Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 122.djvu/2535

 12 2 STA T . 2 5 12 PUBLIC LA W 11 0– 2 7 5 —J UL Y 15, 200 8subpar a g rap h.Fo r purpos e so ft h i s cl ause , a n et w or km a y ,asthe S ecretary d etermines appropriate, include Federally q ualified health centers ( as defined in section 186 1(aa ) ( 4 )), rural health clinics (as defined in section 1861(aa)( 2 )), home health agencies (as defined in sec - tion 1861(o)), community mental health centers (as defined in section 1861(ff)( 3 )( B )) and other pro v iders of mental health services, pharmacists, local govern- ment, and other providers deemed necessary to meet the needs of veterans. ‘ ‘(iii) CO O RDINAT ION AT L O C ALL EV EL. —T he Sec- retary shall require, as appropriate, a State to dem- onstrate consultation with the hospital association of such State, rural hospitals located in such State, pro- viders of mental health services, or other appropriate stakeholders for the provision of services under a grant awarded under this paragraph. ‘‘(iv) S P ECIAL CON S IDERATION O F CERTAIN APPLICA- TIONS.— I n awarding grants to States under subpara- graph ( A ), the Secretary shall give special consideration to applications submitted by States in which veterans make up a high percentage (as determined by the Secretary) of the total population of the State. Such consideration shall be given without regard to the number of veterans of O peration Iraqi Freedom and Operation E nduring Freedom living in the areas in which mental health services and other health care services would be delivered under the application. ‘‘(C) COORDINATION W IT H VA.—The Secretary shall, as appropriate, consult with the D irector of the Office of R ural H ealth of the Department of V eterans Affairs in awarding and administering grants to States under subparagraph (A). ‘‘(D) U SEOFF U NDS.—A State awarded a grant under this paragraph may, as appropriate, use the funds to reimburse providers of services described in subparagraph (A) to individuals described in that subparagraph. ‘‘(E) L I M ITATION ON USE OF G RANT FUNDS FOR ADMINIS- TRATIVE E X PENSES.—A State awarded a grant under this paragraph may not e x pend more than 1 5 percent of the amount of the grant for administrative expenses. ‘‘(F) INDEPENDENT EVALUATION AND FINAL REPORT.— The Secretary shall provide for an independent evaluation of the grants awarded under subparagraph (A). N ot later than 1 year after the date on which the last grant is awarded to a State under such subparagraph, the Secretary shall submit a report to Congress on such evaluation. Such report shall include an assessment of the impact of such grants on increasing the delivery of mental health services and other health services to veterans of the United States Armed Forces living in rural areas (as so defined and including such areas that are rural census tracks), with particular emphasis on the impact of such grants on the delivery of such services to veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, and to other individuals living in such rural areas. ’ ’.

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