,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ffab  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,april #bc1 #bjbj,mr4
 ,takano 7for himself and ,mr4 ,david   
,p4 ,roe of ,tennessee7 introduced the  
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to direct the ,secretary of 
,veterans ,affairs to prescribe the     
technical qualifications for licensed   
hearing aid specialists of the          
,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 and  
for other purposes4  #a4 ,prescription  
of technical qualifications for licensed
 hearing aid specialists and requirement
 for appointment of such specialists    
7a7 ,in general ,not later than #ahj    
days after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,veterans  
,affairs shall prescribe the technical  
qualifications required under section   
#gdjb7;a77#ad7 of title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 to be appointed as a     
licensed hearing aid specialist under   
section #gdja7c7 of such title4  7b7    

,elements for qualifications ,in        
prescribing the qualifications for      
licensed hearing aid specialists under  
subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall    
ensure such qualifications are          
consistent with the following3 7#a7     
,standards of registered apprenticeship 
programs for the occupation of hearing  
aid specialists approved by the         
,department of ,labor in accordance with
 the ,act of ,august #af1 #aicg         
7commonly known as the ,national        
,apprenticeship ,act7 7#ej ,stat4 #ffd1 
chapter #ffc2 #bi ,u4,s4,c4 #ej et      
seq474  7#b7 ,standards for licensure of
 hearing aid specialists that are       
required by a majority of ,states4  7#c7
 ,competency in completing core tasks   
for the occupation of hearing aid       
specialist as determined by the         
,occupational ,information ,network     
,database 7commonly known as ,o99,,net74
  7c7 ,appointment ,not later than      
,september #cj1 #bjbb1 the ,secretary   
shall appoint not fewer than one        

licensed hearing aid specialist at each 
medical center of the ,department4  7d7 
,report ,not later than ,september #cj1 
#bjbb1 and annually thereafter1 the     
,secretary shall submit to the          
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,senate and the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of    
,representatives a report-- 7#a7        
assessing the progress of the ,secretary
 in appointing licensed hearing aid     
specialists under subsection 7c72  7#b7 
assessing potential conflicts or        
obstacles that prevent the appointment  
of licensed hearing aid specialists2    
7#c7 assessing the factors that led to  
such conflicts or obstacles2 and  7#d7  
indicating the medical centers of the   
,department with vacancies for licensed 
hearing aid specialists4