and medical and prosthetics research account, as appro-
priate, such amounts as the Under Secretary for Health 
determines appropriate. 
‘‘(h) Activities of clinical and scientific investigation 
at each center established under subsection (a) shall be 
eligible to compete for the award of funding from funds 
appropriated for the Department medical and prosthetics 
research account and shall receive priority in the award 
of funding from such account insofar as funds are award-
ed to projects for research in rural health care.’’. 
(2) The table of sections at the beginning of such 
chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating 
to section 7328 the following new item: 
‘‘7329. Rural health research, education, and clinical care centers.’’. 
(b) DESIGNATION OF CENTERS.—The Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall designate the centers for rural 
health research, education, and clinical activities required 
by section 7329 of title 38, United States Code (as added 
by subsection (a)), not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act. 
(c) ANNUAL REPORTS.— 
(1) ANNUAL
REPORT.—Not later than 18 
months after the date of the designation of centers 
for rural health research, education, and clinical ac-
tivities required by section 7329 of title 38, United 
States Code (as so added), and annually thereafter 
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for the next three years, the Secretary shall submit 
to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Sen-
ate and House of Representatives a report on the 
status and activities of such centers during the one- 
year period beginning on the date of such designa-
tion, for the first such report, and for successive 
one-year periods, for subsequent reports. 
(2) MATTER TO BE INCLUDED.—Each such re-
port shall include, for the period covered by the re-
port, the following: 
(A) A description of the activities carried 
out at each center and the funding provided for 
such activities. 
(B) A description of any advances made in 
the participating programs of each center in re-
search, education, training, and clinical activi-
ties related to rural health. 
SEC. 8. HOMELESS RURAL VETERANS. 
Section 2061(b) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end of paragraph 
(3); 
(2) by striking the period at the end of para-
graph (4) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
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(3) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(5) rural.’’. 
SEC. 9. RURAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF HEALTH 
PROFESSIONALS. 
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out ac-
tivities to enhance the education, training, retention, and 
recruitment of health professionals in rural areas. As part 
of such activities, the Secretary shall— 
(1) establish additional rotations for medical 
residents in rural areas; 
(2) establish programs to enhance the edu-
cation, training, recruitment, and retention of nurses 
in rural areas; and 
(3) establish programs to enhance the edu-
cation, training, recruitment, and retention of allied 
health professionals in rural areas. 
SEC. 10. NATIVE AMERICANS. 
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall expand the 
health care presence of the Department of Veterans Af-
fairs in Native American, Native Hawaiian, and Native 
Alaskan rural communities in order to improve access to 
Department of Veterans Affairs health care services for 
veterans in those communities. 
Æ 
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