I

104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 2353

To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend certain expiring authorities

of the Department of Veterans Affairs relating to delivery of health

and medical care, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SEPTEMBER 19, 1995

Mr. HUTCHINSON (for himself, Mr. EDWARDS, Mr. STUMP, and Mr. MONTGOMERY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend certain

expiring authorities of the Department of Veterans Affairs relating to delivery of health and medical care,

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. EXTENSION OF EXPIRING AUTHORITIES OF DE4 PARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

5 (a) HOSPITAL CARE AND MEDICAL SERVICES FOR

6 PERSIAN GULF VETERANS EXPOSED TO TOXIC SUB7 STANCES.—(1) Section 1710(e)(3) of title 38, United
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1 States Code, is amended by striking out ‘‘December 31,

2 1995’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘December 31, 1998’’.

3 (2) Section 1712(a)(1)(D) of such title is amended

4 by striking out ‘‘December 31, 1995’’ and inserting in lieu

5 thereof ‘‘December 31, 1998’’.

6 (b) CONTRACT AUTHORITY FOR ALCOHOL AND DRUG

7 ABUSE CARE.—Subsection (e) of section 1720A of such

8 title is amended by striking out ‘‘December 31, 1995’’ and

9 inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘December 31, 1997’’.

10 (c) NURSING HOME CARE ALTERNATIVES.—(1) Sec11 tion 1720C(a) of such title is amended by striking out

12 ‘‘September 30, 1995’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘De13 cember 31, 1997’’.

14 (2) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit

15 to Congress, not later than March 31, 1997, a report on

16 the medical efficacy and cost effectiveness, and disadvan17 tages and advantages, associated with the use by the Sec18 retary of noninstitutional alternatives to nursing home

19 care.

20 (d) HEALTH SCHOLARSHIPS PROGRAM.—(1) Section

21 7618 of such title is amended by striking out ‘‘December

22 31, 1995’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘December 31,

23 1997’’.

24 (2)(A) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit

25 to Congress, not later than March 31, 1997, a report set-
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1 ting forth the results of a study evaluating the operation

2 of the health professional scholarship program under sub3 chapter II of chapter 76 of title 38, United States Code.

4 The study shall evaluate the efficacy of the program with

5 respect to recruitment and retention of health care person6 nel for the Department of Veterans Affairs and shall com7 pare the costs and benefits of the program with the costs

8 and benefits of alternative methods of ensuring adequate

9 recruitment and retention of such personnel.

10 (B) The Secretary shall carry out the study under

11 this paragraph through a private contractor. The report

12 under subparagraph (A) shall include the report of the

13 contractor and the comments, if any, of the Secretary on

14 that report.

15 (e) ENHANCED-USE LEASES OF REAL PROPERTY.—

16 (1) Section 8169 of such title is amended by striking out

17 ‘‘December 31, 1995’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘De18 cember 31, 1997’’.

19 (2) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit

20 to Congress, not later than March 31, 1997, a report eval21 uating the operation of the program under subchapter V

22 of chapter 81 of title 38, United States Code.

23 (f) COMMUNITY-BASED RESIDENTIAL CARE FOR

24 HOMELESS CHRONICALLY MENTALLY ILL VETERANS.—

25 Section 115(d) of the Veterans’ Benefits and Services Act
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1 of 1988 (Public Law 100–322; 38 U.S.C. 1712 note) is

2 amended by striking out ‘‘September 30, 1995’’ and in3 serting in lieu thereof ‘‘December 31, 1997’’.

4 (g) DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM OF COMPENSATED

5 WORK THERAPY AND THERAPEUTIC TRANSITIONAL

6 HOUSING.—Section 7 of Public Law 102–54 (38 U.S.C.

7 1718 note) is amended—

8 (1) in subsection (a), by striking out ‘‘During

9 fiscal years 1991 through 1995, the Secretary’’ and

10 inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘The Secretary’’; and

11 (2) by adding at the end the following:

12 ‘‘(m) SUNSET.—The authority for the demonstration

13 program under this section expires on December 31,

14 1997.’’.

15 (h) HOMELESS VETERANS PILOT PROGRAM.—The

16 Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Service Programs Act

17 of 1992 (Public Law 102–590) is amended as follows:

18 (1) Section 2(a) (38 U.S.C. 7721 note) is

19 amended by striking out ‘‘September 30, 1995’’ and

20 inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘December 31, 1998’’.

21 (2) Section 3(a) (38 U.S.C. 7721 note) is

22 amended by striking out ‘‘, during fiscal years 1993,

23 1994, and 1995,’’.

24 (3) Section 12 (38 U.S.C. 7721 note) is amend25 ed by striking out ‘‘each of the fiscal years 1993,
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1 1994, and 1995’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘each

2 fiscal year through 1998’’.

