the peer review panel established under subsection (d) has 
determined under that subsection that the proposal sub-
mitted by such facility as a location for a new center under 
subsection (a) is among those proposals that meet the 
highest competitive standards of scientific and clinical 
merit. 
‘‘(2) The Secretary may not designate a Department 
health-care facility as a location for a center under sub-
section (a) unless the Secretary (upon the recommenda-
tion of the Under Secretary for Health) determines that 
the facility has (or may reasonably be anticipated to de-
velop) each of the following: 
‘‘(A) An arrangement with an accredited med-
ical school that provides education and training in 
neurology and with which the Department health-
care facility is affiliated under which residents re-
ceive education and training in innovative diagnosis 
and treatment of chronic neurodegenerative diseases 
and movement disorders, including Parkinson’s Dis-
ease. 
‘‘(B) The ability to attract the participation of 
scientists who are capable of ingenuity and creativity 
in health-care research efforts. 
‘‘(C) An advisory committee composed of vet-
erans and appropriate health-care and research rep-
resentatives of the Department health-care facility 
and of the affiliated school or schools to advise the 
directors of such facility and such center on policy 
matters pertaining to the activities of the center dur-
ing the period of the operation of such center. 
‘‘(D) The capability to conduct effectively eval-
uations of the activities of such center. 
‘‘(E) The capability to coordinate (as part of an 
integrated national system) education, clinical, and 
research activities within all facilities with such cen-
ters. 
‘‘(F) The capability to jointly develop a consor-
tium 
of 
providers 
with 
interest 
in 
treating 
neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s 
Disease and other movement disorders, at facilities 
without such centers in order to ensure better access 
to state-of-the-art diagnosis, care, and education for 
neurodegenerative disorders throughout the health 
care system of the Department. 
‘‘(G) The capability to develop a national repos-
itory in the health care system of the Department 
for the collection of data on health services delivered 
to veterans seeking care for neurodegenerative dis-
eases, including Parkinson’s Disease, and other 
movement disorders.
‘‘(d) PEER REVIEW PANEL.—(1) The Under Sec-
retary for Health shall establish a panel to assess the sci-
entific and clinical merit of proposals that are submitted 
to the Secretary for the establishment of centers under 
this section. 
‘‘(2)(A) The membership of the panel shall consist 
of experts in neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkin-
son’s Disease, and other movement disorders. 
‘‘(B) Members of the panel shall serve for a period 
of no longer than two years, except as specified in sub-
paragraph (C). 
‘‘(C) Of the members first appointed to the panel, 
one half shall be appointed for a period of three years and 
one half shall be appointed for a period of two years, as 
designated by the Under Secretary at the time of appoint-
ment. 
‘‘(3) The panel shall review each proposal submitted 
to the panel by the Under Secretary and shall submit its 
views on the relative scientific and clinical merit of each 
such proposal to the Under Secretary. 
‘‘(4) The panel shall not be subject to the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act. 
‘‘(e) PRIORITY
OF
FUNDING.—Before providing 
funds for the operation of a center designated under sub-
section (a) at a Department health-care facility other than
at a facility designated pursuant to subsection (b)(2), the 
Secretary shall ensure that each Parkinson’s Disease cen-
ter at a facility designated pursuant to subsection (b)(2) 
is receiving adequate funding to enable that center to 
function effectively in the areas of Parkinson’s Disease re-
search, education, and clinical activities. 
‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary for the support of the research and education 
activities of the centers established pursuant to subsection 
(a). The Under Secretary for Health shall allocate to such 
centers from other funds appropriated generally for the 
Department medical services account and medical and 
prosthetics research account, as appropriate, such 
amounts as the Under Secretary for Health determines 
appropriate. 
‘‘(g) AWARD COMPETITIONS.—Activities of clinical 
and scientific investigation at each center established 
under subsection (a) shall be eligible to compete for the 
award of funding from funds appropriated for the Depart-
ment medical and prosthetics research account. Such ac-
tivities shall receive priority in the award of funding from 
such account insofar as funds are awarded to projects for 
research in Parkinson’s Disease and other movement dis-
orders.
‘‘§ 7330. Multiple sclerosis centers of excellence 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF CENTERS.—(1) The Sec-
retary, upon the recommendation of the Under Secretary 
for Health, shall designate not less than two Department 
health-care facilities as the locations for multiple sclerosis 
centers of excellence. 
‘‘(2) Subject to the appropriation of sufficient funds 
for such purpose, the Secretary shall establish and operate 
multiple sclerosis centers of excellence at the locations des-
ignated pursuant to paragraph (1) for such centers. 
‘‘(b) CRITERIA FOR DESIGNATION OF FACILITIES.—
(1) In designating Department health-care facilities for 
centers under subsection (a), the Secretary, upon the rec-
ommendation of the Under Secretary for Health, shall as-
sure appropriate geographic distribution of such facilities. 
‘‘(2) Except as provided in paragraph (3), the Sec-
retary shall designate as the location for a multiple scle-
rosis center of excellence pursuant to subsection (a)(1) 
each Department health-care facility that as of January 
1, 2005, was operating a multiple sclerosis center of excel-
lence. 
‘‘(3) The Secretary may not under subsection (a) des-
ignate a facility described in paragraph (2) if (on the rec-
ommendation of the Under Secretary for Health) the Sec-
retary determines that such facility—
‘‘(A) does not meet the requirements of sub-
section (c); or 
‘‘(B) has not demonstrated—
‘‘(i) effectiveness in carrying out the estab-
lished purposes of such center; or 
‘‘(ii) the potential to carry out such pur-
poses effectively in the reasonably foreseeable 
future. 
