Skip to content

Title 38 — Veterans’ Benefits

Part V · Chapter 73 — Veterans Health Administration—Organization and Functions

§ 7321. Committee on Care of Severely Chronically Mentally Ill Veterans

Statutory text

(a)

The Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary for Health, shall establish in the Veterans Health Administration a Committee on Care of Severely Chronically Mentally Ill Veterans. The Under Secretary shall appoint employees of the Department with expertise in the care of the chronically mentally ill to serve on the committee.

(b)

The committee shall assess, and carry out a continuing assessment of, the capability of the Veterans Health Administration to meet effectively the treatment and rehabilitation needs of mentally ill veterans whose mental illness is severe and chronic and who are eligible for health care furnished by the Department, including the needs of such veterans who are women. In carrying out that responsibility, the committee shall—

(1)

evaluate the care provided to such veterans through the Veterans Health Administration;

(2)

identify systemwide problems in caring for such veterans in facilities of the Veterans Health Administration;

(3)

identify specific facilities within the Veterans Health Administration at which program enrichment is needed to improve treatment and rehabilitation of such veterans; and

(4)

identify model programs which the committee considers to have been successful in the treatment and rehabilitation of such veterans and which should be implemented more widely in or through facilities of the Veterans Health Administration.

(c)

The committee shall—

(1)

advise the Under Secretary regarding the development of policies for the care and rehabilitation of severely chronically mentally ill veterans; and

(2)

make recommendations to the Under Secretary—

(A)

for improving programs of care of such veterans at specific facilities and throughout the Veterans Health Administration;

(B)

for establishing special programs of education and training relevant to the care of such veterans for employees of the Veterans Health Administration;

(C)

regarding research needs and priorities relevant to the care of such veterans; and

(D)

regarding the appropriate allocation of resources for all such activities.

(d)
(1)

Not later than , 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 assessment of the Under Secretary for Health, after review of the initial findings of the committee, regarding the capability of the Veterans Health Administration, on a systemwide and facility-by-facility basis, to meet effectively the treatment and rehabilitation needs of severely chronically mentally ill veterans who are eligible for Department care.

(C)

The plans of the committee for further assessments.

(D)

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.

(E)

A description of the steps taken, plans made (and a timetable for their execution), and resources to be applied toward improving the capability of the Veterans Health Administration to meet effectively the treatment and rehabilitation needs of severely chronically mentally ill veterans who are eligible for Department care.

(2)

Not later than June 1 of each year through 2012, 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.

Legislative history

Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.

  1. Veterans’ Health Care Eligibility Reform Act of 1996

    Pub. L. 104–262 title III § 335(a) · 110 Stat. 3177

    Enacted · 38 U.S.C. § 7321

    Added Pub. L. 104–262, title III, § 335(a), Oct. 9, 1996, 110 Stat. 3204

    Source evidence

    Code source credit
    Added Pub. L. 104–262, title III, § 335(a), Oct. 9, 1996, 110 Stat. 3204

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (a) Establishment.— Subchapter II of chapter 73 is amended by adding after section 7320, as added by section 334(a)(1), the following new section: “§ 7321. Committee on Care of Severely Chronically Mentally Ill Veterans “(a) The Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary for Health, shall establish in the Veterans Health Administration a Committee on Care of Severely Chronically Mentally Ill Veterans. The Under Secretary shall appoint employees of the Department with expertise in the care of the chronically mentally ill to serve on the committee. “(b) The committee shall assess, and carry out a continuing assessment of, the capability of the Veterans Health Administration to meet effectively the treatment and rehabilitation needs of mentally ill veterans whose mental illness is severe and chronic and who are eligible for health care furnished by the Department, including the needs of such veterans who are women. In carrying out that responsibility, the committee shall— “(1) evaluate the care provided to such veterans through the Veterans Health Administration; “(2) identify systemwide problems in caring for such veterans in facilities of the Veterans Health Administration; “(3) identify specific facilities within the Veterans Health Administration at which program enrichment is needed to improve treatment and rehabilitation of such veterans; and “(4) identify model programs which the committee considers to have been successful in the treatment and rehabilitation of such veterans and which should be implemented more widely in or through facilities of the Veterans Health Administration. “(c) The committee shall— “(1) advise the Under Secretary regarding the development of policies for the care and rehabilitation of severely chronically mentally ill veterans; and “(2) make recommendations to the Under Secretary— “(A) for improving programs of care of such veterans at specific facilities and throughout the Veterans Health Administration; “(B) for establishing special programs of education and training relevant to the care of such veterans for employees of the Veterans Health Administration; “(C) regarding research needs and priorities relevant to the care of such veterans; and “(D) regarding the appropriate allocation of resources for all such activities. “(d) (1) Not later than April 1, 1997, 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 assessment of the Under Secretary for Health, after review of the initial findings of the committee, regarding the capability of the Veterans Health Administration, on a systemwide and facility-by-facility basis, to meet effectively the treatment and rehabilitation needs of severely chronically mentally ill veterans who are eligible for Department care. “(C) The plans of the committee for further assessments. “(D) 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. “(E) A description of the steps taken, plans made (and a timetable for their execution), and resources to be applied toward improving the capability of the Veterans Health Administration to meet effectively the treatment and rehabilitation needs of severely chronically mentally ill veterans who are eligible for Department care. “(2) Not later than February 1, 1998, and February 1 of each Reports. 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. Veterans Benefits and Health Care Improvement Act of 2000

