Stronger Medical Workforce for Veterans Act

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Congressional Research Service

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jan 30, 2018

Stronger Medical Workforce for Veterans Act

This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to develop criteria to designate VA medical centers, ambulatory care facilities, and community based outpatient clinics as underserved facilities.

The VA must commence a pilot program to assess the feasibility of providing individuals with tuition and loan repayment incentives to work at underserved facilities. The VA must also ensure that clinical staff working at Vet Centers (community-based counseling centers that provide veterans with post-deployment social and psychological services) are eligible to participate in the VA education debt reduction program.

The bill directs the VA and the Surgeon General to enter into a memorandum of understanding to assign at least 500 Public Health Service commissioned officers to the VA.

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People & committees

Who introduced it

Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT] · D–MT

Committees

Veterans' Affairs Committee

6 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Legislative record

Actions

A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.

Jan 30, 2018
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Jan 30, 2018
Introduced in Senate

Primary sources

Bill text & related measures

Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.

Introduced in Senate · Jan 30, 2018 Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML

Related bills identified by Congress.gov

S 2193 · Caring for our Veterans Act of 2017

Source last updated: Aug 11, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

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Analyze S.2356 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

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Discuss S.2356, 115th Congress: Stronger Medical Workforce for Veterans Act

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2356

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 2018-01-30.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/115/bills/s2356/BILLS-115s2356is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2025-08-11T16:35:04Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Analyze S.2356 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

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Examine S.2356 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

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Discuss S.2356, 115th Congress: Stronger Medical Workforce for Veterans Act

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2356

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 2018-01-30.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/115/bills/s2356/BILLS-115s2356is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2025-08-11T16:35:04Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Examine S.2356 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

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Examine S.2356 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

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Discuss S.2356, 115th Congress: Stronger Medical Workforce for Veterans Act

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2356

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 2018-01-30.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/115/bills/s2356/BILLS-115s2356is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2025-08-11T16:35:04Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

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Discuss S.2356, 115th Congress: Stronger Medical Workforce for Veterans Act

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2356

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 2018-01-30.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/115/bills/s2356/BILLS-115s2356is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2025-08-11T16:35:04Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Examine S.2356 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.