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a schedule for, and an assessment of the cost of, the implementation of the program at or through all Department of Veterans Affairs readjustment counseling centers. (2) The Secretary shall submit the plan not later than 4 months after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(b) DEFINITION.-In this section, the term "Department of Veterans Affairs readjustment counseling centers" has the same meaning given the term "center" in section 1712A(i)(1) of title 38, United States Code.

SEC. 7. REPORT ON COLLOCATION OF VET CENTERS AND DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OUTPATIENT CLINICS.

(a) REQUIREMENT. (1) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report on the feasibility and desirability of the collocation of Vet Centers and outpatient clinics (including rural mobile clinics) of the Department of Veterans Affairs as current leases for such centers and clinics expire.

(2) The Secretary shall submit the report not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(b) COVERED MATTERS.-The report under this section shall include an assessment of the following:

(1) The results of any collocation of Vet Centers and outpatient clinics carried out by the Secretary before the date of the enactment of this Act, including the effects of such collocation on the quality of care provided at such centers and clinics.

(2) The effect of such collocation on the capacity of such centers to carry out their primary mission.

(3) The extent to which such collocation will impair the operational independence or administrative integrity of such centers.

(4) The feasibility of combining the services provided by such centers and clinics in the course of the collocation of such centers and clinics.

(5) The advisability of the collocation of centers and clinics of significantly different size.

(6) The effect of the locations (including urban and rural locations) of the centers and clinics on the feasibility and desirability of such collocation.

(7) The amount of any costs savings to be achieved by Department as a result of such collocation.

(8) The desirability of such collocation in light of plans for the provision of health care services by the Department under national health care reform. (9) Any other matters that the Secretary determines appropriate.

SEC. 8. VET CENTER HEALTH CARE PILOT PROGRAM.

(a) IN GENERAL.-The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out a pilot program for the provision of health-related services to eligible veterans at readjustment counseling centers. The Secretary shall carry out the pilot program in accordance with this section.

(b) SERVICES. (1) In carrying out the pilot program, the Secretary shall provide the services referred to in paragraph (2) at not less than 10 readjustment counseling centers in existence on the date of the enactment of this Act.

(2) The Secretary shall provide basic ambulatory services and health care screening services by such personnel as the Secretary considers appropriate at each readjustment counseling center under the pilot program. The Secretary shall assign not less than one-half of a full-time employee equivalent at each such center in order to provide such services under the pilot program.

(3) In determining the location of the readjustment counseling centers at which to provide services under the pilot program, the Secretary shall select centers that are located in a variety of geographic areas and that serve veterans of a variety of economic, social, and ethnic backgrounds.

(c) PERIOD OF OPERATION. (1) The Secretary shall commence the provision of health-related services at readjustment counseling centers under the pilot program not later than 4 months after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(2) The pilot program shall terminate 2 years after the date on which the Secretary commences the provision of services under paragraph (1).

(d) REPORT. (1) The Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the pilot program established under this section. The report shall include the following: (A) A description of the program, including information on—

(i) the number of veterans provided basic ambulatory services and health care screening services under the pilot program;

(ii) the number of such veterans referred to Department of Veterans Affairs general health-care facilities in order to provide such services to such veterans; and

(iii) the cost to the Department of Veterans Affairs of the pilot program. (B) An analysis of the effectiveness of the services provided to veterans under the pilot program.

(C) The recommendations of the Secretary for means of improving the pilot program, and an estimate of the cost to the Department of implementing such recommendations.

(D) An assessment of the desirability of expanding the type or nature of services provided under the pilot program in light of plans for the provision of health care services by the Department under national health care reform.

(E) An assessment of the extent to which the provision of services under the pilot program impairs the operational or administrative independence of the readjustment counseling centers at which such services are provided.

(F) An assessment of the effect of the location of the centers on the effectiveness for the Department and for veterans of the services provided under the pilot program.

(G) Such other information as the Secretary considers appropriate.

(2) The Secretary shall submit the report not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(e) DEFINITIONS.-For the purposes of this section

(1) The term "Department of Veterans Affairs general health-care facility" has the meaning given such term in section 1712A(i)(2) of title 38, United States Code.

(2) The term "eligible veteran" means any veteran eligible for outpatient services under paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of section 1712(a) of such title.

(3) The term "readjustment counseling center" has the same meaning given the term "center" in section 1712A(i)(1) of such title.

INTRODUCTION

On July 14, 1993, Committee member Daniel K. Akaka introduced S. 1226, the proposed "Readjustment Counseling Service Amendments of 1993." Joining later as cosponsors were Committee member Thomas A. Daschle and Senators Daniel K. Inouye and Paul Wellstone.

