Support legislation to let the Department of Veterans Affairs exceed salary caps through VA Secretary-issued waivers as needed to hire and retain high-skilled physicians for five years after enactment.

U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a senior member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (SVAC), is introducing bipartisan legislation that makes it easier for the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) medical centers to hire and better retain high-skilled doctors. The bipartisan VA Salary Cap Waiver Adjustment Act would allow the VA Secretary to issue waivers to VA medical directors and allow them to exceed existing salary caps if they need to hire or retain highly skilled physicians.

King announced bipartisan legislation to let VA medical centers exceed salary caps through Secretary-issued waivers when needed to hire or retain high-skilled physicians.

King Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Improve VA Hiring, Retention of High-Skilled Doctors
primary · press_release · model gpt-5.5

verified · Source version 74080 · locator 1258

Mr. King (for himself, Mrs. Fischer, and Mr. Blumenthal) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

Fetched verbatim passage. AI summary (separate from source): Official GovInfo action record shows King introduced S. 5406 during the lookback window and that it was referred to committee, not enacted.

unresolved same_term A for effort

S. 5406 (IS) - VA Salary Cap Waiver Adjustment Act - BILLS-119s5406is | Content Details | GovInfo
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 98%

verified · Source version 74082 · locator 1233

“(F) The authority of the Secretary under subparagraph (A) shall terminate on the date that is five years after the date of the enactment of the VA Salary Cap Waiver Adjustment Act.”.

Fetched verbatim passage. AI summary (separate from source): The introduced bill text contains the five-year-after-enactment waiver authority language matching the commitment, but it remains only introduced legislation.

unresolved same_term A for effort

S. 5406 (Introduced-in-Senate)
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 97%

verified · Source version 74078 · locator 2398

Senator King’s bipartisan bill would allow the VA Secretary to issue as many waivers as necessary and allow this system to remain in place for the next five years after enactment

Fetched verbatim passage. AI summary (separate from source): King’s official Senate release confirms he publicly backed the bill as a way to permit as-needed VA salary-cap waivers for five years after enactment.

unresolved same_term A for effort

King Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Improve VA Hiring, Retention of High-Skilled Doctors
primary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 95%

unverified · Source version 74084 · locator unknown

The waiver authority limits the total number of waivers to 300 for the entire duration of authority.

Unverified model/legacy excerpt; not proof. AI summary (separate from source): VA implementation guidance for existing law shows current waiver authority is capped, so the as-needed waiver expansion in King’s 2026 bill had not already been fully delivered.

partial unknown

viewPublication.asp
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 91%