Supporting Medical Students and VA Workforce Act

Chapter 76 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting, after subchapter V, the following new subchapter:

As part of the Educational Assistance Program, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may, in partnership with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Defense, carry out a scholarship program, to be known as the Department of Veterans Affairs-Public Health Service Joint Scholarship Program (hereafter in this subchapter, the program) under which a PHS officer shall—

(1) attend the F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine of USU at the expense of the Department of Veterans Affairs; and

(2) after graduating and completing an initial residency, serve, full-time, at a medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs to fulfill a period of obligated service.

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Secretary of Defense may enter into, and maintain, an interagency agreement to carry out the program.

Such an agreement shall, in accordance with this subchapter govern aspects of the program, including the following:

(1) The eligibility of a PHS officer to receive a scholarship under the program.

(2) The number of PHS officers who may receive a scholarship each year.

(3) The authority of the Secretary of Health and Human Services to deploy a PHS officer who receives a scholarship under the program before such PHS officer completes the term of obligated service under this subchapter.

Nothing in such agreement may transfer from the Secretary of Defense to the Secretary or the Secretary of Health and Human Services any authority to determine who may attend USU.

Before the beginning of each academic year—

(1) the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall provide the Secretary of Veterans Affairs with an estimate of the costs that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall be obliged to reimburse the Secretary of Health and Human Services under subsection (b) for the next fiscal year; and

(2) the Secretary of Defense shall provide the Secretary of Veterans Affairs with an estimate of the costs that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall be obligated to reimburse the Secretary of Defense under subsection (b) for the next fiscal year.

(1) Each fiscal year, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall pay the Secretary of Health and Human Services the amount under subsection (a)(1).

(2) Each fiscal year, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall pay the Secretary of Defense the amount under subsection (a)(2).

(3) If a payment made under this subsection does not equal the actual relevant costs for the fiscal year, the Secretary concerned shall refund the excess amount paid, or supplement the shortfall, as applicable.

(1) Pursuant to section 214 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 215), the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall detail a PHS officer who receives a scholarship under the program to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

(2) The length of such detail shall be sufficient for the officer to complete—

(A) attendance at USU described in section 7661 of this title;

(B) an initial residency; and

(C) a period of obligated service, not to exceed ten years, in a medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

A PHS officer, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall enter into a written agreement specifying the terms of such detail and the length period of obligated service of such PHS officer.

(1) A PHS officer who receives a scholarship under the program and fails to complete the period of obligated service shall reimburse the Secretary of Veterans Affairs an amount equal to—

(A) twice the total amount of the tuition and expenses paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to the Secretary of Defense arising the attendance of such PHS officer at USU; and

(B) twice the salary, allowances, and benefits paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to the Secretary of Health and Human Services arising from the detail under subsection (a).

(2) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may waive reimbursement under paragraph (1) if the Secretary determines that such reimbursement would be inequitable or would not be in the public interest.

In this subchapter:

(1) The term PHS officer means an officer of the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service.

(2) The term USU means the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.

The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting, after the item relating for section 7655, the following: