II 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 55 

To limit the detailing of directors of medical centers of the Department 

of Veterans Affairs to different positions within the Department, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 24 (legislative day, JANUARY 3), 2023 

Mr. BOOZMAN introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To limit the detailing of directors of medical centers of 

the Department of Veterans Affairs to different positions 

within the Department, 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 ‘‘VA medical Center 

5 Absence and Notification Timeline Act’’ or the ‘‘VACANT 

6 Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON DETAIL OF DIRECTORS OF MED2 ICAL CENTERS OF DEPARTMENT OF VET3 ERANS AFFAIRS TO DIFFERENT POSITIONS. 

4 (a) NOTIFICATION.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 

6 detailing a director of a medical center of the De7 partment of Veterans Affairs to a different position 

8 within the Department, the Secretary of Veterans 

9 Affairs shall notify the Committee on Veterans’ Af10 fairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ 

11 Affairs of the House of Representatives of such de12 tail. 

13 (2) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The notifica14 tion required by paragraph (1) shall include, with re15 spect to a director of a medical center who is de16 tailed to a different position within the Department, 

17 the following information: 

18 (A) The location at which the director is 

19 detailed. 

20 (B) The position title of the detail. 

21 (C) The estimated time the director is ex22 pected to be absent from their duties at the 

23 medical center. 

24 (D) Such other information as the Sec25 retary may determine appropriate. 


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1 (b) APPOINTMENT OF ACTING DIRECTOR.—Not later 

2 than 120 days after detailing a director of a medical cen3 ter of the Department to a different position within the 

4 Department, the Secretary shall appoint an individual as 

5 acting director of such medical center with all of the au6 thority and responsibilities of the detailed director. 

7 (c) UPDATE ON DETAIL.—Not later than 120 days 

8 after detailing a director of a medical center of the De9 partment to a different position within the Department, 

10 and not less frequently than every 30 days thereafter while 

11 the detail is in effect or while the director position at the 

12 medical center is vacant, the Secretary shall submit to the 

13 Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the 

14 Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep15 resentatives an update regarding the status of the detail. 

16 (d) RETURN TO POSITION OR REASSIGNMENT.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para18 graph (2), not later than 180 days after detailing a 

19 director of a medical center of the Department to a 

20 different position within the Department, for a rea21 son other than an ongoing investigation or adminis22 trative action with respect to the director, the Sec23 retary shall— 

24 (A) return the individual to the position as 

25 director of the medical center; or 


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1 (B) reassign the individual from the posi2 tion as director of the medical center and begin 

3 the process of hiring a new director for such po4 sition. 

5 (2) WAIVER.— 

6 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may 

7 waive the requirement under paragraph (1) 

8 with respect to an individual for successive 90- 

9 day increments for a total period of not more 

10 than 540 days from the original date the indi11 vidual was detailed away from their position as 

12 director of a medical center. 

13 (B) NOTIFICATION.—Not later than 30 

14 days after exercising a waiver under subpara15 graph (A), the Secretary shall notify Congress 

16 of the waiver and provide to Congress informa17 tion as to why the waiver is necessary. 

Æ 


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