IB 

Union Calendar No. 549 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 3974 

[Report No. 114–710] 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program 

to provide educational assistance to certain former members of the Armed 

Forces for education and training as physician assistants of the Department of Veterans Affairs, to establish pay grades and require competitive 

pay for physician assistants of the Department, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 5, 2015 

Ms. KUSTER (for herself and Mr. HECK of Nevada) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

SEPTEMBER 6, 2016 

Additional sponsors: Mr. FOSTER, Mr. CA ́RDENAS, Mrs. KIRKPATRICK, Ms. 

BROWNLEY of California, Mr. TAKANO, Mr. GRIJALVA, and Ms. KAPTUR

SEPTEMBER 6, 2016 

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House 

on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on November 5, 2015] 


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A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out 

a pilot program to provide educational assistance to certain former members of the Armed Forces for education 

and training as physician assistants of the Department 

of Veterans Affairs, to establish pay grades and require 

competitive pay for physician assistants of the Department, and for other purposes. 


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1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Grow Our Own Direc5 tive: Physician Assistant Employment and Education Act 

6 of 2016’’. 

7 SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL AS8 SISTANCE TO PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS TO BE 

9 EMPLOYED AT THE DEPARTMENT OF VET10 ERANS AFFAIRS. 

11 (a) PILOT PROGRAM.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Af13 fairs shall carry out a pilot program to be known as 

14 the ‘‘Grow Our Own Directive’’ or ‘‘G.O.O.D.’’ pilot 

15 program (in this section referred to as the ‘‘pilot pro16 gram’’) to provide educational assistance to certain 

17 former members of the Armed Forces for education 

18 and training as physician assistants of the Depart19 ment of Veterans Affairs. 

20 (2) INFORMATION ON PILOT PROGRAM.—The Sec21 retary shall provide information on the pilot program 

22 to eligible individuals under subsection (b), including 

23 information on application requirements and a list of 

24 entities with which the Secretary has partnered under 

25 subsection (g). 


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1 (b) ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS.—An individual is eligible 

2 to participate in the pilot program if the individual— 

3 (1) has medical or military health experience 

4 gained while serving as a member of the Armed 

5 Forces; 

6 (2) has received a certificate, associate degree, 

7 baccalaureate degree, master’s degree, or 

8 postbaccalaureate training in a science relating to 

9 health care; 

10 (3) has participated in the delivery of health 

11 care services or related medical services, including 

12 participation in military training relating to the 

13 identification, evaluation, treatment, and prevention 

14 of diseases and disorders; and 

15 (4) does not have a degree of doctor of medicine, 

16 doctor of osteopathy, or doctor of dentistry. 

17 (c) DURATION.—The pilot program shall be carried 

18 out during the five-year period beginning on the date that 

19 is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

20 (d) SELECTION.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall select not 

22 less than 250 eligible individuals under subsection (b) 

23 to participate in the pilot program. 

24 (2) PRIORITY FOR SELECTION.—In selecting in25 dividuals to participate in the pilot program under 


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1 paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give priority to the 

2 following individuals: 

3 (A) Individuals who participated in the In4 termediate Care Technician Pilot Program of the 

5 Department that was carried out by the Sec6 retary between January 2011 and February 

7 2015. 

8 (B) Individuals who agree to be employed 

9 as a physician assistant for the Veterans Health 

10 Administration at a medical facility of the De11 partment located in a community that— 

12 (i) is designated as a medically under13 served population under section 

14 330(b)(3)(A) of the Public Health Service 

15 Act (42 U.S.C. 254b(b)(3)(A)); and 

16 (ii) is in a State with a per capita 

17 population of veterans of more than 9 per18 cent according to the National Center for 

19 Veterans Analysis and Statistics and the 

20 United States Census Bureau. 

21 (e) EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the pilot pro23 gram, the Secretary shall provide educational assist24 ance to individuals participating in the pilot pro25 gram, including through the use of scholarships, to 


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1 cover the costs to such individuals of obtaining a mas2 ter’s degree in physician assistant studies or a simi3 lar master’s degree. 

