‘‘(A) assemble and review information relating
to the needs of veterans in readjusting to civilian
life;
‘‘(B) provide information relating to the nature
and character of psychological problems arising from
military service;
‘‘(C) provide an on-going assessment of the ef-
fectiveness of the policies, organizational structures,
and services of the Department in assisting veterans
in readjusting to civilian life; and
‘‘(D) provide on-going advice on the most ap-
propriate means of responding to the readjustment
needs of future veterans.
‘‘(3) In carrying out its duties under paragraph (2),
the Committee shall take into special account veterans of
the Vietnam era and the readjustment needs of those
veterans.
‘‘(c)(1) Not later than March 31 of each year, the
Committee shall submit to the Secretary a report on the
programs and activities of the Department that relate to
the readjustment of veterans to civilian life. Each such
report shall include—
‘‘(A) an assessment of the needs of veterans
with respect to readjustment to civilian life;
‘‘(B) a review of the programs and activities of
the Department designed to meet such needs; and
‘‘(C) such recommendations (including rec-
ommendations for administrative and legislative ac-
tion) as the Committee considers appropriate.
‘‘(2) Not later than 90 days after the receipt of each
report under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall transmit
to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and
House of Representatives a copy of the report, together
with any comments and recommendations concerning the
report that the Secretary considers appropriate.
‘‘(3) The Committee may also submit to the Sec-
retary such other reports and recommendations as the
Committee considers appropriate.
‘‘(4) The Secretary shall submit with each annual re-
port submitted to the Congress pursuant to section 529
of this title a summary of all reports and recommendations
of the Committee submitted to the Secretary since the pre-
vious annual report of the Secretary submitted pursuant
to that section.’’.
(2) The table of sections at the beginning of chapter
17 of such title is amended by inserting after the item
relating to section 1712B the following:
‘‘1712C. Advisory Committee on Veterans Readjustment Counseling.’’.
(b) ORIGINAL MEMBERS.—(1) Notwithstanding sub-
section (a)(2) of section 1712C of title 38, United States
Code (as added by subsection (a)), the members of the
Advisory Committee on the Readjustment of Vietnam and
Other War Veterans on the date of the enactment of this
Act shall be the original members of the advisory commit-
tee established under that section.
(2) The original members shall so serve until the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs carries out appointments under
such subsection (a)(2). The Secretary shall carry out such
appointments as soon as is practicable. The Secretary may
make such appointments from among such original mem-
bers.
SEC. 303. PLAN FOR EXPANSION OF VIETNAM VETERAN RE-
SOURCE CENTERS PILOT PROGRAM.
(a) PLAN.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Sen-
ate and House of Representatives a plan for expansion of
the Vietnam Veteran Resource Centers program estab-
lished by section 1712A(h) of title 38, United States Code.
The plan submitted shall be a plan which the Secretary
would implement if resources for such implementation
were available.
(b) SUBMISSION OF PLAN.—The plan, together with
an analysis setting forth in detail the resources required
for the implementation of the plan, shall be submitted
under subsection (a) not later than four months after the
date of the enactment of this Act.
TITLE IV—SERVICES FOR
MENTALLY ILL VETERANS
SEC. 401. AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH NONPROFIT COR-
PORATIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 17 of title 38, United
States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1718
the following new section:
‘‘§ 1718A. Nonprofit corporations
‘‘(a) The Secretary may authorize the establishment
at any Veterans Health Administration facility of a non-
profit corporation (1) to arrange for therapeutic work for
patients of such facility or patients of other such Depart-
ment facilities pursuant to section 1718(b) of this title,
and (2) to provide a flexible funding mechanism to achieve
the purposes of section 1718 of this title.
‘‘(b) The Secretary shall provide for the appointment
of a board of directors for any corporation established
under this section and shall determine the number of di-
rectors and the composition of the board of directors. The
board of directors shall include—
‘‘(1) the director of the facility and other offi-
cials or employees of the facility; and
‘‘(2) members appointed from among individ-
uals who are not officers or employees of the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs.
‘‘(c) Each such corporation shall have an executive
director who shall be appointed by the board of directors
with concurrence of the Under Secretary for Health of the
Department. The executive director of a corporation shall
be responsible for the operations of the corporation and
shall have such specific duties and responsibilities as the
board may prescribe.
‘‘(d) A corporation established under this section
may—
‘‘(1) arrange with the Department of Veterans
Affairs under section 1718(b)(2) of this title to pro-
vide for therapeutic work for patients;
‘‘(2) accept gifts and grants from, and enter
into contracts with, individuals and public and pri-
vate entities solely to carry out the purposes of this
section; and
‘‘(3) employ such employees as it considers nec-
essary for such purposes and fix the compensation
of such employees.
‘‘(e)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), any
funds received by a corporation established under this sec-
tion through arrangements authorized under subsection
(d)(1) in excess of amounts reasonably required to carry
out obligations of the corporation authorized under sub-
section (d)(3) shall be deposited in or credited to the Spe-
cial Therapeutic and Rehabilitation Activities Fund estab-
lished under section 1718(c) of this title.
‘‘(2) The Secretary, in accordance with guidelines
which the Secretary shall prescribe, may authorize a cor-
poration established under this section to retain funds de-
rived from arrangements authorized under subsection
(d)(1).
