Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 93.djvu/79

 PUBLIC LAW 96-22—JUNE 13, 1979

Public Law 96-22 96th Congress

93 STAT. 47

An Act

To amend title 38, United States Code, to revise and improve certain health-care programs of the Veterans' Administration, to authorize the construction, alteration, and acquisition of certain medical facilities, and to expand certain benefits for disabled veterans; and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That (a) this Act may be cited as the "Veterans' Health Care Amendments of 1979". (b) Except as otherwise expressly provided, whenever in this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provision, the reference shall be considered to be made to a section or other provision of title 38, United States Code.

June 13, 1979 [S.7]

Veterans' Health Care Amendments of 1979. 38 USC 101 note.

TITLE I—HEALTH SERVICES PROGRAMS PRIORITY FOR MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS FOR SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITIES

SEC. 101. Clause (3) of section 612(i) is amended by inserting 38 USC 612. "(including any veteran being examined to determine the existence or rating of a service-connected disability)" before the period. D E N T A L SERVICES AND TREATMENT FOR CERTAIN VETERANS

SEC. 102. (a) Section 610(c) is amended by adding at the end thereof as use 6io. the following new sentence: "The Administrator may furnish dental services and treatment, and related dental appliances, under this subsection for a non-service-connected dental condition or disability of a veteran only (1) to the extent that the Administrator determines that the dental facilities of the Veterans' Administration to be used to furnish such services, treatment, or appliances are not needed to furnish services, treatment, or appliances for dental conditions or disabilities described in section 612(b) of this title, or (2) if (A) such 38 USC 612; non-service-connected dental condition or disability is associated with infra. or aggravating a disability for which such veteran is receiving hospital care, or (B) a compelling medical reason or a dental emergency requires furnishing dental services, treatment, or appliances (excluding the furnishing of such services, treatment, or appliances of a routine nature) to such veteran during the period of hospitalization under this section.". (b)(1) Subsection (b) of section 612 is amended— (A) by striking out "or" at the end of clause (5); (B) by striking out the period at the end of clause (6) and inserting in lieu thereof a semicolon; and (C) by adding at the end thereof the following: "(7) from which any veteran of World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict, or the Vietnam era who was held as a prisoner of war for a period of not less than six months is suffering; or "(8) from which a veteran who has a service-connected disability rated as total is suffering.

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