[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 124 (Tuesday, July 24, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H7141-H7142]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          VA HOSPITALS ESTABLISHING LEADERSHIP PERFORMANCE ACT

  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 5864) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
to establish qualifications for the human resources positions within 
the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5864

       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 ``VA Hospitals Establishing 
     Leadership Performance Act''.

     SEC. 2. QUALIFICATIONS FOR HUMAN RESOURCES POSITIONS WITHIN 
                   THE VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION OF THE 
                   DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

       (a) Establishment of Qualifications.--Not later than 180 
     days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
     Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall--
       (1) establish qualifications for each human resources 
     position within the Veterans Health Administration of the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs;
       (2) establish standardized performance metrics for each 
     such position; and
       (3) submit to Congress a report containing the 
     qualifications and standardized performance metrics 
     established under paragraphs (1) and (2).
       (b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the 
     establishment of the qualifications and performance metrics 
     under subsection (a), the Comptroller General of the United 
     States shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of 
     the House of Representatives and the Committee on Veterans' 
     Affairs of the Senate a report containing--
       (1) a description of the implementation of such 
     qualifications and performance metrics; and
       (2) an assessment of the quality of such qualifications and 
     performance metrics.

     SEC. 3. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS AUTHORIZED.

       No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to 
     carry out the requirements of this Act. Such requirements 
     shall be carried out using amounts otherwise authorized to be 
     appropriated.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Roe) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.

                              {time}  1915


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and insert extraneous material.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5864, the VA Hospitals 
Establishing Leadership Performance Act, or the VA HELP Act.
  The significant recruitment and retention challenges facing the VA 
healthcare system are nothing new. One of my priorities as chairman has 
been to help the VA address those challenges and attract high-quality 
clinicians and support staff to VA medical facilities. To that end, I 
have worked to see two major pieces of legislation--the VA Choice and 
Quality Employment Act, and the VA Mission Act--signed into law this 
Congress include extensive improvements to the VA's hiring authorities.
  However, those improvements will not be nearly as effective as they 
could be if the HR professionals that are administering them aren't 
operating at the top of their game. Unfortunately, the committee has 
found several instances where it appeared that some HR staff working in 
VA medical facilities had substandard education and professional 
backgrounds, including one HR director at a VA medical center who 
lacked both a college degree and relevant work experience.
  To prevent that, the VA HELP Act would require the VA to establish 
qualification standards and standardized performance metrics for HR 
within the VHA. To ensure transparency and to aid the committee in our 
ongoing oversight efforts, it would also require the VA to provide 
Congress with a copy of those qualification standards and performance 
metrics, as well as require the Government Accountability Office to 
conduct an assessment of them.
  I wholeheartedly believe that this bill will result in better staffed 
VA medical facilities, and, therefore, a

[[Page H7142]]

more accessible VA healthcare system for our Nation's heroes.
  I am grateful to the sponsor of the VA HELP Act, my colleague and 
friend, Congressman  Mike Bost of Illinois. Mike is the chairman of the 
Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, a tireless 
advocate for veterans and their families, and, I might add, a veteran 
himself.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank him for his leadership on this bill. I urge my 
colleagues to join me in supporting it, and I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5864, as amended, the VA 
Hospitals Establishing Leadership Performance Act, or VA HELP Act.
  Due to nationwide shortages, nuanced certification and licensing 
requirements, and complex position descriptions, human resource 
professionals working in the healthcare industry must possess a unique 
set of skills and qualifications.
  Human resource professionals working within the VA must further 
develop their skills while learning how to leverage the many hiring 
initiatives, budgetary concerns, and Federal resources in a way that 
can compete with the private sector's financial incentives.
  The VA HELP Act is an effort to assist the VA in finding the unique 
talent it needs to fill these health-specific human resource officers 
by requiring the VA to establish qualifications and standardized 
performance metrics for each human resource position within VHA.
  By further defining the human resource positions within VHA and 
standardizing performance metrics, the VA will be able to more easily 
to attract, access, and retain quality human resource officers.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman 
from Illinois (Mr. Bost), the chairman of the Disability Assistance and 
Memorial Affairs Subcommittee, who also is a Marine veteran who has 
drunk from the Devil Dog fountain at Belleau Wood.
  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman. As all of us here know 
today, the mission of the Department of Veterans Affairs is the care 
for those who have borne the battle.
  When our heroes transition from the military, they deserve to have 
access to quality healthcare and services. Unfortunately, the VA 
continues to fall short on the promises, due, in part, to failures in 
human resource offices. This issue hit close to home for me after the 
VA National Center for Patient Safety surveyed the Marion VA Medical 
Center in my district.
  The Marion survey showed a decline in key factors, such as 
communication between management and staff, and reporting problems to 
management. The Veterans Affairs' Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations staff then visited Marion in order to get a firsthand 
look at the issues at the facility.
  During that site visit, multiple employees raised concerns about poor 
management, poor communication, distrust between leadership and 
management, and the lack of accountability. Despite several efforts to 
encourage the VA headquarters leadership to address these problems, 
limited actions have been taken, and my office continues to receive 
complaints.
  The common thread throughout has been the issue in the human resource 
department. HR management is a critical part of delivering quality 
healthcare. HR is responsible for recruiting and retaining highly 
qualified professionals, and the current status quo within the VHA's HR 
offices cannot continue.
  That is why I introduced H.R. 5854, the VA HELP Act, with 
Representative Sinema. This bipartisan, straightforward legislation 
instructs the VA Secretary to establish qualifications for HR positions 
within the VHA, and to set performance metrics for these positions.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge Members of the House to support H.R. 5864 to 
ensure that our Nation's veterans are being provided the best possible 
care from VA employees. I thank the chairman of the committee, Chairman 
Roe, and Ranking Member Takano for supporting this.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am 
prepared to close.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 5864, as 
amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all 
Members to support H.R. 5864, as amended, and I yield back the balance 
of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 5864, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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