I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1131 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop and implement a 

plan to hire directors of the medical centers of the Department of 

Veterans Affairs. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 

Mr. BOST (for himself, Mr. COSTA, Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. 

SWALWELL of California, Mr. SHUSTER, Mrs. DINGELL, Mrs. HARTZLER, 

Ms. SHEA-PORTER, Mr. O’HALLERAN, Mr. BERGMAN, Ms. GABBARD, 

Miss GONZA ́LEZ-COLO ́N of Puerto Rico, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, and Mr. 

LOWENTHAL) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop and 

implement a plan to hire directors of the medical centers 

of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

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 Health Center 

5 Management Stability and Improvement Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) According to data from the Department of 

2 Veterans Affairs, several medical centers of the De3 partment are managed by acting or temporary direc4 tors. 

5 (2) Some of these medical centers have not 

6 been managed by a permanent director for a long 

7 period. 

8 (3) Pursuant to section 317.903 of title 5, Code 

9 of Federal Regulations, a member of the senior exec10 utive service who is detailed to a temporary position 

11 in a department or agency of the Federal Govern12 ment may not serve in that position for periods 

13 longer than 120-day increments, and no member of 

14 the senior executive service may be detailed to an 

15 unclassified position for a period longer than 240 

16 days. 

17 (4) The inability of the Department of Veterans 

18 Affairs to recruit qualified, permanent candidates as 

19 directors of medical centers, combined with the poli20 cies described in paragraph (3), leads to frequent 

21 turnover of directors at the medical centers which 

22 impedes the ability of system management to engage 

23 in long-term planning and other functions necessary 

24 to improve service delivery to veterans. 


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1 (5) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs should 

2 develop a comprehensive plan to recruit permanent 

3 directors at each medical center that lacks a perma4 nent director. 

5 SEC. 3. PLAN TO HIRE DIRECTORS OF MEDICAL CENTERS 

6 OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

7 (a) PLAN.—Not later than 120 days after the date 

8 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans 

9 Affairs shall develop and implement a plan to hire highly 

10 qualified directors for each medical center of the Depart11 ment of Veterans Affairs that lacks a permanent director 

12 as of the date of the plan. The Secretary shall prioritize 

13 the hiring of such directors for the medical centers that 

14 have not had a permanent director for the longest periods. 

15 (b) MATTERS INCLUDED.—The plan developed under 

16 subsection (a) shall include the following: 

17 (1) A deadline to hire the directors of the med18 ical centers of the Department as described in such 

19 subsection. 

20 (2) Identification of the possible impediments to 

21 such hiring. 

22 (3) Identification of opportunities to promote 

23 and train candidates from within the Department to 

24 senior executive positions in the Department, includ25 ing as directors of medical centers. 


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1 (c) SUBMISSION.—Not later than 120 days after the 

2 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall sub3 mit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House 

4 of Representatives and the Senate the plan developed 

5 under subsection (a). 

6 (d) SEMIANNUAL REPORTS.—Not later than 180 

7 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and each 

8 180-day period thereafter until January 1, 2018, the Sec9 retary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs 

10 of the House of Representatives and the Senate a list of 

11 each medical center of the Department that lacks a per12 manent director as of the date of the report. 

Æ 


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