4 (2) USE OF EXISTING PROGRAMS.—In providing 

5 educational assistance under paragraph (1), the Sec6 retary shall use the Department of Veterans Affairs 

7 Health Professionals Educational Assistance Program 

8 under chapter 76 of title 38, United States Code, and 

9 such other educational assistance programs of the De10 partment as the Secretary considers appropriate. 

11 (3) USE OF SCHOLARSHIPS.—The Secretary 

12 shall provide not less than 35 scholarships under the 

13 pilot program to individuals participating in the 

14 pilot program during each year in which the pilot 

15 program is carried out. 

16 (f) PERIOD OF OBLIGATED SERVICE.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall enter into 

18 an agreement with each individual participating in 

19 the pilot program in which such individual agrees to 

20 be employed as a physician assistant for the Veterans 

21 Health Administration for a period of obligated serv22 ice specified in paragraph (2). 

23 (2) PERIOD SPECIFIED.—With respect to each 

24 individual participating in the pilot program, the peVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:40 Sep 07, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H3974.RH H3974

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1 riod of obligated service specified in this paragraph 

2 for the individual is— 

3 (A) if the individual is participating in the 

4 pilot program through a program described in 

5 subsection (e)(2) that specifies a period of obli6 gated service, the period specified with respect to 

7 such program; or 

8 (B) if the individual is participating in the 

9 pilot program other than through a program de10 scribed in such subsection, or if such program 

11 does not specify a period of obligated service, a 

12 period of three years or such other period as the 

13 Secretary considers appropriate for purposes of 

14 the pilot program. 

15 (g) BREACH.— 

16 (1) LIABILITY.—Except as provided in para17 graph (2), an individual who participates in the pilot 

18 program and fails to satisfy the period of obligated 

19 service under subsection (f) shall be liable to the 

20 United States, in lieu of such obligated service, for the 

21 amount that has been paid or is payable to or on be22 half of the individual under the pilot program, re23 duced by the proportion that the number of days 

24 served for completion of the period of obligated service 


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1 bears to the total number of days in the period of ob2 ligated service of such individual. 

3 (2) EXCEPTION.—If an individual is partici4 pating in the pilot program through a program de5 scribed in subsection (e)(2) that specifies a period of 

6 obligated service, the liability of the individual for 

7 failing to satisfy the period of obligated service under 

8 subsection (f) shall be determined as specified with re9 spect to such program. 

10 (h) MENTORS.—The Secretary shall ensure that a phy11 sician assistant mentor or mentors are available for indi12 viduals participating in the pilot program at each facility 

13 of the Veterans Health Administration at which a partici14 pant in the pilot program is employed. 

15 (i) PARTNERSHIPS.—In carrying out the pilot pro16 gram, the Secretary shall seek to partner with the following: 

17 (1) Not less than 15 institutions of higher edu18 cation that— 

19 (A) offer a master’s degree program in phy20 sician assistant studies or a similar area of 

21 study that is accredited by the Accreditation Re22 view Commission on Education for the Physi23 cian Assistant; and 

24 (B) agree— 


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1 (i) to guarantee seats in such master’s 

2 degree program for individuals partici3 pating in the pilot program who meet the 

4 entrance requirements for such master’s de5 gree program; and 

6 (ii) to provide individuals partici7 pating in the pilot program with informa8 tion on admissions criteria and the admis9 sions process. 

10 (2) Other institutions of higher education that 

11 offer programs in physician assistant studies or other 

12 similar areas of studies that are accredited by the Ac13 creditation Review Commission on Education for the 

14 Physician Assistant. 

15 (3) The Transition Assistance Program of the 

16 Department of Defense. 

17 (4) The Veterans’ Employment and Training 

18 Service of the Department of Labor. 

19 (5) Programs carried out under chapter 41 of 

20 title 38, United States Code, for the purpose of mar21 keting and advertising the pilot program to veterans 

22 and members of the Armed Forces who may be inter23 ested in the pilot program. 

