I 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6802 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend or make permanent certain 
authorities of the Department of Veterans Affairs expiring in 2008, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 1, 2008 
Mr. BUYER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend or make 
permanent certain authorities of the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs expiring in 2008, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Veterans’ Authorities Extension Act of 2008’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Repeal of sunset on inclusion of noninstitutional extended care services 
in definition of medical services. 
Sec. 3. Extension of recovery audit authority. 
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Sec. 4. Permanent authority for provision of hospital care, medical services, and 
nursing home care to veterans who participated in certain 
chemical and biological testing conducted by the Department of 
Defense. 
Sec. 5. Extension of health care copayments collections authority. 
Sec. 6. Extension of nursing home care. 
Sec. 7. Extension of collections authority from health plans for nonservice-con-
nected health care provided to veterans with service-connected 
disabilities. 
Sec. 8. Permanent authority to carry out income verification. 
Sec. 9. Permanent authority to establish research corporations. 
SEC. 2. REPEAL OF SUNSET ON INCLUSION OF NON-
INSTITUTIONAL EXTENDED CARE SERVICES 
IN DEFINITION OF MEDICAL SERVICES. 
Section 1701 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) by striking paragraph (10); and 
(2) in paragraph (6)— 
(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) 
and (F) as subparagraphs (F) and (G), respec-
tively; and 
(B) by inserting after subparagraph (D) 
the following new subparagraph (E): 
‘‘(E) Noninstitutional extended care serv-
ices, including alternatives to institutional ex-
tended care which the Secretary may furnish di-
rectly, by contract, or through provision of case 
management by another provider or payer.’’. 
SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF RECOVERY AUDIT AUTHORITY. 
Section 1703(d)(4) of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended by striking ‘‘2008’’ and inserting ‘‘2013’’. 
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SEC. 4. PERMANENT AUTHORITY FOR PROVISION OF HOS-
PITAL CARE, MEDICAL SERVICES, AND NURS-
ING HOME CARE TO VETERANS WHO PAR-
TICIPATED IN CERTAIN CHEMICAL AND BIO-
LOGICAL TESTING CONDUCTED BY THE DE-
PARTMENT OF DEFENSE. 
Section 1710(e)(3) of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ‘‘and’’ 
after the semicolon; 
(2) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘; and’’ 
and inserting a period; and 
(3) by striking subparagraph (D). 
SEC. 5. EXTENSION OF HEALTH CARE COPAYMENTS COL-
LECTIONS AUTHORITY. 
Section 1710(f)(2)(B) of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended by striking ‘‘2008’’ and inserting 
‘‘2009’’. 
SEC. 6. EXTENSION OF NURSING HOME CARE. 
Section 1710A(d) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by striking ‘‘2008’’ and inserting ‘‘2013’’. 
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SEC. 7. EXTENSION OF COLLECTIONS AUTHORITY FROM 
HEALTH 
PLANS 
FOR 
NONSERVICE-CON-
NECTED HEALTH CARE PROVIDED TO VET-
ERANS WITH SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABIL-
ITIES. 
Section 1729(a)(2)(E) of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended by striking ‘‘2008’’ and inserting 
‘‘2009’’. 
SEC. 8. PERMANENT AUTHORITY TO CARRY OUT INCOME 
VERIFICATION. 
Section 5317 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by striking subsection (g). 
SEC. 9. PERMANENT AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH RESEARCH 
CORPORATIONS. 
(a) REPEAL.—Section 7368 of title 38, United States 
Code, is repealed. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of chapter 73 of such title is amended 
by striking the item relating to section 7368. 
Æ 
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