S 3771 — Department of Veterans Affairs Therapeutic Medical Physicist Pay Cap Relief Act of 2026

Summary

This bill formally establishes therapeutic medical physicists and diagnostic medical physicists as official positions within the Department of Veterans Affairs, with defined qualifications and pay structures. The bill requires that individuals in these positions complete post-graduate clinical training and obtain board certification in their specialty. It places these physicists on the same pay scale and administrative framework as other VA medical professionals such as podiatrists and dentists. The bill also requires the VA Secretary to report within one year on the effects of these changes, including impacts on pay, costs, and the delivery of care. These changes codify roles that the VA previously employed but did not formally define in federal law.

AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.

Sponsor (1)

Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA] (D-VA)

2 cosponsors

Sen. Banks, Jim [R-IN] (R-IN)
Sen. Boozman, John [R-AR] (R-AR)

Actions (2)

Feb 4, 2026 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. · senate
Feb 4, 2026 Introduced in Senate

Related bills (1)

Similar bills (6)

Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.

Full text

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

February 4, 2026

Mr. Kaine (for himself and Mr. Boozman) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, to codify the requirements for appointment, qualifications, and pay for therapeutic medical physicists of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Department of Veterans Affairs Therapeutic Medical Physicist Pay Cap Relief Act of 2026”.

SEC. 2. TREATMENT OF THERAPEUTIC MEDICAL PHYSICISTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

(a) Appointment.—Section 7401(1) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting “therapeutic medical physicists, diagnostic medical physicists,” after “physician assistants,”.

(b) Qualifications.—Section 7402(b) of such title is amended—

(1) by redesignating paragraph (14) as paragraph (16); and

(2) by inserting after paragraph (13) the following new paragraphs:

“(14) Therapeutic Medical Physicist.—To be eligible to be appointed to a therapeutic medical physicist position, a person must—

“(A) have completed a post-graduate clinical training program in therapeutic medical physics satisfactory to the Secretary; and

“(B) be board certified in the field of therapeutic medical physics by a certifying body approved by the Secretary.

“(15) Diagnostic Medical Physicist.—To be eligible to be appointed to a diagnostic medical physicist position, a person must—

“(A) have completed a post-graduate clinical training program in diagnostic medical physics satisfactory to the Secretary; and

“(B) be board certified in the field of diagnostic medical physics by a certifying body approved by the Secretary.”.

(c) Grade.—Section 7404(b) of such title is amended—

(1) by inserting “THERAPEUTIC MEDICAL PHYSICIST, DIAGNOSTIC MEDICAL PHYSICIST,” after “PODIATRIST (DPM),”; and

(2) by inserting after “Podiatrist grade optometrist grade.” the following: “Therapeutic medical physicist grade. “Diagnostic medical physicist grade.”.

(d) Personnel Administration.—Section 7421(b) of such title is amended—

(1) by redesignating paragraph (9) as paragraph (11); and

(2) by inserting after paragraph (8) the following new paragraphs:

“(9) Therapeutic medical physicists.

“(10) Diagnostic medical physicists.”.

(e) Pay.—

(1) In general.—Section 7431 of such title is amended—

(A) by inserting “, Therapeutic Medical Physicist, Diagnostic Medical Physicist” before “, and Dentist Base” each place it appears;

(B) by inserting “therapeutic medical physicist, diagnostic medical physicist,” after “podiatrist,” each place it appears;

(C) by inserting “therapeutic medical physicists, diagnostic medical physicists,” after “podiatrists,” each place it appears; and

(D) in subsection (e)(1)(A), by inserting “, therapeutic medical physicists, diagnostic medical physicists,” after “podiatrists”.

(2) Administrative matters.—Section 7433 of such title is amended by inserting “therapeutic medical physicists, diagnostic medical physicists,” after “podiatrists,” each place it appears.

(3) Conforming amendment.—The heading of subchapter III of chapter 74 of such title is amended by inserting “THERAPEUTIC MEDICAL PHYSICISTS, DIAGNOSTIC MEDICAL PHYSICISTS” after “PODIATRISTS,”.

(4) Clerical amendment.—The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 74 of such title is amended by striking the item relating to subchapter III and inserting the following new item:

“subchapter iii—pay for physicians, podiatrists, therapeutic medical physicists, diagnostic medical physicists, and dentists”.

(f) Report.—

(1) In general.—Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 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 amendments made by this section.

(2) Elements.—The report required by paragraph (1) shall include an assessment of the following:

(A) The effects of an increase in pay for therapeutic medical physicists and diagnostic medical physicists employed on a full-time basis within the Department of Veterans Affairs.

(B) The effects on therapeutic medical physicists and diagnostic medical physicists who provide care pursuant to an agreement with the Secretary.

(C) Any change to costs to the Department. <all>

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