Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 120.djvu/3453

 120 STAT. 3422

PUBLIC LAW 109–461—DEC. 22, 2006 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 7307 the following new item:

‘‘7308. Office of Rural Health.’’.

Deadline.

38 USC 6303 note.

VerDate 14-DEC-2004

12:05 Jul 13, 2007

(b) ASSESSMENT OF FEE-BASIS HEALTH-CARE PROGRAM.—The Director of the Office of Rural Health shall conduct an assessment of the effects of the implementation of the fee-basis health-care program of the Veterans Health Administration on the delivery of health-care services to veterans who reside in rural areas of the United States. The assessment shall be conducted in consultation with the individuals designated under subsection (c)(3) of section 7308 of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a). In conducting the assessment, the Director shall— (1) identify various mechanisms for expanding the program in order to enhance and improve health-care services for such veterans and determine the feasibility and advisability of implementing such mechanisms; and (2) for each mechanism determined under paragraph (1) to be feasible and advisable to implement, make recommendations to the Under Secretary for Health on the implementation of such mechanism. (c) PLAN TO IMPROVE ACCESS AND QUALITY OF CARE.—Not later than September 30, 2007, the Director of the Office of Rural Health shall develop a plan to improve the access and quality of care for enrolled veterans in rural areas. The plan shall include— (1) measures for meeting the long term care needs of rural veterans; and (2) measures for meeting the mental health needs of veterans residing in rural areas. (d) REPORT ON COMMUNITY-BASED OUTPATIENT CLINICS AND ACCESS POINTS IDENTIFIED IN CARES MAY 2004 DECISION DOCUMENT.— Not later than March 30, 2007, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report that— (1) identifies each of the community-based outpatient clinics and access points identified in the May 2004 Decision Document of Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) that have been opened; and (2) identifies each of the clinics and access points identified in such report that would be opened in fiscal year 2007 or 2008 if funding were available for such purpose. SEC. 213. OUTREACH PROGRAM TO VETERANS IN RURAL AREAS.

(a) PROGRAM.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct an extensive outreach program to identify and provide information to veterans who served in the theater of operations for Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom and who reside in rural communities in order to enroll those veterans in the healthcare system of the Department of Veterans Affairs during the period when they are eligible for such enrollment. (b) FEATURES OF PROGRAM.—In carrying out the program under subsection (a), the Secretary shall seek to work at the local level with employers, State agencies, community health centers located in rural areas, rural health clinics, and critical access hospitals located in rural areas, and units of the National Guard and other

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