‘‘(B) Education and training.
‘‘(C) Employment.
‘‘(D) Shelter.
‘‘(E) Counseling.
‘‘(F) Outreach services.
‘‘(4) Each assessment shall also indicate the extent to
which the needs referred to in paragraph (3) are being met
adequately by the programs of the Department, of other de-
partments and agencies of the Federal Government, of State
and local governments, and of nongovernmental organiza-
tions.
‘‘(5) Each assessment shall be carried out in accord-
ance with uniform procedures and guidelines prescribed by
the Secretary.
‘‘(c) In furtherance of subsection (a), the Secretary
shall require the director of each medical center and the
director of each regional benefits office, in coordination with
representatives of State and local governments, other Fed-
eral officials, and nongovernmental organizations that have
experience working with homeless persons in the areas
served by such facility or office, to—
‘‘(1) develop a list of all public and private pro-
grams that provide assistance to homeless persons or
homeless veterans in the area concerned, together with
a description of the services offered by those programs;
‘‘(2) seek to encourage the development by the
representatives of such entities, in coordination with
the director, of a plan to coordinate among such pub-
lic and private programs the provision of services to
homeless veterans;
‘‘(3) take appropriate action to meet, to the max-
imum extent practicable through existing programs
and available resources, the needs of homeless veterans
that are identified in the assessment conducted under
subsection (b); and
‘‘(4) attempt to inform homeless veterans whose
needs the director cannot meet under paragraph (3)
of the services available to such veterans within the
area served by such center or office.’’.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—(1) Section 1720A of
such title is amended—
(A) by striking out subsections (a), (e), (f), and
(g); and
(B) by redesignating subsections (b), (c), and (d)
as subsections (a), (b), and (c), respectively.
(2) The heading of such section is amended to read
as follows:
‘‘§ 1720A. Treatment and rehabilitative services for
persons with drug or alcohol depend-
ency’’.
(c) CONFORMING REPEALS.—The following provisions
are repealed:
(1) Section 7 of Public Law 102–54 (38 U.S.C.
1718 note).
(2) Section 107 of the Veterans’ Medical Pro-
grams Amendments of 1992 (38 U.S.C. 527 note).
(3) Section 2 of the Homeless Veterans Com-
prehensive Service Programs Act of 1992 (38 U.S.C.
7721 note).
(d) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.—The table of sections at
the beginning of chapter 17 of such title is amended—
(1) by striking out the item relating to section
1720A and inserting in lieu thereof the following:
‘‘1720A. Treatment and rehabilitative services for persons with drug or alcohol de-
pendency.’’; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘SUBCHAPTER VII—TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION FOR SERIOUSLY
MENTALLY ILL AND HOMELESS VETERANS
‘‘1771. General treatment.
‘‘1772. Therapeutic housing.
‘‘1773. Additional services at certain locations.
‘‘1774. Coordination with other agencies and organizations.’’.
SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF HOMELESS VETERANS COMPREHEN-
SIVE SERVICE GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) EXTENSION FOR TWO FISCAL YEARS.—Subsection
(a)(2) of section 3 of the Homeless Veterans Comprehensive
Service Programs Act of 1992 (38 U.S.C. 7721 note) is
amended by striking out ‘‘September 30, 1997’’ and insert-
ing in lieu thereof ‘‘September 30, 1999’’.
(b) REPEAL
OF
LIMITATION
ON
NUMBER
OF
PROJECTS.—Subsection (b)(2) of such section is amended
by striking out ‘‘, which shall’’ and all that follows through
‘‘paragraph (1)’’.
(c) TECHNICAL CORRECTION.—Subsection (a)(1) of
such section is amended by striking out ‘‘, during’’.
SEC. 4. ANNUAL REPORT ON ASSISTANCE TO HOMELESS
VETERANS.
Section 1001 of the Veterans’ Benefits Improvements
Act of 1994 (38 U.S.C. 7721 note) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)(2)—
(A) by striking out ‘‘and’’ at the end of sub-
paragraph (B);
(B) by striking out the period at the end of
subparagraph (C) and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘;
and’’; and
(C) by adding at the end the following new
subparagraphs:
‘‘(D) evaluate the effectiveness of the programs of
the Department (including residential work-therapy
programs, programs combining outreach, community-
based residential treatment, and case-management,
and contract care programs for alcohol and drug-de-
pendence or abuse disabilities) in providing assist-
ance to homeless veterans; and
‘‘(E) evaluate the effectiveness of programs estab-
lished by recipients of grants under section 3 of the
Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Service Programs
Act of 1992 (38 U.S.C. 7721 note), and describe the
experience of such entities in applying for and receiv-
ing grants from the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development to serve primarily homeless persons who
are veterans.’’; and
(2) by striking out subsection (b) and redesignat-
ing subsection (c) as subsection (b).
SEC. 5. NONINSTITUTIONAL ALTERNATIVES TO NURSING
HOME CARE.
Section 1720C of title 38, United States Code, is
amended—
(1) in subsection (a), by striking out ‘‘During’’
and all that follows through ‘‘furnishing of’’ and in-
serting in lieu thereof ‘‘The Secretary may furnish’’;
and
(2) in subsection (b)(1), by striking out ‘‘pilot’’.
SEC. 6. PERSIAN GULF WAR VETERANS.
(a) SCOPE OF COUNSELING.—Section 703 of the Veter-
ans Health Care Act of 1992 (Public Law 102–585; 106
Stat. 4976) is amended by adding at the end the following
new subsection:
‘‘(c) FORM OF COUNSELING.—Counseling provided in
this section may not be provided through written materials
only, but shall include verbal counseling.’’.
(b) CRITERIA
FOR PRIORITY HEALTH CARE.—(1)
Subsection (a)(2)(F) of section 1710 of title 38, United
States Code, is amended by striking out ‘‘environmental
hazard’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘other conditions’’.
(2) Subsection (e)(1)(C) of such section is amended—
(A) by striking out ‘‘the Secretary finds may
have been exposed while serving’’ and inserting in
lieu thereof ‘‘served’’;
(B) by striking out ‘‘to a toxic substance or envi-
ronmental hazard’’; and
(C) by striking out ‘‘exposure’’ and inserting in
lieu thereof ‘‘service’’.
(3) Subsection (e)(2)(B) of such section is amended by
striking out ‘‘an exposure’’ and inserting in lieu thereof
‘‘the service’’.
(c) DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS FOR TREATMENT OF
PERSIAN GULF ILLNESS.—(1) The Secretary shall carry
out a program of demonstration projects to test new ap-
proaches to treating, and improving the satisfaction with
such treatment of, Persian Gulf veterans who suffer from
undiagnosed and ill-defined disabilities. The program shall
be established not later than July 1, 1998, and shall be car-
ried out at up to 10 geographically dispersed medical cen-
ters of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(2) At least one of each of the following models shall
be used at no less than two of the demonstration projects:
(A) A specialized clinic which serves Persian
Gulf veterans.
(B) Multidisciplinary treatment aimed at man-
aging symptoms.
(C) Use of case managers.
(3) A demonstration project under this subsection may
be undertaken in conjunction with another funding entity,
including agreements under section 8111 of title 38, United
States Code.
(4) The Secretary shall make available from appro-
priated funds (which have been retained for contingent
funding) $5,000,000 to carry out the demonstrations
projects.
(5) The Secretary may not approve a medical center
as a location for a demonstration project under this sub-
section unless a peer review panel has determined that the
proposal submitted by that medical center is among those
proposals that have met the highest competitive standards
of clinical merit and the Secretary has determined that the
facility has the ability to—
(A) attract the participation of clinicians of out-
standing caliber and innovation to the project; and
(B) effectively evaluate the activities of the
project.
(6) In determining which medical centers to select as
locations for demonstration projects under this subsection,
the Secretary shall give special priority to medical centers
that have demonstrated a capability to compete successfully
for extramural funding support for research into the effec-
tiveness and cost-effectiveness of the care provided under the
demonstration project.
SEC. 7. PERSONNEL POLICY.
Section 7425 of title 38, United States Code, is amend-
ed by adding at the end the following new subsection:
‘‘(c)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
employees described in paragraph (2), and the personnel
positions in which such employees are employed, are not
subject to any reduction required by law or executive branch
policy in the number or percentage of employees, or of per-
sonnel positions, within specified pay grades.
‘‘(2) Paragraph (1) applies to employees, and person-
nel positions, of the Veterans Health Administration per-
forming the following functions:
‘‘(A) The provision of, or the supervision of the
provision of, care and services to patients.
