IC 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 899 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 21, 2018 

Referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government 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 

AN ACT 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that the 

requirements that new Federal employees who are veterans with service-connected disabilities are provided 

leave for purposes of undergoing medical treatment for 

such disabilities apply to certain employees of the Veterans Health Administration, 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. APPLICATION OF FEDERAL LEAVE POLICY FOR 

4 DISABLED VETERANS TO EMPLOYEES OF 

5 VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION AND 

6 RESTATEMENT OF EXISTING LEAVE TRANS7 FER PROGRAM. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 74 of 

9 title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting after 

10 section 7423 the following new section: 

11 ‘‘§ 7423A. Personnel administration: leave 

12 ‘‘(a) LEAVE TRANSFER PROGRAM.—(1) The Sec13 retary shall establish a leave transfer program for the ben14 efit of health-care professionals in positions listed in sec15 tion 7401(1) of this title. The Secretary may also establish 

16 a leave bank program for the benefit of such health-care 

17 professionals. 

18 ‘‘(2) To the maximum extent feasible— 

19 ‘‘(A) the leave transfer program shall provide 

20 the same or similar requirements and conditions as 

21 are provided for the program established by the Di22 rector of the Office of Personnel Management under 

23 subchapter III of chapter 63 of title 5; and 

24 ‘‘(B) any leave bank program established pur25 suant to paragraph (1) shall be consistent with the 


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1 requirements and conditions provided for agency 

2 leave bank programs in subchapter IV of such chap3 ter. 

4 ‘‘(3) Participation by a health-care professional in the 

5 leave transfer program established pursuant to paragraph 

6 (1), and in any leave bank program established pursuant 

7 to such paragraph, shall be voluntary. The Secretary may 

8 not require any health-care professional to participate in 

9 such a program. 

10 ‘‘(4)(A) The Secretary and the Director of the Office 

11 of Personnel Management may enter into an agreement 

12 that permits health-care professionals referred to in para13 graph (1) to participate in the leave transfer program es14 tablished by the Director of the Office of Personnel Man15 agement under subchapter III of chapter 63 of title 5 or 

16 in any leave bank program established for other employees 

17 of the Department pursuant to subchapter IV of chapter 

18 63 of title 5, or both. 

19 ‘‘(B) Participation of such health-care professionals 

20 in a leave transfer program or a leave bank program pur21 suant to an agreement entered into under subparagraph 

22 (A) shall be subject to such requirements and conditions 

23 as may be prescribed in such agreement. 

24 ‘‘(5) The Secretary is not required to establish a leave 

25 transfer program for any personnel permitted to particiVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:41 Mar 26, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S899.RFH S899

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1 pate in a leave transfer program pursuant to an agree2 ment referred to in paragraph (4). 

3 ‘‘(b) APPLICATION OF FEDERAL LEAVE POLICY FOR

4 DISABLED VETERANS.—Section 6329 of title 5 shall apply 

5 to all health-care professionals in positions listed in section 

6 7401(1) of this title.’’. 

7 (b) REPEAL OF TRANSFERRED AUTHORITY.—Sec8 tion 7423 of such title is amended— 

9 (1) by striking subsection (e); and 

10 (2) by redesignating subsection (f) as sub11 section (e). 

12 (c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

13 at the beginning of chapter 74 of such title is amended 

14 by inserting after the item relating to section 7423 the 

15 following new item: 

‘‘7423A. Personnel administration: leave.’’. 

Passed the Senate March 20, 2018. 

Attest: JULIE E. ADAMS, 

Secretary. 


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