,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ahga  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #bg1
 #bjag,mr4 ,cassidy introduced the      
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
amend title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 
to clarify the role of podiatrists in   
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs1  
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,,va ,provider ,equity ,act4  #b4 ,role 
of podiatrists in ,department of        
,veterans ,affairs  7a7 ,inclusion as   
physician  7#a7 ,in general ,subchapter 
,i of chapter #gd of title #ch1 ,united 
,states ,code1 is amended by adding at  
the end the following new section3      
#gdac4 ,treatment of podiatrists2       
clinical oversight standards  7a7       
,podiatrists ,except as provided by     
subsection 7b71 a doctor of podiatric   
medicine who is appointed as a          
podiatrist under section #gdja7a7 of    

this title is eligible for any          
supervisory position in the ,veterans   
,health ,administration to the same     
degree that a physician appointed under 
such section is eligible for the        
position4  7b7 ,establishment of        
clinical oversight standards ,the       
,secretary1 in consultation with        
appropriate stakeholders1 shall         
establish standards to ensure that      
specialists appointed in the ,veterans  
,health ,administration to supervisory  
positions do not provide direct clinical
 oversight for purposes of peer review  
or practice evaluation for providers of 
other clinical specialties4  4  7#b7    
,clerical amendment ,the table of       
sections at the beginning of chapter #gd
 of such title is amended by inserting  
after the item relating to section #gdab
 the following new item3  #gdac4        
,treatment of podiatrists2 clinical     
oversight standards4  4  7b7            
,modification and clarification of pay  
grade  7#a7 ,grade ,the list in section 

#gdjd7;b7 of such title is amended--    
7,a7 by striking ,,physician ,,and      
,,dentist ,,schedule and inserting      
,,physician ,,and ,,surgeon             
7,,md_/,,do71 ,,po,,di,a,,tric ,,surgeon
 7,,dpm71 ,,and ,,dentist ,,and ,,oral  
,,surgeon 7,,dds1 ,,dmd7 ,,schedule2    
7,b7 by striking1 ,physician grade and  
inserting ,physician and surgeon grade2 
and  7,c7 by striking ,,podiatrist1     
,,chiropractor1 ,,and and inserting     
,,chiropractor ,,and4  7#b7 ,application
 ,the amendments made by paragraph 7#a7 
shall apply with respect to a pay period
 of the ,department of ,veterans        
,affairs beginning on or after the date 
that is #cj days after the date of the  
enactment of this ,act4