VA formalizes medical physicist roles, aligns pay with other specialists
S. 3771 — Department of Veterans Affairs Therapeutic Medical Physicist Pay Cap Relief Act of 2026 · Filed by Tim Kaine (D-VA) · 2 cosponsors · Introduced Feb 4, 2026 · Referred to committee
Your members of Congress
Enter a ZIP to see where your representative and both senators stood on this bill.
Looked up on this device — your ZIP is never stored on our servers.
What it does
This bill amends federal law to formally recognize therapeutic medical physicists and diagnostic medical physicists as eligible positions within the Department of Veterans Affairs, establish qualification standards for these roles, and place them on the same pay scale as other VA medical professionals like podiatrists and dentists. The bill requires the VA to report within one year on the cost and staffing effects of any resulting pay increases for these specialists.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core function is to formally classify therapeutic and diagnostic medical physicists as eligible VA positions and align their compensation with comparable medical professionals. It is a straightforward workforce and pay-equity measure, not a subsidy or carve-out.
What the text implies
- The bill does not specify a dollar amount for pay increases; the actual cost depends on VA implementation and how many physicists are hired or reclassified, creating uncertainty about fiscal impact until the required one-year report is submitted.
- By placing physicists on the same pay scale as podiatrists and dentists, the bill may indirectly pressure the VA to standardize compensation across medical specialties, potentially affecting future pay negotiations for other VA health professions.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
Department of Veterans Affairs (workforce recruitment and retention); Therapeutic and diagnostic medical physicists employed by or contracting with the VA