Health Professionals Scholarship Program Improvement Act of 2025
The Health Professionals Scholarship Program Improvement Act of 2025 would (1) speed up VA employment for Health Professionals Scholarship Program (HPSP) participants by requiring the VA Secretary to offer a full-time clinical contract at the facility with the greatest need within 90 days after program completion or after obtaining necessary licensure/certification, and to include a competitive salary and benefits; (2) create a quarterly oversight mechanism through regular implementation reports to Congress, with a termination date of September 30, 2027; and (3) establish a nationwide prohibition on smoking at Veterans Health Administration facilities, including tobacco products and electronic nicotine delivery systems, and repeal an older related provision. The changes would affect HPSP participants, VA hiring and facilities management, and the smoking policy environment within VA facilities. Potential impact includes reducing delays in placing clinicians in high-need VA facilities and strengthening smoke-free norms at VA sites. However, the bill does not specify funding, so its financial implications for the VA would depend on future appropriations and budgeting decisions. The reporting requirement creates ongoing congressional oversight through mid-2027.
Key Points
- 1Timeline and placement for HPSP participants: The Secretary must ensure a contract for full-time, clinical practice at the VA facility with the highest need within 90 days after the later of (a) program completion or (b) attainment of required licensure/certification/credentialing.
- 2Contract terms: The placement contract must include a competitive salary and benefits package aligned with VA employment standards.
- 3Oversight and reporting: The VA Secretary must submit semiannual reports on implementing the new provision, starting within 180 days after enactment and continuing every 180 days until September 30, 2027.
- 4Smoking prohibition in VHA facilities: Amends Section 1715 to ban smoking on the premises of any Veterans Health Administration facility, including cigarettes, tobacco products, and electronic nicotine delivery systems (e-cigarettes, vape pens, etc.).
- 5Definitions and scope: "Facility" includes VA land/buildings and centers under VHA control (not GSA-controlled), covering medical centers, nursing homes, outpatient clinics, and readjustment counseling centers.
- 6Repeal of an older provision: Repeals Section 526 of the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992 related to the prior smoking provision, and makes a clerical correction to the act’s table of contents.