[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 117 (Thursday, June 25, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S3381]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1855. Mr. BRAUN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 4049, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2021 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle C of title VII, add the following:

     SEC. 7__. EXPEDITED HIRING BY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
                   OF MEDICAL DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL SEPARATING FROM 
                   THE ARMED FORCES.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in 
     consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall conduct 
     recruitment for covered medical personnel positions from 
     among medical department personnel of the Department of 
     Defense who hold medical military occupational specialties 
     and are separating from the Armed Forces.
       (b) Transition Assistance Program.--Recruitment shall be 
     conducted under subsection (a) for separating members of the 
     Armed Forces as part of the Transition Assistance Program 
     conducted for such members.
       (c) Elements of Recruitment.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense, in collaboration 
     with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall schedule 
     regular briefing times for all medical department personnel 
     of the Department of Defense who are separating from the 
     Armed Forces to be briefed by a supervisor or technician from 
     a human resources office of the Veterans Health 
     Administration on--
       (A) employment opportunities with the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs throughout the United States;
       (B) options for careers with the Department in a covered 
     medical personnel position; and
       (C) the expedited recruitment and hiring process under this 
     section.
       (2) One-on-one appointments.--The supervisor or technician 
     conducting the briefing under paragraph (1) shall--
       (A) schedule a one-on-one appointment for each separating 
     medical department personnel member who wishes to meet to 
     review covered medical personnel positions that are 
     available; and
       (B) accept applications for such positions.
       (d) Hiring.--
       (1) Tentative offer.--
       (A) In general.--The supervisor or technician conducting 
     the briefing under subsection (c)(1) and accepting 
     applications under subsection (c)(2)(B) may tentatively offer 
     applicants for covered medical personnel positions who agree 
     to accept the position and meet a preliminary qualification 
     review established by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs such 
     a position at a medical facility of the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs.
       (B) Timing.--A tentative offer under subparagraph (A) to a 
     member of the Armed Forces participating in the recruitment 
     and hiring process under this section may be made during the 
     period beginning on the date that is 90 days before the 
     separation of the member from the Armed Forces and ending on 
     the date that is 90 days after such separation.
       (2) Final offer.--After conducting the tentative offer 
     process for an individual under paragraph (1), the supervisor 
     or technician shall transmit information on and credentials 
     for the individual to the medical facility at which the 
     individual would be hired for final verification and 
     interviews to complete the hiring process and possibly 
     present a final offer.
       (3) Conduct of hiring process.--Notwithstanding any other 
     provision of law, the Secretary may hire individuals under 
     this section through direct, non-competitive, and other 
     hiring processes as the Secretary considers appropriate to 
     carry out this section.
       (e) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Covered medical personnel position.--The term ``covered 
     medical personnel position'' means a medical personnel 
     position at all grades within the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs employed under--
       (A) the General Schedule under subchapter III of chapter 53 
     of title 5, United States Code;
       (B) the prevailing rate system under subchapter IV of such 
     chapter;
       (C) section 7425 of title 38, United States Code; or
       (D) a hybrid authority.
       (2) Transition assistance program.--The term ``Transition 
     Assistance Program'' means the Transition Assistance Program 
     under sections 1142 and 1144 of title 10, United States Code.
                                 ______