Description:
H.R. 2648 would apply a federal leave policy for veterans with disabilities to medical personnel at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) who are also disabled veterans. Under that policy, which is specified in title V of the U.S. Code, veterans with a disability rated at 30 percent or greater who are newly hired by certain federal agencies are entitled to extra medical leave to treat such conditions, without loss or reduction in their pay.
According to VA, the bill would codify in law its current policies for medical personnel, which is to provide medical leave benefits for disabled veterans that are consistent with the provisions of title V. As a result, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 2648 would have no effect on the department’s personnel policies for medical employees or on federal spending for the compensation and benefits of those employees. CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 2648 would cost less than $500,000 over the 2019-2023 period to prepare regulations; that spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
Enacting H.R. 2648 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 2648 would not increase net direct spending or on- budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029.
H.R. 2648 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
