I 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3052

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to expand the capability of 

the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide for the medical care 

needs of veterans in southern New Jersey. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 23, 2005

Mr. LOBIONDO (for himself, Mr. SAXTON, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, and Mr. 

ANDREWS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to expand the 

capability of the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide for the medical care needs of veterans in southern 

New Jersey.

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 ‘‘Southern New Jersey 

5 Veterans Comprehensive Health Care Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS; DEFINITION. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
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1 (1) The current and future health care needs of 

2 veterans residing in the eight southern counties of 

3 New Jersey are not being fully met by the Depart4 ment of Veterans Affairs. 

5 (2) Travel times for southern New Jersey vet6 erans to existing Department of Veterans Affairs 

7 health care facilities in Pennsylvania and Delaware 

8 fall within the Department of Veterans Affairs 

9 health planning criteria, but those criteria fail to 

10 recognize that the area is largely rural and its road11 ways are congested, creating significant access bar12 riers to veterans in need of care and thereby result13 ing in suppressed demand for care. 

14 (3) Projections of future growth in demand for 

15 health care by veterans in southern New Jersey sup16 port sustainable enrollment of veterans needing De17 partment of Veterans Affairs health care. 

18 (4) The number of veterans residing in south19 ern New Jersey is increasing as more veterans retire 

20 in the area and new veterans seek services in the 

21 wake of large-scale deployments of National Guard 

22 and Reservists from the area. According to United 

23 States census data, the veteran population in the 

24 eight counties of southern New Jersey is greater 

25 than 235,000. 
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1 (5) By the end of 2004, 62 percent of the serv2 ing members of the New Jersey National Guard will 

3 have been deployed on active duty in support of the 

4 global war on terror and will be eligible for enroll5 ment in the Department of Veterans Affairs health 

6 care system. 

7 (b) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this Act, the term 

8 ‘‘southern New Jersey’’ means the following counties of 

9 the State of New Jersey: Ocean, Burlington, Camden, 

10 Gloucester, Salem, Cumberland, Atlantic, and Cape May. 

11 SEC. 3. MEDICAL CARE FOR VETERANS IN SOUTHERN NEW 

12 JERSEY. 

13 (a) DETERMINATION.—Not later than March 15, 

14 2006, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall determine, 

15 and notify Congress pursuant to subsection (b), whether 

16 the needs of veterans in southern New Jersey for full-serv17 ice medical care shall be met—

18 (1) through a project for a public-private ven19 ture to provide inpatient and outpatient services and 

20 long-term care to veterans at an existing facility in 

21 southern New Jersey; or 

22 (2) through a project for construction of a new 

23 full-service, 100-bed Department of Veterans Affairs 

24 medical center in southern New Jersey. 
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1 (b) NOTIFICATION AND PROSPECTUS.—Not later 

2 than March 15, 2006, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

3 shall submit to Congress a report—

4 (1) identifying which of the two options speci5 fied in subsection (a) has been selected by the Sec6 retary; and 

7 (2) providing, for the option selected, a pro8 spectus that includes, at a minimum, the matter 

9 specified in paragraphs (1) through (8) of section 

10 8104(b) of title 38, United States Code, and the 

11 project time lines. 

12 SEC. 4. PUBLIC-PRIVATE VENTURE FOR MEDICAL CARE 

13 FOR VETERANS IN SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY. 

14 (a) PROJECT.—If the option selected by the Sec15 retary of Veterans Affairs under section 3(a) is the option 

16 specified in paragraph (1) of that section for a project for 

17 a public-private venture to provide inpatient and out18 patient services and long-term care to veterans at an exist19 ing facility in southern New Jersey, then the Secretary 

20 shall, subject to the availability of appropriations for such 

21 purpose, take such steps as necessary to enter into an 

22 agreement with an appropriate private-sector entity to 

23 provide for inpatient and outpatient services and long24 term care for veterans at an existing facility in southern 

25 New Jersey. Such an agreement may include provision for 
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1 construction of a new wing or other addition at such facil2 ity to provide additional services that will, under the 

3 agreement, be leased by the United States and dedicated 

4 to care and treatment of veterans by the Secretary under 

5 title 38, United States Code. 

6 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

7 authorized to be appropriated such sums as necessary for 

8 a public-private venture project under this section. 

9 SEC. 5. NEW DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MED10 ICAL CENTER, SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY. 

11 (a) PROJECT AUTHORIZATION.—If the option se12 lected by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs under section 

13 3(a) is the option specified in paragraph (2) of that section 

14 for a project for construction of a new full-service, 100-

15 bed Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in 

16 southern New Jersey, then the Secretary shall, subject to 

17 the availability of appropriations for such purpose, carry 

18 out a major medical facility construction project for con19 struction in southern New Jersey of a 100-bed medical 

20 facility providing inpatient and outpatient services and 

21 long-term care. Such facility shall be located in the county 

22 in southern New Jersey that the Secretary determines 

23 most suitable to meet the health care needs of veterans 

24 in the region. 
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1 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

2 authorized to be appropriated to the Construction, Major 

3 Projects, account of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 

4 in addition to any other amounts authorized for that ac5 count, the amount of $120,000,000 for the project author6 ized by subsection (a).

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