Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 106 Part 6.djvu/394

 106 STAT. 4952 PUBLIC LAW 102-585 —NOV. 4, 1992 "(ii) For the purposes of this subparagraph, certified registered nurse anesthetists who are so employed by such entities shall be deemed to be corresponding health-care professionals to the certified registered nurse anesthetists employed by the facility. "(iii) The authority of the director to use such additional data under this subparagraph with respect to certified registered nurse anesthetists expires on April 1, 1995.". SEC. 304. RATES OF PAY FOR TRANSFERRING NURSES. (a) SAVE-PAY AUTHORITY FOR NURSES TRANSFERRING TO ANOTHER FACILITY. — Section 7452(e) is amended by striking out the period at the end and inserting in lieu thereof **, except that in the case of an employee whose transfer (other than pursuant to a disciplinary action otherwise authorized by law) to another health-care facility is at the request of the Secretary, the Secretary may provide that for at least the first year following such transfer the employee shall be paid at a rate of basic pay up to the rate applicable to such employee before the transfer, if the Secretary determines that such rate of pay is necessary to fill the position. Whenever the Secretary exercises the authority under the preceding sentence relating to the rate of basic pay of a transferred employee, the Secretary shall, in the next annual report required under section 7451(g) of this title, provide justification for doing so.". (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT. — Section 7451(g) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: " (9) The justification required by section 7452(e) of this title. ". 38 USC 7451 SEC. SOS. NURSING PERSONNEL QUALIFICATION STANDARDS. (a) REVISION.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct a review of the qualification standards used for nursing personnel at Department health-care facilities and the relationship between those standards and the compression of nursing personnel in the existing intermediate and senior grades. Based upon that review, the Secretary shall revise those qualification standards— (1) to reflect the five grade levels for nursing personnel under the Nurse Schedule, as amended by section 301; and (2) to reduce the compression of nursing personnel in the existing intermediate and senior grades. (b) DEADLINE FOR PRESCRIBING STANDARDS. —The Secretary shall prescribe revised qualification standards for nursing personnel pursuant to subsection (a) not later than six months after the date of the enactment of this Act. (c) REPORT.—The Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report on the Secretary's findings and actions under this section. The report shall be submitted not later than six months after the date on which revised qualification standards for nursing personnel are prescribed pursuant to subsection (b). 38 USC 7451 SEC. 306. REPORT ON PAY FOR CHIEF NURSE POSITION. (a) REVIEW.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct a review of— (1) the process for determining the rate of basic pay applicable to the Chief Nurse position at Department of Veterans Affairs health-care facilities; and (2) the relationship between the rate of such basic pay and the rate of basic pay applicable to nurses in positions

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