,,ib ,union ,calendar ,no4 #cie #aagth  
,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,h4 ,r4 #egba
 ,report ,no4 #aag-eea ,,in ,,the       
,,house ,,of ,,representatives  ,october
 #be1 #bjba,mr4 ,takano 7for himself and
 ,mr4 ,bost7 introduced the following   
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs       
,november #ad1 #bjbb;,additional        
sponsors3 ,mr4 ,mrvan1 ,mr4 ,levin of   
,california1 ,mr4 ,aguilar1 ,ms4        
,malliotakis1 ,mr4 ,cohen1 and ,ms4     
,craig  ,november #ad1 #bjbb,reported   
from the ,committee on ,veterans'       
,affairs2 committed to the ,committee of
 the ,whole ,house on the ,state of the 
,union and ordered to be printed  ,a    
,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 to improve research      
conducted within the ,department of     
,veterans ,affairs1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,,va ,infrastructure
 ,powers ,exceptional ,research ,act of 
#bjba or the ,,viper ,act of #bjba4  #b4

 ,inapplicability of ,paperwork         
,reduction ,act  7a7 ,in general        
,chapter #a of title #ch1 ,united       
,states ,code1 is amended by adding at  
the end the following new section3      
#abj4 ,inapplicability of ,paperwork    
,reduction ,act ,subchapter ,i of       
chapter #ce of title #dd1 ,united       
,states ,code 7commonly known as the    
,paperwork ,reduction ,act7 shall not   
apply to research activities of the     
,department1 including activities under 
subchapter ,v of chapter #gc4  4  7b7   
,clerical amendment ,the table of       
sections at the beginning of such       
chapter is amended by adding at the end 
the following new item3  #abj4          
,inapplicability of ,paperwork          
,reduction ,act4  4  #c4 ,research and  
,development  7a7 ,office of ,research  
and ,development ,chapter #gc of title  
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended  
by adding at the end the following new  
subchapter3  ,v ,research and           
,development  #gcha4 ,office of         

,research and ,development  7a7 ,office 
of ,research and ,development ,there is 
in the ,veterans ,health ,administration
 an ,office of ,research and            
,development 7in this section referred  
to as the ,office74  7b7 ,purposes ,the 
function of the ,office is to serve     
veterans through a full spectrum of     
research 7including pre-clinical1       
clinical1 and health systems science71  
technology transfer1 and application4   
7c7 ,chief ,research and ,development   
,officer ,the head of the ,office is the
 ,chief ,research and ,development      
,officer4  7d7 ,organization and        
personnel ,the ,office shall be         
organized in such manner1 and its       
personnel shall perform such duties and 
have such titles1 as the ,secretary may 
prescribe4  #gchb4 ,research personnel  
7a7 ,waiver of ,intergovernmental       
,personnel ,act ,mobility ,program      
limits ,the ,secretary may waive the    
limit on the period and number of       
assignments required under section      

#ccgb7;a7 of title #e with respect to an
 individual who performs research for   
the ,department under the mobility      
program under subchapter ,,vi of chapter
 #cc of such title 7commonly referred to
 as the ,intergovernmental ,personnel   
,act ,mobility ,program74  7b7 ,outside 
earned income for research for the      
,department  7#a7 ,compensation from a  
nonprofit corporation established under 
subchapter ,,iv of this chapter1 or a   
university affiliated with the          
,department1 may be paid1 without regard
 to section #bji of title #ah1 to an    
employee described in paragraph 7#b71   
for research conducted pursuant to      
section #gcjc of this title if-- 7,a7   
the research has been approved in       
accordance with procedures prescribed by
 the ,under ,secretary for ,health2     
7,b7 the employee conducts research     
under the supervision of personnel of   
the ,department2 and  7,c7 the          
,secretary agreed to the terms of such  
compensation in writing4  7#b7 ,an      

employee described in this subsection is
 an employee who has an appointment     
within the ,department1 whether with or 
without compensation1 and without regard
 to the source of such compensation4  4 
7b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of   
sections at the beginning of such       
chapter is amended by adding at the end 
the following3  ,subchapter             
,v--,research and ,development #gcha4   
,office of ,research and ,development4  
#gchb4 ,research personnel4  4  7c7     
,service of incumbent ,the individual   
serving as the ,chief ,research and     
,development ,officer of the ,office of 
,research and ,development as of the    
date of the enactment of this ,act may  
continue to serve as such ,chief        
,research and ,development ,officer     
commencing as of that date1 without     
further appointment4  #d4 ,expansion of 
hiring authorities for certain classes  
of research occupations ,section        
#gdja7c7 of title #ch1 ,united ,states  
,code1 is amended by inserting          

