II 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3421 

To authorize major medical facility projects and major medical facility leases 

for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal years 2006 and 2007, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 6, 2006 

Mr. CRAIG introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To authorize major medical facility projects and major medical facility leases for the Department of Veterans Affairs 

for fiscal years 2006 and 2007, and for other purposes. 

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 FISCAL YEAR 2006 MAJOR 

4 MEDICAL FACILITY PROJECTS. 

5 The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may carry out the 

6 following major medical facility projects in fiscal year 

7 2006, with each project to be carried out in the amount 

8 specified for that project: 


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1 (1) Restoration, new construction or replace2 ment of the medical center facility for the Depart3 ment of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, New Orle4 ans, Louisiana, due to damage from Hurricane 

5 Katrina in an amount not to exceed $675,000,000. 

6 (2) Restoration of the Department of Veterans 

7 Affairs Medical Center, Biloxi, Mississippi, and con8 solidation of services performed at the Department 

9 of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Gulfport, Mis10 sissippi, in an amount not to exceed $310,000,000. 

11 (3) Replacement of the Department of Veterans 

12 Affairs Medical Center, Denver, Colorado, in an 

13 amount not to exceed $52,000,000. 

14 SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF AUTHORIZATION FOR MAJOR MED15 ICAL FACILITY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS 

16 AUTHORIZED UNDER CAPITAL ASSET RE17 ALIGNMENT INITIATIVE. 

18 Notwithstanding subsection (d) of section 221 of the 

19 Veterans Health Care, Capital Asset, and Business Im20 provement Act of 2003 (Public Law 108–170; 117 Stat. 

21 2050), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may enter into 

22 contracts before September 30, 2009, to carry out each 

23 major medical facility project, as originally authorized by 

24 such section 221, as follows with each project to be carried 

25 out in the amount specified for that project: 


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1 (1) Construction of an outpatient clinic and re2 gional office at the Department of Veterans Affairs 

3 Medical Center, Anchorage, Alaska, in an amount 

4 not to exceed $75,270,000. 

5 (2) Consolidation of clinical and administrative 

6 functions of the Department of Veterans Affairs 

7 Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio, and the Depart8 ment of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in 

9 Brecksville, Ohio, in an amount not to exceed 

10 $102,300,000. 

11 (3) Construction of the Extended Care Building 

12 at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Cen13 ter in Des Moines, Iowa, in an amount not to exceed 

14 $25,000,000. 

15 (4) Renovation of patient wards at the Depart16 ment of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Durham, 

17 North Carolina, in an amount not to exceed 

18 $9,100,000. 

19 (5) Correction of patient privacy deficiencies at 

20 the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 

21 Gainesville, Florida, in an amount not to exceed 

22 $85,200,000. 

23 (6) 7th and 8th Floor Wards Modernization ad24 dition at the Department of Veterans Affairs MedVerDate Aug 31 2005 22:07 Jun 07, 2006 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3421.IS S3421

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1 ical Center, Indianapolis, Indiana, in an amount not 

2 to exceed $27,400,000. 

3 (7) Construction of a new Medical Center Facil4 ity at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical 

5 Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, in an amount not to ex6 ceed $406,000,000. 

7 (8) Construction of an Ambulatory Surgery/ 

8 Outpatient Diagnostic Support Center in the Gulf 

9 South Submarket of Veterans Integrated Service 

10 Network (VISN) 8 and completion of Phase I land 

11 purchase, Lee County, Florida, in an amount not to 

12 exceed $65,100,000. 

13 (9) Seismic Corrections-Buildings 7 & 126 at 

14 the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 

15 Long Beach, California, in an amount not to exceed 

16 $107,845,000. 

17 (10) Seismic Corrections-Buildings 500 & 501 

18 at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Cen19 ter, Los Angeles, California, in an amount not to ex20 ceed $79,900,000. 

21 (11) Construction of a New Medical Center fa22 cility in the Orlando, Florida, area in an amount not 

23 to exceed $377,700,000. 

24 (12) Consolidation of Campuses at the Univer25 sity Drive and H. John Heinz III divisions, PittsVerDate Aug 31 2005 22:07 Jun 07, 2006 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3421.IS S3421

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1 burgh, Pennsylvania, in an amount not to exceed 

2 $189,205,000. 

3 (13) Ward Upgrades and Expansion at the De4 partment of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San 

5 Antonio, Texas, in an amount not to exceed 

6 $19,100,000. 

