Calendar No. 264

104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 991

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, and other

furnished.imbursement from insurance companies for carewith provision of medical benefits, and obtain reious programs, collect copayments associatedstatutes, to extend VA’s authority to operate varDECEMBER 12, 1995

Reported with an amendment and an amendment to the

title
II

Calendar No. 264

104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 991

To amend title 38, United States Code, and other statutes, to extend VA’s

authority to operate various programs, collect copayments associated

with provision of medical benefits, and obtain reimbursement from insurance companies for care furnished.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JUNE 29 (legislative day, JUNE 19), 1995

Mr. SIMPSON (by request) introduced the following bill; which was read twice

and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

DECEMBER 12, 1995

Reported by Mr. SIMPSON, with an amendment and an amendment to the title

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, and other statutes,

to extend VA’s authority to operate various programs,

collect copayments associated with provision of medical

benefits, and obtain reimbursement from insurance companies for care furnished.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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1 SEC. 2. Section 1720A(e) is amended by striking

2 ‘‘1995’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘1997’’.

3 SEC. 3. Section 1720C(a) is amended by striking

4 ‘‘1995’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘1996’’.

5 SEC. 4. Section 1722A(c) is amended by striking

6 ‘‘1998’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘2000’’.

7 SEC. 5. (a) Section 1732 is amended—

8 (1) in the heading by striking ‘‘and grants’’;

9 (2) by striking subsection (b) and redesignating

10 subsections (c) and (d) as (b) and (c);

11 (3) in subsection (b) as redesignated by striking

12 ‘‘or grant’’ both places it appears;

13 (4) in subsection (c) as redesignated by striking

14 ‘‘and to make grants’’.

15 (b) The table of sections at the beginning of chapter

16 17 is amended by revising the item relating to section

17 1732 to read as follows:

‘‘1732. Contracts to provide for the care and treatment of United States veterans by the Veterans Memorial Medical Center’’.

18 SEC. 6. Section 3735(c) is amended by striking

19 ‘‘1995’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘1997’’.

20 SEC. 7. Section 7451(d)(3)(C)(iii) is amended by

21 striking ‘‘1995’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘1999’’.

22 SEC. 8. Section 7618 is amended by striking ‘‘1995’’

23 and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘1999’’.
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1 SEC. 9. Section 8169 is amended by striking ‘‘1995’’

2 and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘1997’’.

3 SEC. 10. Section 115(d) of the Veterans’ Benefits

4 and Services Act of 1988, Public Law 100–322, is amend5 ed by striking ‘‘1995’’ and inserting in lieu thereof

6 ‘‘1998’’.

7 SEC. 11. Section 7(a) of Public Law 102–54 is

8 amended by striking ‘‘1995’’ and inserting in lieu thereof

9 ‘‘1998’’.

10 SEC. 12. Section 8013(e) of the Omnibus Budget

11 Reconciliation Act of 1990 (Public Law 101–508) is

12 amended by striking ‘‘1998’’ and inserting in lieu thereof

13 ‘‘2000’’.

14 SEC. 13. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may carry

15 out the major medical facility projects for the Department

16 of Veterans Affairs, and may carry out the major medical

17 facility leases for that Department, for which funds are

18 requested in the budget of the President for fiscal year

19 1996, and authorization is required under section

20 8104(a)(2) of title 38, United States Code.

21 SEC. 14. (a) There are authorized to be appropriated

22 to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 1996—

23 (1) $224,800,000 for the major medical facility

24 projects authorized in section 13; and
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1 (2) $2,790,000 for the major medical facility

2 leases authorized in section 13.

3 (b) The projects authorized in section 13 may only

4 be carried out using—

5 (1) funds appropriated for fiscal year 1996 pur6 suant to the authorization of appropriations in sub7 section (a);

8 (2) funds appropriated for Construction, Major

9 Projects for any fiscal year that remain available for

10 obligation; and

11 (3) funds appropriated for Construction, Major

12 Projects for any fiscal year for a category of activity

13 not specific to a project.

14 SEC. 15. Section 1710(e)(3) is amended to read as

15 follows:

16 ‘‘(3) Hospital and nursing home care and medi17 cal services may not be provided under or by virtue

18 of subsection (a)(1)(G) of this section—

19 ‘‘(A) after December 31, 1996 in the case

20 of a veteran described in paragraph (1)(A); or

21 ‘‘(B) after September 30, 1997 in the case

22 of a veteran described in paragraph (1)(C).’’

23 SEC. 16. Section 1712(a)(1)(D) is amended by strik24 ing out ‘‘December 31, 1995’’ and inserting in lieu thereof

25 ‘‘September 10, 1997’’.
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1 SEC. 17. Section 1729(a)(2)(E) is amended by strik2 ing ‘‘1998’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘2000’’.

