Representatives Stivers, Takano Bill to Help Disabled Veteran Employees Receive the Care They Need Passes House

Press Release

Today, bipartisan legislation introduced by Representative Steve Stivers (R-OH) and Representative Mark Takano (D-CA) passed the House of Representatives by voice vote to ensure newly hired veterans in frontline medical positions at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are able to take paid sick leave to receive the care they need. The Veterans Providing Healthcare Transition Improvement Act will correct a loophole in existing law to provide the same Wounded Warrior Act benefits that veteran employees in other federal agencies currently receive.

This change would provide immediate paid sick leave for veteran employees in their first year of work that they otherwise would have to accrue over time or take unpaid leave to receive care for their service-connected injuries. The effort in the Senate has been led by Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Jon Tester (D-MT).

"Veterans should not have to choose between receiving a full paycheck and receiving care for their service-connected disabilities. Unfortunately, current law puts many veterans in this exact position," Stivers said. "This bipartisan legislation will correct this shortcoming in the law to ensure these veterans who have made, and continue to make, incredible sacrifices for our country have the ability to receive care without sacrificing pay. I am proud to support this important effort, and hope it will be quickly re-considered by the Senate."

"Veterans who choose to provide their medical skills and expertise to serve other veterans at the Department of Veterans Affairs should not have to take a leave of absence to receive the care that they need," said Rep. Mark Takano. "I am glad Congress is acting to extend benefits to wounded warriors working at the VA and making it a priority to ensure that the VA is well staffed and capable of providing veterans with much-needed services."

In 2015, the Wounded Warrior Federal Leave Act was signed into law to make paid sick leave available to some new veteran federal employees with service-connected conditions rated at 30 percent or more disabled so they could receive treatment. However, this did not extend to "Title 38" employees, which includes VA physicians, physician assistants, registered nurses, chiropractors, podiatrists, optometrists, and dentists.

According to March 2018 data from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), there are over 14,000 "Title 38" vacancies nationwide.

This bill is supported by the National Association of VA Physicians and Dentists (NAVAPD), Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs (NOVA), American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Association of the U.S. Navy (AUSN), American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), AMVETS and the Federal Managers Association (FMA).

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