What This Bill Does
This bill limits when the Department of Veterans Affairs can temporarily assign (detail) medical center directors to different positions within the department. It requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to notify Congress when a director is reassigned and sets deadlines for either returning the director to their original position or hiring a permanent replacement.
Who It Affects
Directors of VA medical centers, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and Congress (specifically the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs).
Key Provisions
• The Secretary must notify Congress within 90 days of detailing a medical center director to a different position, including where the director is being assigned, the new job title, and how long the director is expected to be gone. (Sec. 2(a)(1) and (a)(2))
• The Secretary must appoint someone to serve as acting director with full authority and responsibilities within 120 days of detailing the original director. (Sec. 2(b))
• The Secretary must submit updates to Congress at least every 30 days about the status of the assignment while the director is away or while the director position remains unfilled. (Sec. 2(c))
• Within 180 days of the assignment, the Secretary must either bring the director back to their original position or reassign them and start hiring a new director (unless an investigation or administrative action is ongoing). (Sec. 2(d)(1))
• The Secretary can extend these assignments in 90-day periods for a maximum total of 540 days, but must notify Congress within 30 days explaining why the extension is necessary. (Sec. 2(d)(2))
What Changes
If this bill becomes law, the VA must follow specific timelines and notification requirements whenever it temporarily assigns a medical center director elsewhere. The department cannot leave a medical center without a permanent director for more than 180 days without a valid reason or waiver. Congress will receive regular updates about these assignments.
Important Definitions
Detail: A temporary assignment of an employee to a different position or location while maintaining their original job status.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 693
To limit the detailing of directors of medical centers of the Department
of Veterans Affairs to different positions within the Department, and
for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 31, 2023
Mr. WOMACK introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
A BILL
To limit the detailing of directors of medical centers of
the Department of Veterans Affairs to different positions
within the Department, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘VA medical Center
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Absence and Notification Timeline Act’’ or the ‘‘VACANT
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Act’’.
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•HR 693 IH
SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON DETAIL OF DIRECTORS OF MED-
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ICAL CENTERS OF DEPARTMENT OF VET-
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ERANS AFFAIRS TO DIFFERENT POSITIONS.
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(a) NOTIFICATION.—
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after
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detailing a director of a medical center of the De-
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partment of Veterans Affairs to a different position
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within the Department, the Secretary of Veterans
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Affairs shall notify the Committee on Veterans’ Af-
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fairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’
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Affairs of the House of Representatives of such de-
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tail.
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(2) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The notifica-
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tion required by paragraph (1) shall include, with re-
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spect to a director of a medical center who is de-
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tailed to a different position within the Department,
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the following information:
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(A) The location at which the director is
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detailed.
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(B) The position title of the detail.
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(C) The estimated time the director is ex-
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pected to be absent from their duties at the
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medical center.
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(D) Such other information as the Sec-
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retary may determine appropriate.
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•HR 693 IH
(b) APPOINTMENT OF ACTING DIRECTOR.—Not later
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than 120 days after detailing a director of a medical cen-
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ter of the Department to a different position within the
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Department, the Secretary shall appoint an individual as
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acting director of such medical center with all of the au-
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thority and responsibilities of the detailed director.
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(c) UPDATE ON DETAIL.—Not later than 120 days
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after detailing a director of a medical center of the De-
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partment to a different position within the Department,
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and not less frequently than every 30 days thereafter while
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the detail is in effect or while the director position at the
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medical center is vacant, the Secretary shall submit to the
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Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the
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Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep-
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resentatives an update regarding the status of the detail.
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(d) RETURN TO POSITION OR REASSIGNMENT.—
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
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graph (2), not later than 180 days after detailing a
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director of a medical center of the Department to a
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different position within the Department, for a rea-
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son other than an ongoing investigation or adminis-
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trative action with respect to the director, the Sec-
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retary shall—
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(A) return the individual to the position as
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director of the medical center; or
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•HR 693 IH
(B) reassign the individual from the posi-
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tion as director of the medical center and begin
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the process of hiring a new director for such po-
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sition.
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(2) WAIVER.—
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(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may
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waive the requirement under paragraph (1)
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with respect to an individual for successive 90-
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day increments for a total period of not more
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than 540 days from the original date the indi-
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vidual was detailed away from their position as
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director of a medical center.
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(B) NOTIFICATION.—Not later than 30
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days after exercising a waiver under subpara-
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graph (A), the Secretary shall notify Congress
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of the waiver and provide to Congress informa-
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tion as to why the waiver is necessary.
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Æ
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