II 

Calendar No. 85 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 894 

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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 23, 2021 

Mr. BRAUN (for himself and Ms. HASSAN) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

JUNE 24, 2021 

Reported by Mr. TESTER, with an amendment 

[Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic] 

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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

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

3 Heroes Act of 2021’’. 

4 SEC. 2. IDENTIFICATION AND REFERRAL OF MEMBERS OF 

5 THE ARMED FORCES WITH A HEALTH CARE 

6 OCCUPATION FOR POTENTIAL EMPLOYMENT 

7 WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF8 FAIRS DURING SEPARATION FROM THE 

9 ARMED FORCES. 

10 (a) IDENTIFICATION.—The Secretary of Veterans Af11 fairs, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall 

12 identify members of the Armed Forces in a health care 

13 occupation during the separation of such members from 

14 the Armed Forces. 

15 (b) REFERRAL OF INTERESTED INDIVIDUALS.— 

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

17 Forces identified under subsection (a) expresses an 

18 interest in working in a health care occupation with19 in the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Sec20 retary of Veterans Affairs shall refer the member to 

21 a recruiter of the Department for consideration of 

22 open positions in the specialty and geography of in23 terest of the member. 

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

25 Armed Forces conducted under paragraph (1) shall 


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1 be made not earlier than one year before the separa2 tion of the member from the Armed Forces. 

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

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

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

6 construed as a guarantee of employment of such member 

7 with the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

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

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

10 Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the 

11 Secretary of Defense, shall submit to the appropriate com12 mittees of Congress a report on the efficacy of the identi13 fication and referral of separating members of the Armed 

14 Forces under this section. 

15 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

16 (1) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CON17 GRESS.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Con18 gress’’ means— 

19 (A) the Committee on Armed Services and 

20 the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Sen21 ate; and 

22 (B) the Committee on Armed Services and 

23 the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 

24 House of Representatives. 


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1 (2) HEALTH CARE OCCUPATION.—The term 

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

3 which an individual may be appointed for employ4 ment with the Department of Veterans Affairs under 

5 section 7401 of title 38, United States Code. 

6 SEC. 2. IDENTIFICATION AND REFERRAL OF MEMBERS OF 

7 THE ARMED FORCES WITH A HEALTH CARE 

8 OCCUPATION FOR POTENTIAL EMPLOYMENT 

9 WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF10 FAIRS DURING SEPARATION FROM THE 

11 ARMED FORCES. 

12 Section 207 of the VA Choice and Quality Employ13 ment Act of 2017 (Public Law 115–46; 38 U.S.C. 7401 

14 note) is amended to read as follows: 

15 ‘‘SEC. 207. IDENTIFICATION AND REFERRAL OF MEMBERS 

16 OF THE ARMED FORCES WITH A HEALTH 

17 CARE OCCUPATION FOR POTENTIAL EMPLOY18 MENT WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 

19 AFFAIRS DURING SEPARATION FROM THE 

20 ARMED FORCES. 

21 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 

22 in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall establish 

23 a program to identify and refer members of the Armed 

24 Forces with a health care occupation for employment with 


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1 the Department of Veterans Affairs during the separation 

2 of such members from the Armed Forces. 

3 ‘‘(b) REFERRAL OF INTERESTED INDIVIDUALS.— 

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

5 Forces identified under subsection (a) expresses an in6 terest in working in a health care occupation within 

7 the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of 

8 Veterans Affairs shall refer the member to a recruiter 

9 of the Department for consideration of open positions 

10 in the specialty and geography of interest to the mem11 ber. 

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

13 Armed Forces conducted under paragraph (1) shall be 

14 made not earlier than one year before the separation 

15 of the member from the Armed Forces. 

16 ‘‘(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Any identification of 

17 a member of the Armed Forces under subsection (a) or refer18 ral of such member under subsection (b) shall not be con19 strued as a guarantee of employment of such member with 

20 the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

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

22 two years after the date of the enactment of the Hire Vet23 eran Health Heroes Act of 2021, the Secretary of Veterans 

24 Affairs shall submit to the appropriate committees of ConVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:48 Jun 25, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\S894.RS S894

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1 gress a report on the program established under subsection 

2 (a). 

3 ‘‘(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

4 ‘‘(1) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CON5 GRESS.—The term ‘appropriate committees of Con6 gress’ means— 

7 ‘‘(A) the Committee on Armed Services and 

8 the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate; 

9 and 

10 ‘‘(B) the Committee on Armed Services and 

11 the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House 

12 of Representatives. 

13 ‘‘(2) HEALTH CARE OCCUPATION.—The term 

14 ‘health care occupation’ means an occupation for 

15 which an individual may be appointed for employ16 ment with the Department of Veterans Affairs under 

17 section 7401 of title 38, United States Code.’’. 


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Calendar No. 85 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 894 

A BILL 

To identify and refer members of the Armed Forces 

other purposes. with the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for from the Armed Forces for potential employment with a health care occupation who are separating 

JUNE 24, 2021 

Reported with an amendment 


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