II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 2175 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify the role of podiatrists 

in the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 8, 2015 

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

to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify the role 

of podiatrists in 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 ‘‘Department of Vet5 erans Affairs Provider Equity Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. ROLE OF PODIATRISTS IN DEPARTMENT OF VET7 ERANS AFFAIRS. 

8 (a) INCLUSION AS PHYSICIAN.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter I of chapter 74 

2 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by add3 ing at the end the following new section: 

4 ‘‘§ 7413. Treatment of podiatrists 

5 ‘‘For purposes of this chapter, the term ‘physician’ 

6 includes a podiatrist.’’. 

7 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec8 tions at the beginning of chapter 74 of such title is 

9 amended by inserting after the item relating to sec10 tion 7412 the following new item: 

‘‘7413. Treatment of podiatrists.’’. 

11 (3) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 

12 7401(1) of such title is amended by striking ‘‘Physi13 cians, dentists, podiatrists,’’ and inserting ‘‘Physi14 cians, dentists,’’. 

15 (b) QUALIFICATIONS.—Section 7402(b) of such title 

16 is amended— 

17 (1) in paragraph (1)— 

18 (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘or 

19 of doctor of osteopathy’’ and inserting ‘‘, doctor 

20 of osteopathy, or doctor of podiatric medicine’’; 

21 and 

22 (B) in subparagraph (C), by inserting ‘‘po23 diatry,’’ after ‘‘surgery,’’; 

24 (2) by striking paragraph (5); and 


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1 (3) by redesignating paragraphs (6) through 

2 (14) as paragraphs (5) through (13), respectively. 

3 (c) PERIOD OF APPOINTMENT.—Section 7403(a)(2) 

4 of such title is amended— 

5 (1) by striking subparagraph (C); and 

6 (2) by redesignating subparagraphs (D) 

7 through (H) as subparagraphs (C) through (G), re8 spectively. 

9 (d) MODIFICATION OF PAY GRADE.— 

10 (1) GRADE.—The list in section 7404(b) of 

11 such title is amended by striking ‘‘PODIATRIST, 

12 CHIROPRACTOR,’’ and inserting ‘‘CHIRO13 PRACTOR’’. 

14 (2) APPLICATION.—The amendment made by 

15 paragraph (1) shall apply with respect to any pay 

16 period of the Department of Veterans Affairs begin17 ning on or after the date that is 30 days after the 

18 date of the enactment of this Act. 

19 (e) CONTRACTS FOR SCARCE SERVICES.—Section 

20 7409(a) of such title is amended by striking ‘‘podia21 trists,’’. 

22 (f) PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION.—Section 7421(b) 

23 of such title is amended— 

24 (1) by striking paragraph (3); and 


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1 (2) by redesignating paragraphs (4) through 

2 (8) as paragraphs (3) through (7), respectively. 

3 (g) MEDICAL DIRECTORS.—Section 7306(a)(4) of 

4 such title is amended— 

5 (1) by striking ‘‘either’’; and 

6 (2) by inserting ‘‘, a qualified doctor of 

7 podiatric medicine,’’ after ‘‘doctor of medicine’’. 

8 (h) APPLICATION.—The amendments made by this 

9 section shall apply with respect to podiatrists who are em10 ployed by the Department of Veterans Affairs as of the 

11 date of the enactment of this Act or who are appointed 

12 on or after such date. 

Æ 


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