‘‘(3) Any funds received by a corporation established
under this section through arrangements authorized under
subsection (d)(2) may be transferred to the Special Thera-
peutics and Rehabilitation Activities Fund.
‘‘(f) A corporation established under this section shall
be established in accordance with the nonprofit corpora-
tion laws of the State in which the applicable medical facil-
ity is located and shall, to the extent not inconsistent with
Federal law, be subject to the laws of such State.
‘‘(g)(1)(A) The records of a corporation established
under this section shall be available to the Secretary.
‘‘(B) For the purposes of sections 4(a)(1) and 6(a)(1)
of the Inspector General Act of 1978, the programs and
operations of such a corporation shall be considered to be
programs and operations of the Department with respect
that the director or employee is aware of, and has
complied with, such laws and regulations in the
same manner as Federal employees are required to.
‘‘(h) The Secretary shall submit to the Committees
on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Rep-
resentatives an annual report on the number and location
of corporations established and the amount of the con-
tributions made to each such corporation.
‘‘(i) No corporation may be established under this
section after September 30, 1999.
‘‘(j) If by the end of the four-year period beginning
on the date of the establishment of a corporation under
this section the corporation is not recognized as an entity
the income of which is exempt from taxation under the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, the Secretary shall dis-
solve the corporation.’’.
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting
after the item relating to section 1718 the following new
item:
‘‘1718A. Nonprofit corporations.’’.
SEC. 402. EXTENSION OF DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.
Section 7 of Public Law 102–54 (105 Stat. 269; 38
U.S.C. 1718 note) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a), by striking out ‘‘1994’’
and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘1998’’;
(2) in subsection (c)—
(A) by striking out ‘‘no more than 50’’;
and
(B) by striking out ‘‘under this sub-
section.’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘of under
this subsection—
‘‘(1) at no more than 58 sites during fiscal year
1994;
‘‘(2) at no more than 70 sites during fiscal year
1995;
‘‘(3) at no more than 82 sites during fiscal year
1996;
‘‘(4) at no more than 94 sites during fiscal year
1997; and
‘‘(5) at no more than 106 sites during fiscal
year 1998.’’.
SEC. 403. SPECIAL COMMITTEE.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Veterans
Administration, acting through the Under Secretary for
Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs, shall estab-
lish in the Veterans Health Administration a Special Com-
mittee on Care of Severely Chronically Mentally Ill Veter-
ans (hereinafter in this section referred to as the ‘‘Special
Committee’’). The Under Secretary shall appoint employ-
ees of the Department with expertise in the care of the
chronically mentally ill to serve on the Special Committee.
(b) FUNCTIONS.—The Special Committee may as-
sess, and carry out a continuing assessment of, the capa-
bility of the Veterans Health Administration to meet effec-
tively the treatment and rehabilitation needs of severely,
chronically mentally ill veterans. In carrying out that re-
sponsibility, the Special Committee shall—
(1) monitor the care provided to such veterans
through the Veterans Health Administration;
(2) identify systemwide problems in caring for
such veterans in facilities of the Veterans Health
Administration;
(3) identify specific facilities within the Veter-
ans Health Administration at which program sup-
port is needed to improve treatment and rehabilita-
tion of such veterans; and
(4) identify model programs which have had
demonstrated success in the treatment and rehabili-
tation of such veterans and which should be imple-
mented more widely in or through facilities of the
Veterans Health Administration.
(c) ADVICE AND RECOMMENDATIONS.—The Special
Committee shall—
(1) advise the Under Secretary regarding the
development of policies for the care and rehabilita-
tion of the severely, chronically mentally ill; and
(2) make recommendations to the Under Sec-
retary—
(A) for improving programs of care of such
veterans at specific facilities and throughout the
Veterans Health Administration;
(B) for establishing special programs of
education and training relevant to the care of
such veterans for employees of the Veterans
Health Administration;
(C) regarding research needs and priorities
relevant to the care of such veterans; and
(D) regarding the appropriate allocation of
resources for all such activities.
(d) ANNUAL REPORTS.—(1) Not later than April 1,
1994, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to
the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and
House of Representatives a report on the implementation
of this section. The report shall include the following:
(A) A list of the members of the Special Com-
mittee.
(B) The assessment of the Under Secretary for
Health, after review of the findings of the Special
Committee, regarding the capability of the Veterans
Health Administration, on a systemwide and facility-
by-facility basis, to meet effectively the treatment
and rehabilitation needs of severely, chronically men-
tally ill veterans.
(C) The plans of the Special Committee for fur-
ther assessments.
(D) The findings and recommendations made
by the Special Committee to the Under Secretary for
Health and the views of the Under Secretary on
such findings and recommendations.
(E) A description of the steps taken, plans
made (and a timetable for their execution), and re-
sources to be applied toward improving the capabil-
ity of the Veterans Health Administration to meet
effectively the treatment and rehabilitation needs of
severely, chronically mentally ill veterans.
(2) Not later than February 1, 1995, and February
1 of each of the three following years, the Secretary shall
submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Sen-
ate and House of Representatives a report containing in-
formation updating the reports submitted under this sub-
section before the submission of such report.
Passed the House of Representatives November 16,
1993.
Attest:
Clerk.
HR 3313 EH——2
HR 3313 EH——3