I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4134 
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a program to 
increase efficiency in the recruitment and hiring by the Department 
of Veterans Affairs of health care workers that are undergoing separation 
from the Armed Forces, to create uniform credentialing standards for 
certain health care professionals of the Department, and for other pur-
poses. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 30, 2015 
Mr. DEFAZIO (for himself and Ms. KUSTER) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addi-
tion to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out 
a program to increase efficiency in the recruitment and 
hiring by the Department of Veterans Affairs of health 
care workers that are undergoing separation from the 
Armed Forces, to create uniform credentialing standards 
for certain health care professionals of the Department, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Health Care 
Staffing Improvement Act’’. 
SEC. 2. PROGRAM TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY IN THE RE-
CRUITMENT AND HIRING BY THE DEPART-
MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OF HEALTH 
CARE WORKERS UNDERGOING SEPARATION 
FROM THE ARMED FORCES. 
(a) PROGRAM.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, carry 
out a program to recruit individuals who are undergoing 
separation from the Armed Forces and who served in a 
health care capacity while serving as a member of the 
Armed Forces. The program shall be known as the ‘‘Docs- 
to-Doctors Program’’. 
(b) SHARING OF INFORMATION.— 
(1) SUBMITTAL OF LIST.—For purposes of car-
rying out the program, not less frequently than once 
per year (or a shorter period that the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Defense may 
jointly specify), the Secretary of Defense shall sub-
mit to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs a list of 
members of the Armed Forces, including the reserve 
components, who— 
(A) served in a health care capacity while 
serving as a member of the Armed Forces; 
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(B) are undergoing or have undergone sep-
aration from the Armed Forces during the pe-
riod covered by the list; and 
(C) will be discharged from the Armed 
Forces under honorable conditions, as deter-
mined by the Secretary of Defense, or have 
been discharged from the Armed Forces under 
honorable conditions during the period covered 
by the list. 
(2) USE OF OCCUPATIONAL CODES.—Each list 
submitted under paragraph (1) shall include mem-
bers of the Armed Forces who were assigned a Mili-
tary Occupational Specialty code, an Air Force Spe-
cialty Code, or a United States Navy rating indic-
ative of service in a health care capacity. 
(3) INFORMATION INCLUDED.—Each list sub-
mitted under paragraph (1) shall include the fol-
lowing information, to the extent such information is 
available to the Secretary of Defense, with respect to 
each member of the Armed Forces included in such 
list: 
(A) Contact information. 
(B) Rank upon separation from the Armed 
Forces. 
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(C) A description of health care experience 
while serving as a member of the Armed Forces 
and other relevant health care experience, in-
cluding any relevant credential, such as a cer-
tificate, certification, or license, including the 
name of the institution or organization that 
issued the credential. 
(4) 
CONSULTATION
WITH
SECRETARY
OF 
HOMELAND
SECURITY.—In submitting each list 
under paragraph (1), the Secretary of Defense shall 
consult with the Secretary of Homeland Security 
with respect to matters concerning the Coast Guard 
when it is not operating as a service in the Navy. 
(c) RESOLUTION OF BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the program, 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall, in coordina-
tion with the Secretary of Defense, work to resolve 
any barriers relating to credentialing or to specific 
hiring rules, procedures, and processes of the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs that may delay or pre-
vent the hiring of individuals who are undergoing 
separation from the Armed Forces and who served 
in a health care capacity while serving as a member 
of the Armed Forces, including by reconciling dif-
ferent credentialing processes and standards between 
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the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Depart-
ment of Defense. 
(2) REPORT.—If the Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs determines that a barrier described in para-
graph (1) cannot be resolved under such paragraph, 
the Secretary shall, not later than 90 days after the 
discovery of the barrier, submit to Congress a report 
that includes such recommendations for legislative 
and administrative action as the Secretary considers 
appropriate to resolve the barrier, including any bar-
rier imposed by a State. 
