[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2279 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2279

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a program to 
increase efficiency in the recruitment and hiring by the Department of 
Veterans Affairs of health care workers that are undergoing separation 
 from the Armed Forces, to create uniform credentialing standards for 
  certain health care professionals of the Department, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 10, 2015

  Mr. Merkley (for himself, Mr. Rounds, Mr. Tillis, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. 
Warner, Mr. Brown, Mr. Wyden, and Mr. Tester) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a program to 
increase efficiency in the recruitment and hiring by the Department of 
Veterans Affairs of health care workers that are undergoing separation 
 from the Armed Forces, to create uniform credentialing standards for 
  certain health care professionals of the Department, 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 Care Staffing 
Improvement Act''.

SEC. 2. PROGRAM TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY IN THE RECRUITMENT AND HIRING BY 
              THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OF HEALTH CARE WORKERS 
              UNDERGOING SEPARATION FROM THE ARMED FORCES.

    (a) Program.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall, in 
coordination with the Secretary of Defense, carry out a program to 
recruit individuals who are undergoing separation from the Armed Forces 
and who served in a health care capacity while serving as a member of 
the Armed Forces. The program shall be known as the ``Docs-to-Doctors 
Program''.
    (b) Sharing of Information.--
            (1) Submittal of list.--For purposes of carrying out the 
        program, not less frequently than once per year (or a shorter 
        period that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary 
        of Defense may jointly specify), the Secretary of Defense shall 
        submit to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs a list of members 
        of the Armed Forces, including the reserve components, who--
                    (A) served in a health care capacity while serving 
                as a member of the Armed Forces;
                    (B) are undergoing or have undergone separation 
                from the Armed Forces during the period covered by the 
                list; and
                    (C) will be discharged from the Armed Forces under 
                honorable conditions, as determined by the Secretary of 
                Defense, or have been discharged from the Armed Forces 
                under honorable conditions during the period covered by 
                the list.
            (2) Use of occupational codes.--Each list submitted under 
        paragraph (1) shall include members of the Armed Forces who 
        were assigned a Military Occupational Specialty code, an Air 
        Force Specialty Code, or a United States Navy rating indicative 
        of service in a health care capacity.
            (3) Information included.--Each list submitted under 
        paragraph (1) shall include the following information, to the 
        extent such information is available to the Secretary of 
        Defense, with respect to each member of the Armed Forces 
        included in such list:
                    (A) Contact information.
                    (B) Rank upon separation from the Armed Forces.
                    (C) A description of health care experience while 
                serving as a member of the Armed Forces and other 
                relevant health care experience, including any relevant 
                credential, such as a certificate, certification, or 
                license, including the name of the institution or 
                organization that issued the credential.
            (4) Consultation with secretary of homeland security.--In 
        submitting each list under paragraph (1), the Secretary of 
        Defense shall consult with the Secretary of Homeland Security 
        with respect to matters concerning the Coast Guard when it is 
        not operating as a service in the Navy.
    (c) Resolution of Barriers to Employment.--
            (1) In general.--In carrying out the program, the Secretary 
        of Veterans Affairs shall, in coordination with the Secretary 
        of Defense, work to resolve any barriers relating to 
        credentialing or to specific hiring rules, procedures, and 
        processes of the Department of Veterans Affairs that may delay 
        or prevent the hiring of individuals who are undergoing 
        separation from the Armed Forces and who served in a health 
        care capacity while serving as a member of the Armed Forces, 
        including by reconciling different credentialing processes and 
        standards between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the 
        Department of Defense.
            (2) Report.--If the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
        determines that a barrier described in paragraph (1) cannot be 
        resolved under such paragraph, the Secretary shall, not later 
        than 90 days after the discovery of the barrier, submit to 
        Congress a report that includes such recommendations for 
        legislative and administrative action as the Secretary 
        considers appropriate to resolve the barrier, including any 
        barrier imposed by a State.
    (d) Treatment of Applications for Employment.--An application for 
employment in the Department of Veterans Affairs in a health care 
capacity received by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from a member or 
former member of the Armed Forces who is on a list submitted to the 
Secretary under subsection (b) shall not be considered an application 
from outside the work force of the Department for purposes of section 
3330 of title 5, United States Code, and section 335.105 of title 5, 
Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of the enactment 
of this Act), if the application is received not later than one year 
after the separation of the member or former member from the Armed 
Forces.

SEC. 3. UNIFORM CREDENTIALING STANDARDS FOR CERTAIN HEALTH CARE 
              PROFESSIONALS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 74 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after section 7423 the following 
new section:
``Sec. 7423A. Personnel administration: uniform credentialing process
    ``(a) Uniform Process.--The Secretary shall implement a uniform 
credentialing process for employees of the Veterans Health 
Administration for each position specified in section 7421(b) of this 
title.
    ``(b) Recognition Throughout Administration.--If an employee of the 
Administration in a position specified in section 7421(b) of this title 
is credentialed under this section for purposes of practicing in a 
location within the Administration, such credential shall be deemed to 
be sufficient for the employee to practice in any location within the 
Administration.
    ``(c) Renewal.--(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
Secretary may provide for the renewal of credentials under this section 
pursuant to such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe for such 
purpose.
    ``(2) Renewal of credentials under this section may not be required 
solely because an employee moves from one facility of the Department to 
another.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 74 of such title is amended by inserting after the item 
relating to section 7423 the following new item:

``7423A. Personnel administration: uniform credentialing process.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
implement the uniform credentialing process required under section 
7423A of such title, as added by subsection (a), not later than one 
year after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. PROVISION OF FULL PRACTICE AUTHORITY FOR ADVANCED PRACTICE 
              REGISTERED NURSES, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS, AND OTHER HEALTH 
              CARE PROFESSIONALS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) Full Practice Authority.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall provide full practice authority to advanced practice registered 
nurses, physician assistants, and such other licensed health care 
professionals of the Department of Veterans Affairs as the Secretary 
considers appropriate consistent with the education, training, and 
certification of such health care professionals.
    (b) Inapplicability of State Limitations.--Full practice authority 
shall be provided by the Secretary under subsection (a) to health care 
professionals described in that subsection without regard to any 
limitation that would otherwise be imposed on the health care practice 
of such professionals by a licensing or credentialing body of a State 
or otherwise under State law.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Advanced practice registered nurse.--The term 
        ``advanced practice registered nurse'' has the meaning given 
        that term in section 5509(e)(1) of Public Law 111-148 (42 
        U.S.C. 1395ww note).
            (2) Full practice authority.--The term ``full practice 
        authority'' means--
                    (A) with respect to an advanced practice registered 
                nurse, the full scope of practice for the area of 
                nursing practiced by the advanced practice registered 
                nurse as determined by the national professional 
                association or organization, a successor association or 
                organization, or any other appropriate entity as 
                determined by the Secretary for such area of nursing;
                    (B) with respect to a physician assistant, the full 
                scope of practice for the area of medicine practiced by 
                the physician assistant as determined by the national 
                professional association or organization, a successor 
                association or organization, or any other appropriate 
                entity as determined by the Secretary for such area of 
                medicine; and
                    (C) with respect to any other licensed health care 
                professional not specified in subparagraph (A) or (B), 
                the full scope of practice for the area of medicine 
                practiced by the licensed health care professional as 
                determined by the national professional association or 
                organization, a successor association or organization, 
                or any other appropriate entity as determined by the 
                Secretary for such area of medicine.
            (3) Physician assistant.--The term ``physician assistant'' 
        has the meaning given that term in section 1861(aa)(5)(A) of 
        the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(aa)(5)(A)).
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