Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 95.djvu/1073

 PUBLIC LAW 97-72—NOV. 3, 1981

95 STAT. 1047

Public Law 97-72 97th Congress An Act To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend the period for Vietnam-era veterans to request counseling under the veterans' readjustment counseling program, to provide medical care eligibility for veterans exposed to herbicides or defoliants (including Agent Orange), or to nuclear radiation, to establish a minimum total number of operating beds in Veterans' Administration hospital and nursing home facilities, to extend for certain Vietnam-era veterans the period of time in which GI Bill educational assistance benefits may be used for the pursuit of certain training, to provide a small business loan program for Vietnam era and disabled veterans, and to extend the authority for veterans readjustment appointments in the civil service; and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SHORT TITLE; AMENDMENTS TO TITLE 3 8, UNITED STATES CODE

1. (a) This Act may be cited as the "Veterans' Health Care, Training, and Small Business Loan Act of 1981". (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. TITLE I—HEALTH CARE SECTION

Nov. 3, 1981 [H.R. 3499]

Veterans' Health Care, Training, and Small Business Loan Act of 1981. 38 USC 101 note.

EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE CERTAIN CONTRACT HOSPITAL CARE AND MEDICAL SERVICES IN PUERTO RICO, THE VIRGIN ISLANDS, AND OTHER TERRITORIES

SEC. 101. Section 601(4)(C)(v) is amended by striking out "December 31, 1981" and inserting in lieu thereof "September 30, 1982".

38 USC 601.

MEDICAL CARE FOR DISABILITIES THAT MAY BE RELATED TO EXPOSURE TO AGENT ORANGE, CERTAIN OTHER HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES, OR NUCLEAR RADIATION

SEC. 102. (a) Section 610 is amended— (1) in subsection (a)— (A) by striking out "and" at the end of clause (4); (B) by redesignating clause (5) as clause (6); and (C) by inserting after clause (4) the following new clause (5): "(5) a veteran who meets the conditions of subsection (e) of this section; and"; and (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection: "(e)(1)(A) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection, a veteran— "(i) who served on active duty in the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam era, and

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38 USC 610.

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