Title: To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the number of health care professionals employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs by improving the Department of Veterans Affairs Education Debt Reduction Program.
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
This bill makes a Veterans Health Administration employee who provides patient care services in a position for which recruitment or retention of qualified personnel is difficult eligible for undergraduate and graduate education loan reduction under the Education Debt Reduction Program. (Currently, such loan reduction is available only for a course or training leading to a degree that qualifies the individual for a patient care services position.)
The bill increases the five-year amount of education debt reduction payments made to or for a program participant from $120,000 to $240,000, of which not more than $60,000 (currently, $24,000) may be made in each year.
The VA shall select program locations pursuant to a process that is similar to the process used to determine public health professional shortage areas.
For purposes of providing tax liability reimbursements resulting from payments on behalf of an individual, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): (1) shall, in addition to such payments, make payments in an amount equal to 39% of the total amount of loan repayments made for the taxable year; and (2) may make such additional payments as the VA determines appropriate.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3557 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3557

To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the number of health 
 care professionals employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs by 
 improving the Department of Veterans Affairs Education Debt Reduction 
                                Program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 28, 2017

Mr. Walden (for himself, Mr. DeFazio, and Mr. Newhouse) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the number of health 
 care professionals employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs by 
 improving the Department of Veterans Affairs Education Debt Reduction 
                                Program.

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

SECTION 1. IMPROVEMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS EDUCATION DEBT 
              REDUCTION PROGRAM.

    (a) Additional Loans Covered.--Section 7682(a)(2) of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended by striking ``a course of education or 
training which led to a degree that qualified the individual for the 
position referred to in paragraph (1)'' and inserting ``the 
undergraduate or graduate education of the individual (or both)''.
    (b) Increase of Amount of Assistance.--Subsection (d) of section 
7683 of such title is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) by striking ``$120,000'' and inserting 
                ``$240,000''; and
                    (B) by striking ``$24,000'' and inserting 
                ``$60,000''; and
            (2) in paragraph (2)(B), by adding at the end the following 
        new sentence: ``The Secretary shall select the locations 
        covered by the preceding sentence pursuant to a process 
        established by the Secretary that is similar to the process 
        used to determine health professional shortage areas under 
        section 332 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
        254e).''.
    (c) Addressing Tax Liability.--Such section is further amended by 
adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(e) Tax Liability.--For the purpose of providing reimbursements 
for tax liability resulting from payments under this subchapter on 
behalf of an individual, the Secretary--
            ``(1) shall, in addition to such payments, make payments to 
        the individual in an amount equal to 39 percent of the total 
        amount of loan repayments made for the taxable year involved; 
        and
            ``(2) may make such additional payments as the Secretary 
        determines to be appropriate with respect to such purpose.''.
    (d) Applicability.--The amendments made by this Act shall apply 
with respect to individuals who first participate in the Department of 
Veterans Affairs Education Debt Reduction Program under subchapter VII 
of chapter 76 of title 38, United States Code, beginning on or after 
the date of the enactment of this Act.
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