Hire Veteran Health Heroes Act of 2021
Bill: S.894 | Sponsor: Sen. Braun, Mike (R-IN)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Hire Veteran Health Heroes Act of 2021
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to consult with the Department of Defense to identify and refer members of the Armed Forces with health care occupations for employment with the VA during their separation from the Armed Forces.
The VA must refer interested members to a recruiter for consideration of open positions in the member's specialty and geography of interest. Referrals must not be made earlier than one year before the member's separation from the Armed Forces.

[117th Congress Public Law 67]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 135 STAT. 1491]]

Public Law 117-67
117th Congress

                                 An Act


 
  To identify and refer members of the Armed Forces with a health care 
   occupation who are separating from the Armed Forces for potential 
   employment with the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other 
             purposes. <<NOTE: Nov. 30, 2021 -  [S. 894]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Hire Veteran 
Health Heroes Act of 2021. 38 USC 101 note.>> 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Hire Veteran Health Heroes Act of 
2021''.
SEC. 2. IDENTIFICATION AND REFERRAL OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES 
                    WITH A HEALTH CARE OCCUPATION FOR POTENTIAL 
                    EMPLOYMENT WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
                    AFFAIRS DURING SEPARATION FROM THE ARMED 
                    FORCES.

    Section 207 of the VA Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017 
(Public Law 115-46; 38 U.S.C. 7401 note) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 207. IDENTIFICATION AND REFERRAL OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED 
                        FORCES WITH A HEALTH CARE OCCUPATION FOR 
                        POTENTIAL EMPLOYMENT WITH THE DEPARTMENT 
                        OF VETERANS AFFAIRS DURING SEPARATION FROM 
                        THE ARMED FORCES.

    ``(a) <<NOTE: Consultation.>>  In General.--The Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall 
establish a program to identify and refer members of the Armed Forces 
with a health care occupation for employment with the Department of 
Veterans Affairs during the separation of such members from the Armed 
Forces.

    ``(b) Referral of Interested Individuals.--
            ``(1) In general.--If a member of the Armed Forces 
        identified under subsection (a) expresses an interest in working 
        in a health care occupation within the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall refer the 
        member to a recruiter of the Department for consideration of 
        open positions in the specialty and geography of interest to the 
        member.
            ``(2) Timing.--Any referral of a member of the Armed Forces 
        conducted under paragraph (1) shall be made not earlier than one 
        year before the separation of the member from the Armed Forces.

    ``(c) Rule of Construction.--Any identification of a member of the 
Armed Forces under subsection (a) or referral of such member under 
subsection (b) shall not be construed as a guarantee of

[[Page 135 STAT. 1492]]

employment of such member with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
    ``(d) Reports.--Not later than each of one year and two years after 
the date of the enactment of the Hire Veteran Health Heroes Act of 2021, 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the appropriate 
committees of Congress a report on the program established under 
subsection (a).
    ``(e) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        `appropriate committees of Congress' means--
                    ``(A) the Committee on Armed Services and the 
                Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate; and
                    ``(B) the Committee on Armed Services and the 
                Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
                Representatives.
            ``(2) Health care occupation.--The term `health care 
        occupation' means an occupation for which an individual may be 
        appointed for employment with the Department of Veterans Affairs 
        under section 7401 of title 38, United States Code.''.

    Approved November 30, 2021.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 894:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 167 (2021):
            July 21, considered and passed Senate.
            Nov. 15, considered and passed House.
DAILY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS (2021):
            Nov. 30, Presidential remarks.

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