104TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H.R. 2353
AMENDMENTS
TO
SENATE AMENDMENTS
In the House of Representatives, U. S.,
January 25, 1996.
Resolved, That the House agree to the amendments of
the Senate to the bill (H.R. 2353) entitled ‘‘An Act to amend
title 38, United States Code, to extend certain expiring au-
thorities of the Department of Veterans Affairs relating to
delivery of health and medical care, and for other purposes’’,
with the following
AMENDMENTS:
In lieu of the matter inserted by said amendment, insert:
TITLE I—EXTENSIONS OF
AUTHORITY
SEC. 101. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITIES UNDER TITLE 38,
UNITED STATES CODE.
(a) AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE PRIORITY HEALTH CARE
FOR
CERTAIN
VETERANS
EXPOSED
TO
TOXIC
SUB-
STANCES.—(1) Section 1710(e)(3) of title 38, United States
Code, is amended by striking out ‘‘after June 30, 1995,’’
and all that follows through ‘‘December 31, 1995’’ and in-
serting in lieu thereof ‘‘after December 31, 1996’’.
(2) Section 1712(a)(1)(D) of such title is amended by
striking out ‘‘December 31, 1995,’’ and inserting in lieu
thereof ‘‘December 31, 1996,’’.
(b) DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE AND DEPENDENCE.—
Section 1720A(e) of such title is amended by striking out
‘‘December 31, 1995’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘Decem-
ber 31, 1997’’.
(c) PILOT PROGRAM FOR NONINSTITUTIONAL ALTER-
NATIVES TO NURSING HOME CARE.—Section 1720C(a) of
such title is amended by striking out ‘‘September 30, 1995,’’
and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘December 31, 1997,’’.
(d) 
NEGOTIATED
INTEREST
RATES.—Section
3703(c)(4) of such title is amended by striking out subpara-
graph (D).
(e) MORTGAGES FOR ENERGY EFFICIENT IMPROVE-
MENTS.—Section 3710(d) of such title is amended by strik-
ing out paragraph (7).
(f) ENHANCED LOAN ASSET SALE AUTHORITY.—Sec-
tion 3720(h)(2) of such title is amended by striking out
‘‘December 31, 1995’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘Decem-
ber 31, 1996’’.
(g) AUTHORITY
OF LENDERS
OF AUTOMATICALLY
GUARANTEED LOANS TO REVIEW APPRAISALS.—Section
3731(f) of such title is amended by striking out paragraph
(3).
(h) AGREEMENTS
FOR HOUSING ASSISTANCE
FOR
HOMELESS VETERANS.—Section 3735(c) of such title is
amended by striking out ‘‘December 31, 1995’’ and insert-
ing in lieu thereof ‘‘December 31, 1997’’.
(i) USE OF DATA ON COMPENSATION FOR CERTIFIED
REGISTERED
NURSE
ANESTHETISTS.—Section
7451(d)(3)(C)(iii) of such title is amended by striking out
‘‘April 1, 1995’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘January 1,
1998’’.
(j) HEALTH
PROFESSIONAL
SCHOLARSHIP
PRO-
GRAM.—Section 7618 of such title is amended by striking
out ‘‘December 31, 1995’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘De-
cember 31, 1997’’.
(k) ENHANCED-USE LEASES OF REAL PROPERTY.—
Section 8169 of such title is amended by striking out ‘‘De-
cember 31, 1995’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘December
31, 1997’’.
SEC. 102. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITIES UNDER OTHER PRO-
VISIONS OF LAW.
(a) AUTHORITY FOR COMMUNITY-BASED RESIDENTIAL
CARE FOR HOMELESS CHRONICALLY MENTALLY ILL VET-
ERANS AND OTHER VETERANS.—Section 115(d) of the Vet-
erans’ Benefits and Services Act of 1988 (38 U.S.C. 1712
note) is amended by striking out ‘‘September 30, 1995’’ and
inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘December 31, 1997’’.
(b) DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM
OF COMPENSATED
WORK THERAPY.—Section 7(a) of Public Law 102–54 (38
U.S.C. 1718 note) is amended by striking out ‘‘fiscal years
1991 through 1995’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘the pe-
riod beginning on October 1, 1991, and ending on December
31, 1997,’’.
(c) SERVICES AND ASSISTANCE TO HOMELESS VETER-
ANS.—The Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Service Pro-
grams Act of 1992 (Public Law 102–590; 38 U.S.C. 7721
note) is amended—
(1) in section 2, by striking out ‘‘September 30,
1995,’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘September 30,
1997,’’;
(2) in section 3(a)—
(A) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ before ‘‘Subject to’’;
(B) by striking out ‘‘fiscal years 1993,
1994, and 1995,’’; and
(C) by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
‘‘(2) The authority of the Secretary to make grants
under this section expires on September 30, 1997.’’; and
(3) in section 12, by striking out ‘‘each of the fis-
cal years 1993, 1994, and 1995’’ and inserting in lieu
thereof ‘‘each of fiscal years 1993 through 1997’’.
(d) 
HOMELESS
VETERANS’ 
REINTEGRATION
PROJECTS.—(1) Section 738(e)(1) of the Stewart B.
McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11448(e)(1))
is amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(D) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 1996.’’.
