§7324 — Title 38 Veterans' Benefits | U.S. Code

Summary

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, through the Under Secretary for Health, must send Congress a yearly report by January 31 about how the Department used authorities the previous year to keep experienced nurses. The report must cover use of the rules in chapter 76, the VA nurse qualification directive dated November 10, 1999 (or any replacement), and any other authorities used for that purpose. For each VA medical facility and each geographic service area, the report must show how many waivers were asked for and granted under the 1999 directive to promote nurses without a bachelor’s degree to Nurse II or Nurse III, listed by age, race, and years of experience. The report must also describe programs used to help experienced nurses complete nursing education, such as flexible schedules, scholarships, salary-replacement pay, and on-site classes.

Title 38, §7324

Veterans' Benefits — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Not later than January 31 each year, the Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary for Health, shall submit to Congress a report on the use during the preceding year of authorities for purposes of retaining experienced nurses in the Veterans Health Administration, as follows:

(1)The authorities under chapter 76 of this title.

(2)The authority under VA Directive 5102.1, relating to the Department of Veterans Affairs nurse qualification standard, dated November 10, 1999, or any successor directive.

(3)Any other authorities available to the Secretary for those purposes.

(b)Each report under subsection (a) shall specify for the period covered by such report, for each Department medical facility and for each geographic service area of the Department, the following:

(1)The number of waivers requested under the authority referred to in subsection (a)(2), and the number of waivers granted under that authority, to promote to the Nurse II grade or Nurse III grade under the Nurse Schedule under section 7404(b)(1) 11 See References in Text note below. of this title any nurse who has not completed a baccalaureate degree in nursing in a recognized school of nursing, set forth by age, race, and years of experience of the individuals subject to such waiver requests and waivers, as the case may be.

(2)The programs carried out to facilitate the use of nursing education programs by experienced nurses, including programs for flexible scheduling, scholarships, salary replacement pay, and on-site classes.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 7404(b) of this title, referred to in subsec. (b)(1), was amended by Pub. L. 108–445, § 3(a), Dec. 3, 2004, 118 Stat. 2636. As so amended, section 7404(b) no longer includes paragraphs. The Nurse Schedule appears under section 7404(b).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Initial Report Pub. L. 107–135, title I, § 125(b), Jan. 23, 2002, 115 Stat. 2453, required that the initial report under this section be submitted to the National Commission on VA Nursing as well as to Congress.

§7324 Annual Report on Use of Authorities to Enhance Retention of Experienced Nurses