I 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 3898

To authorize construction of a new (replacement) medical center for the 

Department of Veterans Affairs in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 

at a site to be selected pursuant to a study by the Secretary of Veterans 

Affairs and Secretary of Defense as suitable for a new Federal medical 

center in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico that would best serve the 

needs of both veterans and Department of Defense medical beneficiaries 

in Puerto Rico. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 4, 2004

Mr. ACEVEDO-VILA ́ (for himself, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. SERRANO, Ms. 

VELA ́ZQUEZ, and Mr. FILNER) introduced the following bill; which was 

referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL

To authorize construction of a new (replacement) medical 

center for the Department of Veterans Affairs in the 

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico at a site to be selected 

pursuant to a study by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

and Secretary of Defense as suitable for a new Federal 

medical center in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 

that would best serve the needs of both veterans and 

Department of Defense medical beneficiaries in Puerto 

Rico.

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

•HR 3898 IH 

1 SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION OF MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY 

2 PROJECT, COMMONWEALTH OF PUERTO 

3 RICO. 

4 The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may carry out a 

5 major medical facility project for the construction of a new 

6 (replacement) medical center in the Commonwealth of 

7 Puerto Rico, in an amount not to exceed $450,000,000. 

8 The project shall be carried out at the site selected pursu9 ant to section 3. 

10 SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro12 priated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 

13 2005 for the Construction, Major Projects, account 

14 $450,000,000 for the project authorized in section 1. 

15 (b) LIMITATION.—The project authorized in section 

16 1 may only be carried out using—

17 (1) funds appropriated for fiscal year 2005 pur18 suant to the authorization of appropriations in sub19 section (a); 

20 (2) funds appropriated for Construction, Major 

21 Projects, for a fiscal year before fiscal year 2005 

22 that remain available for obligation; and 

23 (3) funds appropriated for Construction, Major 

24 Projects, for fiscal year 2005 for a category of activ25 ity not specific to a project. 
3

•HR 3898 IH 

1 SEC. 3. STUDY OF SITE FOR NEW MEDICAL CENTER IN 

2 COMMONWEALTH OF PUERTO RICO. 

3 (a) STUDY.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs and 

4 the Secretary of Defense shall conduct a joint study of 

5 the locations in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico speci6 fied in subsection (b) to determine which of those two loca7 tions would be the preferable site for a new Federal med8 ical center in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to serve 

9 the needs of both veterans and Department of Defense 

10 medical beneficiaries in Puerto Rico. 

11 (b) SPECIFICATION OF SITES.—The sites to be stud12 ied under subsection (a) are the following: 

13 (1) Sabana Seca, Puerto Rico. 

14 (2) Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico. 

15 (c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The two Secretaries 

16 shall jointly submit to Congress a report setting forth the 

17 results of the study, including the recommendation of the 

18 Secretaries for the site for a new Federal medical center 

19 in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The report shall be 

20 submitted not later than six months after the date of the 

21 enactment of this Act.

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