38 U.S.C. § 7321 — Committee on Care of Severely Chron-

Page 1183 TITLE 38—VETERANS’ BENEFITS § 7321 (A) $3,125,000 for fiscal year 1998. (B) $6,250,000 for each of fiscal years 1999 through 2001. (2) In addition to funds appropriated for a fis- cal year pursuant to the authorization of appro- priations in paragraph (1), the Under Secretary for Health shall allocate to such centers from other funds appropriated for that fiscal year generally for the Department of Veterans Af- fairs medical services account and the Depart- ment of Veterans Affairs medical and pros- thetics research account such amounts as the Under Secretary for Health determines appro- priate to carry out the purposes of this section. (Added Pub. L. 104–262, title III, § 334(a)(1), Oct. 9, 1996, 110 Stat. 3200; amended Pub. L. 110–387, title IX, § 901(a)(8), Oct. 10, 2008, 122 Stat. 4142; Pub. L. 117–286, § 4(a)(220), Dec. 27, 2022, 136 Stat. 4330.) Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 2022—Subsec. (e)(4). Pub. L. 117–286 substituted ‘‘chap- ter 10 of title 5.’’ for ‘‘the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.).’’ 2008—Subsec. (j)(2). Pub. L. 110–387 substituted ‘‘med- ical services account’’ for ‘‘medical care account’’. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries ANNUAL REPORTS ON AND DESIGNATION OF CENTERS Pub. L. 104–262, title III, § 334(b), (c), Oct. 9, 1996, 110 Stat. 3203, 3204, required the Secretary of Veterans Af- fairs, by Feb. 1 of each of the years 1999 to 2002, to sub- mit to Congress a report on the status and activities during the previous fiscal year of the centers for men- tal illness research, education, and clinical activities established pursuant to this section, with each report to include descriptions of activities and advances at each center and actions taken under subsec. (h) of this section, and also required the Secretary to designate at least one center under this section by Jan. 1, 1998. § 7321. Committee on Care of Severely Chron- ically Mentally Ill Veterans (a) The Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary for Health, shall establish in the Vet- erans Health Administration a Committee on Care of Severely Chronically Mentally Ill Vet- erans. The Under Secretary shall appoint em- ployees of the Department with expertise in the care of the chronically mentally ill to serve on the committee. (b) The committee shall assess, and carry out a continuing assessment of, the capability of the Veterans Health Administration to meet effec- tively the treatment and rehabilitation needs of mentally ill veterans whose mental illness is se- vere and chronic and who are eligible for health care furnished by the Department, including the needs of such veterans who are women. In car- rying out that responsibility, the committee shall— (1) evaluate the care provided to such vet- erans through the Veterans Health Adminis- tration; (2) identify systemwide problems in caring for such veterans in facilities of the Veterans Health Administration; (3) identify specific facilities within the Vet- erans Health Administration at which pro- gram enrichment is needed to improve treat- ment and rehabilitation of such veterans; and (4) identify model programs which the com- mittee considers to have been successful in the treatment and rehabilitation of such veterans and which should be implemented more widely in or through facilities of the Veterans Health Administration. (c) The committee shall— (1) advise the Under Secretary regarding the development of policies for the care and reha- bilitation of severely chronically mentally ill veterans; and (2) make recommendations to the Under Sec- retary— (A) for improving programs of care of such veterans at specific facilities and through- out the Veterans Health Administration; (B) for establishing special programs of education and training relevant to the care of such veterans for employees of the Vet- erans 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)(1) Not later than April 1, 1997, the Sec- retary shall submit to the Committees on Vet- erans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Rep- resentatives a report on the implementation of this section. The report shall include the fol- lowing: (A) A list of the members of the committee. (B) The assessment of the Under Secretary for Health, after review of the initial findings of the committee, regarding the capability of the Veterans Health Administration, on a sys- temwide and facility-by-facility basis, to meet effectively the treatment and rehabilitation needs of severely chronically mentally ill vet- erans who are eligible for Department care. (C) The plans of the committee for further assessments. (D) The findings and recommendations made by the 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 resources to be applied toward improving the capability of the Veterans Health Admin- istration to meet effectively the treatment and rehabilitation needs of severely chron- ically mentally ill veterans who are eligible for Department care. (2) Not later than June 1 of each year through 2012, the Secretary shall submit to the Commit- tees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report containing in- formation updating the reports submitted under this subsection before the submission of such re- port. (Added Pub. L. 104–262, title III, § 335(a), Oct. 9, 1996, 110 Stat. 3204; amended Pub. L. 106–419, title IV, § 402(f), Nov. 1, 2000, 114 Stat. 1863; Pub. L. 108–170, title IV, § 405(c), Dec. 6, 2003, 117 Stat. 2063; Pub. L. 110–387, title VIII, § 807, Oct. 10, 2008, 122 Stat. 4141.) Page 1184 TITLE 38—VETERANS’ BENEFITS § 7321A Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 2008—Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 110–387 substituted ‘‘through 2012’’ for ‘‘through 2008’’. 