I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1318 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to expand the Department of 

Veterans Affairs medical facility in Far South Texas, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 1, 2011 

Mr. CUELLAR (for himself, Mr. HINOJOSA, and Mr. FARENTHOLD) introduced 

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to expand the 

Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility in Far 

South Texas, 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. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘South Texas Veterans 

5 Health Care Expansion Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 

8 (1) The current and future health care needs of 

9 veterans residing in the Far South Texas area are 


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1 not being fully met by the Department of Veterans 

2 Affairs. 

3 (2) The Department of Veterans Affairs esti4 mates that more than 117,000 veterans reside in 

5 Far South Texas. 

6 (3) The 2010 census identified Far South 

7 Texas as the fastest growing region in the State of 

8 Texas. According to figures obtained from the 

9 United States Army Accessions Command, Texas is 

10 the number one source of military recruits among all 

11 States. Texas is also the largest provider of National 

12 Guard and Reserve members to current overseas 

13 military deployments. These factors make it a cer14 tainty that the veteran population in Far South 

15 Texas will increase substantially in the coming 

16 years. 

17 (4) In its Capital Asset Realignment for En18 hanced Services study, the Department of Veterans 

19 Affairs found that fewer than three percent of its 

20 enrollees in the Valley-Coastal Bend Market of Vet21 erans Integrated Service Network 17 reside within 

22 its acute hospital access standards. 

23 (5) Travel times for veterans from the market 

24 referred to in paragraph (3) can exceed six hours 

25 from their residences to the nearest Department of 


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1 Veterans Affairs hospital for acute inpatient health 

2 care. 

3 (6) Even with the significant travel times, vet4 erans from Far South Texas demonstrate a high de5 mand for health care services from the Department 

6 of Veterans Affairs. 

7 (7) Current deployments involving members of 

8 the Texas National Guard and Reservists from 

9 Texas will continue to increase demand for medical 

10 services provided by the Department of Veterans Af11 fairs. 

12 SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF CONSTRUCTION OF DEPART13 MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MAJOR MED14 ICAL FACILITY IN FAR SOUTH TEXAS. 

15 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

16 shall include in the Strategic Capital Investment Plan of 

17 the Department of Veterans Affairs a project to expand 

18 the Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility in Far 

19 South Texas, by adding to the facility the following: 

20 (1) An urgent care center. 

21 (2) Inpatient capability for 50 beds with appro22 priate administrative, clinical, diagnostic, and ancil23 lary services needed for support. 

24 (3) The capability to provide a full range of 

25 services to meet the need of female veterans. 


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1 (4) The capability to provide caregiver support 

2 services, including an adult day care providing care3 giver respite. 

4 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 

5 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans 

6 Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Af7 fairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report 

8 identifying and outlining the detailed estimate of the cost 

9 of and time necessary for completion of the project author10 ized under subsection (a). 

11 (c) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this Act, the term 

12 ‘‘Far South Texas’’ means the following counties of the 

13 State of Texas: Aransas, Bee, Brooks, Calhoun, Cameron, 

14 DeWitt, Dimmit, Duval, Goliad, Hidalgo, Jackson, Jim 

15 Hogg, Jim Wells, Kennedy, Kleberg, Nueces, Refugio, San 

16 Patricio, Starr, Victoria, Webb, Willacy, and Zapata. 

Æ 


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