,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bfgc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,august #a1    
#bjbe ,mr4 ,kelly 7for himself and ,mr4 
,rounds7 introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a  
,,bill  ,to require the ,secretary of   
,defense and the ,secretary of ,homeland
 ,security to improve the transition of 
medics into the civilian workforce in   
certain health care occupations and to  
modify the assistance provided to       
separated members of the ,armed ,forces 
seeking employment with health care     
providers1 and for other purposes4  #a4 
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,medic ,education and ,deployment   
,into ,civilian ,careers ,act of #bjbe  
or the ,,medic ,careers ,act of #bjbe4  
#b4 ,improvement of transition of medics
 in the ,armed ,forces to the civilian  
workforce in health care occupations    
7a7 ,recommendations required ,the      
,secretary concerned1 in consultation   

with each of the ,states 7through the   
,defense-,state ,liaison ,office of the 
,department of ,defense71 the ,secretary
 of ,veterans ,affairs1 the ,secretary  
of ,health and ,human ,services1 and the
 ,secretary of ,labor1 shall develop    
recommendations to improve the          
transition of medics under the          
jurisdiction of the ,secretary concerned
 into the civilian workforce in health  
care occupations1 including as certified
 nurse aides1 licensed practical nurses1
 or medical assistants4  7b7            
,considerations ,in carrying out        
subsection 7a71 the ,secretary concerned
 shall-- 7#a7 identify any barriers--   
7,a7 to improving the ability of the    
,secretary concerned to determine and   
communicate how the military credentials
 and experience of a medic separating   
from the ,armed ,forces translate to    
credentialed civilian employment in     
health care occupations2  7,b7 that     
exist to the standardization among the  
,armed ,forces of military medic        

credentials and experience and the      
alignment of such credentials and       
experience to credentialed civilian     
employment in health care occupations2  
7,c7 that exist to ensuring members of  
the ,armed ,forces with military medic  
credentials and experience have earned  
the equivalent civilian credential prior
 to separation from the ,armed ,forces  
in addition to receiving their military 
credentials2  7,d7 to the increased     
establishment and uptake of accelerated 
or bridge programs to assist separating 
members of the ,armed ,forces in        
translating military credentials and    
experience into civilian health care    
credentials and employment2  7,e7 to    
increasing the availability and         
accessibility of preparatory activities 
under the ,skill,bridge program         
established under section #aadc7;e7 of  
title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code1 in the
 health care sector for members of the  
,armed ,forces preparing for separation1
 to include-- 7i7 the approval timeline 

for separating members to participate in
 ,skill,bridge programs in the health   
care sector2 and  7ii7 requirements to  
return to their duty station for        
out-processing2 and  7,f7 to providing  
information on civilian health care     
credentials and employment under the    
,transition ,assistance ,program to     
medics separating from the ,armed       
,forces1 including information on       
,state-by-,state licensing and          
credentialing2 and  7#b7 consider the   
potential impact of-- 7,a7 clarification
 by ,states through legislation1 actions
 of ,state licensing boards1 or actions 
of ,state credentialing boards of the   
civilian equivalents of certain military
 credentials and experience in health   
care2  7,b7 implementation1 including   
through ,state-provided incentives1 of  
accelerated programs to bridge military 
medic credentials and experience with   
civilian health care credentials and    
licenses2  7,c7 financial support or    
incentives by ,states to increase the   

availability and accessibility of such  
programs2  7,d7 requiring the military  
departments to align military health    
care credentials with civilian          
equivalents2 and  7,e7 requiring the    
,department of ,veterans ,affairs and   
the ,department of ,labor to track and  
report the number of separated members  
of the ,armed ,forces with health       
care-related military credentials and   
experience who continue in the civilian 
health care sector1 including the type  
of employment they pursue4  7c7 ,report 
,not later than #ahj days after the date
 of the enactment of this ,act1 the     
,secretary concerned shall submit to the
 relevant committees of ,congress a     
report containing-- 7#a7 the            
recommendations developed under         
subsection 7a72 and  7#b7 a plan to     
implement those recommendations4  7d7   
,definitions ,in this section3  7#a7    
,medic ,the term medic means a member of
 the ,armed ,forces acting in a clinical
 health care-related occupation while   

