VA Health Center Management Stability and Improvement Act
Bill: H.R.292 | Sponsor: Rep. Bost, Mike (R-IL)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
VA Health Center Management Stability and Improvement Act
This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to develop and implement a plan to hire a director for each VA medical center without a permanent director.
Hiring priority shall be given to medical centers that have not had a permanent director for the longest periods.

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop and implement a 
  plan to hire directors of the medical centers of the Department of 
                           Veterans Affairs.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``VA Health Center Management 
Stability and Improvement Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) According to data from the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs, several medical centers of the Department are managed 
        by acting or temporary directors.
            (2) Some of these medical centers have not been managed by 
        a permanent director for a long period.
            (3) Pursuant to section 317.903 of title 5, Code of Federal 
        Regulations, a member of the senior executive service who is 
        detailed to a temporary position in a department or agency of 
        the Federal Government may not serve in that position for 
        periods longer than 120-day increments, and no member of the 
        senior executive service may be detailed to an unclassified 
        position for a period longer than 240 days.
            (4) The inability of the Department of Veterans Affairs to 
        recruit qualified, permanent candidates as directors of medical 
        centers, combined with the policies described in paragraph (3), 
        leads to frequent turnover of directors at the medical centers 
        which impedes the ability of system management to engage in 
        long-term planning and other functions necessary to improve 
        service delivery to veterans.
            (5) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs should develop a 
        comprehensive plan to recruit permanent directors at each 
        medical center that lacks a permanent director.

SEC. 3. PLAN TO HIRE DIRECTORS OF MEDICAL CENTERS OF DEPARTMENT OF 
              VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) Plan.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall develop and 
implement a plan to hire highly qualified directors for each medical 
center of the Department of Veterans Affairs that lacks a permanent 
director as of the date of the plan. The Secretary shall prioritize the 
hiring of such directors for the medical centers that have not had a 
permanent director for the longest periods.
    (b) Matters Included.--The plan developed under subsection (a) 
shall include the following:
            (1) A deadline to hire the directors of the medical centers 
        of the Department as described in such subsection.
            (2) Identification of the possible impediments to such 
        hiring.
            (3) Identification of opportunities to promote and train 
        candidates from within the Department to senior executive 
        positions in the Department, including as directors of medical 
        centers.
    (c) Submission.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on 
Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate the 
plan developed under subsection (a).
    (d) Semiannual Reports.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, and each 180-day period thereafter for two 
years, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' 
Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a list of each 
medical center of the Department that lacks a permanent director as of 
the date of the report.
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