I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2414
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the appointment 
of chiropractors in the Veterans Health Administration of the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 10, 2003
Mr. MORAN of Kansas (for himself, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. EVANS, 
Mr. FILNER, and Mr. GUTIERREZ) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the 
appointment of chiropractors in the Veterans Health Ad-
ministration of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and 
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Department of Vet-
erans Affairs Chiropractic Employment Act’’.
SEC. 2. APPOINTMENT OF CHIROPRACTORS IN THE VET-
ERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION. 
(a) APPOINTMENTS.—Section 7401 of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended—
(1) by inserting ‘‘and chiropractic care’’ in the 
matter preceding paragraph (1) after ‘‘medical 
care’’; and 
(2) by inserting ‘‘chiropractors’’ in paragraph 
(1) after ‘‘podiatrists’’. 
(b) 
QUALIFICATIONS
OF
APPOINTEES.—Section 
7402(b) of such title is amended—
(1) by redesignating paragraph (10) as para-
graph (11); and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (9) the fol-
lowing new paragraph (10): 
‘‘(10) CHIROPRACTOR.—To be eligible to be ap-
pointed to a chiropractor position, a person must—
‘‘(A) hold the degree of doctor of chiropractic, 
or its equivalent, from a college of chiropractic ap-
proved by the Secretary; and 
‘‘(B) be licensed to practice chiropractic in a 
State.’’. 
(c) PERIOD OF APPOINTMENTS AND PROMOTIONS.—
Section 7403(a)(2) of such title is amended by adding at 
the end the following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(H) Chiropractors.’’.
(d) GRADES AND PAY SCALES.—Section 7404(b)(1) 
of such title is amended by striking the third center head-
ing in the table and inserting the following:
‘‘CLINICAL PODIATRIST, CHIROPRACTOR, AND OPTOMETRIST 
SCHEDULE’’.
(e) TEMPORARY AND PART-TIME APPOINTMENTS.—
Section 7405(a) of such title is amended—
(1) by adding at the end of paragraph (1) the 
following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(E) Chiropractors.’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end of paragraph (2) the 
following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(D) Chiropractors.’’. 
(f) 
RESIDENCIES
AND
INTERNSHIPS.—Section 
7406(c) of such title is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1)—
(A) by inserting ‘‘and chiropractic’’ after 
‘‘medical’’ the first place it appears; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘or chiropractic’’ after 
‘‘medical’’ the second place it appears; 
(2) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘or chiro-
practic’’ after ‘‘medical’’ in the matter preceding 
subparagraph (A) and in subparagraph (B); 
(3) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘or chiro-
practic’’ after ‘‘medical’’ in subparagraph (A); and
(4) in paragraph (4), by inserting ‘‘or chiro-
practic’’ after ‘‘medical’’ in subparagraph (C). 
(g) MALPRACTICE AND NEGLIGENCE PROTECTION.—
Section 7316(a) of such title is amended—
(1) by inserting ‘‘or chiropractic’’ after ‘‘med-
ical’’ in paragraphs (1) and (2); and 
(2) by inserting ‘‘chiropractor,’’ after ‘‘podia-
trist,’’ in paragraph (2). 
(h) TREATMENT AS SCARCE MEDICAL SPECIALISTS 
FOR CONTRACTING PURPOSES.—Section 7409(a) of such 
title is amended by inserting ‘‘chiropractors,’’ in the sec-
ond sentence after ‘‘optometrists,’’. 
(i) REIMBURSEMENT
OF
CONTINUING
PROFES-
SIONAL EDUCATION EXPENSES.—Section 7411 of such 
title is amended by striking ‘‘or dentist’’ and inserting ‘‘, 
dentist, or chiropractic’’. 
(j) COLLECTIVE BARGAINING EXEMPTION.—Section 
7421(b) of such title is amended by adding at the end 
the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(8) Chiropractors.’’. 
(k) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall take effect at the end of the 180-day 
period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.
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