SEC. 11. PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR TECHNICAL 
EXPERTS. 
Not later than one year after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
establish a promotional track system for employees of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs that the Secretary deter-
mines are technical experts pursuant to regulations pre-
scribed by the Secretary for purposes of carrying out this 
section. Such system shall— 
(1) provide any such employee the opportunity 
to advance within the Department without being re-
quired to transition to a management position; and 
(2) for purposes of achieving career advance-
ment— 
(A) provide for the establishment of new 
positions within the Department; and 
(B) notwithstanding any other provision of 
law, provide for increases in pay for any such 
employee. 
SEC. 12. COMPTROLLER GENERAL STUDY ON SUCCESSION 
PLANNING. 
(a) STUDY.—The Comptroller General of the United 
States shall conduct a study on each of the following: 
(1) The succession planning at each medical fa-
cility of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:57 Jun 24, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00020
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5526.IH
H5526
rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(2) The succession planning at the Veterans 
Benefits Administration and the National Cemetery 
Administration of the Department. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The study under subsection (a) 
shall include, for each entity studied under the study, the 
following: 
(1) A determination of the mission-critical posi-
tions within the entity and the vacancy risk of such 
positions. 
(2) An analysis of the future needs for mission- 
critical positions and gaps within the existing talent 
pool of the entity. 
(3) A description of strategies to close skill 
gaps through the use of training for existing staff, 
targeted recruitment, and hiring. 
(4) A plan to regularly evaluate progress of 
staff and update existing succession plans using 
clear and measurable metrics and benchmarks. 
(5) A demonstration of the capacity of the enti-
ty to execute succession plans with successful succes-
sion management strategies. 
(6) Any other matters the Comptroller General 
determines appropriate. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:57 Jun 24, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00021
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5526.IH
H5526
rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the 
House of Representatives and the Senate a report con-
taining each study conducted under subsection (a). 
SEC. 13. INFORMATION ON HIRING EFFECTIVENESS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall measure and collect information on indicators of hir-
ing effectiveness as follows: 
(1) With respect to recruiting and hiring— 
(A) the ability to reach and recruit well- 
qualified talent from diverse talent pools, in-
cluding sources of candidates for mission-crit-
ical occupations; 
(B) the use and impact of special hiring 
authorities and flexibilities to recruit most 
qualified applicants, including the use of stu-
dent internships as a talent pool for permanent 
hires; 
(C) the use and impact of special hiring 
authorities and flexibilities to recruit diverse 
candidates, including veteran, minority and dis-
abled candidates; 
(D) the use and impact of special hiring 
authorities and flexibilities to recruit candidates 
for mission-critical occupations and occupations 
with shortages; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:57 Jun 24, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00022
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5526.IH
H5526
rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(E) the age, educational level, and source 
of applicants; 
(F) the length of time between the date on 
which a position is advertised and the date on 
which a first offer of employment is made; 
(G) the length of time between the date on 
which a first offer of employment for a position 
is made and the date on which a new hire 
starts in that position; 
(H) the number of internal and external 
applicants for positions; and 
(I) the number of offers accepted com-
pared to the number of offers made for perma-
nent positions. 
(2) With respect to the hiring authority— 
(A) the satisfaction of the hiring authority 
with— 
(i) the quality of new hires; 
(ii) the match between the skills of 
newly hired individuals and the needs of 
the Department; 
(iii) the hiring process and hiring out-
comes after the first year of the employ-
ment of a new hire; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:57 Jun 24, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00023
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5526.IH
H5526
rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(iv) the length of time that elapses to 
fill a position and for a new hire to begin 
working in a new position; and 
(B) mission-critical deficiencies filled by 
new hires and the connection between mission- 
critical deficiencies and annual agency perform-
ance. 
(3) Satisfaction of employment applicants with 
the hiring process, including with respect to the clar-
ity of job announcement, reasons for withdrawal of 
applications, user-friendliness of the application 
process, communication regarding status of applica-
tion, and timeliness of hiring decision. 
