[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 894 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>





                                                        Calendar No. 85
117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 894

 To identify and refer members of the Armed Forces with a health care 
   occupation who are separating from the Armed Forces for potential 
   employment with the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 23, 2021

 Mr. Braun (for himself and Ms. Hassan) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

                             June 24, 2021

               Reported by Mr. Tester, with an amendment
  [Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To identify and refer members of the Armed Forces with a health care 
   occupation who are separating from the Armed Forces for potential 
   employment with 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Hire Veteran Health Heroes Act of 
2021''.

<DELETED>SEC. 2. IDENTIFICATION AND REFERRAL OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED 
              FORCES WITH A HEALTH CARE OCCUPATION FOR POTENTIAL 
              EMPLOYMENT WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS DURING 
              SEPARATION FROM THE ARMED FORCES.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Identification.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in 
consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall identify members of 
the Armed Forces in a health care occupation during the separation of 
such members from the Armed Forces.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Referral of Interested Individuals.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--If a member of the Armed Forces 
        identified under subsection (a) expresses an interest in 
        working in a health care occupation within the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall refer 
        the member to a recruiter of the Department for consideration 
        of open positions in the specialty and geography of interest of 
        the member.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Timing.--Any referral of a member of the Armed 
        Forces conducted under paragraph (1) shall be made not earlier 
        than one year before the separation of the member from the 
        Armed Forces.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Rule of Construction.--Any identification of a member 
of the Armed Forces under subsection (a) or referral of such member 
under subsection (b) shall not be construed as a guarantee of 
employment of such member with the Department of Veterans 
Affairs.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Reports.--Not later than each of one year and two 
years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall 
submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the 
efficacy of the identification and referral of separating members of 
the Armed Forces under this section.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (e) Definitions.--In this section:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the Committee on Armed Services and 
                the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the Committee on Armed Services and 
                the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
                Representatives.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Health care occupation.--The term ``health 
        care occupation'' means an occupation for which an individual 
        may be appointed for employment with the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs under section 7401 of title 38, United States 
        Code.</DELETED>

SEC. 2. IDENTIFICATION AND REFERRAL OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES WITH 
              A HEALTH CARE OCCUPATION FOR POTENTIAL EMPLOYMENT WITH 
              THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS DURING SEPARATION FROM 
              THE ARMED FORCES.

    Section 207 of the VA Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017 
(Public Law 115-46; 38 U.S.C. 7401 note) is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 207. IDENTIFICATION AND REFERRAL OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES 
              WITH A HEALTH CARE OCCUPATION FOR POTENTIAL EMPLOYMENT 
              WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS DURING SEPARATION 
              FROM THE ARMED FORCES.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in 
consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall establish a program 
to identify and refer members of the Armed Forces with a health care 
occupation for employment with the Department of Veterans Affairs 
during the separation of such members from the Armed Forces.
    ``(b) Referral of Interested Individuals.--
            ``(1) In general.--If a member of the Armed Forces 
        identified under subsection (a) expresses an interest in 
        working in a health care occupation within the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall refer 
        the member to a recruiter of the Department for consideration 
        of open positions in the specialty and geography of interest to 
        the member.
            ``(2) Timing.--Any referral of a member of the Armed Forces 
        conducted under paragraph (1) shall be made not earlier than 
        one year before the separation of the member from the Armed 
        Forces.
    ``(c) Rule of Construction.--Any identification of a member of the 
Armed Forces under subsection (a) or referral of such member under 
subsection (b) shall not be construed as a guarantee of employment of 
such member with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
    ``(d) Reports.--Not later than each of one year and two years after 
the date of the enactment of the Hire Veteran Health Heroes Act of 
2021, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the appropriate 
committees of Congress a report on the program established under 
subsection (a).
    ``(e) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        `appropriate committees of Congress' means--
                    ``(A) the Committee on Armed Services and the 
                Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate; and
                    ``(B) the Committee on Armed Services and the 
                Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
                Representatives.
            ``(2) Health care occupation.--The term `health care 
        occupation' means an occupation for which an individual may be 
        appointed for employment with the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs under section 7401 of title 38, United States Code.''.
                                                        Calendar No. 85

117th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                 S. 894

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To identify and refer members of the Armed Forces with a health care 
   occupation who are separating from the Armed Forces for potential 
   employment with the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other 
                               purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                             June 24, 2021

                       Reported with an amendment