‘‘(B) The conduct of research.’’.
SEC. 8. VETERANS CANTEEN SERVICE.
(a) AUTHORITY TO SET PRICES.—Paragraph (7) of
section 7802 of title 38, United States Code, is amended
to read as follows:
‘‘(7) notwithstanding any other provision of law,
have sole authority to establish canteens (including
vending facilities and vending machines), and deter-
mine, and fix the prices of, merchandise and services
sold at such canteens;’’.
(b) OFF-PREMISES USE.—Section 7803 of such title
is amended—
(1) in subsection (a), by striking out ‘‘in this
subsection;’’ and all that follows through ‘‘the prem-
ises’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘in this section’’;
and
(2) by striking out subsection (b).
(c) SUPPORT SERVICES.—Section 7803 of such title is
further amended by adding at the end the following new
subsection:
‘‘(b) A canteen may provide support services to medi-
cal facilities of the Department. Such services shall be pro-
vided on a reimbursable basis.’’.
(d) TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.—(1) Paragraphs (1)
and (11) of section 7802 of such title are each amended by
striking out ‘‘hospitals and homes’’ and inserting in lieu
thereof ‘‘medical facilities’’.
(2) Section 7803(a) of such title is further amended—
(A) by striking out ‘‘hospitals and homes’’ each
place it appears and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘medi-
cal facilities’’; and
(B) by striking out ‘‘hospital or home’’ and in-
serting in lieu thereof ‘‘medical facility’’.
SEC. 9. TREATMENT FOR RETIREMENT PURPOSES OF SPE-
CIAL PAY PAID TO PHYSICIANS AND DEN-
TISTS OF THE VETERANS HEALTH ADMINIS-
TRATION.
(a) CREDITING OF SPECIAL PAY FOR RETIREMENT
PURPOSES.—Section 7438 of title 38, United States Code,
is amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
section:
‘‘(d)(1) The Secretary may authorize special pay paid
under this subchapter to a physician or dentist described
in paragraph (2) who retires from Federal service during
the period beginning on the date of the enactment of this
subsection and ending on September 30, 1999, to be consid-
ered to be basic pay for the purposes of chapter 83 or 84
of title 5, as appropriate.
‘‘(2) Paragraph (1) applies to any physician or dentist
employed by the Veterans Health Administration—
‘‘(A) who—
‘‘(i) is in receipt of special pay under chap-
ter 74 of this title;
‘‘(ii) is eligible to retire from Federal Gov-
ernment service;
‘‘(iii) has completed, or by September 30,
1999, would have completed, 15 years of service
in the Veterans Health Administration (deter-
mined assuming the physician or dentist re-
mained continuously employed in the Veterans
Health Administration until that date); and,
‘‘(iv) by September 30, 1999, would have
completed at least eight years of service in the
Veterans Health Administration while in receipt
of special pay under this subchapter (determined
assuming the physician or dentist remained con-
tinuously employed in the Veterans Health Ad-
ministration until that date); and
‘‘(B) with respect to whom the director of the De-
partment health care facility at which the physician
or dentist is employed has determined, and certified
to the Under Secretary for Health, that—
‘‘(i) the physician or dentist holds a posi-
tion which, because of changes in staffing pat-
terns or staffing levels at such facility, is no
longer required to be maintained at such facility;
and
‘‘(ii) there exists no available position at
such facility appropriate to the training and ex-
perience of the physician or dentist.
‘‘(3)(A) For each physician or dentist who retires with
the benefit of the provisions of paragraph (1), the Secretary
shall deposit in the Treasury to the credit of the appropriate
Federal retirement fund each year, for the period specified
in subparagraph (B), an amount equal to the amount of
the annuity paid (or to be paid) to the retired physician
or dentist for that year.
‘‘(B) The period applicable under subparagraph (A)
for any retired physician or dentist is the period beginning
on the date on which the physician or dentist retires and
ending on the later of the following (determined as if the
physician or dentist had remained continuously employed
in the Veterans Health Administration rather than retir-
ing):
‘‘(i) The date on which the physician or dentist
completed or would have completed 15 years of service
in the Veterans Health Administration.
‘‘(ii) The date on which the physician or dentist
would have completed eight years of service in the
Veterans Health Administration while in receipt of
special pay under this subchapter.
