SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Supporting Medical 
Students and VA Workforce Act’’. 
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS-PUBLIC 
HEALTH SERVICE JOINT SCHOLARSHIP PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 76 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting, after subchapter V, 
the following new subchapter: 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER V–A—VETERANS AFFAIRS-PUB-
LIC HEALTH SERVICE JOINT SCHOLARSHIP 
PROGRAM 
‘‘SEC. 7661. AUTHORITY. 
‘‘As part of the Educational Assistance Program, the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs may, in partnership with the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Sec-
retary of Defense, carry out a scholarship program, to be 
known as the Department of Veterans Affairs-Public 
Health Service Joint Scholarship Program (hereafter in 
this subchapter, ‘the program’) under which a PHS officer 
shall— 
‘‘(1) attend the F. Edward He´bert School of 
Medicine of USU at the expense of the Department 
of Veterans Affairs; and 
‘‘(2) after graduating and completing an initial 
residency, serve, full-time, at a medical facility of the 
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Department of Veterans Affairs to fulfill a period of 
obligated service. 
‘‘SEC. 7662. INTERAGENCY AGREEMENT. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and 
the Secretary of Defense may enter into, and maintain, 
an interagency agreement to carry out the program. 
‘‘(b) TERMS.—Such an agreement shall, in accord-
ance with this subchapter govern aspects of the program, 
including the following: 
‘‘(1) The eligibility of a PHS officer to receive 
a scholarship under the program. 
‘‘(2) The number of PHS officers who may re-
ceive a scholarship each year. 
‘‘(3) The authority of the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services to deploy a PHS officer who 
receives a scholarship under the program before 
such PHS officer completes the term of obligated 
service under this subchapter. 
‘‘(c) LIMITATION.—Nothing in such agreement may 
transfer from the Secretary of Defense to the Secretary 
or the Secretary of Health and Human Services any au-
thority to determine who may attend USU. 
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‘‘SEC. 7663. COSTS. 
‘‘(a) ESTIMATES.—Before the beginning of each aca-
demic year— 
‘‘(1) the Secretary of Health and Human Serv-
ices shall provide the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
with an estimate of the costs that the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall be obliged to reimburse the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services under sub-
section (b) for the next fiscal year; and 
‘‘(2) the Secretary of Defense shall provide the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs with an estimate of 
the costs that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
be obligated to reimburse the Secretary of Defense 
under subsection (b) for the next fiscal year. 
‘‘(b) PAYMENT; RECONCILIATION.—(1) Each fiscal 
year, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall pay the Sec-
retary of Health and Human Services the amount under 
subsection (a)(1). 
‘‘(2) Each fiscal year, the Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs shall pay the Secretary of Defense the amount under 
subsection (a)(2). 
‘‘(3) If a payment made under this subsection does 
not equal the actual relevant costs for the fiscal year, the 
Secretary concerned shall refund the excess amount paid, 
or supplement the shortfall, as applicable. 
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‘‘SEC. 7664. OBLIGATED SERVICE. 
‘‘(a) DETAIL.—(1) Pursuant to section 214 of the 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 215), the Secretary 
of Health and Human Services shall detail a PHS officer 
who receives a scholarship under the program to the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs. 
‘‘(2) The length of such detail shall be sufficient for 
the officer to complete— 
‘‘(A) attendance at USU described in section 
7661 of this title; 
‘‘(B) an initial residency; and 
‘‘(C) a period of obligated service, not to exceed 
ten years, in a medical facility of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs. 
‘‘(b) WRITTEN AGREEMENT.—A PHS officer, the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services shall enter into a written agreement 
specifying the terms of such detail and the length period 
of obligated service of such PHS officer. 
‘‘(c) FAILURE TO COMPLETE PERIOD OF OBLIGATED 
SERVICE.—(1) A PHS officer who receives a scholarship 
under the program and fails to complete the period of obli-
gated service shall reimburse the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs an amount equal to— 
‘‘(A) twice the total amount of the tuition and 
expenses paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
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to the Secretary of Defense arising the attendance 
of such PHS officer at USU; and 
‘‘(B) twice the salary, allowances, and benefits 
paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to the Sec-
retary of Health and Human Services arising from 
the detail under subsection (a). 
‘‘(2) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may waive re-
imbursement under paragraph (1) if the Secretary deter-
mines that such reimbursement would be inequitable or 
would not be in the public interest. 
‘‘SEC. 7665. DEFINITIONS. 
‘‘In this subchapter: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘PHS officer’ means an officer 
of the commissioned corps of the Public Health 
Service. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘USU’ means the Uniformed 
Services University of the Health Sciences.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting, 
after the item relating for section 7655, the following: 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER V–A–VETERANS AFFAIRS-PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE JOINT 
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM 
‘‘§ 7661. Establishment 
‘‘§ 7662. Interagency agreement 
‘‘§ 7663. Costs 
‘‘§ 7664. Obligated service 
‘‘§ 7665. Definitions’’. 
Æ 
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