`[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4013 Engrossed in House (EH)]

103d CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 4013

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

  To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide the Secretary of 
 Veterans Affairs with necessary flexibility in staffing the Veterans 
                         Health Administration.






103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4013

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
  To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide the Secretary of 
 Veterans Affairs with necessary flexibility in staffing the Veterans 
                         Health Administration.

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

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    The Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Under proposals for national health care reform, the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs would be required to establish 
        an enrollment system for veterans and to provide health care on 
        a competitive basis with other, private health care providers.
            (2) In order to be able to implement changes contemplated 
        by proposals for national health care reform, the Secretary of 
        Veterans Affairs must have flexibility to restructure and 
        reform the Veterans Health Administration as necessary without 
        externally imposed constraints on full-time equivalent employee 
        (FTEE) positions levels.
            (3) The Office of Management and Budget, as part of an 
        announced plan to require a reduction over five years of 
        252,000 FTEE positions in the executive branch, proposes to 
        require reductions of FTEE positions totaling 25,493 in 
        personnel of the Veterans Health Administration, a reduction in 
        personnel which would severely impede the ability of the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs to implement national health 
        care reform and to meet the responsibilities of the Department 
        under existing law.

SEC. 2. EMPLOYMENT LEVEL IN VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 7 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 713. Full-time equivalent employees: limitation on reduction
    ``(a) During the five-year period beginning on October 1, 1994, no 
reduction may be made in the number of full-time equivalent employees 
in the Veterans Health Administration other than as specifically 
required by a law directing reductions in personnel or positions of the 
Veterans Health Administration or by the availability of funds. During 
that period, the personnel of the Veterans Health Administration shall 
be managed on the basis of the needs of eligible veterans and the 
availability of funds.
    ``(b) During the period specified in subsection (a), no law 
imposing a restriction on hiring by executive agencies for the purpose 
of achieving workforce reductions shall apply to the Veterans Health 
Administration.
    ``(c) No law may be construed as suspending or modifying this 
section unless such law specifically refers to or amends this 
section.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

``713. Full-time equivalent employees: limitation on reduction.''.

SEC. 3. REPORT ON STREAMLINING.

    Not later than January 15, 1995, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and 
House of Representatives a report on streamlining activities in the 
Veterans Health Administration. The report shall include a description 
of--
            (1) opportunities to improve the efficiency and 
        effectiveness of delivery of health care services in the 
        Veterans Health Administration through consolidation, 
        reorganization, or other means;
            (2) plans and actions taken to realize such efficiencies; 
        and
            (3) impediments to implementing particular plans.

            Passed the House of Representatives April 28, 1994.

            Attest:






                                                                 Clerk.`