,i  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hjeb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #bd1          
#bjbf,mrs4 ,kiggans of ,virginia        
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
amend title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 
to require that a sterile processing    
technician of the ,veterans ,health     
,administration holds an appropriate    
professional certification1 and for     
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,veteran       
,infection ,prevention ,act4  #b4       
,professional certification requirement 
for sterile processing technicians of   
the ,veterans ,health ,administration   
7a7 ,requirement ,section #gdjb7;b7 of  
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is    
amended--  7#a7 by redesignating        
paragraph 7#ad7 as 7#ae72 and  7#b7 by  
inserting after paragraph 7#ac7 the     
following new paragraph3  7#ad7 ,sterile
 processing technician ,to be eligible  

to be appointed to a sterile processing 
technician position 7except for such a  
position that the ,secretary determines 
is entry level71 a person must be       
certified as a sterile processing       
technician by an accredited institution 
engaged in providing sterile processing 
technician training not later than two  
years after such an appointment4  4  7b7
 ,current employees  7#a7 ,applicability
 ,the amendment made by subsection 7a7  
shall apply to a covered employee two   
years after the date of the enactment of
 this ,act4  7#b7 ,employee ,incentive  
,scholarship ,program  7,a7 ,requirement
 ,the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs  
shall award to a covered employee a     
scholarship under subchapter ,,vi of    
chapter #gf of title #ch1 ,united       
,states ,code1 for certification        
described in of section #gdjb7;b77#ad7  
of such title1 as amended by subsection 
7a74  7,b7 ,period of obligated service 
,notwithstanding section #gfgb7;e7 of   
such title1 the period of obligated     

service of a covered employee awarded a 
scholarship pursuant to subparagraph    
7,a7 shall be a period of two years     
beginning on the day that the covered   
employee receives such certification4   
7#c7 ,covered employee defined ,in this 
subsection1 the term covered employee   
means a person-- 7,a7 occupying a       
sterile processing technician position  
in the ,veterans ,health ,administration
 on the date of the enactment of this   
,act2 and  7,b7 who1 on such date1 is   
not certified as a sterile processing   
technician by an accredited institution 
engaged in providing sterile processing 
technician training4