[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 127 (Thursday, July 24, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S4713]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 3036. Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER submitted an amendment intended to be 
proposed by her to the bill H.R. 3944, making appropriations for 
military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related 
agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other 
purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place in title II of division A, insert 
     the following:
       Sec. ___.  Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
     shall submit to the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate 
     and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
     Representatives a report that--
       (1) assesses the scope and impact of staffing shortages at 
     community-based outpatient clinics of the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs throughout the United States, disaggregated 
     by Veterans Integrated Service Network, geographic region, 
     and clinic type;
       (2) identifies the key barriers to recruitment and 
     retention of clinical and non-clinical personnel at such 
     clinics;
       (3) evaluates the effectiveness of existing incentive 
     programs (such as hiring bonuses, student loan repayment, 
     housing stipends, and telework flexibility) used to staff 
     such clinics;
       (4) provides recommendations for new or expanded 
     authorities or funding tools needed to ensure such clinics 
     are adequately staffed and accessible to veterans; and
       (5) assesses future workforce needs for planned or proposed 
     micro-hospitals of the Department, including the expected 
     staffing model for the forthcoming facility in Sussex County, 
     Delaware, and outlines steps the Secretary should take now to 
     ensure timely recruitment and retention of qualified 
     personnel at such sites.
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