I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3754 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the recruitment, hiring, 
and retention of health professionals by the Veterans Health Administra-
tion, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 13, 2017 
Mrs. HARTZLER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the 
recruitment, hiring, and retention of health professionals 
by the Veterans Health Administration, 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 ‘‘VHA REcruitment, 
HIring, and REtention Act of 2017’’ or ‘‘VHA REHIRE 
Act of 2017’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:47 Sep 19, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3754.IH
H3754
ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with BILLS
SEC. 2. ENHANCING THE RECRUITING, HIRING, AND RE-
TENTION OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS BY 
THE VHA. 
(a) ESTABLISHING THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
AFFAIRS STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Chapter 76 of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended by inserting after 
subchapter VII the following new subchapter: 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER VIII—STUDENT LOAN 
REPAYMENT PROGRAM 
‘‘§ 7691. Establishment 
‘‘As part of the Educational Assistance Program, the 
Secretary may carry out a student loan repayment pro-
gram under section 5379 of title 5. The program shall be 
known as the Department of Veterans Affairs Student 
Loan Repayment Program (in this chapter referred to as 
the ‘Student Loan Repayment Program’). 
‘‘§ 7692. Purpose 
‘‘The purpose of the Student Loan Repayment Pro-
gram is to assist, through the establishment of an incen-
tive program for certain individuals employed in the Vet-
erans Health Administration, in meeting the staffing 
needs of the Veterans Health Administration for health 
professional occupations for which recruitment or reten-
tion of qualified personnel is difficult. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:47 Sep 19, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3754.IH
H3754
ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with BILLS
‘‘§ 7693. Eligibility 
‘‘Individuals eligible for the Student Loan Repayment 
Program shall include any health professional hired under 
section 7401 of this title who is in an occupation described 
in section 7692 of this title. 
‘‘§ 7694. Term of obligated service 
‘‘In addition to any requirements under section 
5379(c) of title 5, a participant in the Student Loan Re-
payment Program must agree, in writing and before the 
Secretary may make any payment to or for the partici-
pant, to serve as a full-time employee of the Veterans 
Health Administration for one calendar year for every 
$10,000 in such benefits that the employee receives, but 
in no case for less than three calendar years. 
‘‘§ 7695. Relationship to Educational Assistance Pro-
gram 
‘‘Assistance under the Student Loan Repayment Pro-
gram may be in addition to other assistance available to 
individuals under the Educational Assistance Program.’’. 
(2) CONFORMING
AND
TECHNICAL
AMEND-
MENTS.— 
(A) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(i) Section 7601(a) of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(I) in paragraph (4) by striking 
‘‘and’’; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:47 Sep 19, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3754.IH
H3754
ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with BILLS
(II) in paragraph (5) by striking 
the period and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(III) by adding at the end the 
following new paragraph: 
‘‘(6) the student loan repayment program pro-
vided for in subchapter VIII of this chapter.’’. 
(ii) Section 7603(a)(1) of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘or VI’’ and inserting ‘‘VI, or VIII’’. 
(iii) Section 7604 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘or 
VI’’ each place it appears and inserting 
‘‘VI, or VIII’’. 
(B) TABLE OF SECTIONS.—The table of 
sections at the beginning of chapter 76 of such 
title is amended by inserting after the items re-
lating to subchapter VII the following: 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER VIII—STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM 
‘‘Sec. 
‘‘7691. Establishment. 
‘‘7692. Purpose. 
‘‘7693. Eligibility. 
‘‘7694. Term of obligated service. 
‘‘7695. Relationship to Educational Assistance Program.’’. 
