To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out construction projects for the purpose of improving, renovating, and updating patient care facilities at Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers.

Summary: Veterans Hospital Emergency Repair Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out major medical facility projects at Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers for improving, replacing, renovating, or updating patient care facilities or research facilities. Requires the Secretary to use FY 2002 or 2003 appropriated funds for such purpose. Limits the cost of any project to $25 million, except that up to two projects a year for seismic protection improvements related to patient safety may be carried out at a cost of up to $30 million. Requires an independent board within the Department to review projects before their selection.Authorizes appropriations.Requires reports from the Comptroller General and the Secretary to the congressional veterans' committees concerning the authorization for such projects.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Hospital Emergency Repair 
Act''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY PROJECTS FOR PATIENT 
              CARE IMPROVEMENTS.

    (a) In General.--(1) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs is 
authorized to carry out major medical facility projects in accordance 
with this section, using funds appropriated for fiscal year 2002 or 
fiscal year 2003 pursuant to section 3. The cost of any such project 
may not exceed $25,000,000, except that up to two projects per year may 
be carried out at a cost not to exceed $30,000,000 for the purpose 
stated in subsection (c)(1).
    (2) Projects carried out under this section are not subject to 
section 8104(a)(2) of title 38, United States Code.
    (b) Type of Projects.--A project carried out under subsection (a) 
may be carried out only at a Department of Veterans Affairs medical 
center and only for the purpose of--
            (1) improving a patient care facility;
            (2) replacing a patient care facility;
            (3) renovating a patient care facility;
            (4) updating a patient care facility to contemporary 
        standards; or
            (5) improving, replacing, or renovating a research facility 
        or updating such a facility to contemporary standards.
    (c) Purpose of Projects.--In selecting medical centers for projects 
under subsection (a), the Secretary shall select projects to improve, 
replace, renovate, or update facilities to achieve one or more of the 
following:
            (1) Seismic protection improvements related to patient 
        safety (or, in the case of a research facility, patient or 
        employee safety).
            (2) Fire safety improvements.
            (3) Improvements to utility systems and ancillary patient 
        care facilities (including such systems and facilities that may 
        be exclusively associated with research facilities).
            (4) Improved accommodation for persons with disabilities, 
        including barrier-free access.
            (5) Improvements at patient care facilities to specialized 
        programs of the Department, including the following:
                    (A) Blind rehabilitation centers.
                    (B) Inpatient and residential programs for 
                seriously mentally ill veterans, including mental 
                illness research, education, and clinical centers.
                    (C) Residential and rehabilitation programs for 
                veterans with substance-use disorders.
                    (D) Physical medicine and rehabilitation 
                activities.
                    (E) Long-term care, including geriatric research, 
                education, and clinical centers, adult day care 
                centers, and nursing home care facilities.
                    (F) Amputation care, including facilities for 
                prosthetics, orthotics programs, and sensory aids.
                    (G) Spinal cord injury centers.
                    (H) Traumatic brain injury programs.
                    (I) Women veterans' health programs (including 
                particularly programs involving privacy and 
                accommodation for female patients).
                    (J) Facilities for hospice and palliative care 
                programs.
    (d) Review Process.--(1) Before a project is submitted to the 
Secretary with a recommendation that it be approved as a project to be 
carried out under the authority of this section, the project shall be 
reviewed by a board within the Department of Veterans Affairs that is 
independent of the Veterans Health Administration and that is 
constituted by the Secretary to evaluate capital investment projects. 
The board shall review each such project to determine the project's 
relevance to the medical care mission of the Department and whether the 
project improves, renovates, repairs, or updates facilities of the 
Department in accordance with this section.
    (2) In selecting projects to be carried out under the authority 
provided by this section, the Secretary shall consider the 
recommendations of the board under paragraph (1). In any case in which 
the Secretary selects a project to be carried out under this section 
that was not recommended for such approval by the board under paragraph 
(1), the Secretary shall include in the report of the Secretary under 
section 4(b) notice of such selection and the Secretary's reasons for 
not following the recommendation of the board with respect to that 
project.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs for the Construction, Major Projects, 
account for projects under section 2--
            (1) $250,000,000 for fiscal year 2002; and
            (2) $300,000,000 for fiscal year 2003.
    (b) Limitation.--Projects may be carried out under section 2 only 
using funds appropriated pursuant to the authorization of 
appropriations in subsection (a), except that funds appropriated for 
advance planning may be used for the purposes for which appropriated in 
connection with such projects.

SEC. 4. REPORTS.

    (a) GAO Report.--Not later than April 1, 2003, the Comptroller 
General shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs and on 
Appropriations of the Senate and House of Representatives a report 
evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of congressional 
authorization for projects of the type described in section 2(b) 
through general authorization as provided by section 2(a), rather than 
through specific authorization as would otherwise be applicable under 
section 8104(a)(2) of title 38, United States Code. Such report shall 
include a description of the actions of the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs during fiscal year 2002 to select and carry out projects under 
section 2.
    (b) Secretary Report.--Not later than 120 days after the date on 
which the site for the final project under section 2 is selected, the 
Secretary shall submit to the committees referred to in subsection (a) 
a report on the authorization process under section 2. The Secretary 
shall include in the report the following:
            (1) A listing by project of each such project selected by 
        the Secretary under that section, together with a prospectus 
        description of the purposes of the project, the estimated cost 
        of the project, and a statement attesting to the review of the 
        project under section 2(c), and, if that project was not 
        recommended by the board, the Secretary's justification under 
        section 2(d) for not following the recommendation of the board.
            (2) An assessment of the utility to the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs of that authorization process.
            (3) Such recommendations as the Secretary considers 
        appropriate for future congressional policy for authorizations 
        of major and minor medical facility construction projects for 
        the Department of Veterans Affairs.
            (4) Any other matter that the Secretary considers to be 
        appropriate with respect to oversight by Congress of capital 
        facilities projects of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

            Passed the House of Representatives March 27, 2001.

            Attest:

                                                 JEFF TRANDAHL,

                                                                 Clerk.