IB 
Union Calendar No. 670 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2787 
[Report No. 115–867] 
To establish in the Department of Veterans Affairs a pilot program instituting 
a clinical observation program for pre-med students preparing to attend 
medical school. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 6, 2017 
Ms. KAPTUR (for herself, Mr. JONES, and Mr. RYAN of Ohio) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
JULY 24, 2018 
Additional sponsor: Mr. KILMER 
JULY 24, 2018 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on June 6, 2017] 
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A BILL 
To establish in the Department of Veterans Affairs a pilot 
program instituting a clinical observation program for 
pre-med students preparing to attend medical school. 
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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-Specific Edu-
cation for Tomorrow’s Health Professionals Act’’ or the ‘‘Vet 
HP Act’’. 
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING DEPARTMENT OF 
VETERANS AFFAIRS PILOT PROGRAM FOR 
CLINICAL 
OBSERVATION 
BY 
UNDER-
GRADUATE STUDENTS. 
It is the sense of Congress that the pilot program de-
scribed in section 3(a) should be designed to— 
(1) increase the awareness, knowledge, and em-
pathy of future health professionals toward the health 
conditions common to veterans; 
(2) increase the diversity of the recruitment pool 
of future physicians of the Department; and 
(3) expand clinical observation opportunities for 
all students by encouraging students of all back-
grounds to consider a career in the health professions. 
SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PILOT PRO-
GRAM FOR CLINICAL OBSERVATION BY UN-
DERGRADUATE STUDENTS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs shall carry out a pilot program for a one-year period, 
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beginning not later than August 15, 2021, to provide cer-
tain students described in subsection (d) a clinical observa-
tion experience at medical centers of the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs. 
(b) MEDICAL CENTER SELECTION.—The Secretary 
shall carry out the pilot program under this section at not 
fewer than five medical centers of the Department. In select-
ing such medical centers, the Secretary shall ensure regional 
diversity among such selected medical centers. 
(c) CLINICAL OBSERVATION SESSIONS.— 
(1) FREQUENCY
AND
DURATION.—In carrying 
out the pilot program, the Secretary shall— 
(A) provide at least one and not more than 
three clinical observation sessions at each med-
ical center selected during each calendar year; 
(B) ensure that each clinical observation 
session— 
(i) lasts between four and six months; 
and 
(ii) to the extent practicable, begins 
and ends concurrently with one or more 
academic terms of an institution of higher 
education (as defined in section 101 of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1001)); and 
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(C) ensure that the clinical observation ses-
sions provided at a medical center have minimal 
overlap. 
(2) SESSIONS.—The Secretary shall ensure that 
the pilot program consists of clinical observation ses-
sions as follows: 
(A) Each session shall allow for not fewer 
than five students nor greater than 15 students 
to participate in the session. 
(B) Each session shall consist of not fewer 
than 20 observational hours nor greater than 40 
observational hours. 
(C) A majority of the observational hours 
shall be spent observing a health professional. 
The other observational hours shall be spent in 
a manner that ensures a robust, well rounded ex-
perience that exposes the students to a variety of 
aspects of medical care and health care adminis-
tration. 
(D) Each session shall provide a diverse 
clinical observation experience. 
(d) STUDENTS.— 
(1) SELECTION.—The Secretary shall select to 
participate in the pilot program under subsection (a) 
students who are— 
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(A) nationals of the United States; 
(B) enrolled in an accredited program of 
study at an institution of higher education; and 
(C) referred by their institution of higher 
education following an internal application 
process. 
(2) PRIORITY.—In making such selection, the 
Secretary shall give priority to each of the following 
five categories of students: 
(A) Students who, at the time of the comple-
tion of their secondary education, resided in a 
health professional shortage area (as defined in 
section 332 of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 254e)). 
(B) First generation college students (as de-
fined in section 402A(h)(3) of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(a))). 
(C) Students who have been referred by mi-
nority-serving institutions (as defined in section 
371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1067q(a))). 
(D) Veterans (as defined in section 101 of 
title 38, United States Code). 
(E) Students who indicate an intention to 
specialize in a health professional occupation 
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identified by the Inspector General of the De-
partment under section 7412 of title 38, United 
States Code, as having a staffing shortage. 
(3) ASSIGNMENT
TO
MEDICAL
CENTERS.—The 
Secretary shall assign students selected under para-
graph (1) to medical centers selected under subsection 
(b) without regard for whether such medical centers 
have staffing shortages in any health professional oc-
cupation pursuant to section 7412 of title 38, United 
States Code. 
(e) OTHER MATTERS.—In carrying out the pilot pro-
gram under this section, the Secretary shall— 
(1) establish a formal status to facilitate the ac-
cess to medical centers of the Department by student 
observers participating in the pilot program; 
(2) establish standardized legal, privacy, and 
ethical requirements for the student observers, includ-
ing with respect to— 
(A) ensuring that no student observer pro-
vides any care to patients while participating as 
an observer; and 
(B) ensuring the suitability of a student to 
participate in the pilot program to ensure that 
the student poses no risk to patients; 
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(3) develop and implement a partnership strat-
egy with minority-serving institutions to encourage 
referrals; 
(4) create standardized procedures for student 
observers; 
(5) create an online information page about the 
pilot program on the internet website of the Depart-
ment; 
(6) publish on the online information page cre-
ated under paragraph (5) the locations of such cen-
ters, and other information on the pilot program, not 
later than 180 days before the date on which applica-
tions are required to be submitted by potential stu-
dent observers; 
(7) identify medical centers and specific health 
professionals participating in the pilot program; and 
(8) notify the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of 
the House of Representatives and the Senate of the 
medical centers selected under subsection (c) within 
30 days of selection, to facilitate program awareness. 
(f) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the com-
pletion of the pilot program under subsection (a), the Sec-
retary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs 
of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report on 
the results of the pilot program, including— 
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(1) the number and demographics of all appli-
cants, those accepted to participate in the pilot pro-
gram, and those who completed the pilot program; 
and 
(2) if participating institutions of higher edu-
cation choose to administer satisfaction surveys that 
assess the experience of those who completed the pilot 
program, the results of any such satisfaction surveys, 
provided at the discretion of the institution of higher 
education. 
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Union Calendar No. 670 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2787 
[Report No. 115–867] 
A BILL 
To establish in the Department of Veterans Affairs 
a pilot program instituting a clinical observation 
program for pre-med students preparing to at-
tend medical school. 
JULY 24, 2018 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
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