3 SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF EXPIRING AUTHORITIES.

4 (a) AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE PRIORITY HEALTH CARE

5 FOR CERTAIN VETERANS EXPOSED TO TOXIC SUB6 STANCES.—(1)(A) Effective June 29, 1995, section

7 1710(e)(3) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by

8 striking out ‘‘after June 30, 1995,’’ and all that follows

9 through ‘‘December 31, 1995’’ and inserting in lieu thereof

10 ‘‘after December 31, 1996’’.

11 (B) Any hospital or nursing home care or medical

12 services furnished by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs by

13 virtue of section 1710(a)(1)(G) of title 38, United States

14 Code, during the period beginning on June 30, 1995, and

15 ending on the date of the enactment of this Act is hereby

16 ratified.

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

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

19 thereof ‘‘December 31, 1996,’’.

20 (b) DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE AND DEPENDENCE.—

21 Section 1720A(e) of such title is amended by striking out

22 ‘‘December 31, 1995’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘Decem23 ber 31, 1997’’.

24 (c) PILOT PROGRAM FOR NONINSTITUTIONAL ALTER25 NATIVES TO NURSING HOME CARE.—Section 1720C(a) of
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1 such title is amended by striking out ‘‘September 30, 1995,’’

2 and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘December 31, 1996,’’.

3 (d) DEMONSTRATION PROJECT TO GUARANTEE AD4 JUSTABLE RATE MORTGAGES.—Section 3707(a) of such

5 title is amended by striking out ‘‘fiscal years 1993, 1994,

6 and 1995’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘fiscal years 1993

7 through 1997’’.

8 (e) AGREEMENTS FOR HOUSING ASSISTANCE FOR

9 HOMELESS VETERANS.—Section 3735(c) of such title is

10 amended by striking out ‘‘December 31, 1995’’ and insert11 ing in lieu thereof ‘‘December 31, 1997’’.

12 (f) USE OF DATA ON COMPENSATION FOR CERTIFIED

13 REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETISTS.—(1) Effective March

14 31, 1995, section 7451(d)(3)(C)(iii) of such title is amended

15 by striking out ‘‘April 1, 1995’’ and inserting in lieu thereof

16 ‘‘December 31, 1999’’.

17 (2) The use by any director of a Department of Veter18 ans Affairs health-care facility of data on rates of com19 pensation paid to certified nurse anesthetists in a labor

20 market area under section 7451(d)(3)(C) of title 38, United

21 States Code, during the period beginning on April 1, 1995,

22 and ending on the date of the enactment of this Act is here23 by ratified.

24 (g) HEALTH PROFESSIONAL SCHOLARSHIP PRO25 GRAM.—Section 7618 of such title is amended by striking
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1 out ‘‘December 31, 1995’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘De2 cember 31, 1996’’.

3 (h) ENHANCED-USE LEASES OF REAL PROPERTY.—

4 Section 8169 of such title is amended by striking out ‘‘De5 cember 31, 1995’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘December

6 31, 1997’’.

7 (i) AUTHORITY FOR COMMUNITY-BASED RESIDENTIAL

8 CARE FOR HOMELESS CHRONICALLY MENTALLY ILL VET9 ERANS AND OTHER VETERANS.—Section 115(d) of the Vet10 erans’ Benefits and Services Act of 1988 (38 U.S.C. 1712

11 note) is amended by striking out ‘‘September 30, 1995’’ and

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

13 (j) DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM OF COMPENSATED

14 WORK THERAPY.—Section 7(a) of Public Law 102–54 (38

15 U.S.C. 1718 note) is amended by striking out ‘‘fiscal years

16 1991 through 1995’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘the pe17 riod beginning on October 1, 1991, and ending on December

18 31, 1997,’’.

19 (k) AUTHORITY TO MAKE GRANTS FOR ASSISTANCE

20 IN FURNISHING SERVICES AND ASSISTANCE TO HOMELESS

21 VETERANS.—(1) Section 3(a) of the Homeless Veterans

22 Comprehensive Service Programs Act of 1992 (Public Law

23 102–590; 106 Stat. 5136; 38 U.S.C. 7721 note) is amended

24 by striking out ‘‘fiscal years 1993, 1994, and 1995,’’ and

25 inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘fiscal years 1993 through 1997,’’.
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1 (2) Section 12 of such Act (106 Stat. 5142) is amended

2 by striking out ‘‘each of the fiscal years 1993, 1994, and

3 1995’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘each of fiscal years

4 1993 through 1997’’.

5 (l) HOMELESS VETERANS’ REINTEGRATION

6 PROJECTS.—(1) Section 738(e)(1) of the Stewart B.

7 McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11448(e)(1))

8 is amended by adding at the end the following:

9 ‘‘(D) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 1996.’’.

10 (2) Section 741 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 11450) is

11 amended by striking out ‘‘October 1, 1995’’ and inserting

12 in lieu thereof ‘‘October 1, 1996’’.

13 (m) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Except as provided in sub14 sections (a)(1) and (f)(1), the amendments made by this sec15 tion shall take effect on October 1, 1995.

16 Amend the title to read as follows: ‘‘To amend title

17 38, United States Code, to extend the authority of the

18 Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out certain pro19 grams and activities, and for other purposes.’’.