and members of the Armed Forces who may be inter-
ested in the pilot program. 
(j) ADMINISTRATION OF PILOT PROGRAM.—For pur-
poses of carrying out the pilot program, the Secretary shall 
appoint or select within the Office of Physician Assistant 
Services of the Veterans Health Administration the fol-
lowing: 
(1) A Deputy Director for Education and Career 
Development of Physician Assistants who— 
(A) is a physician assistant, a veteran, and 
employed by the Department as of the date of the 
enactment of this Act; 
(B) is responsible for— 
(i) overseeing the pilot program; 
(ii) recruiting candidates to partici-
pate in the pilot program; 
(iii) coordinating with individuals 
participating in the pilot program and as-
sisting those individuals in applying and 
being admitted to a master’s degree pro-
gram under the pilot program; and 
(iv) providing information to eligible 
individuals under subsection (b) with re-
spect to the pilot program; and 
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(C) may be employed in the field at a med-
ical center of the Department. 
(2) A Deputy Director of Recruitment and Re-
tention who— 
(A) is a physician assistant, a veteran, and 
employed by the Department as of the date of the 
enactment of this Act; 
(B) is responsible for— 
(i) identifying and coordinating the 
needs of the pilot program and assist the 
Secretary in providing mentors under sub-
section (h) to participants in the pilot pro-
gram; and 
(ii) coordinating the staff of facilities 
of the Veterans Health Administration with 
respect to identifying employment positions 
and mentors under subsection (h) for par-
ticipants in the pilot program; and 
(C) may be employed in the field at a med-
ical center of the Department. 
(3) A recruiter who— 
(A) reports directly to the Deputy Director 
of Recruitment and Retention; and 
(B) works with the Workforce Management 
and Consulting Office and the Healthcare Talent 
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Management Office of the Veterans Health Ad-
ministration to develop and implement national 
recruiting strategic plans for the recruitment 
and retention of physician assistants within the 
Department. 
(4) An administrative assistant, compensated at 
a rate not less than level GS–6 of the General Sched-
ule, or equivalent, who assists with administrative 
duties relating to the pilot program in the Office of 
Physician Assistant Services and such other duties as 
determined by the Secretary to ensure that the Office 
runs effectively and efficiently. 
(k) REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs, in collaboration with the Secretary 
of Labor, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary 
of Health and Human Services, shall submit to Con-
gress a report on the pilot program. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The report required by para-
graph (1) shall include the following: 
(A) The extent to which the pilot program 
is effective in improving the ability of eligible in-
dividuals under subsection (b) to become physi-
cian assistants; 
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(B) An examination of whether the pilot 
program is achieving the goals of— 
(i) enabling individuals to build on 
medical skills gained as members of the 
Armed Forces by entering into the physi-
cian assistant workforce of the Department; 
and 
(ii) helping to meet the shortage of 
physician assistants employed by the De-
partment. 
(C) An identification of such modifications 
to the pilot program as the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of 
Defense, and the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services consider necessary to meet the 
goals described in subparagraph (B). 
(D) An assessment of whether the pilot pro-
gram could serve as a model for other programs 
of the Department to assist individuals in ob-
taining certification and employment in other 
health care fields. 
(l) SOURCE OF AMOUNTS.—Not less than $8,000,000 
of the amount necessary to carry out the pilot program shall 
be derived from amounts appropriated to the Department 
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of Veterans Affairs before the date of the enactment of this 
Act. 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF STANDARDS FOR THE DEPART-
MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR USING 
EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS TO 
EDUCATE AND HIRE PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall establish standards described in subsection (b) to im-
prove the use by the Department of Veterans Affairs of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs Health Professionals Edu-
cational Assistance Program under chapter 76 of title 38, 
United States Code, and other educational assistance pro-
grams of the Department, including the pilot program 
under section 2, to educate and hire physician assistants 
of the Department. 
(b) STANDARDS.—The standards described in this sub-
section are the following: 
(1) Holding directors of medical centers of the 
Department accountable for failure to use the edu-
cational assistance programs described in subsection 
(a) and other incentives— 
(A) to advance employees of the Department 
in their education as physician assistants; and 
(B) to improve recruitment and retention of 
physician assistants. 
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(2) Ensuring that the Department of Veterans 
Affairs Education Debt Reduction Program under 
subchapter VII of chapter 76 of such title is available 
for participants in the pilot program under section 2 
to fill vacant physician assistant positions at the De-
partment, including by— 
(A) including in all vacancy announce-
ments for physician assistant positions the avail-
ability of the Education Debt Reduction Pro-
gram; and 
(B) informing applicants to physician as-
sistant positions of their eligibility for the Edu-
cation Debt Reduction Program. 
(3) Monitoring compliance with the application 
process for educational assistance programs described 
in subsection (a) to ensure that such programs are 
being fully utilized to carry out this section. 
(4) Creating programs, including through the use 
of the Department of Veterans Affairs Employee In-
centive Scholarship Program under subchapter VI of 
chapter 76 of such title, to encourage employees of the 
Department to apply to accredited physician assist-
ant programs. 
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