PUBLIC LAW 111–81—OCT. 22, 2009 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. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. 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: 

‘‘§ 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.—For purposes of this section, 

the term ‘medical care accounts of the Department’ means the 

Definition. 

38 USC 101 note. 

Veterans Health 

Care Budget 

Reform and 

Transparency Act 

of 2009. 

Oct. 22, 2009 

[H.R. 1016] 


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123 STAT. 2138 PUBLIC LAW 111–81—OCT. 22, 2009 

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. 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. 

38 USC 117 note. 


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PUBLIC LAW 111–81—OCT. 22, 2009 123 STAT. 2139 

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. 

Æ 

(3) AVAILABILITY TO THE PUBLIC.—Each report submitted 

under this subsection shall also be made available to the public. 

Approved October 22, 2009. 


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