LEAVE SHARING AND LEAVE BANKS,

SEC. 206. LEAVE SHARING AND LEAVE BANKS, (a) In General.—Section 4108 is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: “(e)(1) The Secretary shall establish a leave transfer program for the benefit of health-care professionals referred to in the matter preceding clause (1) of subsection (a) of this section. The Secretary may also establish a leave bank program for the benefit of such health-care professionals. “(2) To the maximum extent feasible— 103 STAT. 2068 “(A) the leave transfer program shall provide the same or similar requirements and conditions as are provided for the program established by the Director of the Office of Personnel Ian age men t under subchapter III of chapter 63 of title 5; and “(B) any leave bank program established pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be consistent with the requirements and conditions provided for agency leave bank programs in subchapter IV of such chapter. “(3) Participation by a health-care professional in the leave transfer program established pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection, and in any leave bank program established pursuant to such paragraph, shall be voluntary. The Secretary may not require any health-care professional to participate in such a program. “(4)(A) The Secretary and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management may enter into an agreement that permits health-care professionals referred to in paragraph (1) of this subsection to participate in the leave transfer program established by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management under subchapter III of chapter 63 of title 5 or in any leave bank program established for other employees of the Department pursuant to subchapter IV of chapter 63 of title 5, or both. “(B) Participation of such health-care professionals in a leave transfer program or a leave bank program pursuant to an agreement entered into under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph shall be subject to such requirements and conditions as may be prescribed in such agreement. “(5) The Secretary is not required to establish a leave transfer program for any personnel permitted to participate in a leave transfer program pursuant to an agreement referred to in paragraph (4) of this subsection.”. (b) Implementation.—(1) The Secretary shall implement the programs provided for in subsection (e) of section 4108 of title 38, United States Code (as added by subsection (a) of this section), not later than October 1, 1990. (2) The authority of the Department of Veterans Affairs under section 618 of the Treasury, Postal Service and General Government Appropriations Act, 1989, to operate a leave-transfer program for employees subject to section 4108 of title 38, United States Code, is extended until the programs provided for in subsection (e) of such section 4108 (as added by subsection (a) of this section) are implemented, but not later than October 1, 1990.