(1) The current and future health-care needs of 
veterans residing in the eight southern counties of 
New Jersey are not being fully met by the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs. 
(2) Travel times for southern New Jersey vet-
erans to existing Department of Veterans Affairs 
health-care facilities in Pennsylvania and Delaware 
fall within the Department of Veterans Affairs 
health-planning criteria, but those criteria fail to 
recognize that the area is largely rural and its road-
ways are congested, creating significant access bar-
riers to veterans in need of care and thereby result-
ing in suppressed demand for care. 
(3) Projections of future growth in demand for 
health care by veterans in southern New Jersey sup-
port sustainable enrollment of veterans needing De-
partment of Veterans Affairs health care. 
(4) The number of veterans residing in south-
ern New Jersey is increasing as more veterans retire 
in the area and new veterans seek services in the 
wake of large-scale deployments of National Guard 
and Reservists from the area. According to United 
States census data, the veteran population in the 
eight counties of southern New Jersey is greater 
than 235,000. 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
23:39 Mar 10, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1416.IH
H1416
rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with BILLS
(b) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this Act, the term 
‘‘southern New Jersey’’ means the following counties of 
the State of New Jersey: Ocean, Burlington, Camden, 
Gloucester, Salem, Cumberland, Atlantic, and Cape May. 
SEC. 3. MEDICAL CARE FOR VETERANS IN SOUTHERN NEW 
JERSEY. 
(a) DETERMINATION.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall determine, and notify Congress pur-
suant to subsection (b), whether the needs of veterans in 
southern New Jersey for full-service medical care shall be 
met— 
(1) through a project to provide inpatient and 
outpatient services and long-term care to veterans at 
an existing facility in southern New Jersey; or 
(2) through a project for construction of a new 
full-service Department of Veterans Affairs medical 
center to provide inpatient and outpatient services 
and long-term care to veterans with an appropriate 
number of beds and services in southern New Jer-
sey. 
(b) NOTIFICATION
AND PROSPECTUS.—Not later 
than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress 
a report— 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
23:39 Mar 10, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1416.IH
H1416
rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with BILLS
(1) identifying which of the two options speci-
fied in subsection (a) has been selected by the Sec-
retary; and 
(2) providing, for the option selected, a pro-
spectus that includes, at a minimum, the matter 
specified in paragraphs (1) through (8) of section 
8104(b) of title 38, United States Code, and the 
project time lines. 
SEC. 4. EXISTING FACILITY OPTION FOR MEDICAL CARE 
FOR VETERANS IN SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY. 
(a) PROJECT.—If the option selected by the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs under section 3(a) is the option 
specified in paragraph (1) of that section for a project to 
provide inpatient and outpatient services and long-term 
care to veterans at an existing facility in southern New 
Jersey, then the Secretary shall, subject to the availability 
of appropriations for such purpose, take such steps as nec-
essary to enter into an agreement with an appropriate pri-
vate-sector entity to provide for such services and care for 
veterans at an existing facility in southern New Jersey. 
Such an agreement may include provision for construction 
of a new wing or other addition at such facility to provide 
additional services that will, under the agreement, be 
leased by the United States and dedicated to care and 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
23:39 Mar 10, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1416.IH
H1416
rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with BILLS
treatment of veterans by the Secretary under title 38, 
United States Code. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated such sums as necessary for 
a public-private venture project under this section. 
SEC. 5. NEW DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MED-
ICAL CENTER, SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY. 
(a) PROJECT AUTHORIZATION.—If the option se-
lected by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs under section 
3(a) is the option specified in paragraph (2) of that section 
for a project for construction of a new full-service Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs medical center providing inpa-
tient and outpatient services and long-term care to vet-
erans with an appropriate number of beds in southern 
New Jersey, then the Secretary shall, subject to the avail-
ability of appropriations for such purpose, carry out a 
major medical facility construction project for construc-
tion in southern New Jersey of such a medical facility. 
Such facility shall be located in the county in southern 
New Jersey that the Secretary determines most suitable 
to meet the health-care needs of veterans in the region. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Construction, Major 
Projects account of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 
in addition to any other amounts authorized for that ac-
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
23:39 Mar 10, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1416.IH
H1416
rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with BILLS
count, such sums as necessary to complete the project au-
thorized by subsection (a). 
Æ 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
23:39 Mar 10, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H1416.IH
H1416
rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with BILLS