House approves Stivers bill giving paid sick leave to Title 38 veteran employees

Newly hired American military veterans working medical positions at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), known as Title 38 employees under federal law, would be able to take paid sick leave under a bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Steve Stivers (R-OH) that soon could make it to the president’s desk to become law.

“Veterans should not have to choose between receiving a full paycheck and receiving care for their service-connected disabilities,” Rep. Stivers said.

The U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on July 16 amended and approved the House version of the Veterans Providing Healthcare Transition Improvement Act, H.R. 2648, which Rep. Stivers introduced last May with original cosponsor U.S. Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA). The committee sent H.R. 2648 back to the full House, which on July 16 approved the measure by voice vote as part of its amendments to the same-named S. 899, which the House and Senate are reconciling.

S. 899, which is being led in the Senate by U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran (R-KS), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Jon Tester (D-MT), would extend the policy entitling new federal employees who are veterans with a service-connected disability to a specified amount of leave for medical treatment for that disability to all Veterans Health Administration (VHA) physicians, dentists, podiatrists, chiropractors, optometrists, registered nurses, physician assistants, and expanded-function dental auxiliaries, according to the congressional record summary.

Specifically, Rep. Stiver’s bill would close a loophole in current law to provide the same Wounded Warrior Federal Leave Act benefits to Title 38 employees that already are afforded to veteran employees in other federal agencies, according to a statement from the congressman’s office.

The Wounded Warrior Federal Leave Act was signed into law in 2015 and makes paid sick leave available to some new veteran federal employees with service-connected conditions rated at 30 percent or more disabled so they may receive treatment. However, the law doesn’t cover Title 38 employees, which include VA physicians, physician assistants, registered nurses, chiropractors, podiatrists, optometrists, and dentists.

Compounding the problem, the VHA reported data in March showing that it currently has more than 14,000 Title 38 vacancies nationwide.

H.R. 2648 would allow for immediate paid sick leave for Title 38 employees during their first year of work, rather than requiring them to accrue such leave over time or to take unpaid leave.

“Unfortunately, current law puts many veterans in this exact position,” Rep. 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.”

The congressman added that he hopes H.R. 2648 “will be quickly re-considered by the Senate.”