PERSIAN GULF WAR VETERANS.

SEC. 209. PERSIAN GULF WAR VETERANS. (a) Criteria for Priority Health Care.—(1) Subsection (a)(2)(F) of section 1710 is amended by striking out “environmental hazard” and inserting in lieu thereof “other conditions”. (2) Subsection (e)(1)(C) of such section is amended— (A) by striking out “the Secretary finds may have been exposed while serving” and inserting in lieu thereof “served”; (B) by striking out “to a toxic substance or environmental hazard”; and (C) by striking out “exposure” and inserting in lieu thereof “service”. (3) Subsection (e)(2)(B) of such section is amended by striking out “an exposure” and inserting in lieu thereof “the service”. (b) Demonstration Projects for Treatment of Persian Gulf Illness.—(1) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out a program of demonstration projects to test new approaches to treating, and improving the satisfaction with such treatment of, Persian Gulf veterans who suffer from undiagnosed and ill- defined disabilities. The program shall be established not later than July 1, 1998, and shall be carried out at up to 10 geographically dispersed medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs. (2) At least one of each of the following models shall be used at no less than two of the demonstration projects: (A) A specialized clinic which serves Persian Gulf veterans. (B) Multidisciplinary treatment aimed at managing symptoms. (C) Use of case managers. (3) A demonstration project under this subsection may be undertaken in conjunction with another funding entity, including agreements under section 8111 of title 38, United States Code. (4) The Secretary shall make available from appropriated funds (which have been retained for contingent funding) $5,000,000 to carry out the demonstration projects. (5) The Secretary may not approve a medical center as a location for a demonstration project under this subsection unless a peer review panel has determined that the proposal submitted by that medical center is among those proposals that have met the highest competitive standards of clinical merit and the Secretary has determined that the facility has the ability to— (A) attract the participation of clinicians of outstanding caliber and innovation to the project; and (B) effectively evaluate the activities of the project. (6) In determining which medical centers to select as locations for demonstration projects under this subsection, the Secretary shall give special priority to medical centers that have demonstrated 111 STAT. 2291a capability to compete successfully for extramural funding support for research into the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the care provided under the demonstration project.