‘‘(A) not fewer than 18 and not more than 30 
eligible employees of the Veterans Benefits Adminis-
tration and the Veterans Health Administration to 
receive a fellowship under this section; and 
‘‘(B) not fewer than 18 and not more than 30 
eligible employees of private-sector entities to receive 
a fellowship under this section. 
‘‘(2) To the extent practicable, the Secretary shall se-
lect eligible employees under subparagraphs (A) and (B) 
of paragraph (1) from among eligible employees who are 
veterans in a manner that is reflective of the demographics 
of the veteran population of the United States. 
‘‘(d) ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES.—For the purposes of 
this section, an eligible employee is— 
‘‘(1) with respect to an employee of the Vet-
erans Benefits Administration or the Veterans 
Health Administration, an employee who— 
‘‘(A) is compensated at a rate of basic pay 
not less than the minimum rate of basic pay 
payable for grade GS–14 of the General Sched-
ule and not more than either the minimum rate 
of basic pay payable to a member of the Senior 
Executive Service under section 5382 of title 5, 
United States Code, or the minimum rate of 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:40 Mar 09, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1367.IH
H1367
SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
basic pay payable pursuant to chapter 74 of 
this title, as the case may be; 
‘‘(B) enters into an agreement with the 
Secretary under subsection (e); and 
‘‘(C) submits to the Secretary an applica-
tion containing such information and assur-
ances as the Secretary may require; and 
‘‘(2) with respect to an employee of a private- 
sector entity, an employee who— 
‘‘(A) is employed in a position whose du-
ties and responsibilities are commensurate with 
an employee of the Department described in 
paragraph (1); 
‘‘(B) enters into an agreement with the 
Secretary under subsection (e); and 
‘‘(C) submits to the Secretary an applica-
tion containing such information and assur-
ances as the Secretary may require. 
‘‘(e) AGREEMENTS.—(1) An agreement between the 
Secretary and a Department participant shall be in writ-
ing, shall be signed by the participant, and shall include 
the following provisions: 
‘‘(A) The Secretary’s agreement to provide the 
participant with a fellowship under this section; 
‘‘(B) The participant’s agreement— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:40 Mar 09, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1367.IH
H1367
SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘(i) to accept the fellowship; 
‘‘(ii) after completion of the fellowship, to 
serve as a full-time employee in the Veterans 
Benefits Administration or the Veterans Health 
Administration for at least two years as speci-
fied in the agreement; and 
‘‘(iii) that, during the two-year period be-
ginning on the last day of the fellowship, the 
participant will not accept employment in the 
same industry as the industry of the private- 
sector entity at which the participant accepts 
the fellowship. 
‘‘(C) A provision that any financial obligation of 
the United States arising out of an agreement en-
tered into under this subchapter, and any obligation 
of the participant which is conditioned on such 
agreement, is contingent upon funds being appro-
priated. 
‘‘(D) A statement of the damages to which the 
United States is entitled under this subchapter for 
the participant’s breach of the agreement. 
‘‘(E) Such other terms as the Secretary deter-
mines are required to be included in the agreement. 
‘‘(2) An agreement between the Secretary and a pri-
vate-sector participant shall be in writing, shall be signed 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:40 Mar 09, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1367.IH
H1367
SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
by the participant, and shall include the following provi-
sions: 
‘‘(A) The Secretary’s agreement to provide the 
participant with a fellowship under this section. 
‘‘(B) The participant’s agreement to accept the 
fellowship. 
‘‘(C) Such other terms as the Secretary deter-
mines are required to be included in the agreement. 
‘‘(f) TREATMENT OF RECIPIENTS.—(1) A Depart-
ment participant shall be considered an employee of the 
Department for all purposes, including for purposes of re-
ceiving a salary and benefits, and shall remain eligible for 
all promotion and incentive programs otherwise available 
to such an employee. 
‘‘(2) A private-sector participant shall be considered 
an employee of the private-sector entity that employs the 
participant for all purposes, including for purposes of re-
ceiving a salary and benefits, and during the fellowship 
shall be treated as a contractor of the Department. 
‘‘(g) REPORTS.—Not later than 60 days after com-
pleting a fellowship under this section, a recipient of the 
fellowship shall submit to the Secretary a report on the 
fellowship. Each such report shall describe the duties of 
the recipient during the fellowship and any recommenda-
tions of the recipient for the application by the Secretary 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:40 Mar 09, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1367.IH
H1367
SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
of industry processes, technologies, and best practices. Not 
later than seven days after receiving each such report, the 
Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Af-
fairs of the Senate and House of Representatives such re-
port without change. 
‘‘(h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘Department participant’ means 
an employee of the Veterans Benefits Administration 
or the Veterans Health Administration who is par-
ticipating in the fellowship under this section. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘private-sector entity’ includes 
an entity operating under a public-private partner-
ship. 
‘‘(3) The term ‘private-sector participant’ 
means an employee of a private-sector entity who is 
participating in the fellowship under this section.’’. 
(b) DEADLINE
FOR IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later 
than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall implement the Ex-
ecutive Management Fellowship Program required under 
section 741 of title 38, United States Code, as added by 
subsection (a). 
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of chapter 7 of title 38, United States 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:40 Mar 09, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1367.IH
H1367
SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
items: 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER III—EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM 
‘‘741. Executive Management Fellowship Program.’’. 
SEC. 4. ACCOUNTABILITY OF LEADERS FOR MANAGING 
THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 7 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after section 717 the 
following new section: 
‘‘§ 719. Annual performance plan for political ap-
pointees 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall conduct an 
annual performance plan for each political appointee of 
the Department that is similar to the annual performance 
plan conducted for an employee of the Department who 
is appointed as a career appointee (as that term is defined 
in section 3132(a)(4) of title 5) within the Senior Execu-
tive Service at the Department. 
‘‘(b) ELEMENTS OF PLAN.—Each annual perform-
ance plan conducted under subsection (a) with respect to 
a political appointee of the Department shall include an 
assessment of whether the appointee is meeting the fol-
lowing goals: 
‘‘(1) Recruiting, selecting, and retaining well- 
qualified individuals for employment at the Depart-
ment. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:40 Mar 09, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1367.IH
H1367
SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS