118 STAT. 2398 PUBLIC LAW 108–422—NOV. 30, 2004 ‘‘(2) the families of persons referred to in paragraph (1) who reside at the facility; and ‘‘(3) relatives and other persons while visiting a person specified in this section.’’. SEC. 604. ANNUAL REPORTS ON WAITING TIMES FOR APPOINTMENTS FOR SPECIALTY CARE. (a) ANNUAL REPORTS.—Not later than January 31 each year through 2007, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on waiting times for appointments for specialty health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs under chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, during the preceding year. (b) REPORT ELEMENTS.—Each report under subsection (a) shall specify, for the year covered by the report, the following: (1) A tabulation of the number of veterans whose appoint ment for specialty health care furnished by the Department was more than three months after the date of the scheduling of such appointment, and the waiting times of such veterans for such appointments, for each category of specialty care fur nished by the Department, broken out by Veterans Integrated Service Network. (2) An identification of the categories of specialty care furnished by the Department for which there were delays of more than three months between the scheduling date of appointments and appointments in each Veterans Integrated Service Network. (3) A discussion of the reasons for the delays identified under paragraph (2) for each category of care for each Veterans Integrated Service Network so identified, including lack of per sonnel, financial resources, or other resources. (c) CERTIFICATION ON REPORT INFORMATION.—The Comptroller General of the United States shall certify to the committees of Congress referred to in subsection (a) whether or not each report under this section is accurate.
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