House passes Delegate Stolle’s legislation to help veterans

The Virginia House of Delegates on Tuesday passed legislation to help veterans transition to the workforce.  House Bill 825, introduced by Delegate Chris Stolle (R-Virginia Beach), passed the House of Delegates 97-1.  HB 825 directs the Department of Veterans Services, in collaboration with the Department of Health Professions, to establish a pilot program in which military medical personnel may practice medicine under the supervision of a licensed physician.  This legislation builds on the work of the Joint Commission on Health Care’s study on scope of practice exemptions in approved hospitals for certain military trained personnel.

“Our brave men and women in uniform have made tremendous sacrifices for our freedom,” said Delegate Stolle.  “We should do everything in our power to help our service members transition to public life once they have finished their service.  Military medics and corpsmen receive extensive health care training while on active duty.  Once they transition to civilian life, their military health care experiences do not easily translate into comparable certifications and licenses required for health care jobs.  As a result, many veteran medics are unable to gain employment.  Virginia has already made progress on efforts to translate veterans’ military experience into academic credit, however significant hurdles still exist with health care licenses.

“This legislation will create a pilot program to help military medics smoothly transition to a medical career in the private sector without having to go through additional training they have already received in the military.  I am proud to sponsor this legislation and support our veterans.”

“Veterans gain unique skills and experiences during their service to our country,” saidSpeaker Howell (R-Stafford).  “It is important that we help our veterans use their skills and training obtained during their service to successfully find a job in the private sector.  I want to thank Delegate Stolle for introducing this innovative legislation to support our veterans.”

“Virginia is home to over 800,000 veterans and their families,” said Majority Leader Kirk Cox (R-Colonial Heights).  “It is our responsibility to make sure that when our servicemen and women are ready to leave the military they have the resources necessary to find a job.  It is my hope that we can continue to find ways to recognize the skills and training obtained in the military.”