12 2 STA T .46 2 PUBLIC LA W 11 0– 1 8 1 —J A N .28 , 2008 (3)Aschedul e an d ass o c i a t ed deadlines f o r an y ac q uisition and testin g required in the i mp lementation of electronic health record systems or capa b ilities that allo w for full interoperability of personal health care information between the D epartment of Defense and the Department of V eterans Affairs . ( 4 ) A schedule and associated deadlines and requirements for the implementation of electronic health record systems or capabilities that allow for full interoperability of personal health care information between the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs. (f) PILOT P R O JEC T S . — ( 1 )A U T H ORIT Y .— I n order to assist the O ffice in the dis - charge of its function under this section , the S ecretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may, acting j ointly, carry out one or more pilot projects to assess the feasi- bility and ad v isability of various technological approaches to the achievement of the electronic health record systems or capabilities described in subsection (d). ( 2 )SH A RI NG O FP ROTECTE D HEALTH INFOR M ATION.— F or purposes of each pilot project carried out under this subsection, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall, for purposes of the regulations promulgated under section 2 6 4(c) of the H ealth Insurance Portability and Accountability Actof1 9 96 (42 U .S. C . 132 0 d – 2 note), ensure the effective sharing of protected health information between the health care system of the Department of Defense and the health care system of the Department of Veterans Affairs as needed to provide all health care services and other benefits allowed by law. (g) STAFF AND OTHER R ESOURCES.— (1) IN GENERAL.— T he Secretary of Defense and the Sec- retary of Veterans Affairs shall assign to the Office such per- sonnel and other resources of the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs as are required for the discharge of its function under this section. (2) ADDITIONAL SER V ICES.—Subject to the approval of the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Director may utili z e the services of private individuals and entities as consultants to the Office in the discharge of its function under this section. Amounts available to the Office shall be available for payment for such services. (h) ANNUAL REPORTS.— (1) IN GENERAL.— N ot later than J anuary 1, 2009, and each year thereafter through 2014, the Director shall submit to the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and to the appropriate committees of Congress, a report on the activities of the Office during the preceding calendar year. E ach report shall include, for the year covered by such report, the following
(A) A detailed description of the activities of the Office, including a detailed description of the amounts e x pended and the purposes for which expended. ( B ) An assessment of the progress made by the Depart- ment of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs in the full implementation of electronic health record sys- tems or capabilities described in subsection (d).
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