117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 894 

AN ACT 

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, 
2 

†S 894 ES

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 Section 207 of the VA Choice and Quality Employ11 ment Act of 2017 (Public Law 115–46; 38 U.S.C. 7401 

12 note) is amended to read as follows: 

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

14 OF THE ARMED FORCES WITH A HEALTH 

15 CARE OCCUPATION FOR POTENTIAL EM16 PLOYMENT WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF VET17 ERANS AFFAIRS DURING SEPARATION FROM 

18 THE ARMED FORCES. 

19 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Af20 fairs, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall 

21 establish a program to identify and refer members of the 

22 Armed Forces with a health care occupation for employ23 ment with the Department of Veterans Affairs during the 

24 separation of such members from the Armed Forces. 

25 ‘‘(b) REFERRAL OF INTERESTED INDIVIDUALS.— 
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†S 894 ES

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

2 Forces identified under subsection (a) expresses an 

3 interest in working in a health care occupation with4 in the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Sec5 retary of Veterans Affairs shall refer the member to 

6 a recruiter of the Department for consideration of 

7 open positions in the specialty and geography of in8 terest to the member. 

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

10 Armed Forces conducted under paragraph (1) shall 

11 be made not earlier than one year before the separa12 tion of the member from the Armed Forces. 

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

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

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

16 construed as a guarantee of employment of such member 

17 with the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

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

19 two years after the date of the enactment of the Hire Vet20 eran Health Heroes Act of 2021, the Secretary of Vet21 erans Affairs shall submit to the appropriate committees 

22 of Congress a report on the program established under 

23 subsection (a). 

24 ‘‘(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
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†S 894 ES

1 ‘‘(1) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CON2 GRESS.—The term ‘appropriate committees of Con3 gress’ means— 

4 ‘‘(A) the Committee on Armed Services 

5 and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 

6 Senate; and 

7 ‘‘(B) the Committee on Armed Services 

8 and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 

9 House of Representatives. 

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

11 ‘health care occupation’ means an occupation for 

12 which an individual may be appointed for employ13 ment with the Department of Veterans Affairs under 

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

Passed the Senate July 21, 2021. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 894 

AN ACT 

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