[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2190 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2190

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to establish the Advisory Committee on Rural Veterans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 7, 2007

 Mr. Donnelly introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to establish the Advisory Committee on Rural Veterans.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Advisory Committee on Rural Veterans 
Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON RURAL VETERANS.

    (a) Establishment of Committee.--Subchapter III of chapter 5 of 
title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following new section:
``Sec. 546. Advisory Committee on Rural Veterans
    ``(a) Establishment.--(1) The Secretary shall establish an advisory 
committee to be known as the `Advisory Committee on Rural Veterans' 
(hereinafter in this section referred to as `the Committee').
    ``(2)(A) The Committee shall consist of members appointed by the 
Secretary from the general public, including--
            ``(i) representatives of rural veterans;
            ``(ii) individuals who are recognized authorities in fields 
        pertinent to the needs of rural veterans, including specific or 
        unique health-care needs of rural veterans and access issues of 
        rural veterans;
            ``(iii) individuals who have expertise in the delivery of 
        mental health care in rural areas;
            ``(iv) individuals who have expertise in the delivery of 
        long-term care in rural areas;
            ``(v) at least one veterans service organization 
        representative from a rural State; and
            ``(vi) representatives of rural veterans with service-
        connected disabilities.
    ``(B) The Committee shall include, as ex officio members--
            ``(i) the Secretary of Health and Human Services (or a 
        representative of the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
        designated by that Secretary);
            ``(ii) the Director of the Indian Health Service (or a 
        representative of that Director); and
            ``(iii) the Under Secretary for Health and the Under 
        Secretary for Benefits, or their designees.
    ``(C) The Secretary may invite representatives of other departments 
and agencies of the United States to participate in the meetings and 
other activities of the Committee.
    ``(3) The Secretary shall determine the number, terms of service, 
and pay and allowances of members of the Committee appointed by the 
Secretary, except that a term of service of any such member may not 
exceed three years. The Secretary may reappoint any such member for 
additional terms of service.
    ``(b) Responsibilities of Committee.--The Secretary shall, on a 
regular basis, consult with and seek the advice of the Committee with 
respect to the administration of benefits by the Department for rural 
veterans, reports and studies pertaining to rural veterans, and the 
needs of rural veterans with respect to primary care, mental health 
care, and long-term care needs of rural veterans.
    ``(c) Report.--(1) Not later than September 1 of each odd-numbered 
year until 2013, the Committee shall submit to the Secretary a report 
on the programs and activities of the Department that pertain to rural 
veterans. Each such report shall include--
            ``(A) an assessment of the needs of rural veterans with 
        respect to primary care, mental health care, and long-term care 
        needs of rural veterans and other benefits and programs 
        administered by the Department;
            ``(B) a review of the programs and activities of the 
        Department designed to meet such needs; and
            ``(C) such recommendations (including recommendations for 
        administrative and legislative action) as the Committee 
        considers appropriate.
    ``(2) The Secretary shall, within 60 days after receiving each 
report under paragraph (1), submit to Congress a copy of the report, 
together with any comments concerning the report that the Secretary 
considers appropriate.
    ``(3) The Committee may also submit to the Secretary such other 
reports and recommendations as the Committee considers appropriate.
    ``(4) The Secretary shall submit with each annual report submitted 
to Congress pursuant to section 529 of this title a summary of all 
reports and recommendations of the Committee submitted to the Secretary 
since the previous annual report of the Secretary submitted pursuant to 
that section.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

``546. Advisory Committee on Rural Veterans.''.
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