I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 10381 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize a joint scholarship 

program under which the Secretary of Veterans Affairs pays for medical 

education of an officer of the commissioned corps of the Public Health 

Service at the Uniformed Services University in return for a period 

of obligated service by such officer at a medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 12, 2024 

Mr. TAKANO (for himself and Mr. DUNN of Florida) introduced the following 

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

addition to the Committees on Armed Services, and Energy and Commerce, 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 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize a joint 

scholarship program under which the Secretary of Veterans Affairs pays for medical education of an officer 

of the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service 

at the Uniformed Services University in return for a 

period of obligated service by such officer at a medical 

facility 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Supporting Medical 

3 Students and VA Workforce Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS-PUBLIC 

5 HEALTH SERVICE JOINT SCHOLARSHIP PRO6 GRAM. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 76 of title 38, United 

8 States Code, is amended by inserting, after subchapter V, 

9 the following new subchapter: 

10 ‘‘SUBCHAPTER V–A—VETERANS AFFAIRS-PUB11 LIC HEALTH SERVICE JOINT SCHOLARSHIP 

12 PROGRAM 

13 ‘‘SEC. 7661. AUTHORITY. 

14 ‘‘As part of the Educational Assistance Program, the 

15 Secretary of Veterans Affairs may, in partnership with the 

16 Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Sec17 retary of Defense, carry out a scholarship program, to be 

18 known as the Department of Veterans Affairs-Public 

19 Health Service Joint Scholarship Program (hereafter in 

20 this subchapter, ‘the program’) under which a PHS officer 

21 shall— 

22 ‘‘(1) attend the F. Edward He ́bert School of 

23 Medicine of USU at the expense of the Department 

24 of Veterans Affairs; and 

25 ‘‘(2) after graduating and completing an initial 

26 residency, serve, full-time, at a medical facility of the 


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1 Department of Veterans Affairs to fulfill a period of 

2 obligated service. 

3 ‘‘SEC. 7662. INTERAGENCY AGREEMENT. 

4 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Af5 fairs, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and 

6 the Secretary of Defense may enter into, and maintain, 

7 an interagency agreement to carry out the program. 

8 ‘‘(b) TERMS.—Such an agreement shall, in accord9 ance with this subchapter govern aspects of the program, 

10 including the following: 

11 ‘‘(1) The eligibility of a PHS officer to receive 

12 a scholarship under the program. 

13 ‘‘(2) The number of PHS officers who may re14 ceive a scholarship each year. 

15 ‘‘(3) The authority of the Secretary of Health 

16 and Human Services to deploy a PHS officer who 

17 receives a scholarship under the program before 

18 such PHS officer completes the term of obligated 

19 service under this subchapter. 

20 ‘‘(c) LIMITATION.—Nothing in such agreement may 

21 transfer from the Secretary of Defense to the Secretary 

22 or the Secretary of Health and Human Services any au23 thority to determine who may attend USU. 


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1 ‘‘SEC. 7663. COSTS. 

2 ‘‘(a) ESTIMATES.—Before the beginning of each aca3 demic year— 

4 ‘‘(1) the Secretary of Health and Human Serv5 ices shall provide the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

6 with an estimate of the costs that the Secretary of 

7 Veterans Affairs shall be obliged to reimburse the 

8 Secretary of Health and Human Services under sub9 section (b) for the next fiscal year; and 

10 ‘‘(2) the Secretary of Defense shall provide the 

11 Secretary of Veterans Affairs with an estimate of 

12 the costs that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 

13 be obligated to reimburse the Secretary of Defense 

14 under subsection (b) for the next fiscal year. 

15 ‘‘(b) PAYMENT; RECONCILIATION.—(1) Each fiscal 

16 year, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall pay the Sec17 retary of Health and Human Services the amount under 

18 subsection (a)(1). 

19 ‘‘(2) Each fiscal year, the Secretary of Veterans Af20 fairs shall pay the Secretary of Defense the amount under 

21 subsection (a)(2). 

22 ‘‘(3) If a payment made under this subsection does 

23 not equal the actual relevant costs for the fiscal year, the 

24 Secretary concerned shall refund the excess amount paid, 

25 or supplement the shortfall, as applicable. 


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1 ‘‘SEC. 7664. OBLIGATED SERVICE. 

2 ‘‘(a) DETAIL.—(1) Pursuant to section 214 of the 

3 Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 215), the Secretary 

4 of Health and Human Services shall detail a PHS officer 

5 who receives a scholarship under the program to the De6 partment of Veterans Affairs. 

7 ‘‘(2) The length of such detail shall be sufficient for 

8 the officer to complete— 

9 ‘‘(A) attendance at USU described in section 

10 7661 of this title; 

11 ‘‘(B) an initial residency; and 

12 ‘‘(C) a period of obligated service, not to exceed 

13 ten years, in a medical facility of the Department of 

14 Veterans Affairs. 

15 ‘‘(b) WRITTEN AGREEMENT.—A PHS officer, the 

16 Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and the Secretary of Health 

17 and Human Services shall enter into a written agreement 

18 specifying the terms of such detail and the length period 

19 of obligated service of such PHS officer. 

20 ‘‘(c) FAILURE TO COMPLETE PERIOD OF OBLIGATED

21 SERVICE.—(1) A PHS officer who receives a scholarship 

22 under the program and fails to complete the period of obli23 gated service shall reimburse the Secretary of Veterans 

24 Affairs an amount equal to— 

25 ‘‘(A) twice the total amount of the tuition and 

26 expenses paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 


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1 to the Secretary of Defense arising the attendance 

2 of such PHS officer at USU; and 

3 ‘‘(B) twice the salary, allowances, and benefits 

4 paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to the Sec5 retary of Health and Human Services arising from 

6 the detail under subsection (a). 

7 ‘‘(2) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may waive re8 imbursement under paragraph (1) if the Secretary deter9 mines that such reimbursement would be inequitable or 

10 would not be in the public interest. 

11 ‘‘SEC. 7665. DEFINITIONS. 

12 ‘‘In this subchapter: 

13 ‘‘(1) The term ‘PHS officer’ means an officer 

14 of the commissioned corps of the Public Health 

15 Service. 

16 ‘‘(2) The term ‘USU’ means the Uniformed 

17 Services University of the Health Sciences.’’. 

18 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

19 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting, 

20 after the item relating for section 7655, the following: 

‘‘SUBCHAPTER V–A–VETERANS AFFAIRS-PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE JOINT

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

‘‘§ 7661. Establishment 

‘‘§ 7662. Interagency agreement 

‘‘§ 7663. Costs 

‘‘§ 7664. Obligated service 

‘‘§ 7665. Definitions’’. 

Æ 


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