This bill addresses workforce and employment matters of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Among other elements, the bill
requires the VA to develop and implement a national rural recruitment and hiring plan for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA);
authorizes the VA to buy out non-VA service contracts of certain health care professionals in exchange for employment at rural or highly rural VA facilities;
requires the VA to establish qualifications for each of its human resources positions and establish standardized performance metrics for such positions;
increases the pay cap for certain employees of the VHA;
expands employment opportunities for housekeeping aides by removing the requirement that competition for VA housekeeping aide positions is restricted to preference eligibles;
modifies the authority of the VA related to hours, conditions and employment, and pay for certain employees of the VHA;
authorizes the VA to establish an awards program for certain appointed personnel;
authorizes the VA to waive any annual premium or aggregate limitation on pay for an employee of the VHA during the calendar year in which the official duty station of the employee is closed or the office, facility, activity, or organization of the employee is realigned;
provides additional authority for the VA to provide recruitment and relocation bonuses, retention bonuses, merit awards, incentives for critical skills, and student loan repayments; and
authorizes specified health care professionals to prescribe controlled substances through telemedicine.
Actions
Jun 9, 2022
Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Oversight and Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.