[House Report 106-875]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



106th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     106-875

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    PROVIDING FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 5109, THE DEPARTMENT OF 
           VETERANS AFFAIRS HEALTH CARE PERSONNEL ACT OF 2000

                                _______
                                

 September 20, 2000.--Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be 
                                printed

                                _______
                                

 Mr. Diaz-Balart, from the Committee on Rules, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                       [To accompany H. Res. 585]

    The Committee on Rules, having had under consideration 
House Resolution 585, by a nonrecord vote, report the same to 
the House with the recommendation that the resolution be 
adopted.

                summary of provisions of the resolution

    The resolution provides for the consideration of H.R. 5109, 
the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel Act of 
2000, under a modified closed rule. The rule provides one hour 
of debate in the House divided equally between the chairman and 
ranking minority member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
    The rule provides that the amendment recommended by the 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs now printed in the bill shall be 
considered as adopted. The rule further waives all points of 
order against the bill, as amended, and against its 
consideration. The rule makes in order the amendment printed in 
this report which shall be considered as read and shall not be 
subject to amendment. The rule also waives all points of order 
against the amendment printed in this report.
    Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit, with or 
without instructions.

             TEXT OF AMENDMENT MADE IN ORDER UNDER THE RULE

   An Amendment To Be Offered by Representative Stump of Arizona, or 
   Representative Evans of Illinois, or a Designee, Debatable for 10 
                                Minutes

  At the end of title I, insert the following new section (and 
conform the table of contents in section 1(b) accordingly):

SEC. 108. CHIROPRACTORS AND CHIROPRACTIC CARE.

  (a) Employment Category.--(1) Section 7401(1) is amended by 
inserting ``chiropractors,'' after ``optometrist,''.
  (2) Section 7402(b)(10) is amended by inserting 
``chiropractor,'' after ``physician assistant,''.
  (3) Section 7403(a)(2) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new subparagraph:
          ``(H) Chiropractors.''.
  (4) Section 7421(b) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new paragraph:
          ``(8) Chiropractors.''.
  (b) Chiropractic Health Care Plan.--(1) Not later than March 
31, 2001, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall complete 
development of a plan to improve the provision of chiropractic 
health care services and benefits by the Department of Veterans 
Affairs.
  (2) The plan shall (in a manner consistent with the Veterans 
Health Administration policy on chiropractic services as in 
effect on May 4, 2000) provide for the following:
          (A) Improving the provision of chiropractic services 
        by the Veterans Health Administration.
          (B) Assessing the cost and clinical policy 
        implications of providing direct access to the full 
        scope of chiropractic services, as determined by the 
        Secretary, including at a minimum, care for 
        neuromusculoskeletal conditions typical among veterans.
          (C) A detailed analysis of the projected costs of 
        fully integrating chiropractic health care services 
        into the Department of Veterans Affairs health care 
        system.
          (D) A review of the adequacy of any proposed 
        treatment facility at which chiropractic services would 
        be provided to veterans.
          (E) An examination of any other relevant factors that 
        the Secretary considers appropriate, particularly those 
        associated with the effect of providing the full scope 
        of chiropractic services on the so-called ``primary 
        care'' model of the delivery of care and services to 
        enrolled veterans as practiced within the Veterans 
        Health Administration.
          (F) Such other matters as the Secretary considers 
        important in the consideration of the introduction of 
        chiropractic services in the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs.
  (3) Not later than June 30, 2001, the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall submit a report on the plan required under 
paragraph (1) to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the 
Senate and House of Representatives. The report shall address 
each of the matters specified in paragraph (2).
  (c) Consultation Requirement.--The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall consult with the advisory committee established 
under section 7323 of title 38, United States Code, regarding 
the following:
          (1) The development and implementation of the plan 
        required under subsection (b).
          (2) Each report that the Secretary is required to 
        submit to Congress regarding the plan.
          (3) The selection of the Department treatment 
        facilities at which the chiropractic services described 
        in subsection (b)(2)(A) are to be provided.
  (d) Continuation of Current Services.--Until the plan 
required under subsection (b) is implemented, the Secretary 
shall continue to furnish at least the same level of 
chiropractic health care services and benefits under chapter 17 
of title 38, United States Code, that is provided during fiscal 
year 2000 at medical treatment facilities that provide such 
services and benefits.
  (e) GAO Reports.--The Comptroller General shall monitor the 
development and implementation of the plan required under 
subsection (b), including the administration of services and 
benefits under the plan, and shall periodically submit to the 
committees referred to in subsection (b)(3) written reports on 
such development and implementation.
  (f) Advisory Committee.--(1) Subchapter II of chapter 73 of 
title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 
the following new section:

``Sec. 7323. Advisory Committee on Complementary and Alternative 
                    Medicine and Chiropractic Care

  ``(a) The Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary for 
Health, shall establish in the Veterans Health Administration 
an Advisory Committee on Complementary and Alternative Medicine 
and Chiropractic Care.
  ``(b) Members of the committee shall be appointed from 
persons representing the major providers of, and disciplines 
in, complementary and alternative medicine and chiropractic 
care, including the following:
          ``(1) Acupuncture.
          ``(2) Nutritional intervention.
          ``(3) Botanical therapy.
          ``(4) Mind/body medicine.
          ``(5) Physical and manual therapy.
          ``(6) Pharmacological and biological agents.
          ``(7) Chiropractic therapy.
          ``(8) Such others as may be identified by the 
        National Institutes of Health.
  ``(c) The committee shall meet at intervals as determined by 
the Secretary and shall provide advice and recommendations to 
the Secretary and Under Secretary on the establishment of 
programs and policies associated with the delivery of 
complementary and alternative medicine and chiropractic 
services, including the following:
          ``(1) Guidance and recommendations to the Secretary 
        and Under Secretary on the need to establish programs 
        of care for those disciplines.
          ``(2) Evaluations.
          ``(3) Research and development.
          ``(4) Academic affiliations and other relationships 
        and activities related to alternative health services.
  ``(d) The committee shall--
          ``(1) advise the Under Secretary regarding 
        complementary and alternative medicine and chiropractic 
        care; and
          ``(2) make recommendations to the Under Secretary--
                  ``(A) for improving programs of such care at 
                specific facilities and throughout the Veterans 
                Health Administration;
                  ``(B) for establishing special programs of 
                education and training relevant to such care 
                for employees of the Veterans Health 
                Administration;
                  ``(C) regarding research needs and priorities 
                relevant to such care; and
                  ``(D) regarding the appropriate allocation of 
                resources for all such activities.
  ``(e)(1) Not later than April 1, 2001, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and 
House of Representatives a report on the implementation of this 
section. The report shall include the following:
          ``(A) A list of the members of the committee.
          ``(B) The findings and recommendations made by the 
        committee to the Under Secretary for Health and the 
        views of the Under Secretary on such findings and 
        recommendations.
  ``(2) Not later than February 1, 2002, and February 1 of each 
of the three following years, the Secretary shall submit to the 
Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of 
Representatives a report containing information updating the 
reports submitted under this subsection before the submission 
of such report.''.
  (2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is 
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 7322 
the following new item:

``7323. Advisory Committee on Complementary and Alternative Medicine and 
          Chiropractic Care.''.

                                  
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