(2) Section 741 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 11450) is
amended by striking out ‘‘October 1, 1995’’ and inserting
in lieu thereof ‘‘December 31, 1997’’.
SEC. 103. RATIFICATION OF ACTIONS TAKEN DURING PE-
RIOD OF EXPIRED AUTHORITY.
Any action taken by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
before the date of the enactment of this Act under a provi-
sion of law amended by this title that was taken during
the period beginning on the date on which the authority
of the Secretary under that provision of law expired and
ending on the date of the enactment of this Act shall be
considered to have the same force and effect as if the amend-
ment to that provision of law made by this title had been
in effect at the time of that action.
TITLE II—OTHER PROVISIONS
SEC. 201. CODIFICATION OF HOUSING REPORTING RE-
QUIREMENTS AND CHANGES IN THEIR FRE-
QUENCY.
(a) CODIFICATION OF HOUSING RELATED REPORTING
REQUIREMENTS.—(1) Chapter 37 of title 38, United States
Code, is amended by adding after section 3735 the following
new section:
‘‘§ 3736. Reporting requirements
‘‘The annual report required by section 529 of this title
shall include a discussion of the activities under this chap-
ter. Beginning with the report submitted at the close of fis-
cal year 1996, and every second year thereafter, this discus-
sion shall include information regarding the following:
‘‘(1) Loans made to veterans whose only qualify-
ing service was in the Selected Reserve.
‘‘(2) Interest rates and discount points which
were negotiated between the lender and the veteran
pursuant to section 3703(c)(4)(A)(i) of this title.
‘‘(3) The determination of reasonable value by
lenders pursuant to section 3731(f) of this title.
‘‘(4) Loans that include funds for energy effi-
ciency improvements pursuant to section 3710(a)(10)
of this title.
‘‘(5) Direct loans to Native American veterans
made pursuant to subchapter V of this chapter.’’.
(2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chap-
ter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section
3735 the following new item:
‘‘3736. Reporting requirements.’’.
(b) REPEAL OF SUPERSEDED REPORTING REQUIRE-
MENTS.—The Veterans Home Loan Program Amendments
of 1992 (Public Law 102–547; 106 Stat. 3633) is amended
by striking out sections 2(c), 3(b), 8(d), 9(c), and 10(b).
SEC. 202. OTHER REPORT REQUIREMENTS.
(a) REPORT ON CONSOLIDATION OF CERTAIN PRO-
GRAMS.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to
Congress, not later than March 1, 1997, a report on the
advantages and disadvantages of consolidating into one
program the following three programs:
(1) The alcohol and drug abuse contract care
program under section 1720A of title 38, United
States Code.
(2) The program to provide community-based
residential care to homeless chronically mentally ill
veterans under section 115 of the Veterans’ Benefits
and Services Act of 1988 (38 U.S.C. 1712 note).
(3) The demonstration program under section 7
of Public Law 102–54 (38 U.S.C. 1718 note).
(b) HEALTH
PROFESSIONAL
SCHOLARSHIP
PRO-
GRAM.—(1) The Secretary shall submit to Congress, not
later than March 31, 1997, a report setting forth the results
of a study evaluating the operation of the health profes-
sional scholarship program under subchapter II of chapter
76 of title 38, United States Code. The study shall evaluate
the efficacy of the program with respect to recruitment and
retention of health care personnel for the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs and shall compare the costs and benefits of
the program with the costs and benefits of alternative meth-
ods of ensuring adequate recruitment and retention of such
personnel.
(2) The Secretary shall carry out the study under this
paragraph through a private contractor. The report under
paragraph (1) shall include the report of the contractor and
the comments, if any, of the Secretary on that report.
(c) ENHANCED USE LEASES.—The Secretary shall
submit to Congress, not later than March 31, 1997, a report
evaluating the operation of the program under subchapter
V of chapter 81 of title 38, United States Code.
SEC. 203. CONTRACTS FOR UTILITIES, AUDIE L. MURPHY
MEMORIAL HOSPITAL.
(a) AUTHORITY TO CONTRACT.—Subject to subsection
(b), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may enter into con-
tracts for the provision of utilities (including steam and
chilled water) to the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Hospital
in San Antonio, Texas. Each such contract may—
(1) be for a period not to exceed 35 years;
(2) provide for the construction and operation of
a production facility on or near property under the
jurisdiction of the Secretary;
(3) require capital contributions by the parties
involved for the construction of such a facility, such
contribution to be in the form of cash, equipment, or
other in-kind contribution; and
(4) provide for a predetermined formula to com-
pute the cost of providing such utilities to the parties
for the duration of the contract.
(b) FUNDS.—A contract may be entered into under
subsection (a) only to the extent as provided for in advance
in appropriations Acts.
(c) ADDITIONAL TERMS.—The Secretary may include
in a contract under subsection (a) such additional provi-
sions as the Secretary considers necessary to secure the pro-
vision of utilities and to protect the interests of the United
States.
In lieu of the Senate amendment to the title of the bill,
amend the title so as to read: ‘‘An Act to amend title 38,
United States Code, to extend the authority of the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs to carry out certain programs and activi-
ties, to require certain reports from the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs, and for other purposes.’’.
Attest:
Clerk.