As introduced, S. 1226 would have: (1) established the Readjustment Counseling Service (RCS) as a statutory organization within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), required congressional notification of any proposed changes to the administrative and organizational structure of RCS, and required that a specific operating budget be identified in the VA budget submission to Congress; (2) raised the Director of RCS to the level of Assistant Chief Medical Director and established certain qualifications for the position; (3) expanded eligibility for RCS services to all veterans, regardless of period of service, and provided eligibility for bereavement counseling to the family members of those who died on active duty; (4) codified existing administrative requirements pertaining to the confidentiality of RCS patient records; (5) established the Advisory Committee on Veteran Readjustment Counseling as a permanent body; (6) required VA to submit to the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Veterans' Affairs a plan to expand the Vietnam Veteran Resource Center (VVRC) program to all Vet Centers; and, (7) established a pilot program under which a range of primary health care services would be provided at selected Vet Centers.

At an August 3, 1993, hearing, the Committee received testimony on S. 1226, along with other legislation. Testimony on the bill was received from Hershel Gober, Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs, accompanied by various VA Central Office officials, and from a number of RCS program personnel from field offices and stations. In addition, the Committee heard testimony from representatives

holder of a master in social work degree, or (iv) is a registered nurse holding a master of science in nursing degree in psychiatric nursing or any other mental-health related degree approved by the Secretary, and (B) has at least 3 years of clinical experience and 2 years of administrative experience in the Readjustment Counseling Service or other comparable mental health care counseling service (as determined by the Secretary), who shall be the director of the Readjustment Counseling Service.".

(b) STATUS OF DIRECTOR.-Section 7306(a)(3) of such title is amended by striking out "eight" and inserting in lieu thereof "nine".

(c) ORGANIZATIONAL REQUIREMENT.-The Director of the Readjustment Counseling Service shall report to the Under Secretary for Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs through the Associate Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Clinical Programs.

SEC. 4. EXPANSION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR READJUSTMENT COUNSELING AND CERTAIN RELATED COUNSELING SERVICES.

(a) READJUSTMENT COUNSELING. (1) Subsection (a) of section 1712A of title 38, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:

“(aX1XA) Upon the request of any veteran referred to in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, the Secretary shall furnish counseling to the veteran to assist the veteran in readjusting to civilian life.

“(B) A veteran referred to in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph is any veteran who

"(i) served on active duty during the Vietnam era; or

“(ii) served on active military, naval, or air service in a theater of combat operations (as determined by the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense) during a period of war or in any other area during a period in which hostilities (as defined in subparagraph (D) of this paragraph) occurred in such

area.

"(C) Upon the request of any veteran other than a veteran referred to in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, the Secretary may furnish counseling to the veteran to assist the veteran in readjusting to civilian life.

"(D) For the purposes of subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, the term 'hostilities' means an armed conflict in which the members of the Armed Forces are subjected to danger comparable to the danger to which members of the Armed Forces have been subjected in combat with enemy armed forces during a period of war, as determined by the Secretary in consultation with the Secretary of Defense.

"(2) The counseling referred to in paragraph (1) shall include a general mental and psychological assessment of a covered veteran to ascertain whether such veteran has mental or psychological problems associated with readjustment to civilian life.".

(2) Subsection (c) of such section is repealed.

(b) OTHER COUNSELING. Such section is further amended by inserting after subsection (b) the following new subsection (c):

"(cX1) The Secretary shall provide the counseling services described in section 1701(6) BXii) of this title to the surviving parents, spouse, and children of any member of the Armed Forces who is killed during service on active military, naval, or air service in a theater of combat operations (as determined by the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense) during a period of war or in any other area during a period in which hostilities (as defined in subsection (a)(1)(D) of this section) occurred in such area.

"(2) The Secretary may provide the counseling services referred to in paragraph (1) to the surviving parents, spouse, and children of any member of the Armed Forces who dies while serving on active duty or from a condition (as determined by the Secretary) incurred in or aggravated by such service.".

(c) AUTHORITY TO CONTRACT FOR COUNSELING SERVICES.-Subsection (e) of such section is amended by striking out "subsections (a) and (b)" each place it appears and inserting in lieu thereof “subsections (a), (b), and (c)”.

SEC. 5. ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON THE READJUSTMENT OF VETERANS.

(a) IN GENERAL. (1) Subchapter II of chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1712B the following:

"§ 1712C. Advisory Committee on the Readjustment of Veterans

"aX1) There is in the Department the Advisory Committee on the Readjustment of Veterans (hereafter in this section referred to as the 'Committee').

"(2) The Committee shall consist of not more than 18 members appointed by the Secretary from among veterans who

“(A) have demonstrated significant civic or professional achievement; and

"(B) have experience with the provision of veterans benefits and services by the Department.

"(3) The Secretary shall seek to ensure that members appointed to the Committee include persons from a wide variety of geographic areas and ethnic backgrounds, persons from veterans service organizations, and women.

"(4) The Secretary shall determine the terms of service and pay and allowances of the members of the Committee, except that a term of service may not exceed 2 years. The Secretary may reappoint any member for additional terms of service.