2003—Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 108–170 substituted ‘‘June 1 of each year through 2008’’ for ‘‘February 1, 1998, and February 1 of each of the six following years’’. 2000—Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 106–419, substituted ‘‘six following years’’ for ‘‘three following years’’. § 7321A. Committee on Care of Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall es- tablish in the Veterans Health Administration a committee to be known as the ‘‘Committee on Care of Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury’’. The Under Secretary for Health shall appoint employees of the Department with expertise in the care of veterans with traumatic brain injury to serve on the committee. (b) RESPONSIBILITIES OF COMMITTEE.—The com- mittee shall assess, and carry out a continuing assessment of, the capability of the Veterans Health Administration to meet effectively the treatment and rehabilitation needs of veterans with traumatic brain injury. In carrying out that responsibility, the committee shall— (1) evaluate the care provided to such vet- erans through the Veterans Health Adminis- tration; (2) identify systemwide problems in caring for such veterans in facilities of the Veterans Health Administration; (3) identify specific facilities within the Vet- erans Health Administration at which pro- gram enrichment is needed to improve treat- ment and rehabilitation of such veterans; and (4) identify model programs which the com- mittee considers to have been successful in the treatment and rehabilitation of such veterans and which should be implemented more widely in or through facilities of the Veterans Health Administration. (c) ADVICE AND RECOMMENDATIONS.—The com- mittee shall— (1) advise the Under Secretary regarding the development of policies for the care and reha- bilitation of veterans with traumatic brain in- jury; and (2) make recommendations to the Under Sec- retary— (A) for improving programs of care of such veterans at specific facilities and through- out the Veterans Health Administration; (B) for establishing special programs of education and training relevant to the care of such veterans for employees of the Vet- erans 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 REPORT.—Not later than June 1, 2010, and each year thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Af- fairs of the Senate and the Committee on Vet- erans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the implementation of this section. Each such report shall include the following for the calendar year preceding the year in which the report is submitted: (1) A list of the members of the committee. (2) The assessment of the Under Secretary for Health, after review of the findings of the committee, regarding the capability of the Veterans Health Administration, on a system- wide and facility-by-facility basis, to meet ef- fectively the treatment and rehabilitation needs of veterans with traumatic brain injury. (3) The plans of the committee for further assessments. (4) The findings and recommendations made by the committee to the Under Secretary for Health and the views of the Under Secretary on such findings and recommendations. (5) A description of the steps taken, plans made (and a timetable for the execution of such plans), and resources to be applied toward improving the capability of the Veterans Health Administration to meet effectively the treatment and rehabilitation needs of veterans with traumatic brain injury. (Added Pub. L. 111–163, title V, § 515(a), May 5, 2010, 124 Stat. 1165.) § 7322. Breast cancer mammography policy (a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary for Health shall develop a national policy for the Veterans Health Administration on mammog- raphy screening for veterans. (b) STANDARDS FOR SCREENING.—The policy de- veloped under subsection (a) shall— (1) specify standards of mammography screening; (2) provide recommendations with respect to screening, and the frequency of screening, for— (A) women veterans who are over the age of 39; and (B) veterans, without regard to age, who have clinical symptoms, risk factors, a record of service in a location and during a period specified in subsection (d), or family history of breast cancer; and (3) provide for clinician discretion. (c) ELIGIBILITY FOR SCREENING FOR VETERANS EXPOSED TO TOXIC SUBSTANCES.—The Under Sec- retary for Health shall ensure that, under the policy developed under subsection (a), any vet- eran who, during active military, naval, or air service, was deployed in support of a contin- gency operation in a location and during a pe- riod specified in subsection (d), is eligible for a mammography screening by a health care pro- vider of the Department. (d) LOCATIONS AND PERIODS SPECIFIED.—(1) The locations and periods specified in this subsection are the following: (A) Iraq during following periods: (i) The period beginning on August 2, 1990, and ending on February 28, 1991. (ii) The period beginning on March 19, 2003, and ending on such date as the Secretary de- termines burn pits are no longer used in Iraq. (B) The Southwest Asia theater of oper- ations, other than Iraq, during the period be- ginning on August 2, 1990, and ending on such date as the Secretary determines burn pits are no longer used in such location, including the following locations: