‘‘§ 7695. Choice of location 
‘‘Each participant in the Specialty Education Loan 
Repayment Program who completes residency may select, 
from a list of medical facilities of the Veterans Health Ad-
ministration provided by the Secretary, at which such fa-
cility the participant will work in a medical specialty de-
scribed in section 7692 of this title. 
‘‘§ 7696. Term of obligated service 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—In addition to any requirements 
under section 5379(c) of title 5, a participant in the Spe-
cialty Education Loan Repayment Program must agree, 
in writing and before the Secretary may make any pay-
ment to or for the participant, to— 
‘‘(1) obtain a license to practice medicine in a 
State; 
‘‘(2) successfully complete post-graduate train-
ing leading to eligibility for board certification in a 
specialty; 
‘‘(3) serve as a full-time clinical practice em-
ployee of the Veterans Health Administration for 12 
months for every $40,000 in such benefits that the 
employee receives, but in no case for fewer than 24 
months; and 
‘‘(4) except as provided in subsection (b), to 
begin such service as a full-time practice employee 
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by not later than 60 days after completing a resi-
dency. 
‘‘(b) FELLOWSHIP.—In the case of a participant who 
receives an accredited fellowship in a medical specialty 
other than a medical specialty described in section 7692 
of this title, the Secretary, on written request of the par-
ticipant, may delay the term of obligated service under 
subsection (a) for the participant until after the partici-
pant completes the fellowship, but in no case later than 
60 days after completion of such fellowship. 
‘‘(c) PENALTY.—(1) An employee who does not com-
plete a period of obligated service under this section shall 
owe the Federal Government an amount determined in ac-
cordance with the following formula: 
‘‘A = B × ((T¥S) ÷ T)). 
‘‘(2) In the formula in paragraph (1): 
‘‘(A) ‘A’ is the amount the employee owes the 
Federal Government. 
‘‘(B) ‘B’ is the sum of all payments to or for 
the participant under the Specialty Education Loan 
Repayment Program. 
‘‘(C) ‘T’ is the number of months in the period 
of obligated service of the employee. 
‘‘(D) ‘S’ is the number of whole months of such 
period of obligated service served by the employee. 
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‘‘§ 7697. Relationship to Educational Assistance Pro-
gram 
‘‘Assistance under the Specialty Education Loan Re-
payment Program may be in addition to other assistance 
available to individuals under the Educational Assistance 
Program.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AND TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(A) Section 7601(a) of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(i) in paragraph (4), by striking 
‘‘and’’; 
(ii) in paragraph (5), by striking the 
period and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new paragraph: 
‘‘(6) the specialty education loan repayment 
program provided for in subchapter VIII of this 
chapter.’’. 
(B) Section 7603(a)(1) of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘or VI’’ 
and inserting ‘‘VI, or VIII’’. 
(C) Section 7604 of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended by striking ‘‘or VI’’ each 
place it appears and inserting ‘‘VI, or VIII’’. 
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(D) Section 7631 of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended— 
(i) in subsection (a)(1)— 
(I) 
by 
striking 
‘‘and’’ 
after 
‘‘scholarship amount’’; and 
(II) by inserting ‘‘, and the max-
imum specialty education loan repay-
ment amount’’ after ‘‘reduction pay-
ments amount’’; and 
(ii) in subsection (b) by adding at the 
end the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(7) The term ‘specialty education loan repayment 
amount’ means the maximum amount of specialty edu-
cation loan repayment payments payable to or for a partic-
ipant in the Department of Veterans Affairs Specialty 
Education Loan Repayment Program under subchapter 
VIII of this chapter, as specified in section 7694(c)(1) of 
this title and as previously adjusted (if at all) in accord-
ance with this section.’’. 
(E) Section 7632 of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended— 
(i) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and 
the Education Debt Reduction Program’’ 
and inserting ‘‘the Education Debt Reduc-
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tion Program, and the Specialty Education 
Loan Repayment Program’’; and 
(ii) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘and 
per participant in the Education Debt Re-
duction Program’’ and inserting ‘‘per par-
ticipant in the Education Debt Reduction 
Program, and per participant in the Spe-
cialty Education Loan Repayment Pro-
gram’’. 
(2) TABLE OF SECTIONS.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of chapter 76 of such title is 
amended by inserting after the items relating to sub-
chapter VII the following: 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER VIII—SPECIALTY EDUCATION LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM 
‘‘Sec. 
‘‘7691. Establishment. 
‘‘7692. Purpose. 
‘‘7693. Eligibility; preference; covered costs. 
‘‘7694. Specialty education loan repayment. 
‘‘7695. Choice of location. 
‘‘7696. Term of obligated service. 
‘‘7697. Relationship to Educational Assistance Program.’’. 
(c) NEEDS OF THE VHA.—In making determinations 
each year under section 7692 of title 38, United States 
Code, as enacted by subsection (a), the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs shall consider the anticipated needs of the 
Veterans Health Administration during the period two to 
six years in the future. 
