[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 714 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        S.714

                       One Hundred Fifth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE FIRST SESSION

          Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
 the seventh day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven


                                 An Act


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to revise, extend, and improve 
                         programs for veterans.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans' Benefits 
Act of 1997''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act is as 
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. References to title 38, United States Code.

   TITLE I--EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY PROCESS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF 
                            VETERANS AFFAIRS

Sec. 101. Equal employment responsibilities.
Sec. 102. Discrimination complaint adjudication authority.
Sec. 103. Assessment and review of Department of Veterans Affairs 
          employment discrimination complaint resolution system.

           TITLE II--EXTENSION AND IMPROVEMENT OF AUTHORITIES

Sec. 201. Native American Veteran Housing Loan Program.
Sec. 202. Treatment and rehabilitation for seriously mentally ill and 
          homeless veterans.
Sec. 203. Extension of certain authorities relating to homeless 
          veterans.
Sec. 204. Annual report on assistance to homeless veterans.
Sec. 205. Expansion of authority for enhanced-use leases of Department 
          of Veterans Affairs real property.
Sec. 206. Permanent authority to furnish noninstitutional alternatives 
          to nursing home care.
Sec. 207. Extension of Health Professional Scholarship Program.
Sec. 208. Policy on breast cancer mammography.
Sec. 209. Persian Gulf War veterans.
Sec. 210. Presidential report on preparations for a national response to 
          medical emergencies arising from the terrorist use of weapons 
          of mass destruction.

  TITLE III--MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY PROJECTS CONSTRUCTION AUTHORIZATION

Sec. 301. Authorization of major medical facility projects.
Sec. 302. Authorization of major medical facility leases.
Sec. 303. Authorization of appropriations.

              TITLE IV--TECHNICAL AND CLARIFYING AMENDMENTS

Sec. 401. Technical amendments.
Sec. 402. Clarification of certain health care authorities.
Sec. 403. Correction of name of medical center.
Sec. 404. Improvement to spina bifida benefits for children of Vietnam 
          veterans.

SEC. 2. REFERENCES TO TITLE 38, UNITED STATES CODE.

    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--EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY PROCESS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF 
                            VETERANS AFFAIRS

SEC. 101. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT RESPONSIBILITIES.

    (a) In General.--(1) Chapter 5 is amended by inserting at the end 
of subchapter I the following new section:

``Sec. 516. Equal employment responsibilities

    ``(a) The Secretary shall provide that the employment 
discrimination complaint resolution system within the Department be 
established and administered so as to encourage timely and fair 
resolution of concerns and complaints. The Secretary shall take steps 
to ensure that the system is administered in an objective, fair, and 
effective manner and in a manner that is perceived by employees and 
other interested parties as being objective, fair, and effective.
    ``(b) The Secretary shall provide--
        ``(1) that employees responsible for counseling functions 
    associated with employment discrimination and for receiving, 
    investigating, and processing complaints of employment 
    discrimination shall be supervised in those functions by, and 
    report to, an Assistant Secretary or a Deputy Assistant Secretary 
    for complaint resolution management; and
        ``(2) that employees performing employment discrimination 
    complaint resolution functions at a facility of the Department 
    shall not be subject to the authority, direction, and control of 
    the Director of the facility with respect to those functions.
    ``(c) The Secretary shall ensure that all employees of the 
Department receive adequate education and training for the purposes of 
this section and section 319 of this title.
    ``(d) The Secretary shall, when appropriate, impose disciplinary 
measures, as authorized by law, in the case of employees of the 
Department who engage in unlawful employment discrimination, including 
retaliation against an employee asserting rights under an equal 
employment opportunity law.
    ``(e)(1)(A) Not later than 30 days after the end of each calendar 
quarter, the Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration 
shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and 
House of Representatives a report summarizing the employment 
discrimination complaints filed against the individuals referred to in 
paragraph (2) during such quarter.
    ``(B) Subparagraph (A) shall apply in the case of complaints filed 
against individuals on the basis of such individuals' personal conduct 
and shall not apply in the case of complaints filed solely on the basis 
of such individuals' positions as officials of the Department.
    ``(2) Paragraph (1) applies to the following officers and employees 
of the Department:
        ``(A) The Secretary.
        ``(B) The Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
        ``(C) The Under Secretary for Health and the Under Secretary 
    for Benefits.
        ``(D) Each Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs and each 
    Deputy Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
        ``(E) The Director of the National Cemetery System.
        ``(F) The General Counsel of the Department.
        ``(G) The Chairman of the Board of Veterans' Appeals.
        ``(H) The Chairman of the Board of Contract Appeals of the 
    Department.
        ``(I) The director and the chief of staff of each medical 
    center of the Department.
        ``(J) The director of each Veterans Integrated Services 
    Network.
        ``(K) The director of each regional office of the Department.
        ``(L) Each program director of the Central Office of the 
    Department.
    ``(3) Each report under this subsection--
        ``(A) may not disclose information which identifies the 
    individuals filing, or the individuals who are the subject of, the 
    complaints concerned or the facilities at which the discrimination 
    identified in such complaints is alleged to have occurred;
        ``(B) shall summarize such complaints by type and by equal 
    employment opportunity field office area in which filed; and
        ``(C) shall include copies of such complaints, with the 
    information described in subparagraph (A) redacted.
    ``(4) Not later than April 1 each year, the Assistant Secretary 
shall submit to the committees referred to in paragraph (1)(A) a report 
on the complaints covered by paragraph (1) during the preceding year, 
including the number of such complaints filed during that year and the 
status and resolution of the investigation of such complaints.
    ``(f) The Secretary shall ensure that an employee of the Department 
who seeks counseling relating to employment discrimination may elect to 
receive such counseling from an employee of the Department who carries 
out equal employment opportunity counseling functions on a full-time 
basis rather than from an employee of the Department who carries out 
such functions on a part-time basis.
    ``(g) The number of employees of the Department whose duties 
include equal employment opportunity counseling functions as well as 
other, unrelated functions may not exceed 40 full-time equivalent 
employees. Any such employee may be assigned equal employment 
opportunity counseling functions only at Department facilities in 
remote geographic locations (as determined by the Secretary). The 
Secretary may waive the limitation in the preceding sentence in 
specific cases.
    ``(h) The provisions of this section shall be implemented in a 
manner consistent with procedures applicable under regulations 
prescribed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.''.
    (2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is 
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 515 the 
following new item:
``516. Equal employment responsibilities.''.

