The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“HIRE VETERAN HEALTH HEROES ACT OF 2021” mentioning Tina Smith was published in the Senate section on pages S5024-S5025 on July 21.
Of the 100 senators in 117th Congress, 24 percent were women, and 76 percent were men, according to the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
Senators' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
HIRE VETERAN HEALTH HEROES ACT OF 2021
Ms. SMITH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 85, S. 894.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The bill clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 894) to identify and refer members of the Armed Forces with a health care occupation who are separating from the Armed Forces for potential employment with the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill, which had been reported from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, with an amendment, as follows:
(The parts of the bill intended to be stricken are shown in boldface brackets and the parts of the bill intended to be inserted are shown in italic.
S. 894
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Hire Veteran Health Heroes Act of 2021''.
[SEC. 2. IDENTIFICATION AND REFERRAL OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED
FORCES WITH A HEALTH CARE OCCUPATION FOR
POTENTIAL EMPLOYMENT WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS DURING SEPARATION FROM THE
ARMED FORCES.
[(a) Identification.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall identify members of the Armed Forces in a health care occupation during the separation of such members from the Armed Forces.
[(b) Referral of Interested Individuals.--
[(1) In general.--If a member of the Armed Forces identified under subsection (a) expresses an interest in working in a health care occupation within the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall refer the member to a recruiter of the Department for consideration of open positions in the specialty and geography of interest of the member.
[(2) Timing.--Any referral of a member of the Armed Forces conducted under paragraph (1) shall be made not earlier than one year before the separation of the member from the Armed Forces.
[(c) Rule of Construction.--Any identification of a member of the Armed Forces under subsection (a) or referral of such member under subsection (b) shall not be construed as a guarantee of employment of such member with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
[(d) Reports.--Not later than each of one year and two years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the efficacy of the identification and referral of separating members of the Armed Forces under this section.
[(e) Definitions.--In this section:
[(1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term
``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
[(A) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate; and
[(B) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives.
[(2) Health care occupation.--The term ``health care occupation'' means an occupation for which an individual may be appointed for employment with the Department of Veterans Affairs under section 7401 of title 38, United States Code.]
SEC. 2. IDENTIFICATION AND REFERRAL OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED
FORCES WITH A HEALTH CARE OCCUPATION FOR
POTENTIAL EMPLOYMENT WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS DURING SEPARATION FROM THE
ARMED FORCES.
Section 207 of the VA Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-46; 38 U.S.C. 7401 note) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 207. IDENTIFICATION AND REFERRAL OF MEMBERS OF THE
ARMED FORCES WITH A HEALTH CARE OCCUPATION FOR
POTENTIAL EMPLOYMENT WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS DURING SEPARATION FROM THE
ARMED FORCES.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall establish a program to identify and refer members of the Armed Forces with a health care occupation for employment with the Department of Veterans Affairs during the separation of such members from the Armed Forces.
``(b) Referral of Interested Individuals.--
``(1) In general.--If a member of the Armed Forces identified under subsection (a) expresses an interest in working in a health care occupation within the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall refer the member to a recruiter of the Department for consideration of open positions in the specialty and geography of interest to the member.
``(2) Timing.--Any referral of a member of the Armed Forces conducted under paragraph (1) shall be made not earlier than one year before the separation of the member from the Armed Forces.
``(c) Rule of Construction.--Any identification of a member of the Armed Forces under subsection (a) or referral of such member under subsection (b) shall not be construed as a guarantee of employment of such member with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
``(d) Reports.--Not later than each of one year and two years after the date of the enactment of the Hire Veteran Health Heroes Act of 2021, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the program established under subsection (a).
``(e) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term
`appropriate committees of Congress' means--
``(A) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate; and
``(B) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives.
``(2) Health care occupation.--The term `health care occupation' means an occupation for which an individual may be appointed for employment with the Department of Veterans Affairs under section 7401 of title 38, United States Code.''.
Ms. SMITH. I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported amendment be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The committee-reported amendment was agreed to.
=========================== NOTE ===========================
On page S5024, July 21, 2021, second column, the following appears: The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The online Record has been corrected to read: The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The committee-
reported amendment was agreed to.
========================= END NOTE =========================
The bill (S. 894), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, was read the third time, and passed, as follows:
S. 894
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Hire Veteran Health Heroes Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. IDENTIFICATION AND REFERRAL OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED
FORCES WITH A HEALTH CARE OCCUPATION FOR
POTENTIAL EMPLOYMENT WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS DURING SEPARATION FROM THE
ARMED FORCES.
Section 207 of the VA Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-46; 38 U.S.C. 7401 note) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 207. IDENTIFICATION AND REFERRAL OF MEMBERS OF THE
ARMED FORCES WITH A HEALTH CARE OCCUPATION FOR
POTENTIAL EMPLOYMENT WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS DURING SEPARATION FROM THE
ARMED FORCES.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall establish a program to identify and refer members of the Armed Forces with a health care occupation for employment with the Department of Veterans Affairs during the separation of such members from the Armed Forces.
``(b) Referral of Interested Individuals.--
``(1) In general.--If a member of the Armed Forces identified under subsection (a) expresses an interest in working in a health care occupation within the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall refer the member to a recruiter of the Department for consideration of open positions in the specialty and geography of interest to the member.
``(2) Timing.--Any referral of a member of the Armed Forces conducted under paragraph (1) shall be made not earlier than one year before the separation of the member from the Armed Forces.
``(c) Rule of Construction.--Any identification of a member of the Armed Forces under subsection (a) or referral of such member under subsection (b) shall not be construed as a guarantee of employment of such member with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
``(d) Reports.--Not later than each of one year and two years after the date of the enactment of the Hire Veteran Health Heroes Act of 2021, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the program established under subsection (a).
``(e) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term
`appropriate committees of Congress' means--
``(A) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate; and
``(B) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives.
``(2) Health care occupation.--The term `health care occupation' means an occupation for which an individual may be appointed for employment with the Department of Veterans Affairs under section 7401 of title 38, United States Code.''.
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