I 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5870 
To provide for the health care needs of veterans in far South Texas. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 24, 2006 
Mr. ORTIZ (for himself, Mr. HINOJOSA, and Mr. DOGGETT) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To provide for the health care needs of veterans in far 
South Texas. 
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 ‘‘South Texas Veterans 
Access to Care Act of 2006’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; DEFINITION. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) The current and future health care needs of 
veterans residing in the Far South Texas area are 
not being fully met by the Department of Veterans 
Affairs. 
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(2) The Department of Veterans Affairs states 
that, as of January 1, 2006, the number of veterans 
in Far South Texas is approximately 114,000. 
(3) In its Capital Asset Realignment for En-
hanced Services study, the Department of Veterans 
Affairs found that fewer than three percent of its 
enrollees in the Valley-Coastal Bend Market of Vet-
erans Integrated Service Network 17 reside within 
its acute hospital access standards. 
(4) Travel times for veterans from the market 
referred to in paragraph (3) can exceed six hours 
from their residences to the nearest Department of 
Veterans Affairs hospital for acute inpatient health 
care. 
(5) Even with the significant travel times, vet-
erans from Far South Texas demonstrate a high de-
mand for health care services from the Department 
of Veterans Affairs. 
(6) Current deployments involving members of 
the Texas National Guard and Reservists from 
Texas will continue to inflate projections by the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs of demand. 
(b) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this Act, the term 
‘‘Far South Texas’’ means the following counties of the 
State of Texas: Aransas, Bee, Brooks, Calhoun, Cameron, 
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Crockett, DeWitt, Dimmit, Duval, Goliad, Hidalgo, Jack-
son, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, Nueces, 
Refugio, San Patricio, Starr, Victoria, Webb, Willacy, and 
Zapata. 
SEC. 3. MEDICAL CARE FOR VETERANS IN FAR SOUTH 
TEXAS. 
(a) DETERMINATION.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall determine, and notify Congress pur-
suant to subsection (b), whether the needs of veterans in 
Far South Texas for acute inpatient hospital care shall 
be met— 
(1) through a project for a public-private ven-
ture to provide inpatient services and long-term care 
to veterans in an existing facility in Far South 
Texas; 
(2) through a project for construction of a new 
full-service, 50-bed hospital with a 125-bed nursing 
home in Far South Texas; or 
(3) through a sharing agreement with a mili-
tary treatment facility in Far South Texas. 
(b) NOTIFICATION
AND PROSPECTUS.—Not later 
than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report— 
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(1) identifying which of the three options speci-
fied in subsection (a) has been selected by the Sec-
retary; and 
(2) providing, for the option selected, a pro-
spectus that includes, at a minimum, the matter 
specified in paragraphs (1) through (8) of section 
8104(b) of title 38, United States Code, and the 
project timelines. 
SEC. 4. PUBLIC-PRIVATE VENTURE FOR MEDICAL CARE 
FOR VETERANS IN FAR SOUTH TEXAS. 
(a) PROJECT.—If the option selected by the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs under section 3(a) is the option 
specified in paragraph (1) of that section for a project of 
a public-private venture to provide inpatient and long-term 
care to veterans at an existing facility in Far South Texas, 
then the Secretary shall, subject to the availability of ap-
propriations for such purpose, take such steps as nec-
essary to enter into an agreement with an appropriate pri-
vate-sector entity to provide for inpatient and long-term 
care services for veterans at an existing facility in one of 
the counties of Far South Texas. Such an agreement may 
include provision for construction of a new wing or other 
addition at such facility to provide additional services that 
will, under the agreement, be leased by the United States 
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and dedicated to care and treatment of veterans by the 
Secretary under title 38, United States Code. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated such sums as necessary 
for a public-private venture project under this section. 
SEC. 5. NEW DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MED-
ICAL CENTER, FAR SOUTH TEXAS. 
(a) PROJECT AUTHORIZATION.—If the option se-
lected by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs under section 
3(a) is the option specified in paragraph (2) of that section 
for a project for construction in Far South Texas of a 
new full-service, 175-bed facility providing inpatient and 
long-term care services. Such facility shall be located in 
the county in Far South Texas that the Secretary deter-
mines most suitable to meet the health care needs of vet-
erans in the region. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Construction, Major 
Projects, account of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 
in addition to any other amounts authorized for that ac-
count, the amount of $175,000,000 for the project author-
ized by subsection (a). 
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