Bill · S. 3771· Senate(119-S-3771)
Department of Veterans Affairs Therapeutic Medical Physicist Pay Cap Relief Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 2/4/2026
- Last activity
- 2/4/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- Sponsored by
- Timothy Kaine
- Cosponsors
- - 0 - 2
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the ``Department of Veterans Affairs Therapeutic Medical Physicist Pay Cap Relief Act of 2026'', aims to amend title 38 of the United States Code. It seeks to codify the requirements for the appointment, qualifications, and pay for therapeutic medical physicists and diagnostic medical physicists within the Department of Veterans Affairs. The legislation establishes specific training and board certification standards for these positions. It also updates various sections of the code to include these roles in terms of grade and personnel administration. Finally, it requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit a report to Congress regarding the impacts of these changes.
Yes· 3 of 4
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?+2
The bill stabilizes the workforce of specialists providing critical medical care to the veteran population.
Does this make health care easier to get in general?+2
Standardizing qualifications and pay for medical physicists helps ensure the availability of specialized diagnostic and therapeutic services for veterans.
Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive?+2
The bill supports the quality of care for veterans by formalizing the roles and pay for essential medical physicists.
The opposite
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?-1
The bill includes pay increases for medical physicists which may increase overall departmental costs.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Establishment of Professional Standards: The bill creates specific eligibility requirements for therapeutic and diagnostic medical physicists, requiring a post-graduate clinical training program and board certification (Section 2(b)). This ensures that individuals appointed to these roles meet specific qualifications approved by the Secretary.
-
Standardization of Pay and Grade: By amending sections related to grade and pay, the bill includes therapeutic and diagnostic medical physicists in the established pay structures of the Department of Veterans Affairs (Section 2(c) and Section 2(e)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Departmental Costs: The bill requires a report that must assess any change to costs to the Department of Veterans Affairs (Section 2(f)(2)(A)). This indicates that the changes made by the act could result in increased costs for the Department.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Veterans+2
- Healthcare
- Improves Healthcare Access+2
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Improves Veterans Benefits+2
- Economy And Finance
- Increases Job Creation+1Reduces Government Spending-1
- 4/13/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 2/4/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
John BoozmanRepublican · Arkansas
Jim BanksRepublican · Indiana