[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1718 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1718

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to repeal the four-year terms 
 specified by law for certain officials of the Department of Veterans 
                    Affairs, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 10, 2003

   Mr. Smith of New Jersey introduced the following bill; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to repeal the four-year terms 
 specified by law for certain officials of the Department of Veterans 
                    Affairs, 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. REPEAL OF FIXED TERMS OF OFFICE FOR CERTAIN OFFICIALS OF THE 
              DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) Under Secretary for Health.--Section 305(c) of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended to read as follows:
    ``(c) Whenever the President removes the Under Secretary for 
Health, the President shall communicate the reasons for the removal to 
Congress.''.
    (b) Under Secretary for Benefits.--Section 306(c) of such title is 
amended to read as follows:
    ``(c) Whenever the President removes the Under Secretary for 
Benefits, the President shall communicate the reasons for the removal 
to Congress.''.
    (c) Positions in the Office of the Under Secretary for Health.--(1) 
Subsection (d) of section 7306 of such title is amended to read as 
follows:
    ``(d) Whenever the Secretary removes a person appointed under this 
section, the Secretary shall communicate the reasons for the removal to 
the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of 
Representatives.''.
    (2) Subsection (e)(1) of such section is amended by striking 
``Service,'' in the first sentence and all that follows through the 
second sentence and inserting ``Service.''.
    (d) Applicability.--(1) The amendment made by subsection (a) does 
not apply with respect to the term of office of the individual who on 
the date of the enactment of this Act is serving in the position of 
Under Secretary for Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
    (2) The amendment made by subsection (b) does not apply with 
respect to the term of office of the individual who on the date of the 
enactment of this Act is serving in the position of Under Secretary for 
Benefits of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
    (3) The amendments made by subsection (c) are applicable with 
respect to the period of appointment of any individual who on the day 
before the date of the enactment of this Act is serving in a position 
covered by subsection (d) or (e) of section 7306 of title 38, United 
States Code.

SEC. 2. APPOINTMENT OF DIRECTORS OF PRINCIPAL GEOGRAPHIC SERVICE AREAS.

    (a) Secretary Authority.--Chapter 3 of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 320. Directors of principal geographic service areas
    ``(a) The directors of the principal geographic service areas of 
the Department shall be appointed by the Secretary, and are subject to 
removal by the Secretary, without regard to any of the provisions of 
title 5 specified in section 7425(a) of this title.
    ``(b) Whenever the Secretary removes an employee from a position as 
director of one of the principal geographic service area of the 
Department, the Secretary shall communicate the reasons for the removal 
to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of 
Representatives.
    ``(c) Whenever the Secretary removes an employee from a position as 
director of one of the principal geographic service area of the 
Department for any reason other than cause and the employee, in order 
to accept the appointment to that position, had--
            ``(1) relinquished an appointment under section 7401(1) of 
        this title, that employee shall be entitled to reassignment 
        under that section; or
            ``(2) relinquished a permanent appointment under title 5, 
        that employee shall be entitled to reassignment under that 
        title.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

``320. Directors of principal geographic service areas.''.
                                 <all>