(d) TREATMENT OF APPLICATIONS FOR EMPLOY-
MENT.—An application for employment in the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs in a health care capacity received 
by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from a member or 
former member of the Armed Forces who is on a list sub-
mitted to the Secretary under subsection (b) shall not be 
considered an application from outside the work force of 
the Department for purposes of section 3330 of title 5, 
United States Code, and section 335.105 of title 5, Code 
of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of the 
enactment of this Act), if the application is received not 
later than one year after the separation of the member 
or former member from the Armed Forces. 
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SEC. 3. UNIFORM CREDENTIALING STANDARDS FOR CER-
TAIN HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS OF THE 
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 74 of 
title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting after 
section 7423 the following new section: 
‘‘§ 7423A. Personnel administration: uniform creden-
tialing process. 
‘‘(a) UNIFORM PROCESS.—The Secretary shall imple-
ment a uniform credentialing process for employees of the 
Veterans Health Administration for each position specified 
in section 7421(b) of this title. 
‘‘(b) RECOGNITION
THROUGHOUT
ADMINISTRA-
TION.—If an employee of the Administration in a position 
specified in section 7421(b) of this title is credentialed 
under this section for purposes of practicing in a location 
within the Administration, such credential shall be deemed 
to be sufficient for the employee to practice in any location 
within the Administration. 
‘‘(c) RENEWAL.—(1) Except as provided in para-
graph (2), the Secretary may provide for the renewal of 
credentials under this section pursuant to such regulations 
as the Secretary may prescribe for such purpose. 
‘‘(2) Renewal of credentials under this section may 
not be required solely because an employee moves from 
one facility of the Department to another.’’. 
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(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of chapter 74 of such title is amended 
by inserting after the item relating to section 7423 the 
following new item: 
‘‘7423A. Personnel administration: uniform credentialing process.’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall implement the uniform credentialing process 
required under section 7423A of such title, as added by 
subsection (a), not later than one year after the date of 
the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 4. PROVISION OF FULL PRACTICE AUTHORITY FOR 
ADVANCED PRACTICE REGISTERED NURSES, 
PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS, AND OTHER HEALTH 
CARE PROFESSIONALS OF THE DEPARTMENT 
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) FULL PRACTICE AUTHORITY.—The Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall provide full practice authority to ad-
vanced practice registered nurses, physician assistants, 
and such other licensed health care professionals of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs as the Secretary considers 
appropriate consistent with the education, training, and 
certification of such health care professionals. 
(b) INAPPLICABILITY OF STATE LIMITATIONS.—Full 
practice authority shall be provided by the Secretary under 
subsection (a) to health care professionals described in 
that subsection without regard to any limitation that 
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would otherwise be imposed on the health care practice 
of such professionals by a licensing or credentialing body 
of a State or otherwise under State law. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) 
ADVANCED
PRACTICE
REGISTERED 
NURSE.—The term ‘‘advanced practice registered 
nurse’’ has the meaning given that term in section 
5509(e)(1) of Public Law 111–148 (42 U.S.C. 
1395ww note). 
(2) FULL
PRACTICE
AUTHORITY.—The term 
‘‘full practice authority’’ means— 
(A) with respect to an advanced practice 
registered nurse, the full scope of practice for 
the area of nursing practiced by the advanced 
practice registered nurse as determined by the 
national professional association or organiza-
tion, a successor association or organization, or 
any other appropriate entity as determined by 
the Secretary for such area of nursing; 
(B) with respect to a physician assistant, 
the full scope of practice for the area of medi-
cine practiced by the physician assistant as de-
termined by the national professional associa-
tion or organization, a successor association or 
organization, or any other appropriate entity as 
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determined by the Secretary for such area of 
medicine; and 
(C) with respect to any other licensed 
health care professional not specified in sub-
paragraph (A) or (B), the full scope of practice 
for the area of medicine practiced by the li-
censed health care professional as determined 
by the national professional association or orga-
nization, a successor association or organiza-
tion, or any other appropriate entity as deter-
mined by the Secretary for such area of medi-
cine. 
(3) PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT.—The term ‘‘physi-
cian assistant’’ has the meaning given that term in 
section 1861(aa)(5)(A) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1395x(aa)(5)(A)). 
Æ 
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