[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4234 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4234

   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot 
program to reduce the shortage of psychiatrists in the Veterans Health 
   Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs by offering 
  competitive employment incentives to certain psychiatrists, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 13, 2014

Mr. Bucshon (for himself and Mr. David Scott of Georgia) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot 
program to reduce the shortage of psychiatrists in the Veterans Health 
   Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs by offering 
  competitive employment incentives to certain psychiatrists, 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 ``Ensuring Veterans' Resiliency Act''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM FOR REPAYMENT OF EDUCATIONAL LOANS FOR CERTAIN 
              PSYCHIATRISTS OF VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry 
out a pilot program to repay a loan of an individual described in 
subsection (b) that--
            (1) was used by the individual to finance education 
        regarding psychiatric medicine, including education leading to 
        an undergraduate degree and education leading to the degree of 
        doctor of medicine or of doctor of osteopathy; and
            (2) was obtained from a governmental entity, private 
        financial institution, school, or other authorized entity, as 
        determined by the Secretary.
    (b) Eligible Individuals.--To be eligible to obtain a loan 
repayment under this section, an individual shall--
            (1) either--
                    (A) be licensed or eligible for licensure to 
                practice psychiatric medicine in the Veterans Health 
                Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs; 
                or
                    (B) be enrolled in the final year of a residency 
                program leading to a specialty qualification in 
                psychiatric medicine that is approved by the 
                Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education; 
                and
            (2) as determined appropriate by the Secretary, demonstrate 
        a commitment to a long-term career as a psychiatrist in the 
        Veterans Health Administration, including by requiring a set 
        number of years of obligated service.
    (c) Selection.--The Secretary shall select not less than 10 
individuals described in subsection (b) to participate in the pilot 
program for each year in which the Secretary carries out the pilot 
program.
    (d) Loan Repayments.--
            (1) Amounts.--Subject to the limits established by 
        paragraph (2), a loan repayment under this section may consist 
        of payment of the principal, interest, and related expenses of 
        a loan obtained by an individual described in subsection (b) 
        for all educational expenses (including tuition, fees, books, 
        and laboratory expenses) relating to a degree described in 
        subsection (a)(1).
            (2) Limit.--For each year of obligated service that an 
        individual agrees to serve in an agreement described in 
        subsection (b)(2), the Secretary may pay not more than $60,000 
        on behalf of the individual.
    (e) Breach.--
            (1) Liability.--An individual who participates in the pilot 
        program under subsection (a) who fails to satisfy the 
        commitment described in subsection (b)(2) shall be liable to 
        the United States, in lieu of any service obligation arising 
        from such participation, for the amount which has been paid or 
        is payable to or on behalf of the individual under the program, 
        reduced by the proportion that the number of days served for 
        completion of the service obligation bears to the total number 
        of days in the period of obligated service of the individual.
            (2) Repayment period.--Any amount of damages which the 
        United States is entitled to recover under this subsection 
        shall be paid to the United States within the one-year period 
        beginning on the date of the breach of the agreement.
    (f) Prohibition on Simultaneous Eligibility.--An individual who is 
participating in any other program of the Federal Government that 
repays the educational loans of the individual may not participate in 
the pilot program under subsection (a).
    (g) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date on which the 
pilot program terminates under subsection (g), the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
Representatives and the Senate a report on the pilot program. The 
report shall include the overall effect of the pilot program on the 
psychiatric workforce shortage of the Veterans Health Administration, 
the long-term stability of such workforce, and overall workforce 
strategies of the Veterans Health Administration that seek to promote 
the physical and mental resiliency of all veterans.
    (h) Regulations.--The Secretary shall prescribe regulations to 
carry out this section, including standards for qualified loans and 
authorized payees and other terms and conditions for the making of loan 
repayments.
    (i) Termination.--The authority to carry out the pilot program 
shall expire on the date that is three years after the date on which 
the Secretary commences the pilot program.

SEC. 3. COMPTROLLER GENERAL STUDY ON PAY DISPARITIES OF PSYCHIATRISTS 
              OF VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION.

    (a) Study.--Not later than one year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct 
a study of pay disparities among psychiatrists of the Veterans Health 
Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The study shall 
include--
            (1) an examination of laws, regulations, practices, and 
        policies, including salary flexibilities, that contribute to 
        such disparities; and
            (2) recommendations with respect to legislative or 
        regulatory actions to improve equity in pay among such 
        psychiatrists.
    (b) Report.--Not later than one year after the date on which the 
Comptroller General completes the study under subsection (a), the 
Comptroller General shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs 
of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report containing the 
results of the study.
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