[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2338 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2338

  To amend title 38, United States Code, to require that health-care 
  professionals of the Department of Veterans Affairs be assigned to 
facilities of the Department only in States in which they are licensed 
  to practice, and to require that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
 follow State requirements concerning the filing of death certificates.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 31, 1997

 Mr. Hinchey (for himself, Mr. Gilman, and Mrs. Kelly) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 38, United States Code, to require that health-care 
  professionals of the Department of Veterans Affairs be assigned to 
facilities of the Department only in States in which they are licensed 
  to practice, and to require that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
 follow State requirements concerning the filing of death certificates.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. LICENSURE OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS HEALTH CARE 
              PROFESSIONALS.

    (a) Requirement for Licensure by State in Which a Health-Care 
Professional Works.--(1) Subchapter I of chapter 74 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 7412. Licensure of health care professionals
    ``(a) The Secretary may assign a health-care professional to duties 
at a facility of the Department in a capacity involving the 
professional functions of that health-care professional only at a 
facility located in a State in which that health-care professional is 
licensed to practice.
    ``(b) For purposes of this section, the term `health-care 
professional' means an employee of the Veterans Health Administration 
described in section 7401(1) of this title.''.
    (2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is 
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 7411 the 
following new item:

``7412. Licensure of health care professionals.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--Section 7412 of title 38, United States Code, 
as added by subsection (a), shall take effect at the end of the six-
month period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 2. COMPLIANCE WITH STATE REQUIREMENTS CONCERNING FILING OF DEATH 
              CERTIFICATES.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 73 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 7322. Compliance with State requirements concerning filing of 
              death certificates
    ``When an individual dies in a facility of the Department, the 
Secretary shall follow requirements of the State in which the death 
occurred concerning the filing of a death certificate in the same 
manner as if the death occurred in a non-Government facility.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

``7322. Compliance with State requirements concerning filing of death 
                            certificates.''.
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