"(bX1) The Secretary shall, on a regular basis, consult with and seek the advice of the Committee with respect to the provision by the Department of benefits and services to veterans in order to assist veterans in the readjustment to civilian life. “(2)A) In providing advice to the Secretary under this subsection, the Committee shall

"(i) assemble and review information relating to the needs of veterans in readjusting to civilian life;

"(ii) provide information relating to the nature and character of psychological problems arising from service in the Armed Forces;

“(iii) provide an on-going assessment of the effectiveness of the policies, organizational structures, and services of the Department in assisting veterans in readjusting to civilian life; and

"(iv) provide on-going advice on the most appropriate means of responding to the readjustment needs of veterans in the future.

“(B) In carrying out its duties under subparagraph (A), the Committee shall take into special account veterans of the Vietnam era, and the readjustment needs of such 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 recommendations for administrative and legislative action) 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 Secretary such other reports and recommendations as the Committee considers appropriate.

"(4) The Secretary shall submit with each annual report 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 previous annual report of the Secretary submitted pursuant to that section.

“(d)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall apply to the activities of the Committee under

this section.

"(2) Section 14 of such Act shall not apply to the Committee.".

(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 the Readjustment of Veterans.".

(b) ORIGINAL MEMBERS.—(1) Notwithstanding subsection (a)(2) of section 1712C of such title (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 committee recognized under such section.

(2) The original members shall so serve until the Secretary of Veterans Affairs carries out appointments under such subsection (a)(2). The Secretary shall carry out such appointments as soon after such date as is practicable. The Secretary may make such appointments from among such original members.

SEC. 6. PLAN FOR EXPANSION OF VIETNAM VETERAN RESOURCE CENTER PILOT PROGRAM.

(a) REQUIREMENT. (1) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a plan for the expansion of the Vietnam Veteran Resource Center program established pursuant to the amendment made by section 105 of the Veterans' Administration HealthCare Amendments of 1985 (Public Law 99–166; 99 Stat. 944). The plan shall include

a schedule for, and an assessment of the cost of, the implementation of the program at or through all Department of Veterans Affairs readjustment counseling centers. (2) The Secretary shall submit the plan not later than 4 months after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(b) DEFINITION.-In this section, the term "Department of Veterans Affairs readjustment counseling centers" has the same meaning given the term "center" in section 1712A(i)(1) of title 38, United States Code.

SEC. 7. REPORT ON COLLOCATION OF VET CENTERS AND DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OUTPATIENT CLINICS.

(a) REQUIREMENT. (1) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report on the feasibility and desirability of the collocation of Vet Centers and outpatient clinics (including rural mobile clinics) of the Department of Veterans Affairs as current leases for such centers and clinics expire.

(2) The Secretary shall submit the report not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(b) COVERED MATTERS.-The report under this section shall include an assessment of the following:

(1) The results of any collocation of Vet Centers and outpatient clinics carried out by the Secretary before the date of the enactment of this Act, including the effects of such collocation on the quality of care provided at such centers and clinics.

(2) The effect of such collocation on the capacity of such centers to carry out their primary mission.

(3) The extent to which such collocation will impair the operational independence or administrative integrity of such centers.

(4) The feasibility of combining the services provided by such centers and clinics in the course of the collocation of such centers and clinics.

(5) The advisability of the collocation of centers and clinics of significantly different size.

(6) The effect of the locations (including urban and rural locations) of the centers and clinics on the feasibility and desirability of such collocation.

(7) The amount of any costs savings to be achieved by Department as a result of such collocation.

(8) The desirability of such collocation in light of plans for the provision of health care services by the Department under national health care reform. (9) Any other matters that the Secretary determines appropriate.

SEC. 8. VET CENTER HEALTH CARE PILOT PROGRAM.

(a) IN GENERAL.-The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out a pilot program for the provision of health-related services to eligible veterans at readjustment counseling centers. The Secretary shall carry out the pilot program in accordance with this section.

(b) SERVICES. (1) In carrying out the pilot program, the Secretary shall provide the services referred to in paragraph (2) at not less than 10 readjustment counseling centers in existence on the date of the enactment of this Act.

(2) The Secretary shall provide basic ambulatory services and health care screening services by such personnel as the Secretary considers appropriate at each readjustment counseling center under the pilot program. The Secretary shall assign not less than one-half of a full-time employee equivalent at each such center in order to provide such services under the pilot program.

(3) In determining the location of the readjustment counseling centers at which to provide services under the pilot program, the Secretary shall select centers that are located in a variety of geographic areas and that serve veterans of a variety of economic, social, and ethnic backgrounds.

(c) PERIOD OF OPERATION. (1) The Secretary shall commence the provision of health-related services at readjustment counseling centers under the pilot program not later than 4 months after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(2) The pilot program shall terminate 2 years after the date on which the Secretary commences the provision of services under paragraph (1).

(d) REPORT. (1) The Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the pilot program established under this section. The report shall include the following: (A) A description of the program, including information on—

(i) the number of veterans provided basic ambulatory services and health care screening services under the pilot program;

(ii) the number of such veterans referred to Department of Veterans Affairs general health-care facilities in order to provide such services to such veterans; and

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