```

[111th Congress Public Law 81]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]

[[Page 123 STAT. 2137]]

Public Law 111-81
111th Congress

                                 An Act

 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide advance appropriations 
 authority for certain accounts of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 
     and for other purposes. <<NOTE: Oct. 22, 2009 -  [H.R. 1016]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled <<NOTE: Veterans Health 
Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009.>> ,
SECTION 1. <<NOTE: 38 USC 101 note.>> SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Health Care Budget Reform 
and Transparency Act of 2009''.
SEC. 2. PRESIDENT'S BUDGET SUBMISSION.

    Section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(36) information on estimates of appropriations for the 
        fiscal year following the fiscal year for which the budget is 
        submitted for the following medical care accounts of the 
        Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs 
        account:
                    ``(A) Medical Services.
                    ``(B) Medical Support and Compliance.
                    ``(C) Medical Facilities.''.
SEC. 3. ADVANCE APPROPRIATIONS FOR CERTAIN MEDICAL CARE ACCOUNTS 
                    OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 1 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after section 116 the following new section:
``Sec. 117. Advance appropriations for certain medical care 
                accounts

    ``(a) In General.--For each fiscal year, beginning with fiscal year 
2011, discretionary new budget authority provided in an appropriations 
Act for the medical care accounts of the Department shall--
            ``(1) be made available for that fiscal year; and
            ``(2) include, for each such account, advance discretionary 
        new budget authority that first becomes available for the first 
        fiscal year after the budget year.

    ``(b) Estimates Required.--The Secretary shall include in documents 
submitted to Congress in support of the President's budget submitted 
pursuant to section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, detailed 
estimates of the funds necessary for the medical care accounts of the 
Department for the fiscal year following the fiscal year for which the 
budget is submitted.
    ``(c) Medical Care Accounts.-- <<NOTE: Definition.>> For purposes of 
this section, the term `medical care accounts of the Department' means 
the

[[Page 123 STAT. 2138]]

following medical care accounts of the Veterans Health Administration, 
Department of Veterans Affairs account:
            ``(1) Medical Services.
            ``(2) Medical Support and Compliance.
            ``(3) Medical Facilities.

    ``(d) Annual Report.--Not later than July 31 of each year, the 
Secretary shall submit to Congress an annual report on the sufficiency 
of the Department's resources for the next fiscal year beginning after 
the date of the submittal of the report for the provision of medical 
care. Such report shall also include estimates of the workload and 
demand data for that fiscal year.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
113 the following new line:

``117. Advance appropriations for certain medical care accounts.''.

SEC. 4. <<NOTE: 38 USC 117 note.>> COMPTROLLER GENERAL REVIEW OF 
                    THE ACCURACY OF VA MEDICAL CARE BUDGET 
                    SUBMISSION IN RELATION TO BASELINE HEALTH CARE 
                    MODEL PROJECTION.

    (a) Review of Accuracy of Medical Care Budget Submission.--The 
Comptroller General shall conduct a review of each budget of the 
President for a fiscal year that is submitted to Congress pursuant to 
section 1105(a) of title 31 in order to assess whether or not the 
relevant components of the amounts requested in such budget for such 
fiscal year for the medical care accounts of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs specified in section 117(c) of title 38, United States Code, as 
added by section 3, are consistent with estimates of the resources 
required by the Department for the provision of medical care and 
services in such fiscal year, as forecast using the Enrollee Health Care 
Projection Model, or other methodologies used by the Department.
    (b) Reports.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
        each year in 2011, 2012, and 2013, on which the President 
        submits the budget request for the next fiscal year under 
        section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, the Comptroller 
        General shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs, 
        Appropriations, and the Budget of the Senate and the Committees 
        on Veterans' Affairs, Appropriations, and the Budget of the 
        House of Representatives and to the Secretary a report on the 
        review conducted under subsection (a).
            (2) Elements.--Each report under this paragraph shall 
        include, for the fiscal year beginning in the year in which such 
        report is submitted, the following:
                    (A) An assessment of the review conducted under 
                subsection (a).
                    (B) The basis for such assessment.
                    (C) Such additional information as the Comptroller 
                General determines appropriate.

[[Page 123 STAT. 2139]]

            (3) Availability to the public.--Each report submitted under 
        this subsection shall also be made available to the public.

    Approved October 22, 2009.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 1016 (S. 423):
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 111-171 (Comm. on Veterans' Affairs).
SENATE REPORTS: No. 111-41 (Comm. on Veterans' Affairs) accompanying S. 
423.
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 155 (2009):
            June 23, considered and passed House.
            Aug. 6, considered and passed Senate, amended, in lieu of S. 
                423.
            Oct. 8, House concurred in Senate amendment with an 
                amendment pursuant to H. Res. 804.
            Oct. 13, Senate concurred in House amendment.
DAILY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS (2009):
            Oct. 22, Presidential remarks.

                                  <all>
```