I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2151 

To identify and refer members of the Armed Forces with a health care 

occupation who are separating from the Armed Forces for potential 

employment with the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 23, 2021 

Mr. LATTA (for himself and Miss RICE of New York) introduced the following 

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

A BILL 

To identify and refer members of the Armed Forces with 

a health care occupation who are separating from the 

Armed Forces for potential employment with 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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Hire Veteran Health 

5 Heroes Act of 2021’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. IDENTIFICATION AND REFERRAL OF MEMBERS OF 

2 THE ARMED FORCES WITH A HEALTH CARE 

3 OCCUPATION FOR POTENTIAL EMPLOYMENT 

4 WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF5 FAIRS DURING SEPARATION FROM THE 

6 ARMED FORCES. 

7 (a) IDENTIFICATION.—The Secretary of Veterans Af8 fairs, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall 

9 identify members of the Armed Forces in a health care 

10 occupation during the separation of such members from 

11 the Armed Forces. 

12 (b) REFERRAL OF INTERESTED INDIVIDUALS.— 

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—If a member of the Armed 

14 Forces identified under subsection (a) expresses an 

15 interest in working in a health care occupation with16 in the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Sec17 retary of Veterans Affairs shall refer the member to 

18 a recruiter of the Department for consideration of 

19 open positions in the specialty and geography of in20 terest of the member. 

21 (2) TIMING.—Any referral of a member of the 

22 Armed Forces conducted under paragraph (1) shall 

23 be made not earlier than one year before the separa24 tion of the member from the Armed Forces. 

25 (c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Any identification of 

26 a member of the Armed Forces under subsection (a) or 


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1 referral of such member under subsection (b) shall not be 

2 construed as a guarantee of employment of such member 

3 with the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

4 (d) REPORTS.—Not later than each of one year and 

5 two years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 

6 Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the 

7 Secretary of Defense, shall submit to the appropriate com8 mittees of Congress a report on the efficacy of the identi9 fication and referral of separating members of the Armed 

10 Forces under this section. 

11 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

12 (1) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CON13 GRESS.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Con14 gress’’ means— 

15 (A) The Committee on Armed Services and 

16 the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Sen17 ate; and 

18 (B) The Committee on Armed Services and 

19 the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 

20 House of Representatives. 

21 (2) HEALTH CARE OCCUPATION.—The term 

22 ‘‘health care occupation’’ means an occupation for 

23 which an individual may be appointed for employVerDate Sep 11 2014 05:26 May 20, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2151.IH H2151

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1 ment with the Department of Veterans Affairs under 

2 section 7401 of title 38, United States Code. 

Æ 


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