3 SEC. 2. REPORTS.

4 (a) REPORT ON CONSOLIDATION OF CERTAIN PRO5 GRAMS.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit

6 to Congress, not later than March 1, 1997, a report on

7 the advantages and disadvantages of consolidating into

8 one program the following three programs:

9 (1) The alcohol and drug abuse contract care

10 program under section 1720A of title 38, United

11 States Code.

12 (2) The program to provide community-based

13 residential care to homeless chronically mentally ill

14 veterans under section 115 of the Veterans’ Benefits

15 and Services Act of 1988 (38 U.S.C. 1712 note).

16 (3) The demonstration program under section 7

17 of Public Law 102–54 (38 U.S.C. 1718 note).

18 (b) REPORT ON SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE CONCERNING

19 HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF MILITARY SERVICE IN PER20 SIAN GULF WAR.—(1) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs

21 shall, in consultation with the National Academy of

22 Sciences and with officials of other appropriate Federal

23 departments and agencies, review the scientific evidence,

24 and assess the strength of such evidence, concerning asso25 ciation between military service in the Southwest Asia the-
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1 ater of operations during the Persian Gulf War and any

2 disease that may be associated with such service.

3 (2) The Secretary shall, not later than March 1,

4 1998, submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of

5 the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on

6 the findings of the review and assessment under para7 graph (1).

8 SEC. 3. REPEAL OF AUTHORITY TO MAKE GRANTS TO VET9 ERANS MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER IN THE

10 PHILIPPINES.

11 (a) REPEAL.—Section 1732 of title 38, United States

12 Code, is amended—

13 (1) by striking out subsection (b);

14 (2) by redesignating subsection (c) as sub15 section (b) and striking out ‘‘or grant’’ both places

16 it appears in that subsection; and

17 (3) by redesignating subsection (d) as sub18 section (c) and striking out ‘‘and to make grants’’

19 in that subsection.

20 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.—(1) The heading of

21 such section is amended by striking out ‘‘and grants’’.

22 (2) The item relating to such section in the table of

23 sections at the beginning of chapter 17 of such title is

24 amended by striking out ‘‘and grants’’.
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1 SEC. 4. DISPLAY OF POW/MIA FLAG AT DEPARTMENT OF

2 VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTERS.

3 (a) DAILY DISPLAY OF FLAG.—Subsection (a) of sec4 tion 1084 of the National Defense Authorization Act for

5 Fiscal Years 1992 and 1993 (Public Law 102–190; 36

6 U.S.C. 189 note) is amended—

7 (1) by striking out ‘‘and’’ at the end of para8 graph (1);

9 (2) by striking out the period at the end of

10 paragraph (2) and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘; and’’;

11 and

12 (3) by adding at the end the following:

13 ‘‘(3) on, or on the grounds of, each Department

14 of Veterans Affairs medical center on every day on

15 which the flag of the United States is displayed.’’.

16 (b) PROCUREMENT AND DISTRIBUTION OF FLAGS.—

17 (1) Subsection (c) of such section is amended by striking

18 out ‘‘Within 30 days after the date of the enactment of

19 this Act, the Administrator’’ and inserting in lieu thereof

20 ‘‘The Administrator’’.

21 (2) The Administrator of General Services shall carry

22 out subsection (c) of section 1084 of the National Defense

23 Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 1992 and 1993 (Public

24 Law 102–190; 36 U.S.C. 189 note) with respect to the

25 procurement and distribution of POW/MIA flags for the

26 purposes of paragraph (3) of subsection (a) of such section
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1 (as added by subsection (a) of this section) within 30 days

2 after the date of the enactment of this Act.

3 SEC. 5. CONTRACTS FOR UTILITIES, AUDIE L. MURPHY ME4 MORIAL HOSPITAL.

5 (a) AUTHORITY TO CONTRACT.—Subject to sub6 section (b), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may enter

7 into contracts for the provision of utilities (including

8 steam and chilled water) to the Audie L. Murphy Memo9 rial Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. Each such contract

10 may—

11 (1) be for a period not to exceed 35 years;

12 (2) provide for the construction and operation

13 of a production facility on or near property under

14 the jurisdiction of the Secretary;

15 (3) require capital contributions by the parties

16 involved for the construction of such a facility, such

17 contribution to be in the form of cash, equipment,

18 or other in-kind contribution; and

19 (4) provide for a predetermined formula to

20 compute the cost of providing such utilities to the

21 parties for the duration of the contract.

22 (b) FUNDS.—A contract may be entered into under

23 subsection (a) only to the extent that appropriations are

24 available.
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1 (c) ADDITIONAL TERMS.—The Secretary may include

2 in a contract under subsection (a) such additional provi3 sions as the Secretary considers necessary to secure the

4 provision of utilities and to protect the interests of the

5 United States.

6 SEC. 6. NAME OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

7 MEDICAL CENTER, WALLA WALLA, WASHING8 TON.

9 The Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center

10 located at 77 Wainwright Drive, Walla Walla, Washing11 ton, shall after the date of the enactment of this Act be

12 known and designated as the ‘‘Jonathan M. Wainwright

13 Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center’’. Any ref14 erence to that medical center in any law, regulation, map,

15 document, paper, or other record of the United States

16 shall be considered to be a reference to the Jonathan M.

17 Wainwright Department of Veterans Affairs Medical

18 Center.

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