Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake introduces bill to ‘clean up’ Veterans Affairs
May 12, 2017, 6:42 AM
(Flickr/Gage Skidmore)
(Flickr/Gage Skidmore)
PHOENIX — An Arizona senator has introduced a bill on Thursday that would aim to “clean up” the Department of Veterans Affairs by declaring causes for termination.
U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Arizona, said in a press release that the “Clean Up The VA Act” would require the department to fire employees who lose their medical license while working for the VA or are convicted of a work-related felony.
The bill would also bar the department from hiring or transferring employees who have been convicted of a work-related felony in the last ten years or who have lost their medical license.
It would also require department officials to report any disciplinary action against employees by reporting it to three different areas: the National Practitioner Databank, the medical board that issued the license and the board where the individual is practicing.
This, Flake argued, would crack down on medical malpractice across state lines. The bill would also require an appeal to be adjudicated within 30 days in order to speed up the process.
In the press release, Flake said the bill would clean up the department by “ridding our VA hospitals of doctors who lose their medical licenses or employees who are convicted of work-related felonies.”
“Passing this bill will go a long way in the effort to increase confidence in the VA and its ability to deliver veterans the quality care they deserve,” the statement continued.
The bill would not apply to employment programs through the department that seek to help veterans convicted of felonies.
