I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2318
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an assured adequate 
level of funding for veterans health care. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 4, 2003
Mr. EVANS (for himself, Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. ANDREWS, Ms. BALDWIN, Ms. 
BERKLEY, Mr. BOSWELL, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Mrs. CAPITO, 
Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. CARSON of Oklahoma, Ms. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. 
COSTELLO, Mr. CRAMER, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. 
DELAHUNT, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. DINGELL, Mr. DOYLE, Mr. FILNER, Mr. 
FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. FROST, Mr. GIBBONS, Mr. GORDON, Mr. 
GREEN of Texas, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. HINOJOSA, Mr. HOEFFEL, Mr. 
HOLDEN, Mr. HOLT, Mr. HONDA, Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon, Mr. ISRAEL, 
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. JENKINS, Mr. KANJORSKI, Mr. KEN-
NEDY of Rhode Island, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Mr. LARSON of Con-
necticut, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. LUCAS of Kentucky, Mr. LYNCH, Mrs. 
MALONEY, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, Ms. MCCOL-
LUM, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. MCNULTY, 
Mr. MICHAUD, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mr. NEAL of Massachu-
setts, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. 
REYES, Mr. RODRIGUEZ, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. 
SANDLIN, Mr. SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. 
SOUDER, Mr. STRICKLAND, Mr. STUPAK, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Mr. 
UDALL of New Mexico, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. WALDEN of Oregon, Mr. 
WEXLER, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. SULLIVAN, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. 
TOWNS, and Mr. GRIJALVA) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an 
assured adequate level of funding for veterans health care.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Assured Funding for 
Veterans Health Care Act of 2003’’.
SEC. 2. ASSURANCE OF ADEQUATE FUNDING FOR VET-
ERANS HEALTH CARE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 3 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new section:
‘‘§ 320. Assured funding for veterans health care 
‘‘(a) For each fiscal year, the Secretary of the Treas-
ury shall make available to the Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs the amount determined under subsection (b) with re-
spect to that fiscal year. Each such amount is available, 
without fiscal year limitation, for the programs, functions, 
and activities of the Veterans Health Administration, as 
specified in subsection (c). 
‘‘(b)(1) The amount applicable to fiscal year 2005 
under this subsection is the amount equal to 130 percent 
of the amount obligated by the Department during fiscal 
year 2003 for the purposes specified in subsection (c). 
‘‘(2) The amount applicable to any fiscal year after 
fiscal year 2005 under this subsection is the amount equal 
to the product of the following:
‘‘(A) The sum of—
‘‘(i) the number of veterans enrolled in the 
Department health care system under section 
1705 of this title as of July 1 preceding the be-
ginning of such fiscal year; and 
‘‘(ii) the number of persons eligible for 
health care under chapter 17 of this title who 
are not covered by clause (i) and who were pro-
vided hospital care or medical services under 
such chapter at any time during the fiscal year 
preceding such fiscal year. 
‘‘(B) The per capita baseline amount, as in-
creased from time to time pursuant to paragraph 
(3)(B). 
‘‘(3)(A) For purposes of paragraph (2)(B), the term 
‘per capita baseline amount’ means the amount equal to—
‘‘(i) the amount specified in paragraph (1), di-
vided by 
‘‘(ii) the number of veterans enrolled in the De-
partment health care system under section 1705 of 
this title as of September 30, 2003. 
‘‘(B) With respect to any fiscal year, the Secretary 
shall provide a percentage increase (rounded to the near-
est dollar) in the per capita baseline amount equal to the 
percentage by which—
‘‘(i) the Consumer Price Index (all Urban Con-
sumers, United States City Average, Hospital and 
related services, Seasonally Adjusted), published by 
the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of 
Labor for the 12-month period ending on the June 
30 preceding the beginning of the fiscal year for 
which the increase is made, exceeds 
‘‘(ii) such Consumer Price Index for the 12-
month period preceeding the 12-month period de-
scribed in clause (i). 
‘‘(c)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the pur-
poses for which amounts made available pursuant to sub-
section (a) shall be all programs, functions, and activities 
of the Veterans Health Administration. 
‘‘(2) Amounts made available pursuant to subsection 
(a) are not available for—
‘‘(A) construction, acquisition, or alteration of 
medical facilities as provided in subchapter I of 
chapter 81 of this title (other than for such repairs 
as were provided for before the the date of the en-
actment of this section through the Medical Care ap-
propriation for the Department); or 
‘‘(B) grants under subchapter III of chapter 81 
of this title.’’.
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding 
at the end the following new item:
‘‘320. Assured funding for veterans health care.’’.
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