    (b) Reports.--(1) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to 
Congress reports on the implementation and operation of the equal 
employment opportunity system within the Department of Veterans 
Affairs. The first such report shall be submitted not later than April 
1, 1998, and subsequent reports shall be submitted not later than 
January 1, 1999, and January 1, 2000.
    (2) The first report under paragraph (1) shall set forth the 
actions taken by the Secretary to implement section 516 of title 38, 
United States Code, as added by subsection (a), and other actions taken 
by the Secretary in relation to the equal employment opportunity system 
within the Department of Veterans Affairs.
    (3) The subsequent reports under paragraph (1) shall set forth, for 
each equal employment opportunity field office of the Department and 
for the Department as a whole, the following:
        (A) Any information to supplement the information submitted in 
    the report under paragraph (2) that the Secretary considers 
    appropriate.
        (B) The number of requests for counseling relating to 
    employment discrimination received during the one-year period 
    ending on the date of the report concerned.
        (C) The number of employment discrimination complaints received 
    during such period.
        (D) The status of each complaint described in subparagraph (C), 
    including whether or not the complaint was resolved and, if 
    resolved, whether the employee concerned sought review of the 
    resolution by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or by 
    Federal court.
        (E) The number of employment discrimination complaints that 
    were settled during such period, including--
            (i) the type of such complaints; and
            (ii) the terms of settlement (including any settlement 
        amount) of each such complaint.
    (c) Effective Date.--Section 516 of title 38, United States Code, 
as added by subsection (a), shall take effect 90 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act. Subsection (e) of that section shall take effect 
with respect to the first quarter of calendar year 1998.

SEC. 102. DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINT ADJUDICATION AUTHORITY.

    (a) In General.--(1) Chapter 3 is amended by adding at the end the 
following new section:
``Sec. 319. Office of Employment Discrimination Complaint Adjudication
    ``(a)(1) There is in the Department an Office of Employment 
Discrimination Complaint Adjudication. There is at the head of the 
Office a Director.
    ``(2) The Director shall be a career appointee in the Senior 
Executive Service.
    ``(3) The Director reports directly to the Secretary or the Deputy 
Secretary concerning matters within the responsibility of the Office.
    ``(b)(1) The Director is responsible for making the final agency 
decision within the Department on the merits of any employment 
discrimination complaint filed by an employee, or an applicant for 
employment, with the Department. The Director shall make such decisions 
in an impartial and objective manner.
    ``(2) No person may make any ex parte communication to the Director 
or to any employee of the Office with respect to a matter on which the 
Director has responsibility for making a final agency decision.
    ``(c) Whenever the Director has reason to believe that there has 
been retaliation against an employee by reason of the employee 
asserting rights under an equal employment opportunity law, the 
Director shall report the suspected retaliatory action directly to the 
Secretary or Deputy Secretary, who shall take appropriate action 
thereon.
    ``(d)(1) The Office shall employ a sufficient number of attorneys 
and other personnel as are necessary to carry out the functions of the 
Office. Attorneys shall be compensated at a level commensurate with 
attorneys employed by the Office of the General Counsel.
    ``(2) The Secretary shall ensure that the Director is furnished 
sufficient resources in addition to personnel under paragraph (1) to 
enable the Director to carry out the functions of the Office in a 
timely manner.
    ``(3) The Secretary shall ensure that any performance appraisal of 
the Director of the Office of Employment Discrimination Complaint 
Adjudication or of any employee of the Office does not take into 
consideration the record of the Director or employee in deciding cases 
for or against the Department.''.
    (2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is 
amended by adding at the end the following new item:
``319. Office of Employment Discrimination Complaint Adjudication.''.

