12 2 STA T .4 12 8PUBLIC LA W 11 0–3 8 7—O CT. 10 , 2008 withcomba ti njur i es estab l ishe d under section 732 7o f this title .‘ ‘ ( e )NATION A LC OO RD INATOR F OR EP IL E P SYP RO G RA M S. — ( 1 ) T o assist the S ecretar y and the U nder Secretary for H ealth in carryin g out this section , the Secretary shall designate an indi v idual in the V eterans Health A dministration to act as a national coordinator for e p ilepsy programs of the Veterans Health Administration. ‘‘(2) The duties of the national coordinator for epilepsy programs shall include the following
‘‘(A) To supervise the operation of the centers established pursuant to this section. ‘‘( B ) To coordinate and support the national consortium of providers with interest in treating epilepsy at D epartment health care facilities lac k ing such centers in order to ensure better access to state - of-the-art diagnosis, research, clinical care, and education for traumatic brain injury and epilepsy throughout the health care system of the Department. ‘‘(C) To conduct, in conjunction with the peer review panel established under subsection (c), regular evaluations of the epilepsy centers of e x cellence to ensure compliance with the re q uirements of this section. ‘‘(D) To coordinate (as part of an integrated national system) education, clinical care, and research activities within all facilities with an epilepsy center of excellence. ‘‘(E) To develop jointly a national consortium of providers with interest in treating epilepsy at Department health care facilities lacking an epilepsy center of excellence in order to ensure better access to state-of-the-art diagnosis, research, clin- ical care, and education for traumatic brain injury and epilepsy throughout the health care system of the Department. Such consortium should include a designated epilepsy referral clinic in each Veterans I ntegrated Service Network. ‘‘(3) In carrying out duties under this subsection, the national coordinator for epilepsy programs shall report to the official of the Veterans Health Administration responsible for neurology. ‘‘(f) A U T H ORI Z ATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—(1) There are author- i z ed to be appropriated $6 , 0 00,000 for each of fiscal years 200 9 through 2013 for the support of the clinical care, research, and education activities of the epilepsy centers of excellence established and operated pursuant to subsection (a)(2). ‘‘(2) There are authorized to be appropriated for each fiscal year after fiscal year 2013 such sums as may be necessary for the support of the clinical care, research, and education activities of the epilepsy centers of excellence established and operated pursu- ant to subsection (a)(2). ‘‘(3) The Secretary shall ensure that funds for such centers are designated for the first three years of operation as a special purpose program for which funds are not allocated through the Veterans Equitable R esource Allocation system. ‘‘( 4 ) In addition to amounts authorized to be appropriated under paragraphs (1) and (2) for a fiscal year, the Under Secretary for Health shall allocate to such centers from other funds appropriated generally for the Department medical services account and medical and prosthetics research account, as appropriate, such amounts as the Under Secretary for Health determines appropriate. ‘‘( 5 ) In addition to amounts authorized to be appropriated under paragraphs (1) and (2) for a fiscal year, there are authorized to Designat i o n .
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