I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2414

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the appointment 

of chiropractors in the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 10, 2003

Mr. MORAN of Kansas (for himself, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. EVANS, 

Mr. FILNER, and Mr. GUTIERREZ) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the 

appointment of chiropractors in the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and 

for other purposes.

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 ‘‘Department of Vet5 erans Affairs Chiropractic Employment Act’’. 
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1 SEC. 2. APPOINTMENT OF CHIROPRACTORS IN THE VET2 ERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION. 

3 (a) APPOINTMENTS.—Section 7401 of title 38, 

4 United States Code, is amended—

5 (1) by inserting ‘‘and chiropractic care’’ in the 

6 matter preceding paragraph (1) after ‘‘medical 

7 care’’; and 

8 (2) by inserting ‘‘chiropractors’’ in paragraph 

9 (1) after ‘‘podiatrists’’. 

10 (b) QUALIFICATIONS OF APPOINTEES.—Section 

11 7402(b) of such title is amended—

12 (1) by redesignating paragraph (10) as para13 graph (11); and 

14 (2) by inserting after paragraph (9) the fol15 lowing new paragraph (10): 

16 ‘‘(10) CHIROPRACTOR.—To be eligible to be ap17 pointed to a chiropractor position, a person must—

18 ‘‘(A) hold the degree of doctor of chiropractic, 

19 or its equivalent, from a college of chiropractic ap20 proved by the Secretary; and 

21 ‘‘(B) be licensed to practice chiropractic in a 

22 State.’’. 

23 (c) PERIOD OF APPOINTMENTS AND PROMOTIONS.—

24 Section 7403(a)(2) of such title is amended by adding at 

25 the end the following new subparagraph: 

26 ‘‘(H) Chiropractors.’’. 
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1 (d) GRADES AND PAY SCALES.—Section 7404(b)(1) 

2 of such title is amended by striking the third center head3 ing in the table and inserting the following:

‘‘CLINICAL PODIATRIST, CHIROPRACTOR, AND OPTOMETRIST 

SCHEDULE’’.

4 (e) TEMPORARY AND PART-TIME APPOINTMENTS.—

5 Section 7405(a) of such title is amended—

6 (1) by adding at the end of paragraph (1) the 

7 following new subparagraph: 

8 ‘‘(E) Chiropractors.’’; and 

9 (2) by adding at the end of paragraph (2) the 

10 following new subparagraph: 

11 ‘‘(D) Chiropractors.’’. 

12 (f) RESIDENCIES AND INTERNSHIPS.—Section 

13 7406(c) of such title is amended—

14 (1) in paragraph (1)—

15 (A) by inserting ‘‘and chiropractic’’ after 

16 ‘‘medical’’ the first place it appears; and 

17 (B) by inserting ‘‘or chiropractic’’ after 

18 ‘‘medical’’ the second place it appears; 

19 (2) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘or chiro20 practic’’ after ‘‘medical’’ in the matter preceding 

21 subparagraph (A) and in subparagraph (B); 

22 (3) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘or chiro23 practic’’ after ‘‘medical’’ in subparagraph (A); and 
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1 (4) in paragraph (4), by inserting ‘‘or chiro2 practic’’ after ‘‘medical’’ in subparagraph (C). 

3 (g) MALPRACTICE AND NEGLIGENCE PROTECTION.—

4 Section 7316(a) of such title is amended—

5 (1) by inserting ‘‘or chiropractic’’ after ‘‘med6 ical’’ in paragraphs (1) and (2); and 

7 (2) by inserting ‘‘chiropractor,’’ after ‘‘podia8 trist,’’ in paragraph (2). 

9 (h) TREATMENT AS SCARCE MEDICAL SPECIALISTS

10 FOR CONTRACTING PURPOSES.—Section 7409(a) of such 

11 title is amended by inserting ‘‘chiropractors,’’ in the sec12 ond sentence after ‘‘optometrists,’’. 

13 (i) REIMBURSEMENT OF CONTINUING PROFES14 SIONAL EDUCATION EXPENSES.—Section 7411 of such 

15 title is amended by striking ‘‘or dentist’’ and inserting ‘‘, 

16 dentist, or chiropractic’’. 

17 (j) COLLECTIVE BARGAINING EXEMPTION.—Section 

18 7421(b) of such title is amended by adding at the end 

19 the following new paragraph: 

20 ‘‘(8) Chiropractors.’’. 

21 (k) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

22 this section shall take effect at the end of the 180-day 

23 period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.

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