    (b) Reports on Implementation.--The Director of the Office of 
Employment Discrimination Complaint Adjudication of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs (established by section 319 of title 38, United States 
Code, as added by subsection (a)) shall submit to the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs and to Congress reports on the implementation and the 
operation of that office. The first such report shall be submitted not 
later than April 1, 1998, and subsequent reports shall be submitted not 
later than January 1, 1999, and January 1, 2000.
    (c) Effective Date.--Section 319 of title 38, United States Code, 
as added by subsection (a), shall take effect 90 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act.
    SEC. 103. ASSESSMENT AND REVIEW OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
      EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINT RESOLUTION SYSTEM.
    (a) Agreement for Assessment and Review.--(1) The Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall seek to enter into an agreement with a qualified 
private entity under which agreement the entity shall carry out the 
assessment described in subsection (b) and the review described in 
subsection (c).
    (2) The Secretary shall include in the agreement provisions 
necessary to ensure that the entity carries out its responsibilities 
under the agreement (including the exercise of its judgments concerning 
the assessment and review) in a manner free of influence from any 
source, including the officials and employees of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs.
    (3) The Secretary may not enter into the agreement until 15 days 
after the date on which the Secretary notifies the Committees on 
Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
entity with which the Secretary proposes to enter into the agreement.
    (b) Initial Assessment of System.--(1) Under the agreement under 
subsection (a), the entity shall conduct an assessment of the 
employment discrimination complaint resolution system administered 
within the Department of Veterans Affairs, including the extent to 
which the system meets the objectives set forth in section 516(a) of 
title 38, United States Code, as added by section 101. The assessment 
shall include a comprehensive description of the system as of the time 
of the assessment.
    (2) Under the agreement, the entity shall submit the assessment to 
the committees referred to in subsection (a)(3) and to the Secretary 
not later than June 1, 1998.
    (c) Review of Administration of System.--(1) Under the agreement 
under subsection (a), the entity shall monitor and review the 
administration by the Secretary of the employment discrimination 
complaint resolution system administered within the Department.
    (2) Under the agreement, the entity shall submit to the committees 
referred to in subsection (a)(3) and to the Secretary a report on the 
results of the review under paragraph (1) not later than June 1, 1999. 
The report shall include an assessment of the administration of the 
system, including the extent to which the system meets the objectives 
referred to in subsection (b)(1), and the effectiveness of the 
following:
        (A) Programs to train and maintain a cadre of individuals who 
    are competent to investigate claims relating to employment 
    discrimination.
        (B) Programs to train and maintain a cadre of individuals who 
    are competent to provide counseling to individuals who submit such 
    claims.
        (C) Programs to provide education and training to Department 
    employees regarding their rights and obligations under the equal 
    employment opportunity laws.
        (D) Programs to oversee the administration of the system.
        (E) Programs to evaluate the effectiveness of the system in 
    meeting its objectives.
        (F) Other programs, procedures, or activities of the Department 
    relating to the equal employment opportunity laws, including any 
    alternative dispute resolution procedures and informal dispute 
    resolution and settlement procedures.
        (G) Any disciplinary measures imposed by the Secretary on 
    employees determined to have violated the equal employment 
    opportunity laws in preventing or deterring violations of such laws 
    by other employees of the Department.

           TITLE II--EXTENSION AND IMPROVEMENT OF AUTHORITIES

SEC. 201. NATIVE AMERICAN VETERAN HOUSING LOAN PROGRAM.

    (a) Extension of Pilot Program.--Section 3761(c) is amended by 
striking out ``September 30, 1997'' and inserting in lieu thereof 
``December 31, 2001''.
    (b) Outreach.--Section 3762(i) is amended--
        (1) by inserting ``(1)'' after ``(i)'';
        (2) by inserting ``, in consultation with tribal organizations 
    (including the National Congress of American Indians and the 
    National American Indian Housing Council),'' after ``The Secretary 
    shall'';
        (3) by striking out ``tribal organizations and''; and
        (4) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(2) Activities under the outreach program shall include the 
following:
        ``(A) Attending conferences and conventions conducted by the 
    National Congress of American Indians in order to work with the 
    National Congress in providing information and training to tribal 
    organizations and Native American veterans regarding the 
    availability of housing benefits under the pilot program and in 
    assisting such organizations and veterans in participating in the 
    pilot program.
        ``(B) Attending conferences and conventions conducted by the 
    National American Indian Housing Council in order to work with the 
    Housing Council in providing information and training to tribal 
    organizations and tribal housing entities regarding the 
    availability of such benefits.
        ``(C) Attending conferences and conventions conducted by the 
    Department of Hawaiian Homelands in order to work with the 
    Department of Hawaiian Homelands in providing information and 
    training to tribal housing entities in Hawaii regarding the 
    availability of such benefits.
        ``(D) Producing and disseminating information to tribal 
    governments, tribal veterans service organizations, and tribal 
    organizations regarding the availability of such benefits.
        ``(E) Assisting tribal organizations and Native American 
    veterans in participating in the pilot program.
        ``(F) Outstationing loan guarantee specialists in tribal 
    facilities on a part-time basis if requested by the tribal 
    government.''.
    (c) Annual Reports.--Section 3762 is further amended by adding at 
the end the following new subsection:
    ``(j) Not later than February 1 of each year through 2002, the 
Secretary shall transmit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the 
Senate and House of Representatives a report relating to the 
implementation of the pilot program under this subchapter during the 
fiscal year preceding the date of the report. Each such report shall 
include the following:
        ``(1) The Secretary's exercise during such fiscal year of the 
    authority provided under subsection (c)(1)(B) to make loans 
    exceeding the maximum loan amount.
        ``(2) The appraisals performed for the Secretary during such 
    fiscal year under the authority of subsection (d)(2), including a 
    description of--
            ``(A) the manner in which such appraisals were performed;
            ``(B) the qualifications of the appraisers who performed 
        such appraisals; and
            ``(C) the actions taken by the Secretary with respect to 
        such appraisals to protect the interests of veterans and the 
        United States.
        ``(3) The outreach activities undertaken under subsection (i) 
    during such fiscal year, including--
            ``(A) a description of such activities on a region-by-
        region basis; and
            ``(B) an assessment of the effectiveness of such activities 
        in encouraging the participation of Native American veterans in 
        the pilot program.
        ``(4) The pool of Native American veterans who are eligible for 
    participation in the pilot program, including--
            ``(A) a description and analysis of the pool, including 
        income demographics;
            ``(B) a description and assessment of the impediments, if 
        any, to full participation in the pilot program of the Native 
        American veterans in the pool; and
            ``(C) the impact of low-cost housing programs operated by 
        the Department of Housing and Urban Development and other 
        Federal or State agencies on the demand for direct loans under 
        this section.
        ``(5) The Secretary's recommendations, if any, for additional 
    legislation regarding the pilot program.''.
    SEC. 202. TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION FOR SERIOUSLY MENTALLY ILL 
      AND HOMELESS VETERANS.
    (a) Codification and Revision of Programs.--Chapter 17 is amended 
by adding at the end the following new subchapter:

 ``SUBCHAPTER VII--TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION FOR SERIOUSLY MENTALLY 
                       ILL AND HOMELESS VETERANS

``Sec. 1771. General treatment

    ``(a) In providing care and services under section 1710 of this 
title to veterans suffering from serious mental illness, including 
veterans who are homeless, the Secretary may provide (directly or in 
conjunction with a governmental or other entity)--
        ``(1) outreach services;
        ``(2) care, treatment, and rehabilitative services (directly or 
    by contract in community-based treatment facilities, including 
    halfway houses); and
        ``(3) therapeutic transitional housing assistance under section 
    1772 of this title, in conjunction with work therapy under 
    subsection (a) or (b) of section 1718 of this title and outpatient 
    care.
    ``(b) The authority of the Secretary under subsection (a) expires 
on December 31, 2001.

