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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10381 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

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.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Supporting Medical Students and VA 
Workforce Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS-PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE JOINT 
              SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 76 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting, after subchapter V, the following new subchapter:

    ``SUBCHAPTER V-A--VETERANS AFFAIRS-PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE JOINT 
                          SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

``SEC. 7661. AUTHORITY.

    ``As part of the Educational Assistance Program, the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs may, in partnership with the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services and the Secretary of Defense, carry out a scholarship 
program, to be known as the Department of Veterans Affairs-Public 
Health Service Joint Scholarship Program (hereafter in this subchapter, 
`the program') under which a PHS officer shall--
            ``(1) attend the F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine of USU 
        at the expense of the Department of Veterans Affairs; and
            ``(2) after graduating and completing an initial residency, 
        serve, full-time, at a medical facility of the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs to fulfill a period of obligated service.

``SEC. 7662. INTERAGENCY AGREEMENT.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary 
of Health and Human Services, and the Secretary of Defense may enter 
into, and maintain, an interagency agreement to carry out the program.
    ``(b) Terms.--Such an agreement shall, in accordance with this 
subchapter govern aspects of the program, including the following:
            ``(1) The eligibility of a PHS officer to receive a 
        scholarship under the program.
            ``(2) The number of PHS officers who may receive a 
        scholarship each year.
            ``(3) The authority of the Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services to deploy a PHS officer who receives a scholarship 
        under the program before such PHS officer completes the term of 
        obligated service under this subchapter.
    ``(c) Limitation.--Nothing in such agreement may transfer from the 
Secretary of Defense to the Secretary or the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services any authority to determine who may attend USU.

``SEC. 7663. COSTS.

    ``(a) Estimates.--Before the beginning of each academic year--
            ``(1) the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
        provide the Secretary of Veterans Affairs with an estimate of 
        the costs that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall be 
        obliged to reimburse the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
        under subsection (b) for the next fiscal year; and
            ``(2) the Secretary of Defense shall provide the Secretary 
        of Veterans Affairs with an estimate of the costs that the 
        Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall be obligated to reimburse 
        the Secretary of Defense under subsection (b) for the next 
        fiscal year.
    ``(b) Payment; Reconciliation.--(1) Each fiscal year, the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs shall pay the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services the amount under subsection (a)(1).
    ``(2) Each fiscal year, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall pay 
the Secretary of Defense the amount under subsection (a)(2).
    ``(3) If a payment made under this subsection does not equal the 
actual relevant costs for the fiscal year, the Secretary concerned 
shall refund the excess amount paid, or supplement the shortfall, as 
applicable.

``SEC. 7664. OBLIGATED SERVICE.

    ``(a) Detail.--(1) Pursuant to section 214 of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 215), the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
shall detail a PHS officer who receives a scholarship under the program 
to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
    ``(2) The length of such detail shall be sufficient for the officer 
to complete--
            ``(A) attendance at USU described in section 7661 of this 
        title;
            ``(B) an initial residency; and
            ``(C) a period of obligated service, not to exceed ten 
        years, in a medical facility of the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs.
    ``(b) Written Agreement.--A PHS officer, the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall enter 
into a written agreement specifying the terms of such detail and the 
length period of obligated service of such PHS officer.
    ``(c) Failure To Complete Period of Obligated Service.--(1) A PHS 
officer who receives a scholarship under the program and fails to 
complete the period of obligated service shall reimburse the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs an amount equal to--
            ``(A) twice the total amount of the tuition and expenses 
        paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to the Secretary of 
        Defense arising the attendance of such PHS officer at USU; and
            ``(B) twice the salary, allowances, and benefits paid by 
        the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to the Secretary of Health 
        and Human Services arising from the detail under subsection 
        (a).
    ``(2) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may waive reimbursement 
under paragraph (1) if the Secretary determines that such reimbursement 
would be inequitable or would not be in the public interest.

``SEC. 7665. DEFINITIONS.

    ``In this subchapter:
            ``(1) The term `PHS officer' means an officer of the 
        commissioned corps of the Public Health Service.
            ``(2) The term `USU' means the Uniformed Services 
        University of the Health Sciences.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by inserting, after the item relating for 
section 7655, the following:

     ``subchapter v-a-veterans affairs-public health service joint 
                          scholarship program

``Sec.  7661. Establishment
``Sec.  7662. Interagency agreement
``Sec.  7663. Costs
``Sec.  7664. Obligated service
``Sec.  7665. Definitions''.
                                 <all>
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