[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6792 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6792

  To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the position of 
    Director of Physical Therapy Service within the Veterans Health 
   Administration and to establish a fellowship program for physical 
    therapists in the areas of geriatrics, amputee rehabilitation, 
             polytrauma care, and rehabilitation research.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 1, 2008

   Ms. Herseth Sandlin (for herself and Mr. Boozman) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the position of 
    Director of Physical Therapy Service within the Veterans Health 
   Administration and to establish a fellowship program for physical 
    therapists in the areas of geriatrics, amputee rehabilitation, 
             polytrauma care, and rehabilitation research.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Physical Therapy Services 
Improvement Act of 2008''.

SEC. 2. FINDING.

    The Congress finds that chronic conditions of the aging veteran 
population and the complex impairments associated with returning 
veterans from Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in Afghanistan and 
Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) in Iraq have increased the need to 
recruit and retain physical therapists in the Veterans Health 
Administration.

SEC. 3. CREATION OF DIRECTOR OF PHYSICAL THERAPY SERVICE.

    Paragraph (6) of section 7306(a) of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended by inserting ``a Director of Physical Therapy Service,'' 
after ``a Director of Podiatric Service,''.

SEC. 4. QUALIFICATIONS FOR APPOINTMENT OF PHYSICAL THERAPISTS.

    Section 7402(b) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating the paragraph (11) relating to other 
        health-care positions as paragraph (14); and
            (2) by redesignating paragraph (10), the other paragraph 
        (11), and paragraph (12) as paragraphs (11), (12), and (13), 
        respectively, and by inserting after paragraph (9) the 
        following new paragraph:
            ``(10) Physical therapist.--To be eligible to be appointed 
        to a physical therapist position, a person must--
                    ``(A)(i) hold the degree of doctor of physical 
                therapy or other post baccalaureate degree in physical 
                therapy from an accredited college or university 
                approved by the Secretary; or
                    ``(ii) have completed a degree in physical therapy 
                from an accredited college or university approved by 
                the Secretary and be employed on the date of the 
                enactment of this paragraph by the Administration as a 
                physical therapist; and
                    ``(B) be licensed to practice physical therapy in a 
                State.''.

SEC. 5. CREATION OF A FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM FOR PHYSICAL THERAPISTS IN THE 
              AREAS OF GERIATRICS, AMPUTEE REHABILITATION, POLYTRAUMA, 
              AND REHABILITATION RESEARCH.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 76 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new subchapter:

 ``Subchapter VIII--Fellowships for Physical Therapists in Geriatrics, 
  Amputee Rehabilitation, Polytrauma Care, and Rehabilitation Research

``SEC. 7691. AUTHORITY FOR PROGRAM.

    ``(a) In General.--There is hereby established a program to be 
known as the Department of Veterans Affairs Geriatric, Amputee, 
Polytrauma, and Rehabilitation Research Fellowships Program.
    ``(b) Purpose.--The purpose of such Program is to assist in the 
recruitment of qualified physical therapists for positions in the 
Veterans Health Administration specializing in the areas of geriatrics, 
amputee rehabilitation, polytrauma care, and rehabilitation 
research.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter 76 is amended by adding at the end the following:

 ``subchapter viii--fellowships for physical therapists in geriatrics, 
  amputee rehabilitation, polytrauma care, and rehabilitation research

``Sec. 7691. Authority for program.''.
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