``Sec. 1772. Therapeutic housing

    ``(a) The Secretary, in connection with the conduct of compensated 
work therapy programs, may operate residences and facilities as 
therapeutic housing.
    ``(b) The Secretary may use such procurement procedures for the 
purchase, lease, or other acquisition of residential housing for 
purposes of this section as the Secretary considers appropriate to 
expedite the opening and operation of transitional housing and to 
protect the interests of the United States.
    ``(c) A residence or other facility may be operated as transitional 
housing for veterans described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 
1710(a) of this title under the following conditions:
        ``(1) Only veterans described in those paragraphs and a house 
    manager may reside in the residence or facility.
        ``(2) Each resident, other than the house manager, shall be 
    required to make payments that contribute to covering the expenses 
    of board and the operational costs of the residence or facility for 
    the period of residence in such housing.
        ``(3) In order to foster the therapeutic and rehabilitative 
    objectives of such housing (A) residents shall be prohibited from 
    using alcohol or any controlled substance or item, (B) any resident 
    violating that prohibition may be expelled from the residence or 
    facility, and (C) each resident shall agree to undergo drug testing 
    or such other measures as the Secretary shall prescribe to ensure 
    compliance with that prohibition.
        ``(4) In the establishment and operation of housing under this 
    section, the Secretary shall consult with appropriate 
    representatives of the community in which the housing is 
    established and shall comply with zoning requirements, building 
    permit requirements, and other similar requirements applicable to 
    other real property used for similar purposes in the community.
        ``(5) The residence or facility shall meet State and community 
    fire and safety requirements applicable to other real property used 
    for similar purposes in the community in which the transitional 
    housing is located, but fire and safety requirements applicable to 
    buildings of the Federal Government shall not apply to such 
    property.
    ``(d) The Secretary shall prescribe the qualifications for house 
managers for transitional housing units operated under this section. 
The Secretary may provide for free room and subsistence for a house 
manager in addition to, or instead of payment of, a fee for the 
services provided by the manager.
    ``(e)(1) The Secretary may operate as transitional housing under 
this section--
        ``(A) any suitable residential property acquired by the 
    Secretary as the result of a default on a loan made, guaranteed, or 
    insured under chapter 37 of this title;
        ``(B) any suitable space in a facility under the jurisdiction 
    of the Secretary that is no longer being used (i) to provide acute 
    hospital care, or (ii) as housing for medical center employees; and
        ``(C) any other suitable residential property purchased, 
    leased, or otherwise acquired by the Secretary.
    ``(2) In the case of any property referred to in paragraph (1)(A), 
the Secretary shall--
        ``(A) transfer administrative jurisdiction over such property 
    within the Department from the Veterans Benefits Administration to 
    the Veterans Health Administration; and
        ``(B) transfer from the General Post Fund to the Loan Guaranty 
    Revolving Fund under chapter 37 of this title an amount (not to 
    exceed the amount the Secretary paid for the property) representing 
    the amount the Secretary considers could be obtained by sale of 
    such property to a nonprofit organization or a State for use as a 
    shelter for homeless veterans.
    ``(3) In the case of any residential property obtained by the 
Secretary from the Department of Housing and Urban Development under 
this section, the amount paid by the Secretary to that Department for 
that property may not exceed the amount that the Secretary of Housing 
and Urban Development would charge for the sale of that property to a 
nonprofit organization or a State for use as a shelter for homeless 
persons. Funds for such charge shall be derived from the General Post 
Fund.
    ``(f) The Secretary shall prescribe--
        ``(1) a procedure for establishing reasonable payment rates for 
    persons residing in transitional housing; and
        ``(2) appropriate limits on the period for which such persons 
    may reside in transitional housing.
    ``(g) The Secretary may dispose of any property acquired for the 
purpose of this section. The proceeds of any such disposal shall be 
credited to the General Post Fund.
    ``(h) Funds received by the Department under this section shall be 
deposited in the General Post Fund. The Secretary may distribute out of 
the fund such amounts as necessary for the acquisition, management, 
maintenance, and disposition of real property for the purpose of 
carrying out such program. The Secretary shall manage the operation of 
this section so as to ensure that expenditures under this subsection 
for any fiscal year shall not exceed by more than $500,000 proceeds 
credited to the General Post Fund under this section. The operation of 
the program and funds received shall be separately accounted for, and 
shall be stated in the documents accompanying the President's budget 
for each fiscal year.

``Sec. 1773. Additional services at certain locations

    ``(a) Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary 
shall operate a program under this section to expand and improve the 
provision of benefits and services by the Department to homeless 
veterans.
    ``(b) The program shall include the establishment of not fewer than 
eight programs (in addition to any existing programs providing similar 
services) at sites under the jurisdiction of the Secretary to be 
centers for the provision of comprehensive services to homeless 
veterans. The services to be provided at each site shall include a 
comprehensive and coordinated array of those specialized services which 
may be provided under existing law.
    ``(c) The program shall include the services of such employees of 
the Veterans Benefits Administration as the Secretary determines 
appropriate at sites under the jurisdiction of the Secretary at which 
services are provided to homeless veterans.
    ``(d) The program under this section shall terminate on December 
31, 2001.

``Sec. 1774. Coordination with other agencies and organizations

    ``(a) In assisting homeless veterans, the Secretary shall 
coordinate with, and may provide services authorized under this title 
in conjunction with, State and local governments, other appropriate 
departments and agencies of the Federal Government, and nongovernmental 
organizations.
    ``(b)(1) The Secretary shall require the director of each medical 
center or the director of each regional benefits office to make an 
assessment of the needs of homeless veterans living within the area 
served by the medical center or regional office, as the case may be.
    ``(2) Each such assessment shall be made in coordination with 
representatives of State and local governments, other appropriate 
departments and agencies of the Federal Government, and nongovernmental 
organizations that have experience working with homeless persons in 
that area.
    ``(3) Each such assessment shall identify the needs of homeless 
veterans with respect to the following:
        ``(A) Health care.
        ``(B) Education and training.
        ``(C) Employment.
        ``(D) Shelter.
        ``(E) Counseling.
        ``(F) Outreach services.
    ``(4) Each assessment shall also indicate the extent to which the 
needs referred to in paragraph (3) are being met adequately by the 
programs of the Department, of other departments and agencies of the 
Federal Government, of State and local governments, and of 
nongovernmental organizations.
    ``(5) Each assessment shall be carried out in accordance with 
uniform procedures and guidelines prescribed by the Secretary.
    ``(c) In furtherance of subsection (a), the Secretary shall require 
the director of each medical center and the director of each regional 
benefits office, in coordination with representatives of State and 
local governments, other Federal officials, and nongovernmental 
organizations that have experience working with homeless persons in the 
areas served by such facility or office, to--
        ``(1) develop a list of all public and private programs that 
    provide assistance to homeless persons or homeless veterans in the 
    area concerned, together with a description of the services offered 
    by those programs;
        ``(2) seek to encourage the development by the representatives 
    of such entities, in coordination with the director, of a plan to 
    coordinate among such public and private programs the provision of 
    services to homeless veterans;
        ``(3) take appropriate action to meet, to the maximum extent 
    practicable through existing programs and available resources, the 
    needs of homeless veterans that are identified in the assessment 
    conducted under subsection (b); and
        ``(4) attempt to inform homeless veterans whose needs the 
    director cannot meet under paragraph (3) of the services available 
    to such veterans within the area served by such center or 
    office.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--(1) Section 1720A is amended--
        (A) by striking out subsections (a), (e), (f), and (g); and
        (B) by redesignating subsections (b), (c), and (d) as 
    subsections (a), (b), and (c), respectively.
    (2) The heading of such section is amended to read as follows:

``Sec. 1720A. Treatment and rehabilitative services for persons with 
            drug or alcohol dependency''.

    (c) Conforming Repeals.--The following provisions are repealed:
        (1) Section 7 of Public Law 102-54 (38 U.S.C. 1718 note).
        (2) Section 107 of the Veterans' Medical Programs Amendments of 
    1992 (38 U.S.C. 527 note).
        (3) Section 2 of the Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Service 
    Programs Act of 1992 (38 U.S.C. 7721 note).
        (4) Section 115 of the Veterans' Benefits and Services Act of 
    1988 (38 U.S.C. 1712 note).
    (d) Clerical Amendments.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 17 is amended--
        (1) by striking out the item relating to section 1720A and 
    inserting in lieu thereof the following:
``1720A. Treatment and rehabilitative services for persons with drug or 
          alcohol dependency.''; and

        (2) by adding at the end the following:


  ``subchapter vii--treatment and rehabilitation for seriously mentally 
                        ill and homeless veterans

``1771. General treatment.
``1772. Therapeutic housing.
``1773. Additional services at certain locations.
``1774. Coordination with other agencies and organizations.''.
    SEC. 203. EXTENSION OF CERTAIN AUTHORITIES RELATING TO HOMELESS 
      VETERANS.
    (a) Agreements for Housing Assistance for Homeless Veterans.--
Section 3735(c) is amended by striking out ``December 31, 1997'' and 
inserting in lieu thereof ``December 31, 1999''.
    (b) Extension of Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Service Grant 
Program.--Section 3(a)(2) of the Homeless Veterans Comprehensive 
Service Programs Act of 1992 (38 U.S.C. 7721 note) is amended by 
striking out ``September 30, 1997'' and inserting in lieu thereof 
``September 30, 1999''.
    (c) Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Projects.--The Stewart B. 
McKinney Homeless Assistance Act is amended as follows:
        (1) Section 738(e)(1) (42 U.S.C. 11448(e)(1)) is amended by 
    adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
        ``(G) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 1999.''.
        (2) Section 741 (42 U.S.C. 11450) is amended by striking out 
    ``December 31, 1997'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``December 31, 
    1999''.

SEC. 204. ANNUAL REPORT ON ASSISTANCE TO HOMELESS VETERANS.

