H. R. 1585—458 
(2) AVAILABILITY TO PUBLIC.—The Secretary of Defense and 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall make available to the 
public each report submitted under paragraph (1), including 
by posting such report on the Internet website of the Depart-
ment of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs, 
respectively, that is available to the public. 
(i) COMPTROLLER GENERAL ASSESSMENT OF IMPLEMENTATION.— 
Not later than six months after the date of the enactment of 
this Act and every six months thereafter until the completion of 
the implementation of electronic health record systems or capabili-
ties described in subsection (d), the Comptroller General of the 
United States shall submit to the appropriate committees of Con-
gress a report setting forth the assessment of the Comptroller 
General of the progress of the Department of Defense and the 
Department of Veterans Affairs in implementing electronic health 
record systems or capabilities described in subsection (d). 
SEC. 1636. ENHANCED PERSONNEL AUTHORITIES FOR THE DEPART-
MENT OF DEFENSE FOR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS 
FOR CARE AND TREATMENT OF WOUNDED AND INJURED 
MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1599c of title 10, United States Code, 
is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘§ 1599c. Health care professionals: enhanced appointment 
and compensation authority for personnel for 
care and treatment of wounded and injured mem-
bers of the armed forces 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense may, at the discre-
tion of the Secretary, exercise any authority for the appointment 
and pay of health care personnel under chapter 74 of title 38 
for purposes of the recruitment, employment, and retention of 
civilian health care professionals for the Department of Defense 
if the Secretary determines that the exercise of such authority 
is necessary in order to provide or enhance the capacity of the 
Department to provide care and treatment for members of the 
armed forces who are wounded or injured on active duty in the 
armed forces and to support the ongoing patient care and medical 
readiness, education, and training requirements of the Department 
of Defense. 
‘‘(b) RECRUITMENT OF PERSONNEL.—(1) The Secretaries of the 
military departments shall each develop and implement a strategy 
to disseminate among appropriate personnel of the military depart-
ments authorities and best practices for the recruitment of medical 
and health professionals, including the authorities under subsection 
(a). 
‘‘(2) Each strategy under paragraph (1) shall— 
‘‘(A) assess current recruitment policies, procedures, and 
practices of the military department concerned to assure that 
such strategy facilitates the implementation of efficiencies 
which reduce the time required to fill vacant positions for 
medical and health professionals; and 
‘‘(B) clearly identify processes and actions that will be 
used to inform and educate military and civilian personnel 
responsible for the recruitment of medical and health profes-
sionals.
H. R. 1585—459 
‘‘(c) TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.—The authority of the Sec-
retary of Defense to exercise authorities available under chapter 
74 of title 38 for purposes of the recruitment, employment, and 
retention of civilian health care professionals for the Department 
of Defense expires September 30, 2010.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections at the begin-
ning of chapter 81 of such title is amended by striking the item 
relating to section 1599c and inserting the following new item: 
‘‘1599c. Health care professionals: enhanced appointment and compensation author-
ity for personnel for care and treatment of wounded and injured mem-
bers of the armed forces.’’. 
(c) REPORTS ON STRATEGIES ON RECRUITMENT OF MEDICAL AND 
HEALTH PROFESSIONALS.—Not later than six months after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, each Secretary of a military depart-
ment shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report 
setting forth the strategy developed by such Secretary under section 
1599c(b) of title 10, United States Code, as added by subsection 
(a). 
SEC. 1637. CONTINUATION OF TRANSITIONAL HEALTH BENEFITS FOR 
MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES PENDING RESOLU-
TION OF SERVICE-RELATED MEDICAL CONDITIONS. 
Section 1145(a) of title 10, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘Transitional health care’’ 
and inserting ‘‘Except as provided in paragraph (6), transitional 
health care’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(6)(A) A member who has a medical condition relating to 
service on active duty that warrants further medical care that 
has been identified during the member’s 180-day transition period, 
which condition can be resolved within 180 days as determined 
by a Department of Defense physician, shall be entitled to receive 
medical and dental care for that medical condition, and that medical 
condition only, as if the member were a member of the armed 
forces on active duty for 180 days following the diagnosis of the 
condition. 
