Title: A bill to require a pilot program on the earning by special operations forces medics of credits towards a physician assistant degree.
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
This bill requires the Department of Defense to conduct a pilot program for special operations forces medics to earn credits toward a master's degree of physician assistant.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2668 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2668

To require a pilot program on the earning by special operations forces 
        medics of credits towards a physician assistant degree.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 12, 2018

    Mr. Burr (for himself, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Nelson, and Mr. Rubio) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
                      Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require a pilot program on the earning by special operations forces 
        medics of credits towards a physician assistant degree.

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

SECTION 1. PILOT PROGRAM ON EARNING BY SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES MEDICS 
              OF CREDITS TOWARDS A PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT DEGREE.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense shall conduct a pilot 
program to assess the feasibility and advisability of partnerships 
between special operations forces and institutions of higher education 
with appropriate accreditation, and health care systems if determined 
appropriate by the Secretary for purposes of the pilot program, through 
which special operations forces medics earn credit toward the 
accredited master's degree of physician assistant for military 
operational work and training performed by the medics.
    (b) Duration.--The Secretary shall conduct the pilot program for a 
period not to exceed five years.
    (c) Clinical Training.--Partnerships under subsection (a) shall 
permit medics participating in the pilot program to conduct clinical 
training at medical facilities of the Department of Defense and the 
civilian sector in order to meet the increasing demand for highly 
trained health care providers at such facilities.
    (d) Evaluation.--The evaluation of work and training performed by 
medics for which credits are earned under the pilot program shall 
comply with civilian clinical evaluation and accreditation standards 
applicable to the awarding of master's degrees of physician assistant.
    (e) Reports.--
            (1) Initial report.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
        of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall 
        submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and 
        the House of Representative a report that shall include the 
        following:
                    (A) A comprehensive framework for the military 
                education to be provided to special operations forces 
                medics under the pilot program, including courses of 
                instruction at institutions of higher education with 
                appropriate accreditation and any health care systems 
                participating in the pilot program.
                    (B) Metrics to be used to assess the effectiveness 
                of the pilot program.
                    (C) A description of the mechanisms to be used by 
                the Department, medics, or both to cover the costs of 
                education received by medics under the pilot program 
                through institutions of higher education or health care 
                systems, including payment by the Department in return 
                for a military service commitment, tuition or other 
                educational assistance (including scholarships, grants, 
                or financial aid) by the Department, use by medics of 
                post-9/11 educational assistance available through the 
                Department of Veterans Affairs, and any other 
                mechanisms the Secretary considers appropriate for 
                purposes of the pilot program.
            (2) Final report.--Not later than 90 days after completion 
        of the pilot program, the Secretary shall submit to the 
        Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of 
        Representatives a final report on the pilot program. The report 
        shall include the following:
                    (A) An evaluation of the pilot program using the 
                metrics of assessment set forth pursuant to paragraph 
                (1)(B).
                    (B) An assessment of the utility of the funding 
                mechanisms set forth pursuant to paragraph (1)(C).
                    (C) An assessment of the effects of the pilot 
                program on recruitment and retention of medics for 
                special operations forces.
                    (D) An assessment of the feasibility and 
                advisability of extending one or more authorities for 
                joint professional military education under chapter 107 
                of title 10, United States Code, to warrant officers or 
                enlisted personnel, and if the Secretary considers the 
                extension of any such authorities feasible and 
                advisable, recommendations for legislative or 
                administrative action to so extend such authorities.
    (f) Construction of Authorities.--Nothing in this section may be 
construed to--
            (1) authorize an officer or employee of the Federal 
        Government to create, endorse, or otherwise incentivize a 
        particular curriculum or degree track; or
            (2) require, direct, review, or control a State or 
        educational institution, or the instructional content, 
        curriculum, and related activities of a State or educational 
        institution.
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