serving in the ,armed ,forces4  7#b7    
,relevant committees of ,congress ,the  
term relevant committees of ,congress   
means--  7,a7 the ,committee on ,armed  
,services1 the ,committee on ,commerce1 
,science1 and ,transportation1 the      
,committee on ,health1 ,education1      
,labor1 and ,pensions1 and the          
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,senate2 and  7,b7 the ,committee on   
,armed ,services1 the ,committee on     
,education and ,workforce1 and the      
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,house of ,representatives4  7#c7      
,secretary concerned ,the term          
,secretary concerned means-- 7,a7 the   
,secretary of ,defense1 with respect to 
matters concerning the ,department of   
,defense2 and  7,b7 the ,secretary of   
,homeland ,security1 with respect to    
matters concerning the ,coast ,guard    
when it is not operating as a service in
 the ,department of the ,navy4  7#d7    
,state ,the term ,state means each of   
the several ,states1 the ,district of   

,columbia1 the ,commonwealth of ,puerto 
,rico1 the ,united ,states ,virgin      
,islands1 ,guam1 ,american ,samoa1 or   
the ,commonwealth of the ,northern      
,mariana ,islands that have a           
,defense-,state ,liaison ,office4  7#e7 
,transition ,assistance ,program ,the   
term ,transition ,assistance ,program   
means the program of the ,department of 
,defense for pre-separation counseling1 
employment assistance1 and other        
transitional services provided under    
sections #aadb and #aadd of title #aj1  
,united ,states ,code4  #c4 ,health     
,care ,workforce ,preparedness and      
,response ,pilot ,program  7a7 ,in      
general ,section #aaec of title #aj1    
,united ,states ,code1 is amended to    
read as follows3  #aaec4 ,health ,care  
,workforce ,preparedness and ,response  
,pilot ,program  7a7 ,grants ,the       
,secretary of ,defense shall establish a
 pilot program to award grants to       
eligible providers to support the       
hiring1 training1 and retention by such 

providers of members of the ,armed      
,forces separating from the ,armed      
,forces to improve access to1 and       
enhance the quality of1 civilian health 
care occupations by such members4  7b7  
,duration ,the duration of a grant      
awarded under this section shall be for 
a period of three years1 with an option 
to renew for subsequent one-year periods
 until the earlier of--  7#a7 two       
renewal periods2 or  7#b7 the date on   
which funds are no longer available for 
grants under this section4  7c7         
,eligible providers ,to be eligible for 
a grant under this section1 an entity   
shall-- 7#a7 own or operate1 or act as a
 consortium that includes--  7,a7 a     
rural health clinic1 as defined in      
section #ahfa7;aa7 of the ,social       
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#aciex7aa772  7,b7 a nursing home1 as   
defined in section #bcb7;b7 of the      
,national ,housing ,act 7#ab ,u4,s4,c4  
#agaew7b772  7,c7 a medical facility1 as
 defined in subsection 7a7 of section   

#ccb of the ,public ,health ,service    
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bed;e7a771 located 
in a health professional shortage area  
designated under such section2  7,d7 a  
,federally qualified health center1 as  
defined in section #ahfa7;aa7 of the    
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#aciex7aa772 or  7,e7 a health care     
facility1 as defined in section #hja of 
the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db  
,u4,s4,c4 #bif72  7#b7 be a public or   
private nonprofit organization1 as      
defined in section #eja7;c7 of the      
,internal ,revenue ,code of #aihf2 and  
7#c7 be located in a medically          
underserved area1 as designated pursuant
 to section #ccj7;b77#c77;,a7 of the    
,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db      
,u4,s4,c4 #bde;b7b77#c77;a774  7d7 ,use 
of funds  7#a7 ,in general ,an eligible 
provider receiving a grant under this   
section shall use amounts received      
through the grant to implement a new    
program or enhance an existing program--
  7,a7 to assist in the hiring or       

