[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4166 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4166

To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in 
the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs relating to 
    educational assistance for health professionals, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 1, 2009

Mr. Rodriguez introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
  Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on 
Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in 
the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs relating to 
    educational assistance for health professionals, 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Health Professionals 
Educational Assistance Act of 2009''.

SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE 
              SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Section 7618 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by striking ``December 31, 1998'' and inserting ``December 31, 
2014''.
    (b) Expansion of Eligibility Requirements.--Section 7612(b)(2) is 
amended by striking ``(under section'' and all that follows through 
``or vocational nurse.'' and inserting the following: ``as an appointee 
under paragraph (1) or (3) of section 7401 of this title.''.
    (c) Additional Program Requirements.--Subchapter II of chapter 76 
of title 38, United States Code, as amended by subsections (a) and (b), 
is further amended--
            (1) by redesignating section 7618 as section 7619; and
            (2) by inserting after section 7617 the following new 
        section:
``Sec. 7618. Additional program requirements
    ``(a) Program Modification.--Notwithstanding any provision of the 
subchapter, the Secretary shall carry out this subchapter by modifying 
the Scholarship Program in such a manner that the program and hiring 
processes are designed to fully employ scholarship program graduates as 
soon as possible, if not immediately, upon graduation and completion of 
necessary certifications, and to actively assist and monitor graduates 
to ensure certifications are obtained in a minimal amount of time 
following graduation.
    ``(b) Clinical Tours.--The Secretary shall require participants in 
the Scholarship Program to perform clinical tours in assignments or 
locations determined by the Secretary while the participants are 
enrolled in the course of education or training for which the 
scholarship is provided.
    ``(c) Mentors.--The Secretary shall ensure that at the commencement 
of the period of obligated service of a participant in the Scholarship 
Program, the participant is assigned to a mentor who is employed in the 
same facility where the participant performs such service.''.
    (d) Clerical Amendments.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by striking the item relating to section 7618 
and inserting the following new items:

``7618. Additional program requirements.
``7619. Expiration of program.''.

SEC. 3. IMPROVEMENTS TO THE EDUCATION DEBT REDUCTION PROGRAM.

    (a) Inclusion of Employee Retention as Purpose of Program.--Section 
7681(2) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting ``and 
retention'' after ``recruitment'' the first time it appears.
    (b) Expansion of Eligibility.--Section 7682 of such title is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ``a recently 
        appointed'' and inserting ``an''; and
            (2) by striking subsection (c).
    (c) Increase in Maximum Annual Amount of Payments.--Paragraph (1) 
of subsection (d) of section 7683 of such title is amended--
            (1) by striking ``$44,000'' and inserting ``$60,000''; and
            (2) by striking ``$10,000'' and inserting ``$12,000''.
    (d) Exception to Limitation on Amount for Certain Positions.--Such 
subsection is further amended by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph:
    ``(3)(A) The Secretary may waive the limitations under paragraphs 
(1) and (2) in the case of a participant described in subparagraph (B). 
In the case of such a waiver, the total amount of education debt 
repayments payable to that participant is the total amount of the 
principal and the interest on the participant's loans referred to in 
subsection (a).
    ``(B) A participant described in this subparagraph is a participant 
in the Scholarship Program who the Secretary determines serves in a 
position for which there is a shortage of qualified employee by reason 
of either the location or the requirements of the position.''.

SEC. 4. LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM FOR CLINICAL RESEARCHERS FROM 
              DISADVANTAGED BACKGROUNDS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may, in 
consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, utilize 
the authorities available in section 487E of the Public Health Service 
Act (42 U.S.C. 288-5) for the repayment of the principal and interest 
of educational loans of appropriately qualified health professionals 
who are from disadvantaged backgrounds in order to secure clinical 
research by such professionals for the Veterans Health Administration.
    (b) Limitations.--The exercise by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
of the authorities referred to in paragraph (1) shall be subject to the 
conditions and limitations specified in paragraphs (2) and (3) of 
section 487E(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 288-5(a)(2) 
and (3)).
    (c) Funding.--Amounts for the repayment of principal and interest 
of educational loans under this subsection shall be derived from 
amounts available to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for the Veterans 
Health Administration for Medical Services.

SEC. 5. INCLUSION OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FACILITIES IN LIST 
              OF FACILITIES ELIGIBLE FOR ASSIGNMENT OF PARTICIPANTS IN 
              NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE CORPS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.

    (a) Inclusion of Facilities.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall transfer up to $20,000,000 from accounts of the Veterans Health 
Administration to the Secretary of Health and Human Services to be used 
to include facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs on the list 
maintained by the Health Resources and Services Administration of 
facilities eligible for assignment of participants in the National 
Health Service Corps Scholarship Program.
    (b) Identification of Eligible Facilities.--The Secretary shall 
identify all medical centers and community-based outpatient clinics of 
the Department that may be eligible for assignment of participants in 
the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program. In making such 
identifications, the Secretary shall use the eligibility criteria used 
by the National Health Service Corps for the health professional 
shortage area designation.
    (c) Application.--To be included on the list maintained by the 
Health Resources and Services Administration of facilities eligible for 
assignment of participants in the National Health Service Corps 
Scholarship Program, each medical center or clinic identified by the 
Secretary under subsection (b) shall submit an application to the 
Health Resources and Services Administration.
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