‘‘(c) REQUIREMENTS FOR DESIGNATION.—(1) The 
Secretary may not designate a Department health-care fa-
cility as a location for a center under subsection (a) unless 
the peer review panel established under subsection (d) has 
determined under that subsection that the proposal sub-
mitted by such facility as a location for a new center under 
subsection (a) is among those proposals that meet the 
highest competitive standards of scientific and clinical 
merit. 
‘‘(2) The Secretary may not designate a Department 
health-care facility as a location for a center under sub-
section (a) unless the Secretary (upon the recommenda-
tion of the Under Secretary for Health) determines that 
the facility has (or may reasonably be anticipated to de-
velop) each of the following: 
‘‘(A) An arrangement with an accredited med-
ical school that provides education and training in
neurology and with which the Department health-
care facility is affiliated under which residents re-
ceive education and training in innovative diagnosis 
and treatment of chronic neurodegenerative diseases, 
including multiple sclerosis. 
‘‘(B) The ability to attract the participation of 
scientists who are capable of ingenuity and creativity 
in health-care research efforts. 
‘‘(C) An advisory committee composed of vet-
erans and appropriate health-care and research rep-
resentatives of the Department health-care facility 
and of the affiliated school or schools to advise the 
directors of such facility and such center on policy 
matters pertaining to the activities of the center dur-
ing the period of the operation of such center. 
‘‘(D) The capability to conduct effectively eval-
uations of the activities of such center. 
‘‘(E) The capability to coordinate (as part of an 
integrated national system) education, clinical, and 
research activities within all facilities with such cen-
ters. 
‘‘(F) The capability to jointly develop a consor-
tium of providers with interest in treating multiple 
sclerosis at facilities without such centers in order to 
ensure better access to state-of-the-art diagnosis,
care, and education for autoimmune disease affect-
ing the central nervous system throughout the health 
care system of the Department. 
‘‘(G) The capability to develop a national repos-
itory in the health care system of the Department 
for the collection of data on health services delivered 
to veterans seeking care for autoimmune disease af-
fecting the central nervous system. 
‘‘(d) PEER REVIEW PANEL.—(1) The Under Sec-
retary for Health shall establish a panel to assess the sci-
entific and clinical merit of proposals that are submitted 
to the Secretary for the establishment of centers under 
this section. 
‘‘(2)(A) The membership of the panel shall consist 
of experts in autoimmune disease affecting the central 
nervous system. 
‘‘(B) Members of the panel shall serve for a period 
of no longer than two years, except as specified in sub-
paragraph (C). 
‘‘(C) Of the members first appointed to the panel, 
one half shall be appointed for a period of three years and 
one half shall be appointed for a period of two years, as 
designated by the Under Secretary at the time of appoint-
ment.
‘‘(3) The panel shall review each proposal submitted 
to the panel by the Under Secretary and shall submit its 
views on the relative scientific and clinical merit of each 
such proposal to the Under Secretary. 
‘‘(4) The panel shall not be subject to the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act. 
‘‘(e) PRIORITY
OF
FUNDING.—Before providing 
funds for the operation of a center designated under sub-
section (a) at a Department health-care facility other than 
at a facility designated pursuant to subsection (b)(2), the 
Secretary shall ensure that each multiple sclerosis center 
at a facility designated pursuant to subsection (b)(2) is 
receiving adequate funding to enable that center to func-
tion effectively in the areas of multiple sclerosis research, 
education, and clinical activities. 
‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary for the support of the research and education 
activities of the centers established pursuant to subsection 
(a). The Under Secretary for Health shall allocate to such 
centers from other funds appropriated generally for the 
Department medical services account and medical and 
prosthetics research account, as appropriate, such 
amounts as the Under Secretary for Health determines 
appropriate.
‘‘(g) AWARD COMPETITIONS.—Activities of clinical 
and scientific investigation at each center established 
under subsection (a) shall be eligible to compete for the 
award of funding from funds appropriated for the Depart-
ment medical and prosthetics research account. Such ac-
tivities shall receive priority in the award of funding from 
such account insofar as funds are awarded to projects for 
research in multiple sclerosis and other neurodegenerative 
disorders.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions at the beginning of such chapter is amended 
by inserting after the item relating to section 7328 
the following new items:
‘‘7329. Parkinson’s Disease research, education, and clinical centers. 
‘‘7330. Multiple sclerosis centers of excellence.’’.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Section 7329 and 7330 of 
title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), 
shall take effect at the end of the 30-day period beginning 
on the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY 
LEASES. 
(a) FISCAL YEAR 2006 LEASES.—The Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs may carry out the following major med-
ical facility leases in fiscal year 2006 at the locations spec-
ified, in an amount for each lease not to exceed the 
amount specified for that location:
(1) For an outpatient clinic, Baltimore, Mary-
land, $10,908,000. 
(2) For an outpatient clinic, Evansville, Indi-
ana, $8,989,000. 
(3) For an outpatient clinic, Smith County, 
Texas, $5,093,000. 
(b) FISCAL YEAR 2007 LEASES.—The Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs may carry out the following major med-
ical facility leases in fiscal year 2007 at the locations spec-
ified, in an amount for each lease not to exceed the 
amount specified for that location: 
(1) For an outpatient and specialty care clinic, 
Austin, Texas, $6,163,000. 
(2) For an outpatient clinic, Lowell, Massachu-
setts, $2,520,000. 
(3) For an outpatient clinic, Grand Rapids, 
Michigan, $4,409,000. 
(4) For up to four outpatient clinics, Las 
Vegas, Nevada, $8,518,000. 
(5) For an outpatient clinic, Parma, Ohio, 
$5,032,000. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS
FOR 
MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY LEASES.—
(1) FISCAL YEAR 2006 LEASES.—There is au-
thorized to be appropriated for the Secretary of Vet-