§ 317. — Center for Minority Veterans.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 38USC317]
TITLE 38--VETERANS' BENEFITS
PART I--GENERAL PROVISIONS
CHAPTER 3--DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Sec. 317. Center for Minority Veterans
(a) There is in the Department a Center for Minority Veterans. There
is at the head of the Center a Director.
(b) The Director shall be a career or noncareer appointee in the
Senior Executive Service. The Director shall be appointed for a term of
six years.
(c) The Director reports directly to the Secretary or the Deputy
Secretary concerning the activities of the Center.
(d) The Director shall perform the following functions with respect
to veterans who are minorities:
(1) Serve as principal adviser to the Secretary on the adoption
and implementation of policies and programs affecting veterans who
are minorities.
(2) Make recommendations to the Secretary, the Under Secretary
for Health, the Under Secretary for Benefits, and other Department
officials for the establishment or improvement of programs in the
Department for which veterans who are minorities are eligible.
(3) Promote the use of benefits authorized by this title by
veterans who are minorities and the conduct of outreach activities
to veterans who are minorities, in conjunction with outreach
activities carried out under chapter 77 of this title.
(4) Disseminate information and serve as a resource center for
the exchange of information regarding innovative and successful
programs which improve the services available to veterans who are
minorities.
(5) Conduct and sponsor appropriate social and demographic
research on the needs of veterans who are minorities and the extent
to which programs authorized under this title meet the needs of
those veterans, without regard to any law concerning the collection
of information from the public.
(6) Analyze and evaluate complaints made by or on behalf of
veterans who are minorities about the adequacy and timeliness of
services provided by the Department and advise the appropriate
official of the Department of the results of such analysis or
evaluation.
(7) Consult with, and provide assistance and information to,
officials responsible for administering Federal, State, local, and
private programs that assist veterans, to encourage those officials
to adopt policies which promote the use of those programs by
veterans who are minorities.
(8) Advise the Secretary when laws or policies have the effect
of discouraging the use of benefits by veterans who are minorities.
(9) Publicize the results of medical research which are of
particular significance to veterans who are minorities.
(10) Advise the Secretary and other appropriate officials on the
effectiveness of the Department's efforts to accomplish the goals of
section 492B of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 289a-2)
with respect to the inclusion of minorities in clinical research and
on particular health conditions affecting the health of members of
minority groups which should be studied as part of the Department's
medical research program and promote cooperation between the
Department and other sponsors of medical research of potential
benefit to veterans who are minorities.
(11) Provide support and administrative services to the Advisory
Committee on Minority Veterans provided for under section 544 of
this title.
(12) Perform such other duties consistent with this section as
the Secretary shall prescribe.
(e) The Secretary shall ensure that the Director is furnished
sufficient resources to enable the Director to carry out the functions
of the Center in a timely manner.
(f) The Secretary shall include in documents submitted to Congress
by the Secretary in support of the President's budget for each fiscal
year--
(1) detailed information on the budget for the Center;
(2) the Secretary's opinion as to whether the resources
(including the number of employees) proposed in the budget for that
fiscal year are adequate to enable the Center to comply with its
statutory and regulatory duties; and
(3) a report on the activities and significant accomplishments
of the Center during the preceding fiscal year.
(g) In this section--
(1) The term ``veterans who are minorities'' means veterans who
are minority group members.
(2) The term ``minority group member'' has the meaning given
such term in section 544(d) of this title.
(Added Pub. L. 103-446, title V, Sec. 509(a), Nov. 2, 1994, 108 Stat.
4665; amended Pub. L. 104-275, title V, Sec. 501(a)-(c), Oct. 9, 1996,
110 Stat. 3340.)
Prior Provisions
Prior section 317, added Pub. L. 102-218, Sec. 1(a), Dec. 11, 1991,
105 Stat. 1671; amended Pub. L. 103-446, title XII, Sec. 1201(e)(4),
Nov. 2, 1994, 108 Stat. 4685, related to Chief Minority Affairs Officer,
prior to repeal by Pub. L. 103-446, Sec. 509(a).
Amendments
1996--Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 104-275, Sec. 501(a), inserted ``career
or'' before ``noncareer''.
Subsec. (d)(10) to (12). Pub. L. 104-275, Sec. 501(b), added pars.
(10) and (11) and redesignated former par. (10) as (12).
Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 104-275, Sec. 501(c), added subsec. (g).
