38 U.S.C. § 7691 — Establishment

Page 1283 TITLE 38—VETERANS’ BENEFITS § 7692 of such a waiver, the total amount of education debt repayments payable to or for that partici- pant is the total amount of the principal and the interest on the participant’s loans referred to in subsection (a). (B) A participant described in this subpara- graph is a participant in the Program who the Secretary determines serves in a position for which there is a shortage of qualified employees by reason of either the location or the require- ments of the position. (Added Pub. L. 105–368, title VIII, § 803(a), Nov. 11, 1998, 112 Stat. 3357; amended Pub. L. 107–135, title I, § 102(c), Jan. 23, 2002, 115 Stat. 2448; Pub. L. 111–163, title III, § 301(c), (d), May 5, 2010, 124 Stat. 1146; Pub. L. 113–146, title III, § 302(b), Aug. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 1788; Pub. L. 113–175, title IV, § 408, Sept. 26, 2014, 128 Stat. 1906; Pub. L. 114–58, title VI, § 601(24), Sept. 30, 2015, 129 Stat. 539; Pub. L. 115–182, title III, § 302(a), June 6, 2018, 132 Stat. 1463.) Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 2018—Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 115–182 substituted ‘‘$200,000’’ for ‘‘$120,000’’ and ‘‘40,000’’ for ‘‘$24,000’’. 2015—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 114–58 inserted period at end. 2014—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 113–175, § 408(1), added sub- sec. (a) and struck out former subsec. (a). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: ‘‘Education debt re- duction payments under the Education Debt Reduction Program shall consist of payments to individuals se- lected to participate in the program of amounts to re- imburse such individuals for payments by such individ- uals of principal and interest on loans described in sec- tion 7682(a)(2) of this title.’’ Subsecs. (b)(1), (c). Pub. L. 113–175, § 408(2), sub- stituted ‘‘payments to or for’’ for ‘‘payments to’’. Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 113–175, § 408(3)(A), substituted ‘‘made to or for’’ for ‘‘made to’’. Pub. L. 113–146, § 302(b)(1), (2)(B), substituted ‘‘The amount’’ for ‘‘Subject to paragraph (2), the amount’’, ‘‘$120,000’’ for ‘‘$60,000’’, and ‘‘$24,000 of such payments may be made in each year of participation in the Pro- gram’’ for ‘‘$12,000 of such payments may be made in each of the fourth and fifth years of participation in the Program’’. Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 113–146, § 302(b)(2)(A)(i), (ii), re- designated par. (3) as (2) and struck out former par. (2) which read as follows: ‘‘The total amount payable to a participant in such Program for any year may not ex- ceed the amount of the principal and interest on loans referred to in subsection (a) that is paid by the indi- vidual during such year.’’ Subsec. (d)(2)(A). Pub. L. 113–175, § 408(3)(B), sub- stituted ‘‘payable to or for that’’ for ‘‘payable to that’’. Pub. L. 113–146, § 302(b)(2)(A)(iii), substituted ‘‘para- graph (1)’’ for ‘‘paragraphs (1) and (2)’’. Subsec. (d)(3). Pub. L. 113–146, § 302(b)(2)(A)(ii), redes- ignated par. (3) as (2). 2010—Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 111–163, § 301(c), sub- stituted ‘‘$60,000’’ for ‘‘$44,000’’ and ‘‘$12,000’’ for ‘‘$10,000’’. Subsec. (d)(3). Pub. L. 111–163, § 301(d), added par. (3). 2002—Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 107–135 struck out ‘‘for a year’’ after ‘‘a participant’’ and substituted ‘‘exceed $44,000 over a total of five years of participation in the Program, of which not more than $10,000 of such pay- ments may be made in each of the fourth and fifth years of participation in the Program’’ for ‘‘exceed— ‘‘(A) $6,000 for the first year of the participant’s participation in the Program; ‘‘(B) $8,000 for the second year of the participant’s participation in the Program; and ‘‘(C) $10,000 for the third year of the participant’s participation in the Program’’. [§ 7684. Repealed. Pub. L. 107–135, title I, § 102(a)(1), Jan. 23, 2002, 115 Stat. 2448] Section, added Pub. L. 105–368, title VIII, § 803(a), Nov. 11, 1998, 112 Stat. 3358, provided that the Secretary could not make education debt reduction payments to individuals who had not commenced participation in the Education Debt Reduction Program before Dec. 31, 2001. SUBCHAPTER VIII—SPECIALTY EDUCATION LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM § 7691. Establishment As part of the Educational Assistance Pro- gram, the Secretary may carry out a student loan repayment program under section 5379 of title 5. The program shall be known as the De- partment of Veterans Affairs Specialty Edu- cation Loan Repayment Program (in this chap- ter referred to as the ‘‘Specialty Education Loan Repayment Program’’). (Added Pub. L. 115–182, title III, § 303(a), June 6, 2018, 132 Stat. 1464.) Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries OFFER DEADLINE Pub. L. 115–182, title III, § 303(e), June 6, 2018, 132 Stat. 1467, as amended by Pub. L. 115–251, title II, § 211(b)(6)(B), Sept. 29, 2018, 132 Stat. 3177, provided that: ‘‘In the case of an applicant who applies before receiv- ing a residency match and whom the Secretary of Vet- erans Affairs selects for participation in the Specialty Education Loan Repayment Program under subchapter VIII of chapter 76 of title 38, United States Code, as en- acted by subsection (a), the Secretary shall offer par- ticipation to the applicant not later than 28 days after— ‘‘(1) the applicant matches with a residency in a medical specialty described in section 7692 of title 38, United States Code, as enacted by subsection (a); and ‘‘(2) such match is published.’’ PUBLICITY Pub. L. 115–182, title III, § 303(f), June 6, 2018, 132 Stat. 1467, provided that: ‘‘The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall take such steps as the Secretary determines are appropriate to publicize the Specialty Education Loan Repayment Program established under subchapter VIII of chapter 76 of title 38, United States Code, as enacted by subsection (a).’’ § 7692. Purpose The purpose of the Specialty Education Loan Repayment Program is to assist, through the es- tablishment of an incentive program for certain individuals employed in the Veterans Health Ad- ministration, in meeting the staffing needs of the Veterans Health Administration for physi- cians in medical specialties for which the Sec- retary determines recruitment or retention of qualified personnel is difficult. (Added Pub. L. 115–182, title III, § 303(a), June 6, 2018, 132 Stat. 1464.) Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries NEEDS OF THE VHA Pub. L. 115–182, title III, § 303(c), June 6, 2018, 132 Stat. 1467, provided that: ‘‘In making determinations each