§8155 — Title 38 Veterans' Benefits | U.S. Code

§8155 Pilot programs; grants to medical schools

Title 38 › Part PART VI— - ACQUISITION AND DISPOSITION OF PROPERTY › Chapter CHAPTER 81— - ACQUISITION AND OPERATION OF HOSPITAL AND DOMICILIARY FACILITIES; PROCUREMENT AND SUPPLY; ENHANCED-USE LEASES OF REAL PROPERTY › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IV— - SHARING OF MEDICAL FACILITIES, EQUIPMENT, AND INFORMATION › § 8155

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary can create an Advisory Subcommittee on Programs for Exchange of Medical Information to give advice and help coordinate these activities with other medical research and education work. The Assistant Under Secretary who runs medical research will be a member because of that job. The Secretary may, on the Subcommittee’s recommendation, give grants to medical schools, hospitals, and research centers to help plan and carry out agreements under section 8154. Grants may pay for staff, building space, needed equipment, and other things that help run the programs. Congress authorized money for pilot medical information programs and these grants: $3,500,000 for fiscal year 1976; $1,700,000 for July 1, 1976–September 30, 1976; $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1977 and 1978; and $4,000,000 for fiscal year 1979 and each of the three years after that. Pilot projects must run at Department hospitals in different parts of the United States. Grant funds cannot pay for patient care except when the Secretary says the care is part of approved research, training, or demonstrations. The Secretary will make rules for grants after talking with the Subcommittee. Grant recipients must keep records showing how money was spent, the project’s total cost, other funding sources, and must allow audits by the Secretary and the Comptroller General.

Title 38, §8155

Veterans' Benefits — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary may establish an Advisory Subcommittee on Programs for Exchange of Medical Information, of the Special Medical Advisory Group, established under section 7312 of this title, to advise the Secretary on matters regarding the administration of this section and to coordinate these functions with other research and education programs in the Department of Medicine and Surgery. The Assistant Under Secretary for Health charged with administration of the Department of Medicine and Surgery medical research program shall be an ex officio member of this Subcommittee.

(b)The Secretary, upon the recommendation of the Subcommittee, is authorized to make grants to medical schools, hospitals, and research centers to assist such medical schools, hospitals, and research centers in planning and carrying out agreements authorized by section 8154 of this title. Such grants may be used for the employment of personnel, the construction of facilities, the purchasing of equipment when necessary to implement such programs, and for such other purposes as will facilitate the administration of this section.

(c)(1)There is hereby authorized to be appropriated an amount not to exceed $3,500,000 for fiscal year 1976; $1,700,000 for the period beginning July 1, 1976, and ending September 30, 1976; $4,000,000 for fiscal year 1977; $4,000,000 for fiscal year 1978; and $4,000,000 for fiscal year 1979 and for each of the three succeeding fiscal years, for the purpose of developing and carrying out medical information programs under this section on a pilot program basis and for the grants authority in subsection (b) of this section. Pilot programs authorized by this subsection shall be carried out at Department hospitals in geographically dispersed areas of the United States.

(2)Funds authorized under this section shall not be available to pay the cost of hospital, medical, or other care of patients except to the extent that such cost is determined by the Secretary to be incident to research, training, or demonstration activities carried out under this section.

(d)The Secretary, after consultation with the Subcommittee shall prescribe regulations covering the terms and conditions for making grants under this section.

(e)Each recipient of a grant under this section shall keep such records as the Secretary may prescribe, including records which fully disclose the amount and disposition by such recipient of the proceeds of such grant, the total cost of the project or undertaking in connection with which such grant is made or used, and the amount of that portion of the cost of the project or undertaking supplied by other sources, and such records as will facilitate an effective audit.

(f)The Secretary and the Comptroller General of the United States, or any of their duly authorized representatives, shall have access, for the purpose of audit and examination, to any books, documents, papers, and records of the recipient of any grant under this section which are pertinent to any such grant.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–446 substituted “section 7312” for “section 4112”. 1992—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–405 substituted “Under Secretary for Health” for “Chief Medical Director”. 1991—Pub. L. 102–40, § 402(b)(1), renumbered section 5055 of this title as this section. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–83, § 4(b)(1), (2)(E), substituted “Secretary” for “Administrator” in two places. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 102–83, § 4(b)(1), (2)(E), substituted “Secretary” for “Administrator”. Pub. L. 102–40, § 402(d)(1), substituted “8154” for “5054”. Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 102–83, § 4(a)(3), (4), substituted “Department” for “Veterans’ Administration”. Subsecs. (c)(2), (d) to (f). Pub. L. 102–83, § 4(b)(1), (2)(E), substituted “Secretary” for “Administrator”. 1979—Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 96–151 inserted authorization for the three succeeding fiscal years after fiscal year 1979. 1976—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 94–581 substituted “advise the Administrator” for “advise him” and “Assistant Chief Medical Director charged with administration of the Department of Medicine and Surgery medical research program” for “Assistant Chief Medical Director for Research and Education in Medicine”. Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 94–424 substituted provisions authorizing appropriations of $3,500,000 for fiscal year 1976; $1,700,000 for the period beginning July 1, 1976, and ending Sept. 30, 1976; $4,000,000 for fiscal year 1977; $4,000,000 for fiscal year 1978; and $4,000,000 for fiscal year 1979 for provisions authorizing appropriations of $3,000,000 for each fiscal year 1968 through 1971, and such sums as may be necessary for each fiscal year 1972 through 1975. 1971—Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 92–69 substituted provisions authorizing appropriations of amounts up to $3,000,000 for each fiscal year 1968 through 1971, and such sums as may be necessary for each fiscal year 1972 through 1975, for provisions authorizing appropriations of amounts up to $3,000,000 for each of the first four fiscal years following fiscal year in which this subchapter was enacted.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Reference to Veterans Health Services and Research Administration (or to Department of Medicine and Surgery of the Veterans’ Administration) deemed to refer to Veterans Health Administration pursuant to section 2 of Pub. L. 102–40, set out as a Renaming of Veterans Health Services and Research Administration note under section 301 of this title. Reference to Department of Medicine and Surgery deemed to refer to Veterans Health Services and Research Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs, pursuant to section 10 of Pub. L. 100–527, set out as a Department of Veterans Affairs Act note under section 301 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1976 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 94–581 effective Oct. 21, 1976, see section 211 of Pub. L. 94–581, set out as a note under section 111 of this title. Termination of Advisory CouncilsAdvisory councils in existence on Jan. 5, 1973, to terminate not later than the expiration of the 2-year period following Jan. 5, 1973, unless, in the case of a committee established by the President or an officer of the Federal Government, such council is renewed by appropriate action prior to the expiration of such 2-year period, or in the case of a council established by the Congress, its duration is otherwise provided by law. Advisory councils established after Jan. 5, 1973, to terminate not later than the expiration of the 2-year period beginning on the date of their establishment, unless, in the case of a council established by the President or an officer of the Federal Government, such council is renewed by appropriate action prior to the expiration of such 2-year period, or in the case of a council established by the Congress, its duration is otherwise provided for by law. See section 1001(2) and 1013 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.