Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 96 Part 1.djvu/112

 96 STAT. 70

PUBLIC LAW 97-174—MAY 4, 1982 Public Law 97-174 97th Congress

An Act May 4, 1982 [S. 266]

To amend title 38, United States Code, to promote greater sharing of health-care resources between the Veterans' Administration and the Department of Defense and to direct the Secretary of Defense and the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs to plan for the provision of health care by the Veterans' Administration during periods of war or national emergency to members of the Armed Forces on active auty; and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Veterans' United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may Administration and Department be cited as the "Veterans' Administration and Department of Defense Health Resources Sharing and Emergency Operations Act". of Defense Health SEC. 2. (a) The Congress makes the following findings: Resources (1) There are opportunities for greater sharing of the healthSharing and care resources of the Veterans' Administration and the DepartEmergency ment of Defense which would, if achieved, be beneficial to both Operations Act. 38 USC 101 note. veterans and members of the Armed Forces and could result in 38 USC 5011 reduced costs to the Government by minimizing duplication note. and underuse of health-care resources. (2) Present incentives to encourage such sharing of healthcare resources are inadequate. (3) Such sharing of health-care resources can be achieved without a detrimental effect on the primary health-care beneficiaries of the Veterans' Administration and the Department of Defense. 38 USC 5011A (b) The Congress makes the following further findings: note. (1) During and immediately after a period of war or national emergency involving the use of the Armed Forces of the United States in armed conflict, the Department of Defense might not have adequate health-care resources to care for military personnel wounded in combat and other active-duty military personnel. (2) The Veterans' Administration has an extensive, comprehensive health-care system that could be used to assist the Department of Defense in caring for such personnel in such a situation. SEC. 3. (a) Section 5011 of title 38, United States Code, is amended— (1) by inserting "(a)" before "The Administrator" the first place it appears; (2) by striking out "and material" and all that follows through "this title," and inserting in lieu thereof "material, and other resources as may be needed to operate such facilities properly, except that the Administrator may not enter into an agreement that would result (1) in a permanent reduction in the total number of authorized Veterans' Administration hospital beds and nursing home beds to a level below the minimum number of such beds required by section 5010(a)(1) of this 38 USC 5010. title to be authorized, or (2) in a permanent reduction in the total number of such beds operated and maintained to a level

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