[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3771 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3771

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to codify the requirements for 
appointment, qualifications, and pay for therapeutic medical physicists 
     of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 4, 2026

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to codify the requirements for 
appointment, qualifications, and pay for therapeutic medical physicists 
     of 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 ``Department of Veterans Affairs 
Therapeutic Medical Physicist Pay Cap Relief Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. TREATMENT OF THERAPEUTIC MEDICAL PHYSICISTS OF THE DEPARTMENT 
              OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) Appointment.--Section 7401(1) of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended by inserting ``therapeutic medical physicists, diagnostic 
medical physicists,'' after ``physician assistants,''.
    (b) Qualifications.--Section 7402(b) of such title is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraph (14) as paragraph (16); and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (13) the following new 
        paragraphs:
    ``(14) Therapeutic Medical Physicist.--To be eligible to be 
appointed to a therapeutic medical physicist position, a person must--
            ``(A) have completed a post-graduate clinical training 
        program in therapeutic medical physics satisfactory to the 
        Secretary; and
            ``(B) be board certified in the field of therapeutic 
        medical physics by a certifying body approved by the Secretary.
    ``(15) Diagnostic Medical Physicist.--To be eligible to be 
appointed to a diagnostic medical physicist position, a person must--
            ``(A) have completed a post-graduate clinical training 
        program in diagnostic medical physics satisfactory to the 
        Secretary; and
            ``(B) be board certified in the field of diagnostic medical 
        physics by a certifying body approved by the Secretary.''.
    (c) Grade.--Section 7404(b) of such title is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``THERAPEUTIC MEDICAL PHYSICIST, 
        DIAGNOSTIC MEDICAL PHYSICIST,'' after ``PODIATRIST (DPM),''; 
        and
            (2) by inserting after ``Podiatrist grade optometrist 
        grade.'' the following:
    ``Therapeutic medical physicist grade.
    ``Diagnostic medical physicist grade.''.
    (d) Personnel Administration.--Section 7421(b) of such title is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraph (9) as paragraph (11); and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (8) the following new 
        paragraphs:
            ``(9) Therapeutic medical physicists.
            ``(10) Diagnostic medical physicists.''.
    (e) Pay.--
            (1) In general.--Section 7431 of such title is amended--
                    (A) by inserting ``, Therapeutic Medical Physicist, 
                Diagnostic Medical Physicist'' before ``, and Dentist 
                Base'' each place it appears;
                    (B) by inserting ``therapeutic medical physicist, 
                diagnostic medical physicist,'' after ``podiatrist,'' 
                each place it appears;
                    (C) by inserting ``therapeutic medical physicists, 
                diagnostic medical physicists,'' after ``podiatrists,'' 
                each place it appears; and
                    (D) in subsection (e)(1)(A), by inserting ``, 
                therapeutic medical physicists, diagnostic medical 
                physicists,'' after ``podiatrists''.
            (2) Administrative matters.--Section 7433 of such title is 
        amended by inserting ``therapeutic medical physicists, 
        diagnostic medical physicists,'' after ``podiatrists,'' each 
        place it appears.
            (3) Conforming amendment.--The heading of subchapter III of 
        chapter 74 of such title is amended by inserting ``THERAPEUTIC 
        MEDICAL PHYSICISTS, DIAGNOSTIC MEDICAL PHYSICISTS'' after 
        ``PODIATRISTS,''.
            (4) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
        beginning of chapter 74 of such title is amended by striking 
        the item relating to subchapter III and inserting the following 
        new item:

 ``subchapter iii--pay for physicians, podiatrists, therapeutic medical 
       physicists, diagnostic medical physicists, and dentists''.

    (f) Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
        shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
        Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
        Representatives a report on the amendments made by this 
        section.
            (2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall 
        include an assessment of the following:
                    (A) The effects of an increase in pay for 
                therapeutic medical physicists and diagnostic medical 
                physicists employed on a full-time basis within the 
                Department of Veterans Affairs.
                    (B) The effects on therapeutic medical physicists 
                and diagnostic medical physicists who provide care 
                pursuant to an agreement with the Secretary.
                    (C) Any change to costs to the Department.
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