113 STAT. 1550
PUBLIC LAW 106-117—NOV. 30, 1999
38 USC 1710B
note.
Federal Register,
publication.
Deadline.
38 USC 1710A
note.
(2) in subsection (b)—
(A) by striking "the term 'respite care' means hospital
or nursing home care" and inserting "the term 'respite
care services' means care and services";
(B) by striking "is" at the beginning of each of paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) and inserting "are"; and
(C) by striking "in a Department facihty" in paragraph
(2); and
(3) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
"(c) In furnishing respite care services, the Secretary may enter
into contract arrangements.".
(f) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. —Section 1710(a) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ", and may furnish nursing
home care,";
(2) in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting "or, with respect to
nursing home care during any period during which the provisions of section 1710A(a) of this title are in effect, a compensable
service-connected disability rated less than 70 percent" after
"50 percent";
(3) in paragraph (4), by inserting ", and the requirement
in section 1710B of this title that the Secretary provide a
program of extended care services," after "medical services";
and
(4) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
"(5) During any period during which the provisions of section
1710A(a) of this title are not in effect, the Secretary may fiimish
nursing home care which the Secretary determines is needed to
any veteran described in paragraph (1), with the priority for such
care on the same basis as if provided under that paragraph.".
(g) STATE HOMES.— Section 1741(a)(2) is amended by striking
"adult day health care in a State home" and inserting "extended
care services described in any of paragraphs (4) through (6) of
section 1710B(a) of this title under a program administered by
a State home".
(h) EFFECTIVE DATE.— (1) Except as provided in paragraph
(2), the amendments made by this section shall take effect on
the date of the enactment of this Act.
(2) Subsection (c) of section 1710B of title 38, United States
Code (as added by subsection (b)), shall take effect on the effective
date of regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
under subsections (c) and (d) of such section. The Secretary shall
publish the effective date of such regulations in the Federal Register.
(3) The provisions of section 1710(f) of title 38, United States
Code, shall not apply to any day of nursing home care on or
after the effective date of regulations under paragraph (2).
(i) REPORT.— Not later than January 1, 2003, the Secretary
shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate
and House of Representatives a report on the operation of this
section (including the amendments made by this section). The Secretary shall include in the report—
(1) the Secretary's assessment of the experience of the
Department under the provisions of this section;
(2) the costs incurred by the Department under the provisions of this section and a comparison of those costs with
the Secretary's estimate of the costs that would have been
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