    Pub. L. 106–419 title IV § 402(f) · 114 Stat. 1822

    Substituted · 38 U.S.C. § 7321(d)(2)

    Pub. L. 106–419, substituted “six following years” for “three following years”

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 106–419, substituted “six following years” for “three following years”.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (f) Annual Report of Committee on Mentally Ill Veterans.— Section 7321(d)(2) is amended by striking “three” and inserting “six”.

  3. Pub. L. 108–170 title IV § 405(c) · 117 Stat. 2042

    Substituted · 38 U.S.C. § 7321(d)(2)

    Pub. L. 108–170 substituted “June 1 of each year through 2008” for “February 1, 1998, and February 1 of each of the six following years”

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 108–170 substituted “June 1 of each year through 2008” for “February 1, 1998, and February 1 of each of the six following years”.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (c) Annual Report of Committee on Care of Severely Chronically Mentally Ill Veterans.— Section 7321(d)(2) is amended by striking “February 1, 1998, and February 1 of each of the six following years” and inserting “June 1 of each year through 2008”.

  4. Veterans’ Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act of 2008

    Pub. L. 110–387 title VIII § 807 · 122 Stat. 4110

    Substituted · 38 U.S.C. § 7321(d)(2)

    Pub. L. 110–387 substituted “through 2012” for “through 2008”

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 110–387 substituted “through 2012” for “through 2008”.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    SEC. 807. EXTENSION OF REQUIREMENT TO SUBMIT ANNUAL REPORT ON THE COMMITTEE ON CARE OF SEVERELY CHRONICALLY MENTALLY ILL VETERANS.   Section 7321(d)(2) is amended by striking “through 2008” and inserting “through 2012”.

4 of 4 references resolved to an enrolled provision

Editorial Notes

Amendments2000–2008 · 3 rounds

2008

Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 110–387 substituted “through 2012” for “through 2008”.

2003

Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 108–170 substituted “June 1 of each year through 2008” for “, and February 1 of each of the six following years”.

2000

Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 106–419, substituted “six following years” for “three following years”.

Credits

1996–2008 · 4 acts
  1. 1996Added Pub. L. 104–262, title III, § 335(a), , 110 Stat. 3204
  2. 2000amended Pub. L. 106–419, title IV, § 402(f), , 114 Stat. 1863
  3. 2003Pub. L. 108–170, title IV, § 405(c), , 117 Stat. 2063
  4. 2008Pub. L. 110–387, title VIII, § 807, , 122 Stat. 4141.
Show as published

(Added Pub. L. 104–262, title III, § 335(a), , 110 Stat. 3204; amended Pub. L. 106–419, title IV, § 402(f), , 114 Stat. 1863; Pub. L. 108–170, title IV, § 405(c), , 117 Stat. 2063; Pub. L. 110–387, title VIII, § 807, , 122 Stat. 4141.)

Parsed from the official OLRC USLM XML in data/usc_all/usc38.xml · release point 119-108 · OLRC build 2026-09-09

USLM identifier /us/usc/t38/s7321