SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘VA Infrastructure 
Powers Exceptional Research Act of 2021’’ or the 
‘‘VIPER Act of 2021’’. 
SEC. 2. INAPPLICABILITY OF PAPERWORK REDUCTION 
ACT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 1 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new section: 
‘‘§ 120. Inapplicability of Paperwork Reduction Act 
‘‘Subchapter I of chapter 35 of title 44, United States 
Code (commonly known as the ‘Paperwork Reduction 
Act’) shall not apply to research activities of the Depart-
ment, including activities under subchapter V of chapter 
73.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding 
at the end the following new item: 
‘‘120. Inapplicability of Paperwork Reduction Act.’’. 
SEC. 3. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. 
(a) OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.— 
Chapter 73 of title 38, United States Code, is amended 
by adding at the end the following new subchapter:
‘‘SUBCHAPTER V—RESEARCH AND 
DEVELOPMENT 
‘‘§ 7381. Office of Research and Development 
‘‘(a) OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.— 
There is in the Veterans Health Administration an Office 
of Research and Development (in this section referred to 
as the ‘Office’). 
‘‘(b) PURPOSES.—The function of the Office is to 
serve veterans through a full spectrum of research (includ-
ing pre-clinical, clinical, and health systems science), tech-
nology transfer, and application. 
‘‘(c) CHIEF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OFFI-
CER.—The head of the Office is the Chief Research and 
Development Officer. 
‘‘(d) ORGANIZATION AND PERSONNEL.—The Office 
shall be organized in such manner, and its personnel shall 
perform such duties and have such titles, as the Secretary 
may prescribe. 
‘‘§ 7382. Research personnel 
‘‘(a) WAIVER OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL PERSONNEL 
ACT MOBILITY PROGRAM LIMITS.—The Secretary may 
waive the limit on the period and number of assignments 
required under section 3372(a) of title 5 with respect to 
an individual who performs research for the Department 
under the mobility program under subchapter VI of chap-
ter 33 of such title (commonly referred to as the ‘Intergov-
ernmental Personnel Act Mobility Program’). 
‘‘(b) OUTSIDE EARNED INCOME FOR RESEARCH FOR 
THE DEPARTMENT.—(1) Compensation from a nonprofit 
corporation established under subchapter IV of this chap-
ter, or a university affiliated with the Department, may 
be paid, without regard to section 209 of title 18, to an 
employee described in paragraph (2), for research con-
ducted pursuant to section 7303 of this title if— 
‘‘(A) the research has been approved in accord-
ance with procedures prescribed by the Under Sec-
retary for Health; 
‘‘(B) the employee conducts research under the 
supervision of personnel of the Department; and 
‘‘(C) the Secretary agreed to the terms of such 
compensation in writing. 
‘‘(2) An employee described in this subsection is an 
employee who has an appointment within the Department, 
whether with or without compensation, and without regard 
to the source of such compensation.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER V—RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
‘‘7381. Office of Research and Development. 
‘‘7382. Research personnel.’’.
SEC. 4. EXPANSION OF HIRING AUTHORITIES FOR CERTAIN 
CLASSES OF RESEARCH OCCUPATIONS. 
Section 7401(3) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended 
by 
inserting 
‘‘statisticians, 
economists, 
informaticists, data scientists, and’’ after ‘‘blind rehabili-
tation outpatient specialists,’’. 
Passed the House of Representatives November 17, 
2022. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5721 
AN ACT 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve 
research conducted within the Department of 
Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.