(b) PERIODS OF OBLIGATED SERVICE FOR CERTAIN 
EMPLOYEES OF THE VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRA-
TION.— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:47 Sep 19, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3754.IH
H3754
ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with BILLS
(1) EMPLOYEES
OF
THE
VETERANS
HEALTH 
ADMINISTRATION
WHO
PARTICIPATE
IN
CERTAIN 
EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS.— 
(A) EMPLOYEE INCENTIVE SCHOLARSHIP 
PROGRAM.—Section 7672(e)(1)(B) of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended by striking 
‘‘for not less than 3 years’’ and inserting ‘‘in no 
case for less than the longer of three calendar 
years or one calendar year for every $10,000 in 
such benefits that the employee receives under 
this subchapter’’. 
(B) EDUCATION
DEBT
REDUCTION
PRO-
GRAM.—Section 7683 of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new subsections: 
‘‘(e) AGREEMENT.—Before the Secretary may make 
any education debt reduction payment to or for a partici-
pant in the Education Debt Reduction Program, the par-
ticipant must agree in writing to serve as a full-time em-
ployee of the Veterans Health Administration for a period 
of obligated service, but in no case for less than three cal-
endar years. 
‘‘(f) PENALTY.—A participant in the Education Debt 
Reduction Program who does not complete a period of ob-
ligated service under subsection (f) shall owe the Federal 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:47 Sep 19, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3754.IH
H3754
ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with BILLS
Government a penalty calculated using the formula in sec-
tion 7675(c) of this title.’’. 
(2) EMPLOYEES
OF
THE
VETERANS
HEALTH 
ADMINISTRATION WHO RECEIVE CERTAIN BONUSES 
OR ALLOWANCES.—Section 7410 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(A) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘The’’ 
and inserting ‘‘Subject to subsection (c), the’’; 
and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
subsection: 
‘‘(c) PERIOD OF OBLIGATED SERVICE.—(1) Before 
the Secretary may pay any bonus or allowance under this 
section to an employee, the employee must agree in writing 
to serve as a full-time employee of the Veterans Health 
Administration for a period of obligated service deter-
mined under paragraph (2), but in no case for less than 
two calendar years. 
‘‘(2) A period of obligated service determined under 
this paragraph shall equal one calendar year for every 10 
percent of the base pay of the employee (or a propor-
tionate ratio thereof) that the bonus or allowance equals. 
‘‘(3)(A) An employee who does not complete a period 
of obligated service under this subsection shall owe the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:47 Sep 19, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3754.IH
H3754
ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with BILLS
Federal Government an amount determined in accordance 
with the following formula: A=2B(T¥(S÷T)). 
‘‘(B) In such formula: 
‘‘(i) ‘A’ is the amount the employee owes the 
Federal Government. 
‘‘(ii) ‘B’ is the sum of all bonuses or allowances 
paid to the employee under this section. 
‘‘(iii) ‘T’ is the number of months in the period 
of obligated service of the employee. 
‘‘(iv) ‘S’ is the number of whole months of such 
period of obligated service served by the employee.’’. 
(c) HIRING TIMELINES.— 
(1) 75 DAYS TO HIRE.—The Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs shall offer employment to a qualified 
applicant for a vacant position in the Veterans 
Health Administration in a health professional occu-
pation no later than 75 days after the last day the 
Secretary accepts applications for such position. 
(2) EARLY
APPLICATION.—The Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall accept an application for a va-
cant position in the Veterans Health Administration 
in a health professional occupation from an appli-
cant who, at the time of application, has not yet 
completed the education or training that qualifies an 
individual for such position if the applicant expects 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:47 Sep 19, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3754.IH
H3754
ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with BILLS
to complete such education or training no later than 
75 days after the last day the Secretary accepts ap-
plications for such position. 
(3) FLEXIBILITY
FOR
VHA
FACILITY
DIREC-
TORS.—The Secretary shall ensure that the director 
of each facility of the Veterans Health Administra-
tion has the maximum discretion possible in meeting 
staffing needs for health professional occupations in 
each such facility for which recruitment or retention 
of qualified personnel is difficult. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:47 Sep 19, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H3754.IH
H3754
ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with BILLS