US HB3557 | 2017-2018 | 115th Congress

US Congress House Bill 3557 (Prior Session Legislation)

Status

Sponsorship: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)
Status: Introduced on July 28 2017 - 25% progression, died in committee
Action: 2017-07-28 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Pending: House Subcommittee on Health Committee
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [PDF]

Summary

To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the number of health care professionals employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs by improving the Department of Veterans Affairs Education Debt Reduction Program. This bill makes a Veterans Health Administration employee who provides patient care services in a position for which recruitment or retention of qualified personnel is difficult eligible for undergraduate and graduate education loan reduction under the Education Debt Reduction Program. (Currently, such loan reduction is available only for a course or training leading to a degree that qualifies the individual for a patient care services position.) The bill increases the five-year amount of education debt reduction payments made to or for a program participant from $120,000 to $240,000, of which not more than $60,000 (currently, $24,000) may be made in each year. The VA shall select program locations pursuant to a process that is similar to the process used to determine public health professional shortage areas. For purposes of providing tax liability reimbursements resulting from payments on behalf of an individual, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): (1) shall, in addition to such payments, make payments in an amount equal to 39% of the total amount of loan repayments made for the taxable year; and (2) may make such additional payments as the VA determines appropriate.

Title

History

Date	Chamber	Action
2017-07-28	House	Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
2017-07-28	House	Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
2017-07-28	House	Introduced in House