VA Health Center Management Stability and Improvement Act

I 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 292 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. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JANUARY 13, 2021 Mr. BOST introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs A BILL 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 Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘VA Health Center 4 Management Stability and Improvement Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 Congress finds the following: 7 (1) According to data from the Department of 8 Veterans Affairs, several medical centers of the De- 9 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:15 Feb 06, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H292.IH H292 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 292 IH partment are managed by acting or temporary direc- 1 tors. 2 (2) Some of these medical centers have not 3 been managed by a permanent director for a long 4 period. 5 (3) Pursuant to section 317.903 of title 5, Code 6 of Federal Regulations, a member of the senior exec- 7 utive service who is detailed to a temporary position 8 in a department or agency of the Federal Govern- 9 ment may not serve in that position for periods 10 longer than 120-day increments, and no member of 11 the senior executive service may be detailed to an 12 unclassified position for a period longer than 240 13 days. 14 (4) The inability of the Department of Veterans 15 Affairs to recruit qualified, permanent candidates as 16 directors of medical centers, combined with the poli- 17 cies described in paragraph (3), leads to frequent 18 turnover of directors at the medical centers which 19 impedes the ability of system management to engage 20 in long-term planning and other functions necessary 21 to improve service delivery to veterans. 22 (5) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs should 23 develop a comprehensive plan to recruit permanent 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:15 Feb 06, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H292.IH H292 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 292 IH directors at each medical center that lacks a perma- 1 nent director. 2 SEC. 3. PLAN TO HIRE DIRECTORS OF MEDICAL CENTERS 3 OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 4 (a) PLAN.—Not later than 120 days after the date 5 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans 6 Affairs shall develop and implement a plan to hire highly 7 qualified directors for each medical center of the Depart- 8 ment of Veterans Affairs that lacks a permanent director 9 as of the date of the plan. The Secretary shall prioritize 10 the hiring of such directors for the medical centers that 11 have not had a permanent director for the longest periods. 12 (b) MATTERS INCLUDED.—The plan developed under 13 subsection (a) shall include the following: 14 (1) A deadline to hire the directors of the med- 15 ical centers of the Department as described in such 16 subsection. 17 (2) Identification of the possible impediments to 18 such hiring. 19 (3) Identification of opportunities to promote 20 and train candidates from within the Department to 21 senior executive positions in the Department, includ- 22 ing as directors of medical centers. 23 (c) SUBMISSION.—Not later than 120 days after the 24 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall sub- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:15 Feb 06, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H292.IH H292 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 292 IH mit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House 1 of Representatives and the Senate the plan developed 2 under subsection (a). 3 (d) SEMIANNUAL REPORTS.—Not later than 180 4 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and each 5 180-day period thereafter for two years, the Secretary 6 shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of 7 the House of Representatives and the Senate a list of each 8 medical center of the Department that lacks a permanent 9 director as of the date of the report. 10 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:15 Feb 06, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H292.IH H292 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS