(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 7453 of such title is 
amended— 
(A) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘a 
nurse’’ and inserting ‘‘a full-time nurse or part- 
time nurse’’; 
(B) in subsection (b)— 
(i) in the first sentence— 
(I) by striking ‘‘on a tour of 
duty’’; 
(II) by striking ‘‘on such tour’’; 
and 
(III) by striking ‘‘of such tour’’ 
and inserting ‘‘of such service’’; and 
(ii) in the second sentence, by striking 
‘‘of such tour’’ and inserting ‘‘of such serv-
ice’’; 
(C) in subsection (c)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘on a tour of duty’’; 
and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘on such tour’’; and 
(D) in subsection (e)— 
(i) in paragraph (1), by striking 
‘‘eight hours in a day’’ and inserting 
‘‘eight consecutive hours’’; and 
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(ii) in paragraph (5)(A), by striking 
‘‘tour of duty’’ and inserting ‘‘period of 
service’’. 
(2) EXCLUSION
OF
APPLICATION
OF
ADDI-
TIONAL NURSE PAY PROVISIONS TO CERTAIN ADDI-
TIONAL
EMPLOYEES.—Section 7454(b)(3) of such 
title is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(3) Employees appointed under section 7408 of this 
title performing service on a tour of duty, any part of 
which is within the period commencing at midnight Friday 
and ending at midnight Sunday, shall receive additional 
pay in addition to the rate of basic pay provided such em-
ployees for each hour of service on such tour at a rate 
equal to 25 percent of such employee’s hourly rate of basic 
pay.’’. 
(n) EXEMPTION OF ADDITIONAL NURSE POSITIONS 
FROM LIMITATION ON INCREASE IN RATES OF BASIC 
PAY.—Section 7455(c)(1) of such title is amended by in-
serting after ‘‘nurse anesthetists,’’ the following: ‘‘licensed 
practical nurses, licensed vocational nurses, and nursing 
positions otherwise covered by title 5,’’. 
SEC. 3. LIMITATIONS ON OVERTIME DUTY, WEEKEND DUTY, 
AND ALTERNATIVE WORK SCHEDULES FOR 
NURSES. 
(a) OVERTIME DUTY.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter IV of chapter 74 
of title 38, United States Code, is amended by add-
ing at the end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 7459. Nurses: special rules for overtime duty 
‘‘(a) LIMITATION.—Except as provided in subsection 
(c), the Secretary may not require a nurse to work more 
than 40 hours (or 24 hours if such nurse is covered under 
section 7456) in an administrative work week or more 
than eight consecutive hours (or 12 hours if such nurse 
is covered under section 7456 or 7456A). 
‘‘(b) VOLUNTARY OVERTIME.—(1) A nurse may on 
a voluntary basis elect to work hours otherwise prohibited 
by subsection (a). 
‘‘(2) The refusal of a nurse to work hours prohibited 
by subsection (a) shall not be grounds to discriminate 
(within the meaning of section 704(a) of the Civil Rights 
Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000e–3(a))) against the nurse, 
dismissal or discharge of the nurse, or any other adverse 
personnel action against the nurse. 
‘‘(c) 
OVERTIME
UNDER
EMERGENCY
CIR-
CUMSTANCES.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the Sec-
retary may require a nurse to work hours otherwise pro-
hibited by subsection (a) if— 
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‘‘(A) the work is a consequence of an emer-
gency that could not have been reasonably antici-
pated; 
‘‘(B) the emergency is non-recurring and is not 
caused by or aggravated by the inattention of the 
Secretary or lack of reasonable contingency planning 
by the Secretary; 
‘‘(C) the Secretary has exhausted all good faith, 
reasonable attempts to obtain voluntary workers; 
‘‘(D) the nurse has critical skills and expertise 
that are required for the work; and 
‘‘(E) the work involves work for which the 
standard of care for a patient assignment requires 
continuity of care through completion of a case, 
treatment, or procedure. 
‘‘(2) A nurse may not be required to work hours 
under this subsection after the requirement for a direct 
role by the nurse in responding to medical needs resulting 
from the emergency ends. 
‘‘(d) NURSE DEFINED.—In this section, the term 
‘nurse’ includes the following; 
‘‘(1) A registered nurse. 
‘‘(2) A licensed practical or vocational nurse. 
‘‘(3) A nurse assistant appointed under this 
chapter or title 5. 
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‘‘(4) Any other nurse position designated by the 
Secretary for purposes of this section.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions at the beginning of chapter 74 of such title is 
amended by inserting after the item relating to sec-
tion 7458 the following new item: 
‘‘7459. Nurses: special rules for overtime duty.’’. 
