I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2349

To authorize certain major medical facility projects for the Department of 

Veterans Affairs. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 5, 2003

Mr. EVANS (for himself, Mr. SIMMONS, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. FILNER, Ms. 

BERKLEY, and Mrs. DAVIS of California) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL

To authorize certain major medical facility projects for the 

Department of Veterans Affairs.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION OF MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY 

4 PROJECTS. 

5 The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may carry out the 

6 following major medical facility projects, with each project 

7 to be carried out in the amount specified for that project: 

8 (1) Construction of a new bed tower to consoli9 date two inpatient sites of care in inner city Chicago 

10 at the West Side Division of the Department of Vet-
2

•HR 2349 IH 

1 erans Affairs health care system in Chicago, Illinois, 

2 in an amount not to exceed $98,500,000. 

3 (2) Construction in Clark County, Nevada, of a 

4 facility for (A) a multispecialty outpatient clinic to 

5 replace the leased Las Vegas ambulatory care cen6 ter, and (B) a satellite office for the Veterans Bene7 fits Administration, in an amount not to exceed 

8 $97,300,000. 

9 (3) Seismic corrections to strengthen Medical 

10 Center Building 1 of the Department of Veterans 

11 Affairs health care system in San Diego, California, 

12 in an amount not to exceed $48,600,000. 

13 (4) A project for (A) renovation of all inpatient 

14 care wards at the West Haven, Connecticut, facility 

15 of the Department of Veterans Affairs health system 

16 in Connecticut to improve the environment of care 

17 and enhance safety, privacy, and accessibility, and 

18 (B) establishment of a consolidated medical research 

19 facility at that facility, in an amount not to exceed 

20 $50,000,000. 

21 SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

22 (a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro23 priated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 

24 2004 for the Construction, Major Projects, account 

25 $294,400,000 for the projects authorized in section 1. 
3

•HR 2349 IH 

1 (b) LIMITATION.—The projects authorized in section 

2 1 may only be carried out using—

3 (1) funds appropriated for fiscal year 2004 pur4 suant to the authorization of appropriations in sub5 section (a); 

6 (2) funds appropriated for Construction, Major 

7 Projects, for a fiscal year before fiscal year 2004 

8 that remain available for obligation; and 

9 (3) funds appropriated for Construction, Major 

10 Projects, for fiscal year 2004 for a category of activ11 ity not specific to a project. 

12 SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY 

13 LEASE. 

14 The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may enter into a 

15 lease for an outpatient clinic in Charlotte, North Carolina, 

16 in an amount not to exceed $3,000,000. 

17 SEC. 4. LIMITATION ON DISPOSAL OF LAKESIDE DIVISION, 

18 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MED19 ICAL FACILITIES, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. 

20 (a) LIMITATION.—No funds available to the Sec21 retary of Veterans Affairs may be used for disposal of the 

22 Lakeside Division facility of the Department of Veterans 

23 Affairs medical facilities in Chicago, Illinois, until the Sec24 retary has entered into a contract to construct a new bed 
4

•HR 2349 IH 

1 tower at the West Side Medical Center of the Department 

2 of Veterans Affairs in Chicago, Illinois. 

3 (b) DEFINITION.— For purposes of this section, the 

4 term ‘‘disposal’’, with respect to the Lakeside Division fa5 cility, includes entering into a long-term lease or sharing 

6 agreement under which a party other than the Secretary 

7 has operational control of the facility.

Æ