I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2318

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an assured adequate 

level of funding for veterans health care. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 4, 2003

Mr. EVANS (for himself, Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. ANDREWS, Ms. BALDWIN, Ms. 

BERKLEY, Mr. BOSWELL, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Mrs. CAPITO, 

Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. CARSON of Oklahoma, Ms. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. 

COSTELLO, Mr. CRAMER, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. 

DELAHUNT, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. DINGELL, Mr. DOYLE, Mr. FILNER, Mr. 

FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. FROST, Mr. GIBBONS, Mr. GORDON, Mr. 

GREEN of Texas, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. HINOJOSA, Mr. HOEFFEL, Mr. 

HOLDEN, Mr. HOLT, Mr. HONDA, Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon, Mr. ISRAEL, 

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. JENKINS, Mr. KANJORSKI, Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. LUCAS of Kentucky, Mr. LYNCH, Mrs. 

MALONEY, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. MCNULTY, 

Mr. MICHAUD, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. 

REYES, Mr. RODRIGUEZ, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. 

SANDLIN, Mr. SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. 

SOUDER, Mr. STRICKLAND, Mr. STUPAK, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Mr. 

UDALL of New Mexico, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. WALDEN of Oregon, Mr. 

WEXLER, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. SULLIVAN, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. 

TOWNS, and Mr. GRIJALVA) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an 

assured adequate level of funding for veterans health care.
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1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Assured Funding for 

5 Veterans Health Care Act of 2003’’.

6 SEC. 2. ASSURANCE OF ADEQUATE FUNDING FOR VET7 ERANS HEALTH CARE. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 3 of title 38, United 

9 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol10 lowing new section:

11 ‘‘§ 320. Assured funding for veterans health care 

12 ‘‘(a) For each fiscal year, the Secretary of the Treas13 ury shall make available to the Secretary of Veterans Af14 fairs the amount determined under subsection (b) with re15 spect to that fiscal year. Each such amount is available, 

16 without fiscal year limitation, for the programs, functions, 

17 and activities of the Veterans Health Administration, as 

18 specified in subsection (c). 

19 ‘‘(b)(1) The amount applicable to fiscal year 2005 

20 under this subsection is the amount equal to 130 percent 

21 of the amount obligated by the Department during fiscal 

22 year 2003 for the purposes specified in subsection (c). 

23 ‘‘(2) The amount applicable to any fiscal year after 

24 fiscal year 2005 under this subsection is the amount equal 

25 to the product of the following: 
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1 ‘‘(A) The sum of—

2 ‘‘(i) the number of veterans enrolled in the 

3 Department health care system under section 

4 1705 of this title as of July 1 preceding the be5 ginning of such fiscal year; and 

6 ‘‘(ii) the number of persons eligible for 

7 health care under chapter 17 of this title who 

8 are not covered by clause (i) and who were pro9 vided hospital care or medical services under 

10 such chapter at any time during the fiscal year 

11 preceding such fiscal year. 

12 ‘‘(B) The per capita baseline amount, as in13 creased from time to time pursuant to paragraph 

14 (3)(B). 

15 ‘‘(3)(A) For purposes of paragraph (2)(B), the term 

16 ‘per capita baseline amount’ means the amount equal to—

17 ‘‘(i) the amount specified in paragraph (1), di18 vided by 

19 ‘‘(ii) the number of veterans enrolled in the De20 partment health care system under section 1705 of 

21 this title as of September 30, 2003. 

22 ‘‘(B) With respect to any fiscal year, the Secretary 

23 shall provide a percentage increase (rounded to the near24 est dollar) in the per capita baseline amount equal to the 

25 percentage by which—
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1 ‘‘(i) the Consumer Price Index (all Urban Con2 sumers, United States City Average, Hospital and 

3 related services, Seasonally Adjusted), published by 

4 the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of 

5 Labor for the 12-month period ending on the June 

6 30 preceding the beginning of the fiscal year for 

7 which the increase is made, exceeds 

8 ‘‘(ii) such Consumer Price Index for the 12-

9 month period preceeding the 12-month period de10 scribed in clause (i). 

11 ‘‘(c)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the pur12 poses for which amounts made available pursuant to sub13 section (a) shall be all programs, functions, and activities 

14 of the Veterans Health Administration. 

15 ‘‘(2) Amounts made available pursuant to subsection 

16 (a) are not available for—

17 ‘‘(A) construction, acquisition, or alteration of 

18 medical facilities as provided in subchapter I of 

19 chapter 81 of this title (other than for such repairs 

20 as were provided for before the the date of the en21 actment of this section through the Medical Care ap22 propriation for the Department); or 

23 ‘‘(B) grants under subchapter III of chapter 81 

24 of this title.’’. 
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1 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

2 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding 

3 at the end the following new item:

‘‘320. Assured funding for veterans health care.’’.

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