[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1534 Engrossed Amendment Senate (EAS)]

103d CONGRESS

  2d Session 

                                S. 1534

_______________________________________________________________________

                 SENATE AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE AMENDMENTS
                  In the Senate of the United States,

                         March 25 (legislative day, February 22), 1994.
      Resolved, That the Senate agree to the amendments of the House of 
Representatives to the bill (S. 1534) entitled ``An Act to amend title 
38, United States Code, to repeal a requirement that the Under 
Secretary for Health in the Department of Veterans Affairs be a doctor 
of medicine'' with the following

                 SENATE AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE AMENDMENTS:

            In lieu of the matter proposed to be inserted by the House 
      amendment to the text of the bill, insert:

SECTION 1. MODIFICATION TO PHYSICIAN REQUIREMENT FOR CERTAIN SENIOR 
              VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS.

    (a) Under Secretary.--Section 305 of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(2), by striking out ``shall be a 
        doctor of medicine and shall be'' and inserting in lieu thereof 
        ``shall (except as provided in subsection (d)(1)) be a doctor 
        of medicine. The Under Secretary shall be'';
            (2) in subsection (d)--
                    (A) by adding at the end of paragraph (1) the 
                following: ``If at the time such a commission is 
                established both the position of Deputy Under Secretary 
                for Health and the position of Associate Deputy Under 
                Secretary for Health are held by individuals who are 
                doctors of medicine, the individual appointed by the 
                President as Under Secretary for Health may be someone 
                who is not a doctor of medicine. In any case, the 
                Secretary shall develop, and shall furnish to the 
                commission, specific criteria which the commission 
                shall use in evaluating individuals for recommendations 
                under paragraph (3).'';
                    (B) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph 
                (5);
                    (C) by inserting after the first sentence of 
                paragraph (3) the following: ``In a case in which, 
                pursuant to paragraph (1), the individual to be 
                appointed as Under Secretary does not have to be a 
                doctor of medicine, the commission may make 
                recommendations without regard to the requirement in 
                subsection (a)(2)(A) that the Under Secretary be 
                appointed on the basis of demonstrated ability in the 
                medical profession.''; and
                    (D) by designating the sentence beginning ``The 
                commission shall submit'' as paragraph (4).
    (b) Deputy and Associate Deputy Under Secretary.--Section 7306 of 
such title is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by inserting ``(except as provided 
        in subsection (c))'' in paragraphs (1) and (2) after ``and who 
        shall'';
            (2) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) by inserting ``(1)'' after ``(c)''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(2) If at the time of the appointment of the Deputy Under 
Secretary for Health under subsection (a)(1), both the position of 
Under Secretary for Health and the position of Associate Deputy Under 
Secretary for Health are held by individuals who are doctors of 
medicine, the individual appointed as Deputy Under Secretary for Health 
may be someone who is not a doctor of medicine.
    ``(3) If at the time of the appointment of the Associate Deputy 
Under Secretary for Health under subsection (a)(2), both the position 
of Under Secretary for Health and the position of Deputy Under 
Secretary for Health are held by individuals who are doctors of 
medicine, the individual appointed as Associate Deputy Under Secretary 
for Health may be someone who is not a doctor of medicine.''.

SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT RELATING TO MEMBERS OF COMMISSION TO RECOMMEND 
              APPOINTEES.

    Section 305(d)(2) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking out ``A commission'' and inserting in lieu 
        thereof ``(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), a commission'';
            (2) by redesignating subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), (D), (E), 
        and (F) as clauses (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), and (vi), 
        respectively; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph 
        (B):
    ``(B) Not less than five of the members of the commission shall be 
doctors of medicine.''.
            Amend the amendment of the House to the title so as to 
        read: ``An Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to allow 
        one of the three senior officials in the Veterans Health 
        Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs to be an 
        individual who is not a doctor of medicine, and for other 
        purposes.''.

            Attest:






                                                             Secretary.