I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9426 

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

under which the Secretary may fill vacant shifts at medical facilities 

of the Department of Veterans Affairs with non-Department health care 

providers. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 30, 2024 

Mr. BOST introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out 

a pilot program under which the Secretary may fill vacant shifts at medical facilities of the Department of 

Veterans Affairs with non-Department health care providers. 

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 ‘‘Safeguarding VA’s 

5 Healthcare Workforce Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM TO FILL VACANT SHIFTS AT MED2 ICAL FACILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF 

3 VETERANS AFFAIRS WITH NON-DEPARTMENT 

4 HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. 

5 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than one year after 

6 the date of the enactment of this Act, Secretary of Vet7 erans Affairs shall carry out a pilot program under which 

8 the Secretary may fill a vacant shift at a medical facility 

9 of the Department of Veterans Affairs with a non-Depart10 ment health care provider. 

11 (b) AGREEMENTS; PAYMENTS.—To carry out the 

12 pilot program, the Secretary shall seek to enter into at 

13 least one agreement with an entity that employs or con14 tracts with health care providers. Pursuant to such an 

15 agreement, the Secretary shall pay the entity a fixed rate 

16 for each shift filled by such entity under the pilot program. 

17 (c) LIMITATION.—The Secretary may not, under the 

18 pilot program, fill a vacant shift at a medical facility of 

19 the Department with a non-Department health care pro20 vider unless the number of vacant shifts at such facility 

21 reaches a minimum number or percentage prescribed by 

22 the Secretary. 

23 (d) LOCATIONS.—The Secretary shall carry out the 

24 pilot program in medical facilities of not more than two 

25 Veterans Integrated Services Networks. In selecting a faVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:56 Sep 09, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H9426.IH H9426

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1 cility for the pilot program, the Secretary shall give pref2 erence to a facility— 

3 (1) located in a rural area; or 

4 (2) that historically has a high rate of vacant 

5 shifts. 

6 (e) PRIVACY.—To protect the privacy of a veteran 

7 who receives hospital care or medical services under the 

8 pilot program, the Secretary shall restrict the access, to 

9 medical records of the Department, of a provider who fills 

10 a vacant shift under the pilot program, to only such 

11 records of a veteran to whom such provider provides hos12 pital care or medical services. 

13 (f) REPORTS.— 

14 (1) REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary shall sub15 mit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the 

16 Senate and House of Representatives a report on the 

17 pilot program not later than— 

18 (A) 21 months after the date on which the 

19 Secretary begins to carry out the pilot program; 

20 and 

21 (B) 90 days after the date on which the 

22 pilot program terminates. 

23 (2) ELEMENTS.—Each such report shall include 

24 the following elements: 


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1 (A) How frequently the Secretary filled a 

2 vacant shift under the pilot program. 

3 (B) The medical specialties relating to va4 cant shifts that were most frequently filled 

5 under the pilot program. 

6 (C) The number of veterans who received 

7 hospital care or medical services under the pilot 

8 program. 

9 (g) TERMINATION.—The pilot program shall termi10 nate three years after the date on which the Secretary be11 gins to carry out the pilot program. 

Æ 


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