A bill 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, renovating, and updating patient care facilities. Requires the Secretary to use FY 2002 or 2003 appropriated funds for such purpose. Limits to $25 million the cost of any single project. Requires an independent board within the Department to review projects before their selection.

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.
    (2) Projects carried out under this section are not subject to 
section 8104(a)(2) of title 38, United States Code.
    (b) Purpose of Projects.--A project carried out pursuant to 
subsection (a) may be carried out only at a Department of Veterans 
Affairs medical center and only for the purpose of improving, 
renovating, and updating to contemporary standards patient care 
facilities. In selecting medical centers for projects under subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall select projects to improve, renovate, or 
update facilities to achieve one or more of the following:
            (1) Seismic protection improvements related to patient 
        safety.
            (2) Fire safety improvements.
            (3) Improvements to utility systems and ancillary patient 
        care facilities.
            (4) Improved accommodation for persons with disabilities, 
        including barrier-free access.
            (5) Improvements to facilities carrying out specialized 
        programs of the Department, including the following:
                    (A) Blind rehabilitation centers.
                    (B) Facilities carrying out inpatient and 
                residential programs for seriously mentally ill 
                veterans, including mental illness research, education, 
                and clinical centers.
                    (C) Facilities carrying out residential and 
                rehabilitation programs for veterans with substance-use 
                disorders.
                    (D) Facilities carrying out physical medicine and 
                rehabilitation activities.
                    (E) Facilities providing long-term care, including 
                geriatric research, education, and clinical centers, 
                adult day care centers, and nursing home care 
                facilities.
                    (F) Facilities providing amputation care, including 
                facilities for prosthetics, orthotics programs, and 
                sensory aids.
                    (G) Spinal cord injury centers.
                    (H) Facilities carrying out traumatic brain injury 
                programs.
                    (I) Facilities carrying out women veterans' health 
                programs (including particularly programs involving 
                privacy and accommodation for female patients).
                    (J) Facilities for hospice and palliative care 
                programs.
    (c) 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 an independent board within the Department of Veterans 
Affairs 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, and updates patient care 
facilities of the Department in accordance with this section.
    (2) In selecting projects to be carried out under the authority of 
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 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 the 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).

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 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 the 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.
            (4) Any other matter that the Secretary considers to be 
        appropriate with respect to oversight by Congress of capital 
        facilities projects of the Department.