((a)) ** Office of Medical Services** There is in the Agency an Office of Medical Services.

((b)) ** Compensation** Beginning not later than 1 year after , each medical officer of the Office of Medical Services who meets the qualifications under subsection (c) shall be compensated during a pay period pursuant to a pay range that is equal to the pay range published in the Federal Register pursuant to (for the corresponding pay period), for a physician in the Veterans Health Administration in the District of Columbia region with a medical subspecialty that is the equivalent of the medical subspecialty of the officer.section 7431(e)(1)(C) of title 38March 15, 20222022-03-15

((c)) ** Clinical practice qualifications** A medical officer meets the qualifications under this subsection if the officer provides direct care services to patients in connection with the official duties of the officer and—

((1)) maintains current, active, full, and unrestricted licensure or registration as a physician from a State, the District of Columbia, or a commonwealth or territory of the United States;

((2)) holds active board certification and maintains accreditation in an American Board of Medical Specialties direct care clinical specialty; and

((3)) except as provided in subsection (d), maintains a minimum of 96 hours per year of clinical practice in an accredited clinic or hospital facility that is not affiliated with the Central Intelligence Agency.

((d)) ** Exception for overseas service** If a medical officer is a medical officer located in a duty station outside of the United States pursuant to a permanent change of station and greater than 50 percent of the official duties of the officer in such duty station involve direct patient care, the officer, in lieu of performing the minimum hours under subsection (c)(3) on an annual basis, may count up to 480 hours of clinical practice performed as specified in such subsection prior to such change of station, to fulfill in advance the requirement under such subsection for up to 3 years.

((e)) ** Clinical practice hours** The head of the Office of Medical Services shall make available to medical officers excused absence time to allow for the maintenance of clinical practice hours in accordance with subsection (c)(3).