retaining by an eligible provider of    
members of the ,armed ,forces separating
 or recently separated from service in  
the ,armed ,forces2  7,b7 to assist such
 members who are transitioning to       
employment with an eligible provider1   
including--  7i7 activities relating to 
the period of time the member is        
pursuing licensing1 credentialing1 or   
certification as required by the ,state1
 field of service of the eligible       
provider1 or occupation of the member2  
and  7ii7 providing specific training to
 meet ,federal or ,state licensing or   
certification requirements2 and  7,c7 to
 coordinate or improve coordination with
 transition assistance programs operated
 by the ,department of ,defense to      
ensure appropriate transition by such   
members to civilian employment4  7#b7   
,exception for activities eligible for  
educational assistance under title #ch  
,in the case of training described in   
paragraph 7#a77;,a77ii71 if such        
training is an eligible use of          

educational assistance received under   
subchapter ,,ii of chapter #cc of title 
#ch and the recipient of such training  
is eligible for the receipt of such     
educational assistance1 the ,secretary  
of ,defense shall coordinate with the   
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs to     
ensure that payment for such training is
 made through the use of such           
educational assistance instead of       
through the use of grant amounts awarded
 under this section4  7e7 ,application  
,an eligible provider seeking a grant   
under this section shall submit to the  
,secretary of ,defense an application at
 such time1 in such manner1 and         
containing such information as the      
,secretary may require1 including-- 7#a7
 a description of the project that the  
eligible provider will carry out using  
the amounts provided through the grant2 
7#b7 an explanation of the reasons why  
,federal ,government assistance is      
required to carry out the project2  7#c7
 a plan for sustaining the project for  

which the grant was awarded after       
,federal ,government assistance for the 
project has ended2  7#d7 a description  
of how the population in the area or    
areas to be served through the grant    
will experience increased access to     
quality health care services across the 
continuum of care as a result of the    
activities carried out by the eligible  
provider2 and  7#e7 a description of    
such other priorities as the ,secretary 
of ,defense considers appropriate4  7f7 
,allocation of grants to rural providers
 ,the ,secretary of ,defense shall      
ensure that eligible providers located  
in rural areas are adequately           
represented in the total number of      
grants awarded under this section4  7g7 
,maximum grant amount ,the amount of a  
grant made under this section to a      
single grant recipient shall not        
exceed--  7#a7 with respect to the      
initial three-year period1 #fjj1jjj2 and
  7#b7 with respect to any additional   
year1 #bjj1jjj4  7h7 ,reports  7#a7     

,report to ,secretary ,an eligible      
provider awarded a grant under this     
section shall periodically submit to the
 ,secretary of ,defense a report        
evaluating the activities supported by  
the grant4  7#b7 ,report to public ,not 
later than two years after the date of  
the enactment of the ,,medic ,careers   
,act of #bjbe1 and not less frequently  
than annually thereafter1 the ,secretary
 of ,defense shall submit to the        
appropriate committees of ,congress and 
make publicly available a report on the 
findings of the ,secretary with respect 
to the success of the pilot program     
under this section in improving access  
by separating members of the ,armed     
,forces to civilian health care         
occupations and enhancing the quality of
 those occupations4  7i7 ,definitions   
,in this section3 7#a7 ,the term        
appropriate committees of ,congress     
means--  7,a7 the ,committee on ,health1
 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions1 the 
,committee on ,armed ,services1 and the 

,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,senate2 and  7,b7 the ,committee on   
,education and ,workforce1 the          
,committee on ,armed ,services1 and the 
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,house of ,representatives4  7#b7 ,the 
term eligible provider means a health   
care provider1 as defined in section    
#cjjj of the ,public ,health ,service   
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #cjj;jj74  7j7      
,authorization of appropriations  7#a7  
,in general ,there are authorized to be 
appropriated to the ,secretary of       
,defense #e1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal  
years #bjbf through #bjcj to carry out  
this section4  7#b7 ,administrative     
costs ,the ,secretary of ,defense may   
use not more than #aj percent of the    
amount appropriated pursuant to         
paragraph 7#a7 for a fiscal year for the
 administrative expenses of carrying out
 this section4  4  7b7 ,clerical        
amendment ,the table of sections at the 
beginning of chapter #eh of title #aj1  
,united ,states ,code1 is amended by    

striking the item relating to section   
#aaec and inserting the following new   
item3  #aaec4 ,health ,care ,workforce  
,preparedness and ,response ,pilot      
,program4  4