‘‘(C) A physician or dentist who retires with the bene-
fit of the provisions of paragraph (1) is not eligible to re-
ceive a voluntary separation incentive payment under the
provisions of section 663 of the Treasury, Postal Service,
and General Government Appropriations Act, 1997 (as con-
tained in section 101(f) of division A of Public Law 104–
208; 110 Stat. 3009–383), relating to voluntary separation
incentives for employees of certain Federal agencies, or any
other provision of law.’’.
(b) AMENDMENTS TO REFLECT EFFECTIVE DATE OF
CHAPTER 74 SPECIAL PAY AUTHORITY.—Subchapter III of
chapter 74 of such title is amended as follows:
(1) Section 7431(g)(1) is amended by striking
out ‘‘the day before the effective date of this sub-
chapter’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘July 13,
1991,’’.
(2) Section 7432(c)(1) is amended by striking
out ‘‘the effective date of the Department of Veterans
Affairs Physician and Dentist Recruitment and Re-
tention Act of 1991’’ and inserting in lieu thereof
‘‘July 14, 1991’’.
(3) Section 7437(e) is amended in each of para-
graphs (1) and (2)—
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph
(A), by striking out ‘‘the day before the effective
date of this subchapter’’ and inserting in lieu
thereof ‘‘July 13, 1991,’’
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking out
‘‘the day before such effective date’’ and inserting
in lieu thereof ‘‘such date’’; and
(C) in subparagraph (C), by striking out
‘‘effective’’.
(4) Section 7438(b) is amended—
(A) in paragraph (2)(A)—
(i) by striking out ‘‘the day before the
effective date of this section’’ and inserting
in lieu thereof ‘‘July 13, 1991,’’; and
(ii) by striking out ‘‘the day before
such effective date’’ and inserting in lieu
thereof ‘‘such date’’; and
(B) in paragraph (2)(B)—
(i) by striking out ‘‘the day before the
effective date of this section’’ and inserting
in lieu thereof ‘‘July 13, 1991’’; and
(ii) by striking out ‘‘the effective date
of this section’’ and inserting in lieu thereof
‘‘such date’’;
(C) in paragraph (4)—
(i) by striking out ‘‘the effective date of
this section’’ and inserting in lieu thereof
‘‘July 14, 1991’’; and
(ii) by striking out ‘‘effective’’ after
‘‘before such’’; and
(D) in paragraph (5), by striking out ‘‘the
effective date of this section’’ in subparagraphs
(A) and (B) and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘July
14, 1991’’.
(5) Section 7438(c) is amended by striking out
‘‘the day before the effective date of the Department
of Veterans Affairs Physician and Dentist Recruit-
ment and Retention Act of 1991’’ and inserting in
lieu thereof ‘‘July 13, 1991’’.
SEC. 10. PURCHASES OF PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS.
Section 8125 of title 38, United States Code, is amend-
ed—
(1) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection
(f); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following
new subsection (e):
‘‘(e)(1) A drug, pharmaceutical or biological product,
or hematology-related product that is listed on the pharma-
ceutical supply schedule described in section 8126(a) of this
title may only be procured or ordered from that supply
schedule by or for any entity specified in paragraph (2),
notwithstanding any other provision of law (whether en-
acted before, on, or after the date of the enactment of this
subsection).
‘‘(2) An entity specified in this paragraph is (A) any
agency or instrumentality of the Federal Government, or
(B) any other entity that is specified in Federal law or
regulation, as in effect before July 1, 1997, as eligible to
procure or order drugs, pharmaceutical or biological prod-
ucts, or hematology-related products from such pharma-
ceutical supply schedule.’’.
SEC. 11. TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.
(a) SECTION REFERENCE.—Section 1717(a)(2)(B) of
title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking out
‘‘section 1710(a)(2)’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘section
1710(a)’’.
(b) HOSPITAL
REFERENCE.—The Wm. Jennings
Bryan Dorn Veterans’ Hospital in Columbia, South Caro-
lina, shall hereafter be known and designated as the ‘‘Wm.
Jennings Bryan Dorn Department of Veterans Affairs Med-
ical Center’’. Any reference to such hospital in any law,
regulation, document, map, record, or other paper of the
United States shall be deemed to be a reference to the Wm.
Jennings Bryan Dorn Department of Veterans Affairs Med-
ical Center.