statisticians1 economists1              
informaticists1 data scientists1 and    
after blind rehabilitation outpatient   
specialists14  #e4 ,other transaction   
authority  7a7 ,authority ,the          
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs may    
enter into transactions 7other than     
contracts1 cooperative agreements1 and  
grants7 with nontraditional contractors 
to carry out extramural basic or applied
 research4  7b7 ,requirements ,the      
,secretary may enter into a transaction 
under subsection 7a7 to carry out       
extramural basic or applied research if 
each of the following criteria are met3 
7#a7 ,the research is not duplicative of
 other research being conducted by the  
,department of ,veterans ,affairs under 
another program or through a contract1  
cooperative agreement1 or grant4  7#b7  
,the senior procurement executive has   
determined that entering into the       
transaction to carry out the research is
 appropriate4  7#c7 ,the transaction    
will not exceed #e1jjj1jjj 7including   

all options71 unless the senior         
procurement executive determines that   
exceeding such amount is appropriate4   
7#d7 ,not less than #cc percent of the  
total cost of the research 7regardless  
of the percentage of such total cost for
 which the transaction is funding7 is   
paid for1 or provided through           
nonmonetary contributions1 by sources   
other than the ,federal ,government1    
unless the senior procurement executive 
determines that-- 7,a7 meeting such     
threshold for non-,federal sources of   
funding or contributions is not         
possible2 and  7,b7 carrying out the    
research without meeting such threshold 
is in the public interest4  7c7         
,provision of information  7#a7         
,congress  7,a7 ,notification ,not later
 than #cj days after the date on which  
the ,secretary enters into a transaction
 under this section1 the ,secretary     
shall notify the appropriate            
congressional committees of such        
transaction1 including a copy of each   

determination made under subsection 7b74
  7,b7 ,by request ,upon the request of 
an appropriate congressional committee1 
the ,secretary shall submit to the      
appropriate congressional committees a  
copy of a transaction under this section
 or performance or financial information
 relating to such transaction4  7#b7    
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states ,with respect to transactions   
entered into under this section1 the    
,secretary shall ensure that1 upon      
request1 the ,comptroller ,general of   
the ,united ,states may examine records 
of any party to the transaction or any  
entity that participates in the         
performance of the transaction if such  
records are generated in the performance
 of the transaction or are directly     
related to the transaction4  7d7        
,regulations ,the ,secretary shall      
prescribe regulations to carry out this 
section4  7e7 ,termination ,the         
authority to enter into transactions    
under this section shall terminate on   

the date that is three years after the  
date of the enactment of this ,act4  7f7
 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7    
,the term appropriate congressional     
committees means the following3 7,a7    
,the ,committees on ,veterans' ,affairs 
of the ,house of ,representatives and   
the ,senate4  7,b7 ,the ,subcommittees  
on ,military ,construction1 ,veterans'  
,affairs1 and ,related ,agencies of the 
,committees on ,appropriations of the   
,house of ,representatives and the      
,senate4  7#b7 ,the term entity means a 
for-profit corporation1 partnership1 or 
single proprietorship1 non-profit       
organization1 or university organized   
and having principal operations in the  
,united ,states4  7#c7 ,the terms       
extramural budget1 research1 and        
research and development have the       
meaning given those terms in subsection 
7e7 of section #i of the ,small         
,business ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fch74    
7#d7 ,the term nontraditional contractor
 means an entity that is not currently  

performing and has never performed any  
contract or subcontract for any         
department or agency of the ,federal    
,government4  7#e7 ,the term senior     
procurement executive means the official
 of the ,department of ,veterans        
,affairs designated under section       
#agjb7;c7 of title #da1 ,united ,states 
,code4  #f4 ,authorizing a career       
development award grant program for     
medical research at ,r#c research       
institutions  7a7 ,grants authorized    
7#a7 ,in general ,the ,,crdo may        
establish a grant program-- 7,a7 to fund
 research related to health care        
furnished by the ,secretary of ,veterans
 ,affairs2  7,b7 that is a ,,cda-#a     
level award of the career development   
program of the ,department of ,veterans 
,affairs2 and  7,c7 modelled on the     
,historically ,black ,colleges and      
,universities ,research ,scientist      
,training ,program of the ,department4  
7#b7 ,eligible recipients ,the ,,crdo   
may award a grant under this section--  

