38 U.S.C. § 7302: Functions of Veterans Health Administration: health-care personnel education and training programs

to the extent feasible without interfering with the medical care and treatment of veterans, shall develop and carry out a program of education and training of health personnel; and physician assistants; expanded-function dental auxiliaries; and other medical technicians. In carrying out subsection (a)(1), the Secretary shall include in the program of education and training under that subsection the developing and evaluating of new health careers, interdisciplinary approaches, and career advancement opportunities. In carrying out subsection (a)(2), the Secretary shall include in the program of recruitment, training, and employment under that subsection measures to advise all qualified veterans with military occupation specialties referred to in that subsection, and all members of the armed forces about to be discharged or released from active duty who have such military occupation specialties, of employment opportunities with the Administration. Schools of medicine, osteopathy, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, optometry, podiatry, public health, or allied health professions. Other institutions of higher learning. Medical centers. Academic health centers. Hospitals. Such other public or nonprofit agencies, institutions, or organizations as the Secretary considers appropriate. is experiencing a shortage of physicians; and is located in a community that is designated as a health professional shortage area (as defined in section 332 of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 254e )). allocate the residency positions under such paragraph among occupations included in the most current determination published in the Federal Register pursuant to section 7412(a) of this title ; and give priority to residency positions and programs in primary care, mental health, and any other specialty the Secretary determines appropriate. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall update web portals of the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide for a method by which a veteran who served in a medical occupation while serving as a member of the Armed Forces may elect to provide the information described in paragraph (2). Contact information for the veteran. A history of the medical experience and trained competencies of the veteran. To the extent practicable, the history of a veteran provided under paragraph (2)(B) shall include individual critical task lists specific to the military occupational specialty of the veteran that align with standard occupational codes maintained by the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. State departments of veterans affairs. Veterans service organizations. State credentialing bodies. State homes. Other stakeholders involved in State-level credentialing, as determined appropriate by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish a program to train, certify, and employ covered veterans as intermediate care technicians of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may assign an intermediate care technician of the Department of Veterans Affairs trained under the program under paragraph (1) to any medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs, giving priority to locations with a significant staffing shortage. As part of the Transition Assistance Program under sections 1142 and 1144 of title 10, United States Code, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct a communications campaign to convey to appropriate members of the Armed Forces separating from active duty opportunities for training, certification, and employment under the program under paragraph (1). Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [ Dec. 23, 2022 ], the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report on whether the program under paragraph (1) may be replicated for other medical positions within the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall notify veterans service organizations and, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces of opportunities for veterans under this section. The term ‘covered veteran’ means a veteran whom the Secretary of Veterans Affairs determines served as a basic health care technician while serving in the Armed Forces. The terms ‘State home’ and ‘veteran’ have the meanings given those terms in section 101 of title 38 , United States Code. The term ‘veterans service organization’ means an organization that provides services to veterans, including organizations recognized by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs under section 5902 of title 38 , United States Code.” Subject to paragraph (5), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish a pilot program to establish medical residency positions authorized under section 7302 of title 38 , United States Code, at covered facilities.”