(d) OFFER DEADLINE.—In the case of an applicant 
who applies before receiving a residency match and whom 
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the Secretary of Veterans Affairs selects for participation 
in the Specialty Education Loan Repayment Program es-
tablished by subsection (a), the Secretary shall offer par-
ticipation to the applicant not later than 28 days after— 
(1) the applicant matches with a residency in a 
medical specialty described in section 7692 of title 
38, United States Code, as enacted by subsection 
(a); and 
(2) such match is published. 
(e) PUBLICITY.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall take such steps as the Secretary determines are ap-
propriate to publicize the Specialty Education Loan Re-
payment Program established under subchapter VIII of 
chapter 76 of title 38, United States Code, as enacted by 
subsection (a). 
SEC. 4. VETERANS HEALING VETERANS MEDICAL ACCESS 
AND SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs, acting through the Office of Academic Affiliations 
of the Department of Veterans Affairs, shall carry out a 
pilot program under which the Secretary shall provide 
funding for the medical education of a total of ten eligible 
veterans. Such funding shall be provided for two veterans 
enrolled in each of the five Teague-Cranston medical 
schools in accordance with this section. 
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(b) ELIGIBLE VETERANS.—To be eligible to receive 
funding for medical education under this section, a vet-
eran shall— 
(1) have been discharged from the Armed 
Forces not more than ten years before the date of 
application for admission to a Teague-Cranston 
medical school; 
(2) not be entitled to educational assistance 
under chapter 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, or 35 of title 38, 
United States Code, or chapter 1606 or 1607 of title 
10, United States Code; 
(3) apply for admission to a Teague-Cranston 
medical school for the entering class of 2019; 
(4) indicate on such application for admission 
that the veteran would like to be considered for an 
award of funding under this section; 
(5) meet the minimum admissions criteria for 
the Teague-Cranston medical school to which the 
veteran applies; and 
(6) enter into an agreement described in sub-
section (e). 
(c) AWARD OF FUNDING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Each Teague-Cranston med-
ical school that opts to participate in the program 
under this section shall reserve two seats in the en-
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tering class of 2019 for eligible veterans who receive 
funding under such program. Such funding shall be 
awarded to the two eligible veterans with the highest 
admissions rankings for such class at such school. 
(2) AMOUNT OF FUNDING.—Each eligible vet-
eran who receives funding under this section shall 
receive an amount equal to the actual cost of— 
(A) tuition at the Teague-Cranston med-
ical school at which the veteran enrolls for four 
years; 
(B) books, fees, and technical equipment; 
(C) fees associated with the National Resi-
dency Match Program; 
(D) two away rotations performed during 
the fourth year at a Department of Veterans 
Affairs medical facility; and 
(E) a monthly stipend for the four-year pe-
riod during which the veteran is enrolled in 
medical school in an amount to be determined 
by the Secretary. 
(3) DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDING.—In the event 
that two or more eligible veterans do not apply for 
admission at one of the Teague-Cranston medical 
schools for the entering class of 2019, the Secretary 
shall distribute the available funding to eligible vet-
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erans who applied for admission at other Teague- 
Cranston medical schools. 
(d) AGREEMENT.— 
(1) TERMS OF AGREEMENT.—Each eligible vet-
eran who accepts funding for medical education 
under this section shall enter into an agreement with 
the Secretary that provides that the veteran 
agrees— 
(A) to maintain enrollment and attendance 
in the medical school; 
(B) while enrolled in such medical school, 
to maintain an acceptable level of academic 
standing (as determined by the medical school 
under regulations prescribed by the Secretary); 
(C) to complete post-graduate training 
leading to eligibility for board certification in a 
speciality applicable to the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs, as determined by the Secretary; 
(D) after completion of medical school, to 
obtain a license to practice medicine in a State; 
and 
(E) after completion of medical school and 
post-graduate training, to serve as a full-time 
clinical practice employee in the Veterans 
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Health Administration for a period of four 
years. 
(2) BREACH
OF
AGREEMENT.—If an eligible 
veteran who accepts funding under this section 
breaches the terms of the agreement described in 
paragraph (1), the United States shall be entitled to 
recover damages in an amount equal to the total 
amount of such funding received by the veteran. 
(e) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec-
tion shall be construed to prevent any Teague-Cranston 
medical school from accepting more than two eligible vet-
erans for the entering class of 2019. 
(f) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than Decem-
ber 31, 2020, and annually thereafter for the subsequent 
three years, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a re-
port on the pilot program under this section. Such report 
shall include the evaluation of the Secretary of the success 
of the pilot program, including the number of veterans 
who received funding under the program who matriculated 
and an evaluation of the academic progress of such vet-
erans. 
(g) TEAGUE-CRANSTON MEDICAL SCHOOLS.—In this 
section, the term ‘‘Teague-Cranston medical school’’ 
means any of the following: 
(1) Texas A&M College of Medicine. 
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(2) Quillen College of Medicine at East Ten-
nessee State University. 
(3) Boonshoft School of Medicine at Wright 
State University. 
(4) Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine at 
Marshall University. 
(5) University of South Carolina School of Med-
icine. 
Æ 
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