7,a7 to an individual-- 7i7 employed by 
an ,r#c research institution2 and  7ii7 
whom the ,,crdo determines is in the    
early stage of a career as a scientist2 
and  7,b7 based on a peer review        
process4  7#c7 ,use of funds ,a grantee 
under this section may use the grant    
amount to conduct research related to   
health care furnished by the ,secretary 
of ,veterans ,affairs4  7#d7 ,meetings  
,as a condition of a grant under this   
section1 a grantee shall periodically   
meet with researchers and administrators
 at a medical center of the ,department 
of ,veterans ,affairs1 located near the 
,r#c research institution that employs  
such grantee1 to discuss research       
described in paragraph 7#a74  7b7       
,regulations ,if the ,,crdo establishes 
a grant program under this section1 the 
,,crdo shall prescribe regulations      
regarding-- 7#a7 the evaluation of      
applications for grants under the       
program2 and  7#b7 administration of the
 program4  7c7 ,,crdo defined ,the term 

,,crdo means the ,chief ,research and   
,development ,officer of the ,office of 
,research and ,development of the       
,department of ,veterans ,affairs4  #g4 
,comptroller ,general study on dedicated
 research time for certain personnel of 
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs   
7a7 ,study ,the ,comptroller ,general of
 the ,united ,states shall conduct a    
study on the amount of time dedicated   
for research for clinician-scientists   
appointed by the ,secretary of ,veterans
 ,affairs4  7b7 ,elements ,the study    
under subsection 7a7 shall include the  
following3 7#a7 ,a review of the        
policies and practices of the           
,department of ,veterans ,affairs       
regarding the time dedicated for        
research for the personnel specified in 
subsection 7a74  7#b7 ,an assessment of 
the effect of such policies and         
practices on the following3 7,a7 ,the   
recruitment and retention efforts of the
 ,department4  7,b7 ,the productivity of
 the personnel specified in subsection  

7a7 with respect to research4  7,c7 ,the
 efficient use of resources available   
for research on issues relating to      
veterans' health4  #h4 ,clerical        
amendment ,section #gjd of the          
,commander ,john ,scott ,hannon         
,veterans ,mental ,health ,care         
,improvement ,act of #bjai 7,public ,law
 #aaf-aga 7#ch ,u4,s4,c4 #gcjc note77 is
 amended as follows3 7#a7 ,in the       
section heading1 by striking research   
and inserting clinical4  7#b7 ,in       
subsection 7a7-- 7,a7 by striking       
research and inserting clinical2 and    
7,b7 by striking accredited4  7#c7 ,in  
subsection 7b7-- 7,a7 in paragraph      
7#a7-- 7i7 by striking identify         
accredited and inserting designate2 and 
7ii7 by striking research and inserting 
trials2 and  7,b7 in paragraph 7#b71 by 
striking its accreditation and inserting
 such designation4  7#d7 ,in subsection 
7c7-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#a7-- 7i7 by   
inserting commercial before             
institutional2  7ii7 by inserting and   

central ,federal agency institutional   
review boards before used by the        
,department2 and  7iii7 by striking 1   
including central institutional review  
boards and commercial institutional     
review boards and inserting in clinical 
investigations 7as that term is defined 
in section #ej4c of title #ba1 ,code of 
,federal ,regulations1 or successor     
regulation72 and  7,b7 in paragraph     
7#b7-- 7i7 in subparagraph 7,a71 by     
striking an and inserting such2  7ii7 in
 subparagraph 7,b7-- 7,i7 by inserting  
commercial or central ,federal agency   
before institutional review board2      
7,,ii7 by striking or institutional     
review boards and inserting or boards2  
and  7iii7 in subparagraph 7,c7 by      
inserting 7as determined by the         
,secretary7 after submission4  ,november
 #ad1 #bjbb;,committed to the ,committee
 of the ,whole ,house on the ,state of  
the ,union and ordered to be printed