I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1041 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide an enhanced funding 
process to ensure an adequate level of funding for veterans health care 
programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs, to establish standards 
of access to care for veterans seeking health care from the Department 
of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 14, 2007 
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. SAXTON, Mr. LOBIONDO, Mr. 
MCCAUL of Texas, and Mr. DELAHUNT) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide an en-
hanced funding process to ensure an adequate level of 
funding for veterans health care programs of the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs, to establish standards of access 
to care for veterans seeking health care from the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs, 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. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Health Care 
Full Funding Act’’. 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
23:25 Feb 17, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1041.IH
H1041
hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with BILLS
SEC. 2. ENHANCED PROCESS FOR FUNDING VETERANS 
HEALTH CARE PROGRAMS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—(1) Chapter 3 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new section: 
‘‘§ 321. Enhanced funding process for veterans health 
care 
‘‘(a) In the President’s budget for each fiscal year 
transmitted under section 1105 of title 31, amounts shall 
be requested for veterans health care programs in accord-
ance with this section. Amounts appropriated for veterans 
health care programs shall be available for obligation for 
a period of two consecutive fiscal years. 
‘‘(b)(1) For each fiscal year (beginning with fiscal 
year 2008), the Veterans Health Care Funding Review 
Board shall determine the level of funding needed for vet-
erans health care programs for that fiscal year and the 
next fiscal year. The Board shall make such determina-
tion, and shall publish such determination in the Federal 
Register, not later than November 1 of the year preceding 
the year in which the budget for such fiscal year is trans-
mitted to Congress. 
‘‘(2) In making any such determination under para-
graph (1), the Board shall take into consideration the 
most recent information relating to economic assumptions 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
23:25 Feb 17, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1041.IH
H1041
hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with BILLS
provided to the Board by the Director of the Office of 
Management and Budget pursuant to subsection (f)(4)(b). 
‘‘(c) The amount determined under subsection (b) for 
any two-fiscal-year period is the amount needed to be ap-
propriated to the Department for that two-fiscal-year pe-
riod for veterans health care programs. The President 
shall include the full amount so determined in the budget 
transmitted to Congress under section 1105 of title 31 for 
the first fiscal year in such two-year period and shall in-
clude the amount of the second fiscal year as a budget 
forecast year. 
‘‘(d)(1) The Board shall make its determination of 
the level of funding needed for veterans health care pro-
grams for any two-fiscal-year period under subsection (b) 
based upon an annual review of those programs and of 
veterans health care needs. 
‘‘(2) The Board shall ensure that its determination 
of the level of funding needed for veterans health care pro-
grams for any period is in an amount sufficient to provide 
for— 
‘‘(A) the health care needs of veterans esti-
mated to be enrolled in the Department health care 
system under section 1705(a) of this title (other 
than veterans described in paragraph (8) of such 
section); 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
23:25 Feb 17, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1041.IH
H1041
hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with BILLS