108TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1911

AN ACT

To amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance

partment of Defense.the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Decooperation and the sharing of resources between

108TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1911

AN ACT

To amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance cooperation and the sharing of resources between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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1 SECTION 1. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE-DEPARTMENT OF

2 VETERANS AFFAIRS JOINT EXECUTIVE COM3 MITTEE.

4 (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF JOINT COMMITTEE.—(1)

5 Chapter 3 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by

6 adding at the end the following new section:

7 ‘‘§ 320. Department of Veterans Affairs-Department of

8 Defense Joint Executive Committee

9 ‘‘(a) JOINT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.—(1) There is

10 established an interagency committee to be known as the

11 Department of Veterans Affairs-Department of Defense

12 Joint Executive Committee (hereinafter in this section re13 ferred to as the ‘Committee’).

14 ‘‘(2) The Committee is composed of—

15 ‘‘(A) the Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs

16 and such other officers and employees of the Depart17 ment of Veterans Affairs as the Secretary of Vet18 erans Affairs may designate; and

19 ‘‘(B) the Under Secretary of Defense for Per20 sonnel and Readiness and such other officers and

21 employees of the Department of Defense as the Sec22 retary of Defense may designate.

23 ‘‘(b) ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS.—(1) The Deputy

24 Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Under Secretary of

25 Defense shall determine the size and structure of the Com-
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1 mittee, as well as the administrative and procedural guide2 lines for the operation of the Committee.

3 ‘‘(2) The two Departments shall supply appropriate

4 staff and resources to provide administrative support and

5 services. Support for such purposes shall be provided at

6 a level sufficient for the efficient operation of the Com7 mittee, including a subordinate Health Executive Com8 mittee, a subordinate Benefits Executive Committee, and

9 such other committees or working groups as considered

10 necessary by the Deputy Secretary and Under Secretary.

11 ‘‘(c) RECOMMENDATIONS.—(1) The Committee shall

12 recommend to the Secretaries strategic direction for the

13 joint coordination and sharing efforts between and within

14 the two Departments under section 8111 of this title and

15 shall oversee implementation of those efforts.

16 ‘‘(2) The Committee shall submit to the two Secre17 taries and to Congress an annual report containing such

18 recommendations as the Committee considers appropriate.

19 ‘‘(d) FUNCTIONS.—In order to enable the Committee

20 to make recommendations in its annual report under sub21 section (c)(2), the Committee shall do the following:

22 ‘‘(1) Review existing policies, procedures, and

23 practices relating to the coordination and sharing of

24 resources between the two Departments.
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1 ‘‘(2) Identify changes in policies, procedures,

2 and practices that, in the judgment of the Com3 mittee, would promote mutually beneficial coordina4 tion, use, or exchange of use of services and re5 sources of the two Departments, with the goal of im6 proving the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of

7 the delivery of benefits and services to veterans,

8 service members, military retirees and their families

9 through an enhanced Department of Veterans Af10 fairs and Department of Defense partnership.

11 ‘‘(3) Identify and assess further opportunities

12 for the coordination and collaboration between the

13 Departments that, in the judgment of the Com14 mittee, would not adversely affect the range of serv15 ices, the quality of care, or the established priorities

16 for benefits provided by either Department.

17 ‘‘(4) Review the plans of both Departments for

18 the acquisition of additional resources, especially

19 new facilities and major equipment and technology,

20 in order to assess the potential effect of such plans

21 on further opportunities for the coordination and

22 sharing of resources.

23 ‘‘(5) Review the implementation of activities de24 signed to promote the coordination and sharing of

25 resources between the Departments.’’.
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1 (2) The table of sections at the beginning of such

2 chapter is amended by adding at the end the following

3 new item:

‘‘320. Department of Veterans Affairs-Department of Defense Joint Executive

Committee.’’.

4 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—(1) Subsection (c)

5 of section 8111 of such title is repealed.

6 (2) Such section is further amended—

7 (A) in subsection (b)(2), by striking ‘‘subsection

8 (c)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 320 of this title’’;

9 (B) in subsection (d)(1), by striking ‘‘Com10 mittee established in subsection (c)’’ and inserting

11 ‘‘Department of Veterans Affairs-Department of De12 fense Joint Executive Committee’’;

13 (C) in subsection (e)(1), by striking ‘‘Com14 mittee under subsection (c)(2)’’ and inserting ‘‘De15 partment of Veterans Affairs-Department of Defense

16 Joint Executive Committee with respect to health

17 care resources’’; and

18 (D) in subsection (f)(2), by striking subpara19 graphs (B) and (C) and inserting the following:

20 ‘‘(B) The assessment of further opportunities

21 identified by the Department of Veterans Affairs22 Department of Defense Joint Executive Committee

23 under subsection (d)(3) of section 320 of this title
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1 for the sharing of health-care resources between the

2 two Departments.

3 ‘‘(C) Any recommendation made by that com4 mittee under subsection (c)(2) of that section during

5 that fiscal year.’’.

6 (c) TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.—Subsection (f) of

7 such section is further amended by inserting ‘‘(Public Law

8 107–314)’’ in paragraphs (3), (4)(A), (4)(B), and (5)

9 after ‘‘for Fiscal Year 2003’’.

10 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—(1) If this Act is enacted be11 fore October 1, 2003—

12 (A) section 320 of title 38, United States Code,

13 as added by subsection (a), shall take effect on Octo14 ber 1, 2003; and

15 (B) the amendments made by subsections (b)

16 and (c) shall take effect on October 1, 2003, imme17 diately after the amendment made by section

18 721(a)(1) of the Bob Stump National Defense Au19 thorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 (Public Law

20 107–314; 116 2589).
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1 (2) If this Act is enacted on or after October 1, 2003,

2 the amendments made by this section shall take effect on

3 the date of the enactment of this Act.

Passed the House of Representatives May 21, 2003.

Attest:

Clerk.