§ 7315 — Geriatrics And Gerontology Advisory Committee

(a) The Secretary shall establish in the Veterans Health Administration a Geriatrics and Gerontology Advisory Committee (hereinafter in this section referred to as the “Committee”). The membership of the Committee shall be appointed by the Secretary, upon the recommendation of the Under Secretary for Health, and shall include individuals who are not employees of the Federal Government and who have demonstrated interest and expertise in research, education, and clinical activities related to aging and at least one representative of a national veterans service organization. The Secretary, upon the recommendation of the Under Secretary for Health, shall invite representatives of other appropriate departments and agencies of the United States to participate in the activities of the Committee and shall provide the Committee with such staff and other support as may be necessary for the Committee to carry out effectively its functions under this section. (b) The Committee shall— (1) advise the Under Secretary for Health on all matters pertaining to geriatrics and gerontology; (2) assess, through an evaluation process (including a site visit conducted not later than three years after the date of the establishment of each new center and not later than two years after the date of the last evaluation of those centers in operation on August 26, 1980), the ability of each center established under section 7314 of this title to achieve its established purposes and the purposes of title III of the Veterans’ Administration Health-Care Amendments of 1980 (Public Law 96–330; 94 Stat. 1048); (3) assess the capability of the Department to provide high quality geriatric services, extended services, and other health-care services to eligible older veterans, taking into consideration the likely demand for such services from such veterans; (4) assess the current and projected needs of eligible older veterans for geriatric services, extended-care services, and other health-care services from the Department and its activities and plans designed to meet such needs; and (5) perform such additional functions as the Secretary or Under Secretary for Health may direct. (1) The Committee shall submit to the Secretary, through the Under Secretary for Health, such reports as the Committee considers appropriate with respect to its findings and conclusions under subsection (b). Such reports shall include the following: (A) Descriptions of the operations of the centers of geriatric research, education, and clinical activities established pursuant to section 7314 of this title. (B) Assessments of the quality of the operations of such centers. (C) An assessment of the extent to which the Department, through the operation of such centers and other health-care facilities and programs, is meeting the needs of eligible older veterans for geriatric services, extended-care services, and other health-care services. (D) Assessments of and recommendations for correcting any deficiencies in the operations of such centers. (E) Recommendations for such other geriatric services, extended-care services, and other health-care services as may be needed to meet the needs of older veterans. (2) Whenever the Committee submits a report to the Secretary under paragraph (1), the Committee shall at the same time transmit a copy of the report in the same form to the appropriate committees of Congress. Not later than 90 days after receipt of a report under that paragraph, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report containing any comments and recommendations of the Secretary with respect to the report of the Committee.