24 (j) ADMINISTRATION OF PILOT PROGRAM.—For pur25 poses of carrying out the pilot program, the Secretary shall 


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1 appoint or select within the Office of Physician Assistant 

2 Services of the Veterans Health Administration the fol3 lowing: 

4 (1) A Deputy Director for Education and Career 

5 Development of Physician Assistants who— 

6 (A) is a physician assistant, a veteran, and 

7 employed by the Department as of the date of the 

8 enactment of this Act; 

9 (B) is responsible for— 

10 (i) overseeing the pilot program; 

11 (ii) recruiting candidates to partici12 pate in the pilot program; 

13 (iii) coordinating with individuals 

14 participating in the pilot program and as15 sisting those individuals in applying and 

16 being admitted to a master’s degree pro17 gram under the pilot program; and 

18 (iv) providing information to eligible 

19 individuals under subsection (b) with re20 spect to the pilot program; and 

21 (C) may be employed in the field at a med22 ical center of the Department. 

23 (2) A Deputy Director of Recruitment and Re24 tention who— 


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1 (A) is a physician assistant, a veteran, and 

2 employed by the Department as of the date of the 

3 enactment of this Act; 

4 (B) is responsible for— 

5 (i) identifying and coordinating the 

6 needs of the pilot program and assist the 

7 Secretary in providing mentors under sub8 section (h) to participants in the pilot pro9 gram; and 

10 (ii) coordinating the staff of facilities 

11 of the Veterans Health Administration with 

12 respect to identifying employment positions 

13 and mentors under subsection (h) for par14 ticipants in the pilot program; and 

15 (C) may be employed in the field at a med16 ical center of the Department. 

17 (3) A recruiter who— 

18 (A) reports directly to the Deputy Director 

19 of Recruitment and Retention; and 

20 (B) works with the Workforce Management 

21 and Consulting Office and the Healthcare Talent 

22 Management Office of the Veterans Health Ad23 ministration to develop and implement national 

24 recruiting strategic plans for the recruitment 


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1 and retention of physician assistants within the 

2 Department. 

3 (4) An administrative assistant, compensated at 

4 a rate not less than level GS–6 of the General Sched5 ule, or equivalent, who assists with administrative 

6 duties relating to the pilot program in the Office of 

7 Physician Assistant Services and such other duties as 

8 determined by the Secretary to ensure that the Office 

9 runs effectively and efficiently. 

10 (k) REPORT.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after 

12 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 

13 Veterans Affairs, in collaboration with the Secretary 

14 of Labor, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary 

15 of Health and Human Services, shall submit to Con16 gress a report on the pilot program. 

17 (2) ELEMENTS.—The report required by para18 graph (1) shall include the following: 

19 (A) The extent to which the pilot program 

20 is effective in improving the ability of eligible in21 dividuals under subsection (b) to become physi22 cian assistants; 

23 (B) An examination of whether the pilot 

24 program is achieving the goals of— 


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1 (i) enabling individuals to build on 

2 medical skills gained as members of the 

3 Armed Forces by entering into the physi4 cian assistant workforce of the Department; 

5 and 

6 (ii) helping to meet the shortage of 

7 physician assistants employed by the De8 partment. 

9 (C) An identification of such modifications 

10 to the pilot program as the Secretary of Veterans 

11 Affairs, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of 

12 Defense, and the Secretary of Health and 

13 Human Services consider necessary to meet the 

14 goals described in subparagraph (B). 

15 (D) An assessment of whether the pilot pro16 gram could serve as a model for other programs 

17 of the Department to assist individuals in ob18 taining certification and employment in other 

19 health care fields. 

Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A bill to require the 

Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to provide educational assistance to certain former 

members of the Armed Forces for education and training 

as physician assistants of the Department of Veterans 

Affairs.’’. 


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Union Calendar No. 549 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 3974 

[Report No. 114–710] 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to 

partment, and for other purposes. petitive pay for physician assistants of the DeAffairs, to establish pay grades and require comsician assistants of the Department of Veterans Armed Forces for education and training as phyassistance to certain former members of the carry out a pilot program to provide educational 

SEPTEMBER 6, 2016 

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee 

dered to be printed of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and orVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:40 Sep 07, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 6651 Sfmt 6651 E:\BILLS\H3974.RH H3974

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