical provider credentialing and privileging systems in use by the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(2) Elements
The report required by paragraph (1) shall include each of the following:
(A)
A description of the scope and scale of the medical provider credentialing and privileging systems in use by the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(B)
A description of the type of data stored on each system.
(C)
A description of the portability of provider credentialing and privileging information under each system.
(D)
A description of the interoperability between provider credentialing systems.
(E)
A description of the risk management system, adverse actions, and governance of each system.
(F)
A description of the limitations and gaps in the interoperability and administration of each system.
(G)
Recommendations for scaling each system and addressing gaps in the interoperability and administration of each system, with the goal of achieving a single, uniform system to be used by both the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(b) Selection
Not later than January 1, 2027, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the Domestic Policy Council, shall jointly select one system from the systems in use by the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to serve as the joint uniform credentialing and privileging system for both the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(c) Capability of system
The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that the joint uniform credentialing and privileging system selected under subsection (b) has the capability to import and share provider credentialing and privileging information.
(d) Certification of implementation
Not later than January 1, 2028, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a written certification that the joint uniform credentialing and privileging system selected under subsection (b) has been implemented and is operational.
(e) Appropriate committees of Congress defined
In this section, the term appropriate committees of Congress means—
(1)
the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate; and
(2)
the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives.