I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3956 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop and implement a 

plan to hire directors of the medical centers of the Department of 

Veterans Affairs. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 5, 2015 

Mr. BOST (for himself, Mr. COSTA, Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois, and Mr. 

SWALWELL of California) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop and 

implement a plan to hire directors of the medical centers 

of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

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 ‘‘VA Health Center 

5 Management Stability and Improvement Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) According to data from the Department of 

9 Veterans Affairs, several medical centers of the DeVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:11 Nov 07, 2015 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3956.IH H3956

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1 partment are managed by acting or temporary direc2 tors. 

3 (2) Some of these medical centers have not 

4 been managed by a permanent director for a long 

5 period. 

6 (3) Pursuant to section 317.903 of title 5, Code 

7 of Federal Regulations, a member of the senior exec8 utive service who is detailed to a temporary position 

9 in a department or agency of the Federal Govern10 ment may not serve in that position for periods 

11 longer than 120-day increments, and no member of 

12 the senior executive service may be detailed to an 

13 unclassified position for a period longer than 240 

14 days. 

15 (4) The inability of the Department of Veterans 

16 Affairs to recruit qualified, permanent candidates as 

17 directors of medical centers, combined with the poli18 cies described in paragraph (3), leads to frequent 

19 turnover of directors at the medical centers which 

20 impedes the ability of system management to engage 

21 in long-term planning and other functions necessary 

22 to improve service delivery to veterans. 

23 (5) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs should 

24 develop a comprehensive plan to recruit permanent 


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1 directors at each medical center that lacks a perma2 nent director. 

3 SEC. 3. PLAN TO HIRE DIRECTORS OF MEDICAL CENTERS 

4 OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

5 (a) PLAN.—Not later than 120 days after the date 

6 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans 

7 Affairs shall develop and implement a plan to hire highly 

8 qualified directors for each medical center of the Depart9 ment of Veterans Affairs that lacks a permanent director 

10 as of the date of the plan. The Secretary shall prioritize 

11 the hiring of such directors for the medical centers that 

12 have not had a permanent director for the longest periods. 

13 (b) MATTERS INCLUDED.—The plan developed under 

14 subsection (a) shall include the following: 

15 (1) A deadline to hire the directors of the med16 ical centers of the Department as described in such 

17 subsection. 

18 (2) Identification of the possible impediments to 

19 such hiring. 

20 (3) Identification of opportunities to promote 

21 and train candidates from within the Department to 

22 senior executive positions in the Department, includ23 ing as directors of medical centers. 

24 (c) SUBMISSION.—Not later than 120 days after the 

25 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall subVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:11 Nov 07, 2015 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3956.IH H3956

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1 mit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House 

2 of Representatives and the Senate the plan developed 

3 under subsection (a). 

4 (d) SEMIANNUAL REPORTS.—Not later than 180 

5 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and each 

6 180-day period thereafter until January 1, 2018, the Sec7 retary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs 

8 of the House of Representatives and the Senate a list of 

9 each medical center of the Department that lacks a per10 manent director as of the date of the report. 

Æ 


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