
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 38USC7674]

 
                      TITLE 38--VETERANS' BENEFITS
 
              PART V--BOARDS, ADMINISTRATIONS, AND SERVICES
 
     CHAPTER 76--HEALTH PROFESSIONALS EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
 
          SUBCHAPTER VI--EMPLOYEE INCENTIVE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
 
Sec. 7674. Obligated service

    (a) In General.--Each participant in the Program shall provide 
service as a full-time employee of the Department for the period of 
obligated service provided in the agreement of the participant entered 
into under section 7603 of this title. Such service shall be provided in 
the full-time clinical practice of such participant's profession or in 
another health-care position in an assignment or location determined by 
the Secretary.
    (b) Determination of Service Commencement Date.--(1) Not later than 
60 days before a participant's service commencement date, the Secretary 
shall notify the participant of that service commencement date. That 
date is the date for the beginning of the participant's period of 
obligated service.
    (2) As soon as possible after a participant's service commencement 
date, the Secretary shall--
        (A) in the case of a participant who is not a full-time employee 
    in the Veterans Health Administration, appoint the participant as 
    such an employee; and
        (B) in the case of a participant who is an employee in the 
    Veterans Health Administration but is not serving in a position for 
    which the participant's course of education or training prepared the 
    participant, assign the participant to such a position.

    (3)(A) In the case of a participant receiving a degree from a school 
of medicine, osteopathy, dentistry, optometry, or podiatry, the 
participant's service commencement date is the date upon which the 
participant becomes licensed to practice medicine, osteopathy, 
dentistry, optometry, or podiatry, as the case may be, in a State.
    (B) In the case of a participant receiving a degree from a school of 
nursing, the participant's service commencement date is the later of--
        (i) the participant's course completion date; or
        (ii) the date upon which the participant becomes licensed as a 
    registered nurse in a State.

    (C) In the case of a participant not covered by subparagraph (A) or 
(B), the participant's service commencement date is the later of--
        (i) the participant's course completion date; or
        (ii) the date the participant meets any applicable licensure or 
    certification requirements.

    (4) The Secretary shall by regulation prescribe the service 
commencement date for participants who were part-time students. Such 
regulations shall prescribe terms as similar as practicable to the terms 
set forth in paragraph (3).
    (c) Commencement of Obligated Service.--(1) Except as provided in 
paragraph (2), a participant in the Program shall be considered to have 
begun serving the participant's period of obligated service--
        (A) on the date, after the participant's course completion date, 
    on which the participant (in accordance with subsection (b)) is 
    appointed as a full-time employee in the Veterans Health 
    Administration; or
        (B) if the participant is a full-time employee in the Veterans 
    Health Administration on such course completion date, on the date 
    thereafter on which the participant is assigned to a position for 
    which the participant's course of training prepared the participant.

    (2) A participant in the Program who on the participant's course 
completion date is a full-time employee in the Veterans Health 
Administration serving in a capacity for which the participant's course 
of training prepared the participant shall be considered to have begun 
serving the participant's period of obligated service on such course 
completion date.
    (d) Course Completion Date Defined.--In this section, the term 
``course completion date'' means the date on which a participant in the 
Program completes the participant's course of education or training 
under the Program.

(Added Pub. L. 105-368, title VIII, Sec. 802(a), Nov. 11, 1998, 112 
Stat. 3354.)