    Section 1001 of the Veterans' Benefits Improvements Act of 1994 (38 
U.S.C. 7721 note) is amended--
        (1) in subsection (a)(2)--
            (A) by striking out ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (B);
            (B) by striking out the period at the end of subparagraph 
        (C) and inserting in lieu thereof ``; and''; and
            (C) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:
        ``(D) evaluate the effectiveness of the programs of the 
    Department (including residential work-therapy programs, programs 
    combining outreach, community-based residential treatment, and 
    case-management, and contract care programs for alcohol and drug-
    dependence or abuse disabilities) in providing assistance to 
    homeless veterans; and
        ``(E) evaluate the effectiveness of programs established by 
    recipients of grants under section 3 of the Homeless Veterans 
    Comprehensive Service Programs Act of 1992 (38 U.S.C. 7721 note), 
    and describe the experience of such recipients in applying for and 
    receiving grants from the Secretary of Housing and Urban 
    Development to serve primarily homeless persons who are 
    veterans.''; and
        (2) by striking out subsection (b).
    SEC. 205. EXPANSION OF AUTHORITY FOR ENHANCED-USE LEASES OF 
      DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS REAL PROPERTY.
    (a) Four-Year Extension of Authority.--Section 8169 is amended by 
striking out ``December 31, 1997'' and inserting in lieu thereof 
``December 31, 2001''.
    (b) Repeal of Limitation on Number of Agreements.--(1) Section 8168 
is repealed.
    (2) The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 81 is amended 
by striking out the item relating to section 8168.
    SEC. 206. PERMANENT AUTHORITY TO FURNISH NONINSTITUTIONAL 
      ALTERNATIVES TO NURSING HOME CARE.
    (a) Permanent Authority.--Subsection (a) of section 1720C is 
amended by striking out ``During'' and all that follows through 
``furnishing of'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``The Secretary may 
furnish''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--(1) Subsections (b)(1) and (d) of such 
section are amended by striking out ``pilot''.
    (2) The heading for such section is amended to read as follows:

``Sec. 1720C. Noninstitutional alternatives to nursing home care''.

    (3) The item relating to such section in the table of sections at 
the beginning of chapter 17 is amended to read as follows:
``1720C. Noninstitutional alternatives to nursing home care.''.
    SEC. 207. EXTENSION OF HEALTH PROFESSIONAL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.
    (a) Extension.--Section 7618 is amended by striking out ``December 
31, 1997'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``December 31, 1998''.
    (b) Submission of Overdue Report.--The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall submit to Congress not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act the report evaluating the operation of the 
health professional scholarship program required to be submitted not 
later than March 31, 1997, under section 202(b) of Public Law 104-110 
(110 Stat. 770).

SEC. 208. POLICY ON BREAST CANCER MAMMOGRAPHY.

    (a) In General.--(1) Subchapter II of chapter 73 is amended by 
adding at the end the following new section:

``Sec. 7322. Breast cancer mammography policy

    ``(a) The Under Secretary for Health shall develop a national 
policy for the Veterans Health Administration on mammography screening 
for veterans.
    ``(b) The policy developed under subsection (a) shall--
        ``(1) specify standards of mammography screening;
        ``(2) provide recommendations with respect to screening, and 
    the frequency of screening, for--
            ``(A) women veterans who are over the age of 39; and
            ``(B) veterans, without regard to age, who have clinical 
        symptoms, risk factors, or family history of breast cancer; and
        ``(3) provide for clinician discretion.''.
    (2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is 
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 7321 the 
following new item:
``7322. Breast cancer mammography policy.''.

    (b) Effective Date.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
develop the national policy on mammography screening required by 
section 7322 of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection 
(a), and shall furnish such policy in a report to the Committees on 
Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives, not later 
than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. Such policy 
shall not take effect before the expiration of 30 days after the date 
of its submission to those committees.
    (c) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the policy 
developed under section 7322 of title 38, United States Code, as added 
by subsection (a), shall be in accordance with the guidelines endorsed 
by the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Director of the 
National Institutes of Health.

SEC. 209. PERSIAN GULF WAR VETERANS.

    (a) Criteria for Priority Health Care.--(1) Subsection (a)(2)(F) of 
section 1710 is amended by striking out ``environmental hazard'' and 
inserting in lieu thereof ``other conditions''.
    (2) Subsection (e)(1)(C) of such section is amended--
        (A) by striking out ``the Secretary finds may have been exposed 
    while serving'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``served'';
        (B) by striking out ``to a toxic substance or environmental 
    hazard''; and
        (C) by striking out ``exposure'' and inserting in lieu thereof 
    ``service''.
    (3) Subsection (e)(2)(B) of such section is amended by striking out 
``an exposure'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``the service''.
    (b) Demonstration Projects for Treatment of Persian Gulf Illness.--
(1) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out a program of 
demonstration projects to test new approaches to treating, and 
improving the satisfaction with such treatment of, Persian Gulf 
veterans who suffer from undiagnosed and ill-defined disabilities. The 
program shall be established not later than July 1, 1998, and shall be 
carried out at up to 10 geographically dispersed medical centers of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs.
    (2) At least one of each of the following models shall be used at 
no less than two of the demonstration projects:
        (A) A specialized clinic which serves Persian Gulf veterans.
        (B) Multidisciplinary treatment aimed at managing symptoms.
        (C) Use of case managers.
    (3) A demonstration project under this subsection may be undertaken 
in conjunction with another funding entity, including agreements under 
section 8111 of title 38, United States Code.
    (4) The Secretary shall make available from appropriated funds 
(which have been retained for contingent funding) $5,000,000 to carry 
out the demonstration projects.
    (5) The Secretary may not approve a medical center as a location 
for a demonstration project under this subsection unless a peer review 
panel has determined that the proposal submitted by that medical center 
is among those proposals that have met the highest competitive 
standards of clinical merit and the Secretary has determined that the 
facility has the ability to--
        (A) attract the participation of clinicians of outstanding 
    caliber and innovation to the project; and
        (B) effectively evaluate the activities of the project.
    (6) In determining which medical centers to select as locations for 
demonstration projects under this subsection, the Secretary shall give 
special priority to medical centers that have demonstrated a capability 
to compete successfully for extramural funding support for research 
into the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the care provided 
under the demonstration project.
    SEC. 210. PRESIDENTIAL REPORT ON PREPARATIONS FOR A NATIONAL 
      RESPONSE TO MEDICAL EMERGENCIES ARISING FROM THE TERRORIST USE OF 
      WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION.
    (a) Report.--(1) Not later than March 1, 1998, the President shall 
submit to Congress a report on the plans, preparations, and capability 
of the Federal Government and State and local governments for a 
national response to medical emergencies arising from the terrorist use 
of weapons of mass destruction. The report shall be submitted in 
unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.
    (2) The report should be prepared in consultation with the 
Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Director of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency, and the head of any other department or agency of 
the Federal Government that may be involved in responding to such 
emergencies. The President shall designate a lead agency for purposes 
of the preparation of the report.
    (b) Contents.--The report shall include the following:
        (1) A description of the steps taken by the Federal Government 
    to plan and prepare for a national response to medical emergencies 
    arising from the terrorist use of weapons of mass destruction.
        (2) A description of the laws and agreements governing the 
    responsibilities of the various departments and agencies of the 
    Federal Government, and of State and local governments, for the 
    response to such emergencies, and an assessment of the 
    interrelationship of such responsibilities under such laws and 
    agreements.
        (3) Recommendations, if any, for the simplification or 
    improvement of such responsibilities.
        (4) An assessment of the current level of preparedness for such 
    response of all departments and agencies of the Federal Government 
    and State and local governments that are responsible for such 
    response.
        (5) A current inventory of the existing medical assets from all 
    sources which can be made available for such response.
        (6) Recommendations, if any, for the improved or enhanced use 
    of the resources of the Federal Government and State and local 
    governments for such response.
        (7) The name of the official or office of the Federal 
    Government designated to coordinate the response of the Federal 
    Government to such emergencies.
        (8) A description of the lines of authority between the 
    departments and agencies of the Federal Government to be involved 
    in the response of the Federal Government to such emergencies.
        (9) A description of the roles of each department and agency of 
    the Federal Government to be involved in the preparations for, and 
    implementation of, the response of the Federal Government to such 
    emergencies.
        (10) The estimated costs of each department and agency of the 
    Federal Government to prepare for and carry out its role as 
    described under paragraph (9).
        (11) A description of the steps, if any, being taken to create 
    a funding mechanism for the response of the Federal Government to 
    such emergencies.

