[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1127 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1127

    To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish centers of 
     excellence for rural health research, education, and clinical 
 activities and to recognize the rural health resource centers in the 
            Office of Rural Health, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 26, 2011

  Mr. Conrad introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish centers of 
     excellence for rural health research, education, and clinical 
 activities and to recognize the rural health resource centers in the 
            Office of Rural Health, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Veterans Rural Health Improvement 
Act of 2011''.

SEC. 2. CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE FOR RURAL HEALTH RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND 
              CLINICAL ACTIVITIES.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 73 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

``SEC. 7330B. CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE FOR RURAL HEALTH RESEARCH, 
              EDUCATION, AND CLINICAL ACTIVITIES.

    ``(a) Establishment of Centers.--The Secretary shall, through the 
Director of the Office of Rural Health, establish and operate at least 
one and not more than five centers of excellence for rural health 
research, education, and clinical activities, which shall--
            ``(1) conduct research on the furnishing of health services 
        in rural areas;
            ``(2) develop specific models to be used by the Department 
        in furnishing health services to veterans in rural areas;
            ``(3) provide education and training for health care 
        professionals of the Department on the furnishing of health 
        services to veterans in rural areas; and
            ``(4) develop and implement innovative clinical activities 
        and systems of care for the Department for the furnishing of 
        health services to veterans in rural areas.
    ``(b) Use of Rural Health Resource Centers.--In selecting locations 
for the establishment of centers of excellence under subsection (a), 
the Secretary may select a rural health resource center that meets the 
requirements of subsection (a).
    ``(c) Geographic Dispersion.--The Secretary shall ensure that the 
centers established under this section are located at health care 
facilities that are geographically dispersed throughout the United 
States.
    ``(d) Funding.--(1) There are authorized to be appropriated to the 
Medical Care Account and the Medical and Prosthetics Research Account 
of the Department of Veterans Affairs such sums as may be necessary for 
the support of the research and education activities of the centers 
operated under this section.
    ``(2) There shall be allocated to the centers operated under this 
section, from amounts authorized to be appropriated to the Medical Care 
Account and the Medical and Prosthetics Research Account by paragraph 
(1), such amounts as the Under Secretary of Health considers 
appropriate for such centers. Such amounts shall be allocated through 
the Director of the Office of Rural Health.
    ``(3) Activities of clinical and scientific investigation at each 
center operated under this section--
            ``(A) shall be eligible to compete for the award of funding 
        from funds appropriated for the Medical and Prosthetics 
        Research Account; and
            ``(B) shall receive priority in the award of funding from 
        such account to the extent that funds are awarded to projects 
        for research in the care of rural veterans.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 73 of such title is amended by inserting after the item 
relating to section 7330A the following new item:

``7330B. Centers of excellence for rural health research, education, 
                            and clinical activities.''.
    (c) Recognition of Rural Health Resource Centers in Office of Rural 
Health.--Section 7308 of such title is amended by adding at the end the 
following new subsection:
    ``(d) Rural Health Resource Centers.--(1) There are in the Office 
veterans rural health resource centers that serve as satellite offices 
for the Office.
    ``(2) The veterans rural health resource centers have purposes as 
follows:
            ``(A) To improve the understanding of the Office of the 
        challenges faced by veterans living in rural areas.
            ``(B) To identify disparities in the availability of health 
        care to veterans living in rural areas.
            ``(C) To formulate practices or programs to enhance the 
        delivery of health care to veterans living in rural areas.
            ``(D) To develop special practices and products for the 
        benefit of veterans living in rural areas and for 
        implementation of such practices and products in the Department 
        systemwide.''.
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