[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 894 Engrossed in Senate (ES)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 894

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
 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.

    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.''.

            Passed the Senate July 21, 2021.

            Attest:

                                                             Secretary.
117th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                 S. 894

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

 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.