 TITLE III--MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY PROJECTS CONSTRUCTION AUTHORIZATION

SEC. 301. AUTHORIZATION OF MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY PROJECTS.

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may carry out the following major 
medical facility projects, with each project to be carried out in the 
amount specified for that project:
        (1) Seismic corrections at the Department of Veterans Affairs 
    medical center in Memphis, Tennessee, in an amount not to exceed 
    $34,600,000.
        (2) Seismic corrections and clinical and other improvements to 
    the McClellan Hospital at Mather Field, Sacramento, California, in 
    an amount not to exceed $48,000,000, to be derived only from funds 
    appropriated for Construction, Major Projects, for a fiscal year 
    before fiscal year 1998 that remain available for obligation.
        (3) Outpatient improvements at Mare Island, Vallejo, 
    California, and Martinez, California, in a total amount not to 
    exceed $7,000,000, to be derived only from funds appropriated for 
    Construction, Major Projects, for a fiscal year before fiscal year 
    1998 that remain available for obligation.

SEC. 302. AUTHORIZATION OF MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY LEASES.

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may enter into leases for medical 
facilities as follows:
        (1) Lease of an information management field office, 
    Birmingham, Alabama, in an amount not to exceed $595,000.
        (2) Lease of a satellite outpatient clinic, Jacksonville, 
    Florida, in an amount not to exceed $3,095,000.
        (3) Lease of a satellite outpatient clinic, Boston, 
    Massachusetts, in an amount not to exceed $5,215,000.
        (4) Lease of a satellite outpatient clinic, Canton, Ohio, in an 
    amount not to exceed $2,115,000.
        (5) Lease of a satellite outpatient clinic, Portland, Oregon, 
    in an amount not to exceed $1,919,000.
        (6) Lease of a satellite outpatient clinic, Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 
    an amount not to exceed $2,112,000.
        (7) Lease of an information resources management field office, 
    Salt Lake City, in an amount not to exceed $652,000.

SEC. 303. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 1998--
        (1) for the Construction, Major Projects, account, $34,600,000 
    for the project authorized in section 301(1); and
        (2) for the Medical Care account, $15,703,000 for the leases 
    authorized in section 302.
    (b) Limitation.--The projects authorized in section 301 may only be 
carried out using--
        (1) funds appropriated for fiscal year 1998 pursuant to the 
    authorization of appropriations in subsection (a);
        (2) funds appropriated for Construction, Major Projects for a 
    fiscal year before fiscal year 1998 that remain available for 
    obligation; and
        (3) funds appropriated for Construction, Major Projects for 
    fiscal year 1998 for a category of activity not specific to a 
    project.

             TITLE IV--TECHNICAL AND CLARIFYING AMENDMENTS

SEC. 401. TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.

