; (2) by striking the period at the end and inserting ; or ; and (3) by adding at the end the following new clause: (ii) for a reasonable period recommended by the Under Secretary for Health, not to exceed four years, during a public health emergency declared by the President, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, or such other authority as specified by the Secretary. . (b) Licensed professional mental health counselor Paragraph (11)(B) of such section is amended by striking the period at the end and inserting , except that the Secretary may waive the requirement of licensure or certification for an individual professional mental health counselor for a reasonable period of time recommended by the Under Secretary for Health. . C Other personnel matters 221. Role of optometrists in Department of Veterans Affairs (a) Inclusion as physician (1) In general Section 7413 of title 38, United States Code, is amended— (A) in the section heading, by inserting and optometrists after podiatrists ; (B) in subsection (a)— (i) by striking a doctor of podiatric medicine who is appointed as a podiatrist under section 7401(1) of this title and inserting a covered individual ; and (ii) by striking such section and inserting section 7401(1) of this title ; and (C) by adding at the end the following new subsection: (c) Covered individual defined In this section, the term covered individual means any of the following: (1) A doctor of podiatric medicine who is appointed as a podiatrist under section 7401(1) of this title. (2) A doctor of optometry who is appointed as an optometrist under section 7401(1) of this title. . (2) Clerical amendment The table of sections at the beginning of subchapter I of chapter 74 of such title is amended by striking the item relating to section 7413 and inserting the following new item 7413. Treatment of podiatrists and optometrists