REPORT ON PAY FOR CHIEF NURSE POSITION.

SEC. 306. REPORT ON PAY FOR CHIEF NURSE POSITION. (a) Review.— The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct a review of— (1) the process for determining the rate of basic pay applicable to the Chief Nurse position at Department of Veterans Affairs health-care facilities; and (2) the relationship between the rate of such basic pay and the rate of basic pay applicable to nurses in positions 106 STAT. 4953 subordinate to the Chief Nurse at the respective Department facilities. The review shall include an assessment of the adequacy of that process in determining an equitable pay rate for the Chief Nurse position, including an assessment of the accuracy of data collected m the survey process and the difficulties in obtaining accurate data. (b) Report.— The Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report on the review and assessment conducted under subsection (a). To the extent that the review discloses difficulties in obtaining accurate data in the survey process with respect to the Chief Nurse position at Department facilities, the Secretary shall include in the report recommendations for corrective action. The Secretary shall also include in the report (1) a listing of the salary differential (expressed as a percentage) between the Chief Nurse at a facility and the highest paid nurse (excluding certified registered nurse anesthetists) serving in a position subordinate to the Chief Nurse, and (2) an analysis of such data. The report shall be submitted not later than 12 months after the date of the enactment of this Act.