PUBLIC LAW 97-174—MAY 4, 1982 below the minimum number of such beds required by such section to be operated and maintained"; and (3) by adding at the end the following new subsections: "(b)(1) In order to promote the sharing of health-care resources between the Veterans' Administration and the Department of Defense (hereinafter in this section referred to as the 'agencies'), there is established an interagency committee to be known as the Veterans' Administration/Department of Defense Health-Care Resources Sharing Committee (hereinafter in this subsection referred to as the 'Committee'). "(2) The Committee shall be composed of— "(A) the Chief Medical Director and such other officers and employees of the Veterans' Administration as the Chief Medical Director may designate; and "(B) the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs (hereinafter in this section referred to as the 'Assistant Secretary') and such other officers and employees of the Department of Defense as the Assistant Secretary may designate, except that the size of the Committee shall be mutually determined by the Chief Medical Director and the Assistcmt Secretary. During fiscal years 1982 and 1983, the Chief Medical Director shall be the chairman of the Committee. During fiscal year 1984, the Assistant Secretary shall be the chairman of the Committee. Thereafter, the chairmanship of the Committee shall alternate each fiscal year between the Chief Medical Director and the Assistant Secretary. The agencies shall provide administrative support services for the Committee at a level sufficient for the efficient operation of the Committee and shall share the responsibility for the provision of such services on an equitable basis. "(3) In order to enable the (IJommittee to make recommendations under paragraph (4) of this subsection, the Committee shall on a continuing basis— "(A) review existing policies, procedures, and practices relating to the sharing of health-care resources between the agencies; "(B) identify and assess further opportunities for the sharing of health-care resources between the agencies that would not, in the judgment of the Committee, adversely affect the range of services, the quality of care, or the established priorities for care provided by either agency; "(C) identify changes in policies, procedures, and practices that would, in the judgment of the Committee, promote such sharing of health-care resources between the agencies; "(D) monitor plans of the agencies for the acquisition of additional health-care resources, including the location of new facilities and the acquisition of major equipment, in order to assess the potential impact of such plans on further opportunities for such sharing of health-care resources; and "(E) monitor the implementation of activities designed to promote the sharing of health-care resources between the agencies. "(4) Within nine months of the date of the enactment of this subsection and at such times thereafter as the Committee considers appropriate, the Committee shall make recommendations to the Administrator or the Secretary of Defense, or both, with respect to (A) changes in policies, procedures, and practices that the Committee has identified under paragraph (3)(C) of this subsection pertain-
96 STAT. 71
Veterans' Administration/ Department of Defense HealthCare Resources Sharing Committee. Establishment.
Duties.
Recommendations to VA Administrator or DOD Secretary.
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