H.R. 1367: To improve the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to hire and retain physicians and other employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

115th Congress · introduced 2017-03-06 · Armed Forces and National Security · Latest: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2017-03-06 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Wenstrup, Brad R. [R-OH-2] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: 2 recorded votes in our records. Latest: House roll call 170 (2017): On Agreeing to the Amendment, HR1367 (2017-03-17), Agreed to. See all
Where it stands now: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

To improve the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to hire and retain physicians and other employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Plain summary

(Sec. 2) This bill provides that the annual determination of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) staff shortages shall include shortages for a minimum of five clinical and five non-clinical occupations for each network. (Such determination currently includes the five occupations for which there are the largest Department of Veterans Affairs [VA]-wide shortages.) (Sec. 3) The bill establishes in the VA an executive management fellowship program to provide eligible employees of: (1) the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) and the VHA with private sector training and experience, and (2) a private-sector entity with VA training and experience. The VA shall: (1) annually select between 18 and 30 eligible VHA and VBA employees and between 18 and 30 eligible private sector employees for such one-year fellowships, and (2) select such employees in a manner that reflects U.S. veteran demographics and that provides a preference for employees who represent or service rural areas. (Sec. 4) The VA shall conduct an annual performance plan for each political appointee that is similar to the plan conducted for VA career senior executive employees. Each plan shall assess whether an appointee is meeting specified goals, including: (1) recruiting and retaining well-qualified individuals, and (2) motivating and developing employees for future VA leadership roles. (Sec. 5) Veterans federal employment preference provisions are amended to: (1) make all retired members of the armed forces preference eligible, and (2) provide preference eligible individuals with a senior executive position hiring preference. (Sec. 6) The VA may noncompetitively appoint a qualified former employee to any VA position within the competitive service that is one grade or equivalent higher than the position most recently occupied by the employee. (Sec. 7) The VA shall establish a single database that lists each vacant VA position that is: (1) critical, difficult to fill, or both; or (2) for a mental health professional. (Sec. 8) The VA shall provide VHA human resources professionals with employee recruitment and retention training as soon as practicable after being hired and annually thereafter. (Sec. 9) The VA shall establish a promotional track system for employees who are technical experts to advance without being required to transition to management positions. (Sec. 10) The Government Accountability Office shall conduct a study of succession planning at: (1) each VA medical facility, including each medical center, domiciliary facility, outpatient clinic, community-based outpatient clinic, and vet center; and (2) the VBA and the VA National Cemetery Administration. (Sec. 11) The VA shall prescribe regulations to allow for excepted service appointments of qualifying students and recent graduates leading to career or career conditional employment. Such conversion authority shall apply to individuals who: (1) are employed in a qualifying VA internship or fellowship program, (2) are employed in the VA in a volunteer capacity or under a contract or agreement with an external nonprofit organization and are performing duties comparable to individuals in internship or fellowship programs, (3) have received Post-9/11 educational assistance, or (4) are under 30 years old and graduated from a qualifying educational institution. (Sec. 12) The VA shall develop, in consultation with an appropriate non-VA entity, and carry out a standardized exit survey for career and noncareer VA employees and executives who voluntarily separate from the VA. Survey results shall be shared annually with directors and managers of VA and VISN facilities. (Sec. 13) The VA shall establish a program to encourage an individual who serves in the Armed Forces with a military health care specialty to seek post-military employment with the VHA. (14) The VA shall: (1) develop a plan to hire qualified directors for each VA medical center that lacks a permanent director, and (2) prioritize such hiring for medical centers that have not had a permanent director for the longest periods. (Sec. 15) The VA shall ensure that a VISN recruiter visits at least annually each allopathic and osteopathic teaching institution with a graduate medical education program within the network to recruit individuals for the VHA.

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

To improve the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to hire and retain physicians and other employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Wenstrup, Brad R. [R-OH-2] · 4 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 1367, a bill to improve the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to hire and retain physicians and other employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes (2017-03-10)

Cosponsors on this site

Neal P. Dunn (R-FL), Pete Sessions (R-TX)

Agencies named in this bill

Department of Veterans Affairs: its federal spending and other bills that name it

Found automatically: the agency's full official name appears in the bill title. A bill can affect agencies it does not name, so this list may be incomplete.

Recorded votes

House roll call 170 (2017): On Agreeing to the Amendment, HR1367 (2017-03-17): Agreed to
House roll call 171 (2017): On Passage, HR1367 (2017-03-17): Passed

Words on this page, explained (3)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-115hr1367.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/115/hr>

Record fed-us-cong115-hr1367 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115