Jennifer Kiggans (R-VA)
Veteran Infection Prevention Act
A Republican bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 731.
Cleared committee, waiting for its first floor vote
A committee approved it and it is on the calendar of the chamber it started in.
This is further than most bills get, and still no promise of a vote: the calendar is a queue, and the majority leadership decides what is called. A bill can sit here until the Congress ends.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- On Calendar
What this bill would do
This bill is known as the Veteran Infection Prevention Act. It requires certain sterile processing technicians of the Veterans Health Administration to hold an appropriate professional certification. New hires appointed to these positions must get certified within two years of their appointment, except for entry-level positions. Current employees who are not certified must meet this requirement 18 months after the enactment of the Act. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs must award these current employees a scholarship for the certification, which comes with a required service period of one day. The section detailing these certification requirements will have no effect after September 30, 2028. Finally, the bill extends certain limits on payments of pensions by changing a date from January 31, 2033, to September 30, 2034.
Yes
- Scored +6
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?
Directly improves the quality of medical care and safety within the Veterans Health Administration.
- Scored +5
Does this help veterans get medical care?
Ensures higher standards of care and infection prevention for veterans by requiring certified technicians.
- Scored +3
Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive?
Provides educational scholarships for VHA employees to obtain professional certifications.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Section 2(b)(2): Current sterile processing employees who do not have their certification will be awarded a scholarship by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to cover the certification described in section 7402(b)(14). This is a positive outcome because it financially assists current workers in meeting the new job requirements without forcing them to pay out of pocket.
-
Section 2(b)(2)(B): The required service period for current employees who receive the scholarship is only one day beginning on the day they receive their certification. This is beneficial for the workers because they are not locked into a long-term mandatory service contract in exchange for the scholarship help.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Section 2(a): People newly appointed to non-entry-level sterile processing technician positions must become certified by an accredited institution within two years of their appointment. This places a time-sensitive burden on new workers to complete training and testing while on the job.
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Section 2(b)(1): Current employees who do not have their certification must comply with the new certification rule 18 months after the enactment of the Act. This creates a strict deadline that existing workers must meet to keep working in their positions.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — Directly improves the quality of medical care and safety within the Veterans Health Administration.
- Healthcare
- Does this help veterans get medical care? — Ensures higher standards of care and infection prevention for veterans by requiring certified technicians.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive? — Provides educational scholarships for VHA employees to obtain professional certifications.
- 9/24/2026
- Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 119-834.
- Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 731.
- 5/14/2026
- Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by Voice Vote.
- 4/15/2026
- Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.
- 3/25/2026
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
- 3/24/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- Introduced in House