II 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 331 

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

level of funding for veterans health care. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 9, 2005 

Mr. JOHNSON (for himself, Mr. NELSON of Nebraska, and Mr. DURBIN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 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. 

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 2005’’. 

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: 
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1 ‘‘§ 320. Assured funding for veterans health care 

2 ‘‘(a) For each fiscal year, the Secretary of the Treas3 ury shall make available to the Secretary of Veterans Af4 fairs the amount determined under subsection (b) with re5 spect to that fiscal year. Each such amount is available, 

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

7 and activities of the Veterans Health Administration, as 

8 specified in subsection (c). 

9 ‘‘(b)(1) The amount applicable to fiscal year 2007 

10 under this subsection is the amount equal to 130 percent 

11 of the amount obligated by the Department during fiscal 

12 year 2005 for the purposes specified in subsection (c). 

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

14 fiscal year 2007 under this subsection is the amount equal 

15 to the product of the following: 

16 ‘‘(A) The sum of— 

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

18 Department health care system under section 

19 1705 of this title as of July 1 preceding the be20 ginning of such fiscal year; and 

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

22 health care under chapter 17 of this title who 

23 are not covered by clause (i) and who were pro24 vided hospital care or medical services under 

25 such chapter at any time during the fiscal year 

26 preceding such fiscal year. 
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1 ‘‘(B) The per capita baseline amount, as in2 creased from time to time pursuant to paragraph 

3 (3)(B). 

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

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

6 ‘‘(i) the amount specified in paragraph (1), di7 vided by 

8 ‘‘(ii) the number of veterans enrolled in the De9 partment health care system under section 1705 of 

10 this title as of September 30, 2005. 

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

12 shall provide a percentage increase (rounded to the near13 est dollar) in the per capita baseline amount equal to the 

14 percentage by which— 

15 ‘‘(i) the Consumer Price Index (all Urban Con16 sumers, United States City Average, Hospital and 

17 related services, Seasonally Adjusted), published by 

18 the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of 

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

20 30 preceding the beginning of the fiscal year for 

21 which the increase is made, exceeds 

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

23 month period preceding the 12-month period de24 scribed in clause (i). 
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1 ‘‘(c)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the pur2 poses for which amounts made available pursuant to sub3 section (a) shall be all programs, functions, and activities 

4 of the Veterans Health Administration. 

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

6 (a) are not available for— 

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

8 medical facilities as provided in subchapter I of 

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

10 as were provided for before the date of the enact11 ment of this section through the Medical Care ap12 propriation for the Department); or 

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

14 of this title.’’. 

15 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

16 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding 

17 at the end the following new item: 

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

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