To improve the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to hire and retain physicians and other employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

[AI summary unavailable — showing source text] This bill provides that the annual determination of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) staff shortages shall include shortages for five clinical and five non-clinical occupations for each network. (Such determination currently includes the five occupations for which there are the largest Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)-wide shortages.) The bill establishes in the VA an executive management fellowship program to provide eligible employees of: (1) the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) and the VHA with private sector training and experience, and (2) a private-sector entity with VA training and experience. The VA shall: conduct an annual performance plan for each political appointee that is similar to the plan conducted for VA career senior executive employees; establish a single database that lists each vacant VA position that is critical, difficult to fill, or both; prescribe regulations to allow for excepted service appointments of qualifying students and recent graduates leading to career or career conditional employment; provide VHA human resources with training on employee recruitment and retention; establish a promotional track system for employees who are technic…