[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3281 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3281

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out demonstration 
    projects related to providing care for veterans in rural areas.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 21, 2009

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out demonstration 
    projects related to providing care for veterans in rural areas.

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

SECTION 1. DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS ON ALTERNATIVES FOR EXPANDING CARE 
              FOR VETERANS IN RURAL AREAS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, through the 
Director of the Office of Rural Health, shall carry out demonstration 
projects to examine the feasibility and advisability of alternatives 
for expanding care for veterans in rural areas, including the 
following:
            (1) Establishing a partnership between the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 
        Services of the Department of Health and Human Services to 
        coordinate care for veterans in rural areas at critical access 
        hospitals (as designated or certified under section 1820 of the 
        Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395i-4)).
            (2) Establishing a partnership between the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs and the Department of Health and Human 
        Services to coordinate care for veterans in rural areas at 
        community health centers.
            (3) Expanding coordination between the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs and the Indian Health Service to expand care 
        for Indian veterans.
    (b) Geographic Distribution.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall ensure that the demonstration projects carried out under 
subsection (a) are located at facilities that are geographically 
distributed throughout the United States.
    (c) Report.--Not later than two years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit a 
report on the results of the demonstration projects conducted under 
subsection (a) to--
            (1) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the Senate; and
            (2) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated $350,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2011 to 
carry out this section.
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