(a) In general.—There is authorized to be appropriated, and is appropriated, to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $2,100,000,000 to be deposited in the Veterans Choice Fund under section 802 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113–146; 38 U.S.C. 1701 note).

(b) Availability.—The amount appropriated under subsection (a) shall remain available until expended.

(1) by striking “the five occupations” and inserting “at a minimum, the five clinical occupations and the five nonclinical occupations”; and

(2) by striking “throughout the Department” and inserting “with respect to each medical center of the Department,”.

(a) Fellowship program.—Chapter 7 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subchapter:

(b) Deadline for implementation.—Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall implement the Executive Management Fellowship Program required under section 741 of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a).

(c) Clerical amendment.—The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 7 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new items:

(a) In general.—Subchapter I of chapter 7 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

(b) Clerical amendment.—The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 7 of such title is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 723 the following new item:

“725. Annual performance plan for political appointees.”.

(a) In general.—Notwithstanding sections 3309 through 3318 of title 5, United States Code, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may noncompetitively appoint a qualified former career or career conditional employee to any position within the competitive service at the Department of Veterans Affairs that is one grade or equivalent higher than the grade or equivalent of the position at the Department most recently occupied by the employee.

(b) Limitation.—The Secretary may not appoint a qualified former employee to a position that is more than one grade (or equivalent) higher than the position at the Department most recently occupied by the employee.

(c) Definition of qualified former employee.—For purposes of this section, the term “qualified former employee” means any individual who—

(1) provide any such employee the opportunity to advance within the Department without being required to transition to a management position; and

(2) for purposes of achieving career advancement—

(a) In general.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall prescribe regulations to allow for excepted service appointments of students and recent graduates leading to conversion to career or career conditional employment of a student or recent graduate of a qualifying educational institution, as defined by the Department.

(b) Applicability.—The conversion authority described in subsection (a) shall be applicable to individuals in good standing who—

(c) Uniformity.—For the purposes of paragraphs (2) and (3) of subsection (b), hours of work performed by an individual employed shall be considered equal to those performed by an individual employed in a qualifying internship or fellowship program by the Department.

(a) Establishment.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish a single database that lists—

(b) Qualified applicant.—If the Secretary determines that an applicant for a vacant position listed in the database established under subsection (a) is qualified for such position but does not select the applicant for such position, the Secretary, at the election of the applicant, may consider the applicant for other similar vacant positions listed in the database for which the applicant is qualified.

(c) Prolonged vacancies.—If the Secretary does not fill a vacant position listed in the database established under subsection (a) after a period determined appropriate by the Secretary, the Secretary—

(d) Report.—Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the use and efficacy of the database established under subsection (a).

(a) In general.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall provide to human resources professionals of the Veterans Health Administration training on how to best recruit and retain employees of the Veterans Health Administration, including with respect to any recruitment and retention matters that are unique to the Veterans Health Administration pursuant to chapter 74 of title 38, United States Code, or other provisions of law.

(b) Virtual training.—Training provided under this section shall be provided virtually.

(c) Amount of training.—The Secretary shall ensure that each human resources professional of the Veterans Health Administration receives the training described in subsection (a)—

(d) Certification.—The Secretary shall require that each human resources professional of the Veterans Health Administration, upon the completion of the training described in subsection (a), certifies that the professional received the training and understands the information provided by the training.

(e) Annual report.—Not less frequently than annually, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the training described in subsection (a), including the cost of providing such training and the number of human resources professionals who received such training during the year covered by the report.

(a) Plan.—Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall develop and implement a plan to hire highly qualified directors for each medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs that lacks a permanent director as of the date of the plan.

(b) Priority.—The Secretary shall prioritize under the plan developed under subsection (a) the hiring of directors for medical centers that have not had a permanent director for the longest periods.

(c) Matters included.—The plan developed under subsection (a) shall include the following:

(d) Submittal of plan.—Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives the plan developed under subsection (a).

