II

104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 749

To amend title 38, United States Code, to revise the authority relating

to the Center for Minority Veterans and the Center for Women Veterans

of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

MAY 3 (legislative day, MAY 1), 1995

Mr. AKAKA (for himself and Mr. ROCKEFELLER) introduced the following bill;

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, to revise the authority relating to the Center for Minority Veterans and

the Center for Women Veterans of the Department of

Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. REVISION OF AUTHORITY RELATING TO CEN4 TERS.

5 (a) SES STATUS OF DIRECTORS.—Sections 317(b)

6 and 318(b) of title 38, United States Code, are each

7 amended by inserting ‘‘career or’’ before ‘‘noncareer’’.
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1 (b) ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS OF CENTER FOR MI2 NORITY VETERANS.—Section 317(d) of such title is

3 amended—

4 (1) by redesignating paragraph (10) as para5 graph (12); and

6 (2) by inserting after paragraph (9) the follow7 ing new paragraphs (10) and (11):

8 ‘‘(10) Advise the Secretary and other appro9 priate officials on the effectiveness of the Depart10 ment’s efforts to accomplish the goals of section

11 492B of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.

12 289a–2) with respect to the inclusion of members of

13 minority groups in clinical research and on particu14 lar health conditions affecting the health of members

15 of minority groups which should be studied as part

16 of the Department’s medical research program and

17 promote cooperation between the Department and

18 other sponsors of medical research of potential bene19 fit to veterans who are minorities.

20 ‘‘(11) Provide support and administrative serv21 ices to the Advisory Committee on Minority Veter22 ans provided for under section 544 of this title.’’.

23 (c) DEFINITION OF MINORITY VETERANS.—Section

24 317 of such title is further amended by adding at the end

25 the following:
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1 ‘‘(g) In this section—

2 ‘‘(1) The term ‘veterans who are minorities’

3 means veterans who are minority group members.

4 ‘‘(2) The term ‘minority group member’ has the

5 meaning given such term in section 544(d) of this

6 title.’’.

7 (d) CLARIFICATION OF FUNCTIONS OF CENTER FOR

8 WOMEN VETERANS.—Section 318(d)(10) of such title is

9 amended by striking out ‘‘(relating to’’ and all that follows

10 through ‘‘and of’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘(42 U.S.C.

11 289a–2) with respect to the inclusion of women in clinical

12 research and on’’.

13 SEC. 2. OVERSIGHT OF CENTERS BY ADVISORY COMMIT14 TEES.

15 (a) CENTER FOR WOMEN VETERANS.—Section

16 542(b) of title 38, United States Code, is amended—

17 (1) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ after ‘‘(b)’’; and

18 (2) by adding at the end the following new

19 paragraph:

20 ‘‘(2) The Committee shall monitor and evaluate the

21 activities of the Center for Women Veterans provided for

22 under section 318 of this title and report to the Secretary

23 the results of such monitoring and evaluation at the re24 quest of the Secretary.’’.
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1 (b) CENTER FOR MINORITY VETERANS.—Section

2 544(b) of such title is amended—

3 (1) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ after ‘‘(b)’’; and

4 (2) by adding at the end the following new

5 paragraph:

6 ‘‘(2) The Committee shall monitor and evaluate the

7 activities of the Center for Minority Veterans provided for

8 under section 317 of this title and report to the Secretary

9 the results of such monitoring and evaluation at the re10 quest of the Secretary.’’.

11 SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF TERMINATION DATE OF ADVISORY

12 COMMITTEE ON MINORITY VETERANS.

13 Section 544(e) of title 38, United States Code, is

14 amended by striking out ‘‘December 31, 1997’’ and insert15 ing in lieu thereof ‘‘December 31, 1999’’.

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