(b) WEEKEND DUTY.—Section 7456 of such title is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (a) by striking ‘‘regularly 
scheduled 12-hour tour of duty’’ and inserting 
‘‘scheduled 12-hour periods of service’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘service 
performed as part of a regularly scheduled 12- 
hour tour of duty’’ and inserting ‘‘any service 
performed’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (3)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘regularly scheduled two 12-hour tours of 
duty’’ and inserting ‘‘scheduled 12-hour 
period of service’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
‘‘regularly scheduled two 12-hour tour of 
duty’’ and inserting ‘‘scheduled 12-hour 
period of service’’; and 
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(iii) in subparagraph (C), by striking 
‘‘regularly scheduled two 12-hour tours of 
duty’’ and inserting ‘‘scheduled two 12- 
hour periods of service’’; 
(3) by striking subsection (c); and 
(4) by redesignating subsection (d) as (c). 
(c) ALTERNATE WORK SCHEDULES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 7456A(b)(1)(A) of 
such title is amended by striking ‘‘three regularly 
scheduled’’ and all that follows through the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘six regularly scheduled 12- 
hour periods of service within a pay period shall be 
considered for all purposes to have worked a full 80- 
hour pay period.’’. 
(2) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENTS.—Section 
7456A(b) of such title is amended— 
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking 
‘‘36/40’’ and inserting ‘‘72/80’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘40-hour basic work week’’ and inserting 
‘‘80-hour pay period’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
‘‘regularly scheduled 36-hour tour of duty 
within the work week’’ and inserting 
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‘‘scheduled 72-hour period of service within 
the bi-weekly pay period’’; 
(iii) in subparagraph (C)— 
(I) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘reg-
ularly scheduled 36-hour tour of duty 
within an administrative work week’’ 
and inserting ‘‘scheduled 72-hour pe-
riod of service within an administra-
tive pay period’’; 
(II) in clause (ii), by striking 
‘‘regularly scheduled 12-hour tour of 
duty’’ and inserting ‘‘scheduled 12- 
hour period of service’’; and 
(III) in clause (iii), by striking 
‘‘regularly scheduled 36-hour tour of 
duty 
work 
week’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘scheduled 72-hour period of service 
pay period’’; and 
(iv) in subparagraph (D), by striking 
‘‘regularly scheduled 12-hour tour of duty’’ 
and inserting ‘‘scheduled 12-hour period of 
service’’; and 
(C) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘regu-
larly scheduled 12-hour tour of duty’’ and in-
serting ‘‘scheduled 12-hour period of service’’. 
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SEC. 4. IMPROVEMENTS TO CERTAIN EDUCATIONAL AS-
SISTANCE PROGRAMS. 
(a) REINSTATEMENT OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS 
EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Section 7618 of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘Decem-
ber 31, 1998’’ and inserting ‘‘December 31, 2013’’. 
(2) EXPANSION
OF
ELIGIBILITY
REQUIRE-
MENTS.—Paragraph (2) of section 7612(b) of such 
title is amended by striking ‘‘(under section’’ and all 
that follows through the period at the end and in-
serting the following: ‘‘as an appointee under para-
graph (1) or (3) of section 7401 of this title.’’. 
(b) IMPROVEMENTS TO EDUCATION DEBT REDUC-
TION PROGRAM.— 
(1) INCLUSION OF EMPLOYEE RETENTION AS 
PURPOSE OF PROGRAM.—Section 7681(a)(2) of such 
title is amended by inserting ‘‘and retention’’ after 
‘‘recruitment’’ the first time it appears. 
(2) ELIGIBILITY.—Section 7682 of such title is 
amended— 
(A) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ‘‘a re-
cently appointed’’ and inserting ‘‘an’’; and 
(B) by striking subsection (c). 
(3) MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF ASSISTANCE.—Sec-
tion 7683(d)(1) of such title is amended— 
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(A) by striking ‘‘$44,000’’ and inserting 
‘‘$60,000’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘$10,000’’ and inserting 
‘‘$12,000’’. 
(c) LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM FOR CLINICAL RE-
SEARCHERS FROM DISADVANTAGED BACKGROUNDS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs, in consultation with the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services, may utilize the authorities 
available in section 487E of the Public Health Serv-
ice Act (42 U.S.C. 288–5) for the repayment of the 
principal and interest of educational loans of appro-
priately qualified health professionals who are from 
disadvantaged backgrounds in order to secure clin-
ical research by such professionals for the Veterans 
Health Administration. 
(2) LIMITATIONS.—The exercise by the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs of the authorities referred 
to in paragraph (1) shall be subject to the conditions 
and limitations specified in paragraphs (2) and (3) 
of section 487E(a) of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 288–5(2) and (3)). 
(3) FUNDING.—Amounts for the repayment of 
principal and interest of educational loans under this 
subsection shall be derived from amounts available 
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to the Secretary of Veterans for the Veterans Health 
Administration for Medical Services. 
Æ 
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