(e) Semiannual reports.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and not later than 180 days thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report containing a list of each medical center of the Department that lacks a permanent director as of the date of the report.

(a) Exit surveys required.—

(b) Survey content.—The survey shall include, at a minimum, the following:

(c) Anonymity of survey content.—The Secretary shall ensure that data collected under subsection (a)—

(d) Sharing of survey data.—The Secretary shall ensure that the results of the survey required by subsection (a) are—

(e) Annual report.—

(1) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C);

(2) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following new subparagraph (B):

(3) in subparagraph (C), as redesignated by paragraph (1), by striking “and registered nurse” and inserting “registered nurse, and physician assistant”.

(a) Assessment.—

(b) Report.—Not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the assessment carried out under subsection (a).

(c) Sense of Congress on study on compliance with policies and guidance.—It is the sense of Congress that—

(1) For a replacement outpatient clinic, Ann Arbor, Michigan, an amount not to exceed $4,247,000.

(2) For a new outpatient mental health clinic, Birmingham, Alabama, an amount not to exceed $6,649,000.

(3) For new research space, Boston, Massachusetts, an amount not to exceed $6,224,000.

(4) For a replacement research space, Charleston, South Carolina, an amount not to exceed $7,274,000.

(5) For a replacement outpatient clinic, Corpus Christi, Texas, an amount not to exceed $6,556,000.

(6) For a replacement outpatient clinic, Daytona Beach, Florida, an amount not to exceed $12,198,000.

(7) For a replacement Chief Business Office Purchased Care office space, Denver, Colorado, an amount not to exceed $14,784,000.

(8) For a replacement outpatient clinic, Fredericksburg, Virginia, an amount not to exceed $45,015,000.

(9) For a new outpatient clinic, Gainesville, Florida, an amount not to exceed $7,891,000.

(10) For an outpatient mental health clinic, Gainesville, Florida, an amount not to exceed $4,320,000.

(11) For a replacement outpatient clinic, Hampton Roads, Virginia, an amount not to exceed $18,141,000.

(12) For a replacement outpatient clinic, Indianapolis, Indiana, an amount not to exceed $7,876,000.

(13) For a replacement outpatient clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, an amount not to exceed $18,623,000.

(14) For a replacement outpatient clinic, Missoula, Montana, an amount not to exceed $6,942,000.

(15) For a replacement outpatient mental health clinic, Northern Colorado, Colorado, an amount not to exceed $8,904,000.

(16) For a replacement outpatient clinic, Ocala, Florida, an amount not to exceed $5,026,000.

(17) For a new outpatient clinic, Oxnard, California, an amount not to exceed $5,274,000.

(18) For a new outpatient clinic, Pike County, Georgia, an amount not to exceed $5,565,000.

(19) For a new outpatient clinic, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, an amount not to exceed $6,247,000.

(20) For a replacement outpatient clinic, Portland, Maine, an amount not to exceed $6,808,000.

(21) For a replacement outpatient clinic, Raleigh, North Carolina, an amount not to exceed $21,870,000.

(22) For a replacement outpatient clinic, phase II, Rochester, New York, an amount not to exceed $3,645,000.

(23) For a replacement research space, San Diego, California, an amount not to exceed $4,852,000.

(24) For a new outpatient clinic, Santa Rosa, California, an amount not to exceed $6,922,000.

(25) For a replacement mental health clinic, Tampa, Florida, an amount not to exceed $13,387,000.

(26) For a replacement outpatient clinic, Lakeland, Tampa, Florida, an amount not to exceed $10,760,000.

(27) For a replacement outpatient clinic, Terre Haute, Indiana, an amount not to exceed $4,102,000.

(28) For a replacement outpatient clinic, Rapid City, South Dakota, an amount not to exceed $4,532,000.

(1) in subparagraph (A)—

(2) in subparagraph (B)—

(3) in subparagraph (C)—

(4) in subparagraph (D)—