    (a) Plot Allowance for Deaths in Department Facilities.--Section 
2303(a)(2)(A) is amended by striking out ``a Department facility (as 
defined in section 1701(4) of this title)'' and inserting in lieu 
thereof ``a facility of the Department (as defined in section 1701(3) 
of this title)''.
    (b) Educational Assistance Allowance for Certain Individuals 
Pursuing Cooperative Programs.--Section 3015(e)(1) is amended--
        (1) by striking out ``(1) Subject to paragraph (2)'' and 
    inserting in lieu thereof ``(1)(A) Except as provided in 
    subparagraph (B) of this paragraph and subject to paragraph (2)''; 
    and
        (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, in the 
case of an individual described in that subparagraph who is pursuing a 
cooperative program on or after October 9, 1996, the rate of the basic 
educational assistance allowance applicable to such individual under 
this chapter shall be increased by the amount equal to one-half of the 
educational assistance allowance that would be applicable to such 
individual for pursuit of full-time institutional training under 
chapter 34 (as of the time the assistance under this chapter is 
provided and based on the rates in effect on December 31, 1989) if such 
chapter were in effect.''.
    (c) Eligibility of Certain VEAP Participants To Enroll in 
Montgomery GI Bill.--Section 3018C(a) is amended--
        (1) in paragraph (1), by striking out ``the date of the 
    enactment of the Veterans' Benefits Improvements Act of 1996'' and 
    inserting in lieu thereof ``October 9, 1996,'';
        (2) in paragraph (4), by striking out ``during the one-year 
    period specified'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``after the date 
    on which the individual makes the election described''; and
        (3) in paragraph (5), by striking out ``the date of the 
    enactment of the Veterans' Benefits Improvements Act of 1996'' and 
    inserting in lieu thereof ``October 9, 1996''.
    (d) Enrollment in Open Circuit Television Courses.--Section 
3680A(a)(4) is amended by inserting ``(including open circuit 
television)'' after ``independent study program'' the second place it 
appears.
    (e) Enrollment in Certain Courses.--Section 3680A(g) is amended by 
striking out ``subsections (e) and (f)'' and inserting in lieu thereof 
``subsections (e) and (f)(1)''.
    (f) Certain Benefits for Surviving Spouses.--Section 5310(b)(2) is 
amended by striking out ``under this paragraph'' in the first sentence 
and inserting in lieu thereof ``under paragraph (1)''.

SEC. 402. CLARIFICATION OF CERTAIN HEALTH CARE AUTHORITIES.

    (a) Eligibility for Hospital Care and Medical Services.--Section 
1710(a)(2)(B) is amended by striking out ``compensable''.
    (b) Home Health Services.--Section 1717(a) is amended--
        (1) in paragraph (1), by striking out ``veteran's disability'' 
    and inserting in lieu thereof ``veteran''; and
        (2) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking out ``section 1710(a)(2)'' 
    and inserting in lieu thereof ``section 1710(a)''.
    (c) Authority To Transfer Veterans Receiving Outpatient Care to 
Non-Department Nursing Homes.--Section 1720(a)(1)(A)(i) is amended by 
striking out ``hospital care, nursing home care, or domiciliary care'' 
and inserting in lieu thereof ``care''.
    (d) Acquisition of Commercial Health Care Resources.--Section 
8153(a)(3)(A) is amended by inserting ``(including any Executive order, 
circular, or other administrative policy)'' after ``law or 
regulation''.
    (e) Competition in Procurement of Commercial Health Care 
Resources.--Section 8153(a)(3)(B)(ii) is amended in the second sentence 
by inserting ``, as appropriate,'' after ``all responsible sources''.

SEC. 403. CORRECTION OF NAME OF MEDICAL CENTER.

    The facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Columbia, 
South Carolina, known as the Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn Veterans' Hospital 
shall hereafter be known and designated as the ``Wm. Jennings Bryan 
Dorn Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center''. Any reference to 
that facility in any law, regulation, document, map, record, or other 
paper of the United States shall be deemed to be a reference to the Wm. 
Jennings Bryan Dorn Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
    SEC. 404. IMPROVEMENT TO SPINA BIFIDA BENEFITS FOR CHILDREN OF 
      VIETNAM VETERANS.
    (a) Definitions.--The text of section 1801 is amended to read as 
follows:
    ``For the purposes of this chapter--
        ``(1) The term `child', with respect to a Vietnam veteran, 
    means a natural child of a Vietnam veteran, regardless of age or 
    marital status, who was conceived after the date on which the 
    Vietnam veteran first entered the Republic of Vietnam during the 
    period beginning on January 9, 1962, and ending on May 7, 1975.
        ``(2) The term `Vietnam veteran' means an individual who 
    performed active military, naval, or air service in the Republic of 
    Vietnam during the period beginning on January 9, 1962, and ending 
    on May 7, 1975, without regard to the characterization of the 
    individual's service.''.
    (b) Applicability of Certain Administrative Provisions.--(1) 
Section 1806 is amended to read as follows:

``Sec. 1806. Applicability of certain administrative provisions

    ``The provisions of sections 5101(c), 5110(a), (b)(2), (g), and 
(i), 5111, and 5112(a), (b)(1), (b)(6), (b)(9), and (b)(10) of this 
title shall be deemed to apply to benefits under this chapter in the 
same manner in which they apply to veterans' disability 
compensation.''.
    (2) The item relating to section 1806 in the table of sections at 
the beginning of chapter 18 is amended to read as follows:
``1806. Applicability of certain administrative provisions.''.

    (c) Amendments to Vocational Rehabilitation Provisions.--Section 
1804 is amended--
        (1) in subsection (b), by striking out ``shall be designed'' 
    and all that follows and inserting in lieu thereof the following: 
    ``shall--
        ``(1) be designed in consultation with the child in order to 
    meet the child's individual needs;
        ``(2) be set forth in an individualized written plan of 
    vocational rehabilitation; and
        ``(3) be designed and developed before the date specified in 
    subsection (d)(3) so as to permit the beginning of the program as 
    of the date specified in that subsection.'';
        (2) in subsection (c)(1)(B), by striking out ``institution of 
    higher education'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``institution of 
    higher learning''; and
        (3) by adding at the end of subsection (d) the following new 
    paragraph:
    ``(3) A vocational training program under this section may begin on 
the child's 18th birthday, or on the successful completion of the 
child's secondary schooling, whichever first occurs, except that, if 
the child is above the age of compulsory school attendance under 
applicable State law and the Secretary determines that the child's best 
interests will be served thereby, the vocational training program may 
begin before the child's 18th birthday.''.
    (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect as of October 1, 1997.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.