7 (14) Seismic Corrections-Building 1, Phase 1 

8 Design at the Department of Veterans Affairs Med9 ical Center, San Juan, Puerto Rico, in an amount 

10 not to exceed $15,000,000. 

11 (15) Construction of a Spinal Cord Injury Cen12 ter at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical 

13 Center, Syracuse, New York, in an amount not to 

14 exceed $53,900,000. 

15 (16) Upgrade Essential Electrical Distribution 

16 Systems at the Department of Veterans Affairs 

17 Medical Center, Tampa, Florida, in an amount not 

18 to exceed $49,000,000. 

19 (17) Expansion of the Spinal Cord Injury Cen20 ter addition at the Department of Veterans Affairs 

21 Medical Center, Tampa, Florida, in an amount not 

22 to exceed $7,100,000. 

23 (18) Blind Rehabilitation and Psychiatric Bed 

24 renovation and new construction project at the DeVerDate Aug 31 2005 22:07 Jun 07, 2006 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3421.IS S3421

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1 partment of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tem2 ple, Texas, in an amount not to exceed $56,000,000. 

3 SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF FISCAL YEAR 2006 MAJOR MED4 ICAL FACILITY LEASES. 

5 The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may carry out the 

6 following major medical facility leases in fiscal year 2006 

7 at the locations specified, and in an amount for each lease 

8 not to exceed the amount shown for such location: 

9 (1) For an outpatient clinic, Baltimore, Mary10 land, $10,908,000. 

11 (2) For an outpatient clinic, Evansville, Illinois, 

12 $8,989,000. 

13 (3) For an outpatient clinic, Smith County, 

14 Texas, $5,093,000. 

15 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF FISCAL YEAR 2007 MAJOR MED16 ICAL FACILITY LEASES. 

17 The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may carry out the 

18 following major medical facility leases in fiscal year 2007 

19 at the locations specified, and in an amount for each lease 

20 not to exceed the amount shown for such location: 

21 (1) For an outpatient and specialty care clinic, 

22 Austin, Texas, $6,163,000. 

23 (2) For an outpatient clinic, Lowell, Massachu24 setts, $2,520,000. 


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1 (3) For an outpatient clinic, Grand Rapids, 

2 Michigan, $4,409,000. 

3 (4) For up to four outpatient clinics, Las 

4 Vegas, Nevada, $8,518,000. 

5 (5) For an outpatient clinic, Parma, Ohio, 

6 $5,032,000. 

7 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

8 (a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR FIS9 CAL YEAR 2006 MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY PROJECTS.— 

10 There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary 

11 of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2006 for the Construc12 tion, Major Projects, account, $1,606,000,000 for the 

13 projects authorized in section 1. 

14 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR

15 MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY PROJECTS UNDER CAPITAL

16 ASSET REALIGNMENT INITIATIVE.— 

17 (1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

18 There is authorized to be appropriated for the Sec19 retary of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2007 for 

20 the Construction, Major Projects, account, 

21 $1,750,120,000 for the projects whose authorization 

22 is extended by section 2. 

23 (2) AVAILABILITY.—Amounts appropriated pur24 suant to the authorization of appropriations in paraVerDate Aug 31 2005 22:07 Jun 07, 2006 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3421.IS S3421

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1 graph (1) shall remain available until September 30, 

2 2009. 

3 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR

4 MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY LEASES.— 

5 (1) FISCAL YEAR 2006 LEASES.—There is au6 thorized to be appropriated for the Secretary of Vet7 erans Affairs for fiscal year 2006 for the Medical 

8 Care account, $24,990,000 for the leases authorized 

9 in section 4. 

10 (2) FISCAL YEAR 2007 LEASES.—There is au11 thorized to be appropriated for the Secretary of Vet12 erans Affairs for fiscal year 2007 for the Medical 

13 Care account, $26,642,000 for the leases authorized 

14 in section 5. 

15 (d) LIMITATION.—The projects authorized in sections 

16 1 and 2 may only be carried out using— 

17 (1) funds appropriated for fiscal year 2006 or 

18 2007 pursuant to the authorization of appropria19 tions in subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this section; 

20 (2) funds available for Construction, Major 

21 Projects, for a fiscal year before fiscal year 2006 

22 that remain available for obligation; 

23 (3) funds available for Construction, Major 

24 Projects, for a fiscal year after fiscal year 2006 or 

25 2007 that are available for obligation; and 


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1 (4) funds appropriated for Construction, Major 

2 Projects, for fiscal year 2006 or 2007 for a category 

3 of activity not specific to a project. 

Æ 


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