[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 128 (Wednesday, July 21, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5024-S5025]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HIRE VETERAN HEALTH HEROES ACT OF 2021
Ms. SMITH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 85, S. 894.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The bill clerk read as follows:
A bill (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.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill,
which had been reported from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, with
an amendment, as follows:
(The parts of the bill intended to be stricken are shown in boldface
brackets and the parts of the bill intended to be inserted are shown in
italic.
S. 894
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''.
[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.
[(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.
[(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 of 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 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.
[(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.]
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.''.
Ms. SMITH. I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported
amendment be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered read a
third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered
made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The committee-reported amendment was agreed to.
=========================== NOTE ===========================
On page S5024, July 21, 2021, second column, the following
appears: The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
The online Record has been corrected to read: The PRESIDING
OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The committee-
reported amendment was agreed to.
========================= END NOTE =========================
The bill (S. 894), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a
third reading, was read the third time, and passed, as follows:
S. 894
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''.
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.''.
[[Page S5025]]
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