I 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6339 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a program to assist 

military medics and corpsmen in making transitions to civilian physician 

assistant jobs. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 29, 2010 

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN (for herself and Mr. BOOZMAN) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a 

program to assist military medics and corpsmen in making transitions to civilian physician assistant jobs. 

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 ‘‘Veteran Medic Corps5 men Physician Assistant Demonstration Program Act of 

6 2010’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT MILITARY PATHWAYS PRO2 GRAM. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of ap4 propriations provided for such purpose, the Secretary of 

5 Veterans Affairs, in collaboration with the Secretary of 

6 Labor, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of 

7 Health and Human Services, shall establish a program in 

8 accordance with this section to examine methods of ena9 bling eligible individuals to build on medical skills gained 

10 through military jobs by entering into the physician assist11 ant workforce to meet the demand for physician assist12 ants. 

13 (b) STUDY.—In carrying out the program, the Sec14 retary shall conduct a study that includes examination of 

15 the following: 

16 (1) Whether the demonstration projects carried 

17 out under subsection (c) are effective in improving 

18 the ability of eligible individuals to become licensed 

19 physician assistants, and what modifications to the 

20 demonstration projects are necessary to meet that 

21 goal. 

22 (2) Ways of bringing the demonstration 

23 projects carried out under subsection (c) to the at24 tention of eligible individuals, including through in25 formation provided to eligible individuals by— 


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1 (A) the Department of Defense transition 

2 program known as the Transition Assistance 

3 Program, carried out under section 1144 of 

4 title 10, United States Code; and 

5 (B) the Department of Labor veterans 

6 transition program carried out under chapter 

7 41 of title 38, United States Code. 

8 (3) Whether eligible individuals participating in 

9 a demonstration project carried out under subsection 

10 (c) are receiving the educational support services 

11 they need in order to complete their physician assist12 ant education and obtain certification, and what fur13 ther steps the Secretary should take in order to en14 sure that those eligible individuals have access to 

15 such support services. 

16 (4) Whether the program established under this 

17 section could serve as a model for new programs to 

18 assist eligible individuals in obtaining certification in 

19 other health care fields. 

20 (c) GRANTS FOR DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award 

22 grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to 

23 carry out demonstration programs in accordance 

24 with this subsection. 

25 (2) USE OF FUNDS.— 


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1 (A) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity re2 ceiving a grant under this subsection shall use 

3 funds from such grant to establish a dem4 onstration program that enables eligible individ5 uals to receive academic credit from an accred6 ited physician assistant program based on the 

7 military credentials and medical skills experi8 ence of the eligible individual. 

9 (B) PRIORITY ADMISSION.—In admitting 

10 eligible individuals into a demonstration pro11 gram carried out with funds received under this 

12 subsection, an eligible entity shall give priority 

13 to eligible individuals who serve or have served 

14 as a paramedic or other similar medical support 

15 position in the Armed Forces. 

16 (C) EXAMINATION ELIGIBILITY REQUIRE17 MENT.—An eligible entity shall ensure that an 

18 eligible individual participating in a demonstra19 tion program carried out with funds received 

20 under this section is eligible to take the Physi21 cian Assistant National Certifying Exam ad22 ministered by the National Commission on Cer23 tification of Physician Assistants upon comple24 tion of the program. 


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1 (3) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a 

2 grant under this subsection, an eligible entity shall 

3 submit an application to the Secretary at such time, 

4 in such manner, and containing such information as 

5 the Secretary may require, including— 

6 (A) information demonstrating— 

7 (i) the capability of the eligible entity 

8 to work with eligible individuals; 

9 (ii) a history of effective collaboration 

10 between the eligible entity and— 

11 (I) health care employers; and 

12 (II) State medical licensing 

13 boards, as appropriate; and 

14 (B) an assurance that the eligible entity 

15 will participate in any evaluations by the Sec16 retary of the demonstration program carried 

17 out with funds received under this subsection, 

18 including participating in reporting as required 

19 by the Secretary. 

20 (4) SELECTION CRITERIA.—The Secretary shall 

21 establish selection criteria for eligible entities con22 sistent with this subsection, and shall ensure that 

23 the criteria give priority to eligible entities showing 

24 the ability to sustain a demonstration program deVerDate Mar 15 2010 22:16 Oct 13, 2010 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6339.IH H6339

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1 veloped under this subsection after the expiration of 

2 the grant period. 

3 (d) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall 

4 provide technical assistance to eligible entities receiving 

5 grants under this subsection. 

6 (e) REPORT.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year 

8 after the date of enactment of this Act, and each 

9 year thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the ap10 propriate committees of Congress and Federal agen11 cies a report on the findings and outcomes of the 

12 program carried out under this section. 

13 (2) CONTENTS.—The Secretary shall include in 

14 each report submitted under this subsection— 

15 (A) the results of the study conducted 

16 under subsection (b); and 

17 (B) information pertaining to each eligible 

18 entity receiving a grant under subsection (c) re19 garding the number of eligible individuals re20 ferred to, accepted into, and graduating from, 

21 the demonstration program carried out by the 

22 eligible entity. 

23 (3) DISTRIBUTION.—The Secretary shall dis24 tribute a report submitted under this subsection to 


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1 veterans’ service organizations and State medical 

2 licencing boards. 

3 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

4 In this Act, the following definitions apply: 

5 (1) ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUAL.—The term ‘‘eligible 

6 individual’’ means an individual with medical or 

7 health professional experience gained while serving 

8 in the Armed Forces who— 

9 (A) has received a certificate, associate de10 gree, baccalaureate degree, master’s degree, or 

11 post-baccalaureate training in a science relating 

12 to health care; 

13 (B) has participated in the delivery of 

14 health care services or related medical services, 

15 including participation in military training re16 lating to the identification, evaluation, treat17 ment, and prevention of disease and disorders; 

18 and 

19 (C) does not have— 

20 (i) a degree of doctor of medicine; 

21 (ii) a degree of doctor of osteopathy; 

22 or 

23 (iii) a degree of doctor of dentistry. 

24 (2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti25 ty’’ means an institution of higher education with a 


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1 physician assistant program that is accredited by the 

2 Accreditation Review Commission on Education for 

3 the Physician Assistant. 

4 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

5 There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

6 this Act $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2012 through 

7 2016. 

Æ 


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