‘‘(B) The Secretary concerned shall ensure that the Defense 
Enrollment and Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) is contin-
ually updated in order to reflect the continuing entitlement of 
members covered by subparagraph (A) to the medical and dental 
care referred to in that subparagraph.’’. 
Subtitle D—Disability Matters 
SEC. 1641. UTILIZATION OF VETERANS’ PRESUMPTION OF SOUND 
CONDITION IN ESTABLISHING ELIGIBILITY OF MEMBERS 
OF THE ARMED FORCES FOR RETIREMENT FOR DIS-
ABILITY. 
(a) RETIREMENT OF REGULARS AND MEMBERS ON ACTIVE DUTY 
FOR MORE THAN 30 DAYS.—Clause (i) of section 1201(b)(3)(B) of 
title 10, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(i) the member has six months or more of active 
military service and the disability was not noted at 
the time of the member’s entrance on active duty 
(unless compelling evidence or medical judgment is
H. R. 1585—460 
such to warrant a finding that the disability existed 
before the member’s entrance on active duty);’’. 
(b) SEPARATION OF REGULARS AND MEMBERS ON ACTIVE DUTY 
FOR MORE THAN 30 DAYS.—Section 1203(b)(4)(B) of such title is 
amended by striking ‘‘and the member has at least eight years 
of service computed under section 1208 of this title’’ and inserting 
‘‘, the member has six months or more of active military service, 
and the disability was not noted at the time of the member’s 
entrance on active duty (unless evidence or medical judgment is 
such to warrant a finding that the disability existed before the 
member’s entrance on active duty)’’. 
SEC. 1642. REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITATIONS ON DEPARTMENT OF 
DEFENSE 
DETERMINATIONS 
OF 
DISABILITY 
WITH 
RESPECT TO MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 61 of title 10, United States Code, 
is amended by inserting after section 1216 the following new section: 
‘‘§ 1216a. Determinations of disability: requirements and 
limitations on determinations 
‘‘(a) UTILIZATION OF VA SCHEDULE FOR RATING DISABILITIES 
IN DETERMINATIONS OF DISABILITY.—(1) In making a determination 
of disability of a member of the armed forces for purposes of 
this chapter, the Secretary concerned— 
‘‘(A) shall, to the extent feasible, utilize the schedule for 
rating disabilities in use by the Department of Veterans Affairs, 
including any applicable interpretation of the schedule by the 
United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims; and 
‘‘(B) except as provided in paragraph (2), may not deviate 
from the schedule or any such interpretation of the schedule. 
‘‘(2) In making a determination described in paragraph (1), 
the Secretary concerned may utilize in lieu of the schedule described 
in that paragraph such criteria as the Secretary of Defense and 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may jointly prescribe for purposes 
of this subsection if the utilization of such criteria will result 
in a determination of a greater percentage of disability than would 
be otherwise determined through the utilization of the schedule. 
‘‘(b) CONSIDERATION OF ALL MEDICAL CONDITIONS.—In making 
a determination of the rating of disability of a member of the 
armed forces for purposes of this chapter, the Secretary concerned 
shall take into account all medical conditions, whether individually 
or collectively, that render the member unfit to perform the duties 
of the member’s office, grade, rank, or rating.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections at the begin-
ning of chapter 61 of such title is amended by inserting after 
the item relating to section 1216 the following new item: 
‘‘1216a. Determinations of disability: requirements and limitations on determina-
tions.’’. 
SEC. 1643. REVIEW OF SEPARATION OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED 
FORCES SEPARATED FROM SERVICE WITH A DISABILITY 
RATING OF 20 PERCENT DISABLED OR LESS. 
(a) BOARD REQUIRED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 79 of title 10, United States 
Code, is amended by inserting after section 1554 the following 
new section: