§ 7326. Education and training programs on medical response to consequences of terrorist activities

(a)Education Program.— The Secretary shall carry out a program to develop and disseminate a series of model education and training programs on the medical responses to the consequences of terrorist activities.

(b)Implementing Official.— The program shall be carried out through the Under Secretary for Health, in consultation with the Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs with responsibility for operations, preparedness, security, and law enforcement functions.

(c)Content of Programs.— The education and training programs developed under the program shall be modelled after programs established at the F. Edward Hebért School of Medicine of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and shall include, at a minimum, training for health care professionals in the following:

(1) Recognition of chemical, biological, radiological, incendiary, or other explosive agents, weapons, or devices that may be used in terrorist activities.

(2) Identification of the potential symptoms of exposure to those agents.

(3) Understanding of the potential long-term health consequences, including psychological effects, resulting from exposure to those agents, weapons, or devices.

(4) Emergency treatment for exposure to those agents, weapons, or devices.

(5) An appropriate course of followup treatment, supportive care, and referral.

(6) Actions that can be taken while providing care for exposure to those agents, weapons, or devices to protect against contamination, injury, or other hazards from such exposure.

(7) Information on how to seek consultative support and to report suspected or actual use of those agents.

(d)Potential Trainees.— In designing the education and training programs under this section, the Secretary shall ensure that different programs are designed for health-care professionals in Department medical centers. The programs shall be designed to be disseminated to health professions students, graduate health and medical education trainees, and health practitioners in a variety of fields.

(e)Consultation.— In establishing education and training programs under this section, the Secretary shall consult with appropriate representatives of accrediting, certifying, and coordinating organizations in the field of health professions education.

(Added Pub. L. 107–287, § 3(a)(1), Nov. 7, 2002, 116 Stat. 2027.)

Miscellaneous

Implementation

Pub. L. 107–287, § 3(b), Nov. 7, 2002, 116 Stat. 2028, provided that: “The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall implement section 7326 of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), not later than the end of the 90-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 7, 2002].”