with comments on the appropriateness and the advantages and disadvantages of each, and any official recommendations for legislative and administrative action for establishing a program for providing such benefits, services and assistance to these individuals.

The American Legion would support the intent of this provision. Section 10 amends section 601(4) (C) (v) of the title so as to extend the authority for providing contract medical care to veterans in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands until September 30, 1985, and the Legion supports this extension.

Section 11 would amend section 618 of title 38 by adding a new subsection stating that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no amount of remuneration provided to an individual as a participant in a therapeutic or rehabilitative activity carried out pursuant to this section shall be included in determining annual income for purposes of pension payments.

Mr. Chairman, The American Legion strongly endorses the purpose of this section. The Department of Medicine and Surgery has in its rehabilitation procedures a number of programs in the category of incentive therapy or rehabilitative therapy, in which disabled and hospitalized veterans perform compensated work of a nature that is within the capability of their physical limitations. The work is accomplished under medical management and the programs have proven therapeutic value for the veterans who participate. The programs provide veterans with a measure of dignity and the compensation paid them is below the minimum wage. However, it has recently been determined that the modest remuneration received from such programs is to be counted for pension purposes. This has resulted in a number

of overpayments in the case of veterans receiving nonservice-connected disability pension; and the withdrawal from such programs by many veterans because of the requirement to count the minimal amount of compensation as income.

The American Legion feels that this not only defeats the purposes of ongoing medical therapy and rehabilitative processes, but also demonstrates a lack of understanding of the genuine purposes of these programs. Therefore, at its meeting of February 29, 1984,

the National Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Commission of the Legion adopted a resolution calling for the organization to sponsor and support legislation identical to the intent of this section. The resolution will be acted upon by the National Executive Committee during its meeting May 9-10.

Section 12 directs the Administrator to establish a national center on post-traumatic stress disorder to (1) carry out and promote research into, and the training of health-care personnel in the diagnosis and treatment of PTSD, and (2) to serve as a resource center for and to promote and to seek to coordinate the exchange of information regarding all research and training activities carried out by VA, and by other Federal and non-Federal entities, with respect to PTSD.

In addition, this section would direct the Administrator to submit to the Committees on Veterans Affairs, within 90 days after enactment, a report containing a description of the steps taken and plans made, including a timetable, to establish such a center. The report would also contain (1) the assessment of the Chief Medical Director regarding the capability of VA to provide inpatient and

outpatient PTSD diagnosis and treatment (both through PTSD inpatient treatment units and otherwise), as well as a description of the results of any evaluations that have been made of existing PTSD inpatient treatment units, (2) any recommendations and a description of any activities planned for improving such diagnoses and treatment and for correcting any deficiencies in the operations of such units,

and (3) the Administrator's assessment of the capacity of the VA to meet the need for PTSD diagnosis and treatment in all geographic areas of the United States and any plans and timetable for increasing that capacity, including the costs of such action.

Mr. Chairman, we expressed our concerns about the problems surrounding the issue of PTSD diagnosis and treatment earlier in this statement, in support of the establishment of the position of Associate Director for PTSD within DM&S and other related provisions. As previously stated, there is a distinct need for research in this area, and a national center on PTSD would appear to provide an appropriate setting for such research to be accomplished. The Legion envisions the results of such research being coordinated and disseminated by the proposed Associate Director in conjunction with the task force on PTSD, and would support such a concept.

Mr. Chairman, S. 2210 would amend section 1903 (c) of the title to provide that an eligible person shall not be entitled to automobile adaptive equipment under chapter 39, for more than one automobile or other conveyance in a three year period, except where the Administrator determines, according to standards which the Administrator shall

prescribe, that exigent circumstances justify early vehicle replacement.

The American Legion feels that the limitations set forth in this bill could prove to be unduly restrictive to a small group of severely disabled veterans and, therefore, we do not support its enactment.

S. 2278

provides that the Administrator in furnishing hospital, nursing home, and domiciliary care and medical and rehabilitative services, may contract for such care and services in halfway houses, therapeutic communities, psychiatric residential treatment centers, and other community-based treatment facilities for eligible veterans suffering from alcohol or drug dependence or abuse disabilities. In addition, it would amend section 620A of title 38 by placing the pilot program for the treatment and rehabilitation for alcohol or drug dependence or abuse disabilities into the category of a

permanent program.

We previously set forth the Legion's views on the Alcohol and Drug Treatment program, and would not object to the intent of this

measure.

Mr. Chairman, that concludes our statement.

Mr. MAYO. Thank you, Mr. Chief Counsel. It is a pleasure for us to be before you today and present our views on a number of legislative proposals to improve health care for veterans, among other things. We support the thrust of the majority of the legislation before the committee. Our observations in that connection have been outlined in our prepared statement for your review.

In our statement, however, we oppose the enactment of S. 2210, introduced by the chairman. In light of our further review of the bill, we have determined that its provisions contain improvements in the adaptive equipment program that we wish to see enacted. That is a veteran may own more than one such adaptive conveyance at one time.

We believe the language in the bill will reasonably accommodate exceptions for such as accidents or exceptions for high mileage to the one car in 3-years rule. Therefore, we support its passage. That concludes my summary.

Mr. PRINCIPI. Thank you.

[The prepared statement of Philip R. Mayo, special assistant, National Legislative Service, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, follows:]

Thank you for the opportunity to come before you to present, on behalf of our 1.97 million members, our views with respect to a number of legislative proposals to improve the health care provided veterans by the Veterans Administration.

Mr. Chairman, we would like to begin by commending you and all members of the Committee for their foresight in advancing into law of what is now Public Law 98-160, the "Veteran's Health Care Amendments of 1983," some of the provisions of which may be further improved by the legislation before the Committee today.

Mr. Chairman, the first item we would like to address in our remarks is the matter of the pilot contract program for drug and alcohol treatment within the VA, Provisions of three measures (S.2269, S.2278, S. 2514) before the Committee today would affect the status of that program, which is due to expire on September 30, 1985. As you know, the VA was to have reported to the Congress on various aspects of this program on March 31, 1984, and we are informed that the report will be forthcoming at a later date.

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