(4) With respect to a newly hired employee— 
(A) the satisfaction of the employee with 
the hiring process as described in paragraph 
(3); 
(B) the satisfaction with the process of 
joining and becoming oriented with the Depart-
ment, including with respect to the timeliness of 
such process after the hiring decision, the ori-
entation process, and being provided with time-
ly and useful new employee information and as-
sistance after the hire is made but before the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:57 Jun 24, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00024
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5526.IH
H5526
rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
new hire starts in that position and after the 
new hire has begun; 
(C) attrition and reasons for leaving; 
(D) investment in training and develop-
ment for the employee during the first year of 
employment; and 
(E) significant barriers to the effective re-
cruitment, selection, joining and becoming ori-
ented with the Department, and retention of 
employees. 
(b) DISAGGREGATION OF DATA.—To the extent prac-
ticable and in a manner which protects personally identifi-
able information of applicants and employees, the Sec-
retary shall collect and report data collected under sub-
section (a) disaggregated by facility or Veterans Inte-
grated Service Network. 
(c) REPORTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—On an annual basis, the Sec-
retary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ 
Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Sen-
ate a report of the information collected under sub-
section (a). 
(2) AVAILABILITY OF RECRUITING AND HIRING 
INFORMATION.—On an annual basis, the Secretary 
shall make publicly available the information col-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:57 Jun 24, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00025
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5526.IH
H5526
rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
lected under subsection (a) in a consistent and ma-
chine-readable format to allow for a comparison of 
hiring effectiveness and experience by Veterans Inte-
grated Service Network or comparable public or pri-
vate sector organization. 
SEC. 14. EMPLOYMENT OF STUDENTS AND RECENT GRAD-
UATES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall prescribe regulations to allow for excepted service ap-
pointments of students and recent graduates leading to 
conversion to career or career conditional employment of 
a student or recent graduate of a qualifying educational 
institution, as defined by the Department. 
(b) APPLICABILITY.—The conversion authority de-
scribed in subsection (a) shall be applicable to individuals 
in good standing who— 
(1) are employed in a qualifying internship or 
fellowship program at the Department; 
(2) are employed in the Department in a volun-
teer capacity and performing substantive duties com-
parable to those of individuals in internship or fel-
lowship programs and meet the required number of 
hours for conversion; or 
(3) are employed in the Department under a 
contract or agreement with an external nonprofit or-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:57 Jun 24, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00026
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5526.IH
H5526
rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
ganization and performing substantive duties com-
parable to those of individuals in internship or fel-
lowship programs. 
(c) UNIFORMITY.—For the purposes of subsections 
(b)(2) and (b)(3), hours of work performed by an indi-
vidual employed shall be considered equal to those per-
formed by an individual employed in a qualifying intern-
ship or fellowship program by the Department. 
SEC. 15. EXIT SURVEYS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall develop and carry out a standardized exit survey to 
be voluntarily completed by career and noncareer employ-
ees and executives of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
who voluntarily separate from the Department. Such exit 
survey shall be developed in consultation with an appro-
priate non-Department entity with experience developing 
such surveys. 
(b) SURVEY CONTENT.—The survey shall include, at 
a minimum— 
(1) reasons for leaving the Department; 
(2) efforts made by the supervisor of the em-
ployee to retain the individual; 
(3) the extent of job satisfaction and engage-
ment during the employment; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:57 Jun 24, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00027
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5526.IH
H5526
rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(4) the intent of employee to either remain em-
ployed within the Federal Government or to leave 
employment with the Federal Government; and 
(5) such other matters as the Secretary deter-
mines appropriate. 
(c) ANONYMITY OF SURVEY CONTENT.—The Sec-
retary shall ensure that, to the extent possible, data col-
lected under subsection (a) is anonymized and personally 
identifiable information is removed. 
(d) SHARING
OF SURVEY DATA.—The Secretary 
shall ensure that the results of the survey required by sub-
section (a) are shared on an annual basis with directors 
and managers of facilities of the Department and the Vet-
erans Integrated Service Networks. 
(e) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the 
Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Af-
fairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a 
report containing the aggregate results of the exit survey 
under subsection (a) covering the year prior to the report. 
The report shall include— 
(1) an analysis of the most common reasons 
employees choose to leave the Department; 
(2) steps the Secretary is taking to improve re-
tention, particularly for mission-critical occupations; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:57 Jun 24, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00028
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5526.IH
H5526
rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(3) the demographic characteristics of employ-
ees choosing to leave the Department; 
(4) any legislative barriers to improving em-
ployee retention; and 
(5) the number of employees who took the exit 
survey under subsection (a). 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:57 Jun 24, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00029
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H5526.IH
H5526
rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS