ENHANCED AUTHORITY TO CONTRACT FOR NECESSARY SERVICES.

SEC. 1103. ENHANCED AUTHORITY TO CONTRACT FOR NECESSARY SERVICES.Section 8110(c) is amended by striking out paragraph (7) and inserting in lieu thereof the following: “(7) Paragraphs (1) through (6) shall not be in effect during fiscal years 1995 through 1999. “(8) During the period covered by paragraph (7), whenever an activity at a Department health-care facility is converted from performance by Federal employees to performance by employees of a contractor of the Government, the Secretary shall— “(A) require in the contract for the performance of such activity that the contractor, in hiring employees for the performance of the contract, give priority to former employees of the Department who have been displaced by the award of the contract; and “(B) provide to such former employees of the Department all possible assistance in obtaining other Federal employment or entrance into job training and retraining programs. “(9) The Secretary shall include in the Secretary’s annual report to Congress under section 529 of this title, for each fiscal year covered by paragraph (7), a report on the use during the year covered by the report of contracting-out authority made available by reason of paragraph (7). The Secretary shall include in each 108 STAT. 4682such report a description of each use of such authority, together with the rationale for the use of such authority and the effect of the use of such authority on patient care and on employees of the Department”.