119-HR3489

Bill is currently in: House
Path to Law
House Senate President

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 3489

1. Short title
2. Treatment of therapeutic medical physicists of the Department of Veterans Affairs

1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the "Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Physicist Pay Cap Relief Act".

2. Treatment of therapeutic medical physicists of the Department of Veterans Affairs

(a) Appointment - Section 7401(1) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting "therapeutic medical physicists, diagnostic medical physicists," after "physician assistants,".

(b) Qualifications - Section 7402(b) of such title is amended—

(1) - by redesignating paragraph (14) as paragraph (16); and

(2) Therapeutic medical physicist - by inserting after paragraph (13) the following new paragraphs:

(14) Therapeutic medical physicist - To be eligible to be appointed to a therapeutic medical physicist position, a person must—

(A) - have completed a post-graduate clinical training program in therapeutic medical physics satisfactory to the Secretary; and

(B) - be board certified in the field of therapeutic medical physics by a certifying body approved by the Secretary.

(15) Diagnostic medical physicist - To be eligible to be appointed to a diagnostic medical physicist position, a person must—

(A) - have completed a post-graduate clinical training program in diagnostic medical physics satisfactory to the Secretary; and

(B) - be board certified in the field of diagnostic medical physics by a certifying body approved by the Secretary.

(c) Grade - Section 7404 of such title is amended—

(1) - by inserting "therapeutic medical physicist, diagnostic medical physicist," after "podiatrist (dpm),"; and

(2) - by inserting after "Podiatrist grade." the following:

(d) Personnel administration - Section 7421(b) of such title is amended—

(1) - by redesignating paragraph (9) as paragraph (11); and

(2) - by inserting, after paragraph (8), the following new paragraphs:

(9) - Therapeutic medical physicists.

(10) - Diagnostic medical physicists.

(e) Pay

(1) In general - Section 7431 of such title is amended—

(A) - by inserting ", Therapeutic Medical Physicist, Diagnostic Medical Physicist" before ", and Dentist Base" each place it appears;

(B) - by inserting "therapeutic medical physicist, diagnostic medical physicist," after "podiatrist," each place it appears;

(C) - by inserting "therapeutic medical physicists, diagnostic medical physicists," after "podiatrists," each place it appears; and

(D) - in subsection (e)(1)(A), by inserting ", therapeutic medical physicists, diagnostic medical physicists," after "podiatrists".

(2) Administrative matters - Section 7433 of such title is amended by inserting "therapeutic medical physicists, diagnostic medical physicists," after "podiatrists," each place it appears.

(3) Conforming amendment - The heading of subchapter III of chapter 74 of such title is amended by inserting "Therapeutic Medical Physicists, Diagnostic Medical Physicists" after "Podiatrists,".

(4) Clerical amendment - The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 74 of such title is amended by striking the item relating to subchapter III and inserting the following new item:

(f) Report - Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report on the amendments made by this section. Such report shall include the following:

(1) - The effects of an increase in pay for therapeutic medical physicists and diagnostic medical physicists employed on a full-time basis within the Department of Veterans Affairs.

(2) - The effects on therapeutic medical physicists and diagnostic medical physicists who provide care pursuant to an agreement with the Secretary.

(3) - Any change to costs to the Department.