I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4166 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in 
the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs relating 
to educational assistance for health professionals, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 1, 2009 
Mr. RODRIGUEZ introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speak-
er, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the ju-
risdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain 
improvements in the laws administered by the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs relating to educational assistance 
for health professionals, 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 ‘‘Veterans Health Pro-
fessionals Educational Assistance Act of 2009’’. 
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SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS 
EDUCATIONAL 
ASSISTANCE 
SCHOLARSHIP 
PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 7618 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘December 31, 1998’’ 
and inserting ‘‘December 31, 2014’’. 
(b) EXPANSION OF ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.— 
Section 7612(b)(2) is amended by striking ‘‘(under sec-
tion’’ and all that follows through ‘‘or vocational nurse.’’ 
and inserting the following: ‘‘as an appointee under para-
graph (1) or (3) of section 7401 of this title.’’. 
(c) ADDITIONAL PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.—Sub-
chapter II of chapter 76 of title 38, United States Code, 
as amended by subsections (a) and (b), is further amend-
ed— 
(1) by redesignating section 7618 as section 
7619; and 
(2) by inserting after section 7617 the following 
new section: 
‘‘§ 7618. Additional program requirements 
‘‘(a) PROGRAM
MODIFICATION.—Notwithstanding 
any provision of the subchapter, the Secretary shall carry 
out this subchapter by modifying the Scholarship Program 
in such a manner that the program and hiring processes 
are designed to fully employ scholarship program grad-
uates as soon as possible, if not immediately, upon gradua-
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tion and completion of necessary certifications, and to ac-
tively assist and monitor graduates to ensure certifications 
are obtained in a minimal amount of time following grad-
uation. 
‘‘(b) CLINICAL TOURS.—The Secretary shall require 
participants in the Scholarship Program to perform clin-
ical tours in assignments or locations determined by the 
Secretary while the participants are enrolled in the course 
of education or training for which the scholarship is pro-
vided. 
‘‘(c) MENTORS.—The Secretary shall ensure that at 
the commencement of the period of obligated service of 
a participant in the Scholarship Program, the participant 
is assigned to a mentor who is employed in the same facil-
ity where the participant performs such service.’’. 
(d) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by striking 
the item relating to section 7618 and inserting the fol-
lowing new items: 
‘‘7618. Additional program requirements. 
‘‘7619. Expiration of program.’’. 
SEC. 3. IMPROVEMENTS TO THE EDUCATION DEBT REDUC-
TION PROGRAM. 
(a) INCLUSION OF EMPLOYEE RETENTION AS PUR-
POSE OF PROGRAM.—Section 7681(2) of title 38, United 
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States Code, is amended by inserting ‘‘and retention’’ 
after ‘‘recruitment’’ the first time it appears. 
(b) EXPANSION OF ELIGIBILITY.—Section 7682 of 
such title is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ‘‘a recently 
appointed’’ and inserting ‘‘an’’; and 
(2) by striking subsection (c). 
(c) INCREASE IN MAXIMUM ANNUAL AMOUNT OF 
PAYMENTS.—Paragraph (1) of subsection (d) of section 
7683 of such title is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘$44,000’’ and inserting 
‘‘$60,000’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘$10,000’’ and inserting 
‘‘$12,000’’. 
(d) EXCEPTION TO LIMITATION ON AMOUNT FOR 
CERTAIN POSITIONS.—Such subsection is further amend-
ed by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(3)(A) The Secretary may waive the limitations 
under paragraphs (1) and (2) in the case of a participant 
described in subparagraph (B). In the case of such a waiv-
er, the total amount of education debt repayments payable 
to that participant is the total amount of the principal 
and the interest on the participant’s loans referred to in 
subsection (a). 
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‘‘(B) A participant described in this subparagraph is 
a participant in the Scholarship Program who the Sec-
retary determines serves in a position for which there is 
a shortage of qualified employee by reason of either the 
location or the requirements of the position.’’. 
SEC. 4. LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM FOR CLINICAL RE-
SEARCHERS FROM DISADVANTAGED BACK-
GROUNDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
may, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services, utilize the authorities available in section 
487E of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 288– 
5) for the repayment of the principal and interest of edu-
cational loans of appropriately qualified health profes-
sionals who are from disadvantaged backgrounds in order 
to secure clinical research by such professionals for the 
Veterans Health Administration. 
(b) LIMITATIONS.—The exercise by the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs of the authorities referred to in para-
graph (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(a)(2) and 
(3)). 
(c) FUNDING.—Amounts for the repayment of prin-
cipal and interest of educational loans under this sub-
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section shall be derived from amounts available to the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs for the Veterans Health Admin-
istration for Medical Services. 
SEC. 5. INCLUSION OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF-
FAIRS FACILITIES IN LIST OF FACILITIES ELI-
GIBLE FOR ASSIGNMENT OF PARTICIPANTS 
IN 
NATIONAL 
HEALTH 
SERVICE 
CORPS 
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. 
(a) INCLUSION OF FACILITIES.—The Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall transfer up to $20,000,000 from 
accounts of the Veterans Health Administration to the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services to be used to 
include facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
on the list maintained by the Health Resources and Serv-
ices Administration of facilities eligible for assignment of 
participants in the National Health Service Corps Scholar-
ship Program. 
(b) IDENTIFICATION OF ELIGIBLE FACILITIES.—The 
Secretary shall identify all medical centers and commu-
nity-based outpatient clinics of the Department that may 
be eligible for assignment of participants in the National 
Health Service Corps Scholarship Program. In making 
such identifications, the Secretary shall use the eligibility 
criteria used by the National Health Service Corps for the 
health professional shortage area designation. 
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(c) APPLICATION.—To be included on the list main-
tained by the Health Resources and Services Administra-
tion of facilities eligible for assignment of participants in 
the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program, 
each medical center or clinic identified by the Secretary 
under subsection (b) shall submit an application to the 
Health Resources and Services Administration. 
Æ 
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