I 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 515 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an assured adequate 

level of funding for veterans health care. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 2, 2005 

Mr. EVANS (for himself, Mr. FILNER, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Ms. CORRINE BROWN

of Florida, Mr. MICHAUD, Mr. STRICKLAND, Ms. HOOLEY, Mr. REYES, 

Ms. BERKLEY, Mr. UDALL of New Mexico, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mr. 

RYAN of Ohio, Ms. HERSETH, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. HOLT, 

Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. KIND, Mr. 

MEEHAN, Mrs. MALONEY, Mr. CHANDLER, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. BROWN of 

Ohio, Mr. CASE, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. HOLDEN, Mr. 

DEFAZIO, Mr. ISRAEL, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Mr. BOSWELL, Ms. 

JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. 

KENNEDY of Rhode Island, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. 

PALLONE, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mrs. CAPITO, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. NEAL

of Massachusetts, Mr. DELAHUNT, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. HONDA, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Ms. 

CARSON, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. DOYLE, Mr. DOGGETT, Mr. STARK, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. GORDON, Mr. WALDEN of Oregon, Mr. 

SCHIFF, Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California, Mr. PAYNE, and Ms. 

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

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an 

assured adequate level of funding for veterans health care. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
2 

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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Assured Funding for 

3 Veterans Health Care Act of 2005’’. 

4 SEC. 2. ASSURANCE OF ADEQUATE FUNDING FOR VET5 ERANS HEALTH CARE. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 3 of title 38, United 

7 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol8 lowing new section: 

9 ‘‘§ 320. Assured funding for veterans health care 

10 ‘‘(a) For each fiscal year, the Secretary of the Treas11 ury shall make available to the Secretary of Veterans Af12 fairs the amount determined under subsection (b) with re13 spect to that fiscal year. Each such amount is available, 

14 without fiscal year limitation, for the programs, functions, 

15 and activities of the Veterans Health Administration, as 

16 specified in subsection (c). 

17 ‘‘(b)(1) The amount applicable to fiscal year 2007 

18 under this subsection is the amount equal to 130 percent 

19 of the amount obligated by the Department during fiscal 

20 year 2005 for the purposes specified in subsection (c). 

21 ‘‘(2) The amount applicable to any fiscal year after 

22 fiscal year 2007 under this subsection is the amount equal 

23 to the product of the following: 

24 ‘‘(A) The sum of— 

25 ‘‘(i) the number of veterans enrolled in the 

26 Department health care system under section 
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1 1705 of this title as of July 1 preceding the be2 ginning of such fiscal year; and 

3 ‘‘(ii) the number of persons eligible for 

4 health care under chapter 17 of this title who 

5 are not covered by clause (i) and who were pro6 vided hospital care or medical services under 

7 such chapter at any time during the fiscal year 

8 preceding such fiscal year. 

9 ‘‘(B) The per capita baseline amount, as in10 creased from time to time pursuant to paragraph 

11 (3)(B). 

12 ‘‘(3)(A) For purposes of paragraph (2)(B), the term 

13 ‘per capita baseline amount’ means the amount equal to— 

14 ‘‘(i) the amount specified in paragraph (1), di15 vided by 

16 ‘‘(ii) the number of veterans enrolled in the De17 partment health care system under section 1705 of 

18 this title as of September 30, 2005. 

19 ‘‘(B) With respect to any fiscal year, the Secretary 

20 shall provide a percentage increase (rounded to the near21 est dollar) in the per capita baseline amount equal to the 

22 percentage by which— 

23 ‘‘(i) the Consumer Price Index (all Urban Con24 sumers, United States City Average, Hospital and 

25 related services, Seasonally Adjusted), published by 
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1 the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of 

2 Labor for the 12-month period ending on the June 

3 30 preceding the beginning of the fiscal year for 

4 which the increase is made, exceeds 

5 ‘‘(ii) such Consumer Price Index for the 12- 

6 month period preceeding the 12-month period de7 scribed in clause (i). 

8 ‘‘(c)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the pur9 poses for which amounts made available pursuant to sub10 section (a) shall be all programs, functions, and activities 

11 of the Veterans Health Administration. 

12 ‘‘(2) Amounts made available pursuant to subsection 

13 (a) are not available for— 

14 ‘‘(A) construction, acquisition, or alteration of 

15 medical facilities as provided in subchapter I of 

16 chapter 81 of this title (other than for such repairs 

17 as were provided for before the the date of the en18 actment of this section through the Medical Care ap19 propriation for the Department); or 

20 ‘‘(B) grants under subchapter III of chapter 81 

21 of this title.’’. 

22 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

23 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding 

24 at the end the following new item: 

‘‘320. Assured funding for veterans health care.’’. 

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