In the Senate of the United States,
September 24, 1999.
Resolved, That the bill from the House of Representa-
tives (H.R. 2684) entitled ‘‘An Act making appropriations for
the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban
Development, and for sundry independent agencies, boards,
commissions, corporations, and offices for the fiscal year end-
ing September 30, 2000, and for other purposes.’’, do pass
with the following
AMENDMENT:
Page 2, strike out all after line 9, over to and includ-
ing line 3 on page 95, and insert:
TITLE I—DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION
COMPENSATION AND PENSIONS
For the payment of compensation benefits to or on be-
half of veterans and a pilot program for disability examina-
tions as authorized by law (38 U.S.C. 107, chapters 11, 13,
18, 51, 53, 55, and 61); pension benefits to or on behalf
of veterans as authorized by law (38 U.S.C. chapters 15,
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51, 53, 55, and 61; 92 Stat. 2508); and burial benefits,
emergency and other officers’ retirement pay, adjusted-serv-
ice credits and certificates, payment of premiums due on
commercial life insurance policies guaranteed under the
provisions of Article IV of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Civil
Relief Act of 1940, as amended, and for other benefits as
authorized by law (38 U.S.C. 107, 1312, 1977, and 2106,
chapters 23, 51, 53, 55, and 61; 50 U.S.C. App. 540–548;
43 Stat. 122, 123; 45 Stat. 735; 76 Stat. 1198),
$21,568,364,000, to remain available until expended: Pro-
vided, That not to exceed $38,079,000 of the amount appro-
priated shall be reimbursed to ‘‘General operating expenses’’
and ‘‘Medical care’’ for necessary expenses in implementing
those provisions authorized in the Omnibus Budget Rec-
onciliation Act of 1990, and in the Veterans’ Benefits Act
of 1992 (38 U.S.C. chapters 51, 53, and 55), the funding
source for which is specifically provided as the ‘‘Compensa-
tion and pensions’’ appropriation: Provided further, That
such sums as may be earned on an actual qualifying pa-
tient basis, shall be reimbursed to ‘‘Medical facilities revolv-
ing fund’’ to augment the funding of individual medical
facilities for nursing home care provided to pensioners as
authorized.
READJUSTMENT BENEFITS
For the payment of readjustment and rehabilitation
benefits to or on behalf of veterans as authorized by 38
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U.S.C. chapters 21, 30, 31, 34, 35, 36, 39, 51, 53, 55, and
61, $1,469,000,000, to remain available until expended:
Provided, That funds shall be available to pay any court
order, court award or any compromise settlement arising
from litigation involving the vocational training program
authorized by section 18 of Public Law 98–77, as amended.
VETERANS INSURANCE AND INDEMNITIES
For military and naval insurance, national service life
insurance, servicemen’s indemnities, service-disabled vet-
erans insurance, and veterans mortgage life insurance as
authorized by 38 U.S.C. chapter 19; 70 Stat. 887; 72 Stat.
487, $28,670,000, to remain available until expended.
VETERANS HOUSING BENEFIT PROGRAM FUND PROGRAM
ACCOUNT
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
For the cost of direct and guaranteed loans, such sums
as may be necessary to carry out the program, as authorized
by 38 U.S.C. chapter 37, as amended: Provided, That such
costs, including the cost of modifying such loans, shall be
as defined in section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act
of 1974, as amended: Provided further, That during fiscal
year 2000, within the resources available, not to exceed
$300,000 in gross obligations for direct loans are authorized
for specially adapted housing loans.
In addition, for administrative expenses to carry out
the direct and guaranteed loan programs, $156,958,000,
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which may be transferred to and merged with the appro-
priation for ‘‘General operating expenses’’.
EDUCATION LOAN FUND PROGRAM ACCOUNT
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
For the cost of direct loans, $1,000, as authorized by
38 U.S.C. 3698, as amended: Provided, That such costs, in-
cluding the cost of modifying such loans, shall be as defined
in section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, as
amended: Provided further, That these funds are available
to subsidize gross obligations for the principal amount of
direct loans not to exceed $3,000.
In addition, for administrative expenses necessary to
carry out the direct loan program, $214,000, which may
be transferred to and merged with the appropriation for
‘‘General operating expenses’’.
VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION LOANS PROGRAM ACCOUNT
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
For the cost of direct loans, $57,000, as authorized by
38 U.S.C. chapter 31, as amended: Provided, That such
costs, including the cost of modifying such loans, shall be
as defined in section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act
of 1974, as amended: Provided further, That these funds are
available to subsidize gross obligations for the principal
amount of direct loans not to exceed $2,531,000.
In addition, for administrative expenses necessary to
carry out the direct loan program, $415,000, which may
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be transferred to and merged with the appropriation for
‘‘General operating expenses’’.
NATIVE AMERICAN VETERAN HOUSING LOAN PROGRAM
ACCOUNT
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
For administrative expenses to carry out the direct
loan program authorized by 38 U.S.C. chapter 37, sub-
chapter V, as amended, $520,000, which may be transferred
to and merged with the appropriation for ‘‘General oper-
ating expenses’’.
GUARANTEED TRANSITIONAL HOUSING LOANS FOR
HOMELESS VETERANS PROGRAM ACCOUNT
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
For the cost, as defined in section 13201 of the Budget
Enforcement Act of 1990, including the cost of modifying
loans, of guaranteed loans as authorized by 38 U.S.C. chap-
ter 37 subchapter VI, $48,250,000, to remain available until
expended: Provided, That no more than five loans may be
guaranteed under this program prior to November 11, 2001:
Provided further, That no more than fifteen loans may be
guaranteed under this program: Provided further, That the
total principal amount of loans guaranteed under this pro-
gram may not exceed $100,000,000: Provided further, That
not to exceed $750,000 of the amounts appropriated by this
Act for ‘‘General operating expenses’’ and ‘‘Medical care’’
may be expended for the administrative expenses to carry
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Department for collecting and recovering amounts owed the
Department as authorized under 38 U.S.C. chapter 17, and
the Federal Medical Care Recovery Act, 42 U.S.C. 2651 et
seq.; and not to exceed $8,000,000 to fund cost comparison
studies 
as 
referred 
to 
in 
U.S.C. 
8110(a)(5),
$19,006,000,000, plus reimbursements: Provided, That of
the funds made available under this heading, $600,000,000
is designated by Congress as an emergency requirement
pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget
and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 and shall be
available only to the extent that an official budget request
that includes designation of the entire amount of the request
as an emergency requirement (as defined in the Balanced
Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985) is
transmitted by the President to Congress: Provided further,
That of the funds made available under this heading,
$635,000,000 is for the equipment and land and structures
object classifications only, which amount shall not become
available for obligation until August 1, 2000, and shall re-
main available until September 30, 2001: Provided further,
That of the funds made available under this heading, not
to exceed $900,000,000 shall be available until September
30, 2001: Provided further, That of the funds made avail-
able under this heading, not to exceed $27,907,000 may be
transferred to and merged with the appropriation for ‘‘Gen-
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eral operating expenses’’: Provided further, That the De-
partment shall conduct by contract a program of recovery
audits with respect to payments for hospital care; and, not-
withstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302(b), amounts collected, by setoff
or otherwise, as the result of such audits shall be available,
without fiscal year limitation, for the purposes for which
funds are appropriated under this heading and the pur-
poses of paying a contractor a percent of the amount col-
lected as a result of an audit carried out by the contractor:
Provided further, That all amounts so collected under the
preceding proviso with respect to a designated health care
region (as that term is defined in 38 U.S.C. 1729A(d)(2))
shall be allocated, net of payments to the contractor, to that
region.
In addition, in conformance with Public Law 105–33
establishing the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical
Care Collections Fund, such sums as may be deposited to
such Fund pursuant to 38 U.S.C. 1729A may be transferred
to this account, to remain available until expended for the
purposes of this account.
MEDICAL AND PROSTHETIC RESEARCH
For necessary expenses in carrying out programs of
medical and prosthetic research and development as author-
ized by 38 U.S.C. chapter 73, to remain available until
September 30, 2001, $316,000,000, plus reimbursements.
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MEDICAL ADMINISTRATION AND MISCELLANEOUS
OPERATING EXPENSES
For necessary expenses in the administration of the
medical, hospital, nursing home, domiciliary, construction,
supply, and research activities, as authorized by law; ad-
ministrative expenses in support of capital policy activities,
$60,703,000 plus reimbursements: Provided, That project
technical and consulting services offered by the Facilities
Management Service Delivery Office, including technical
consulting services, project management, real property ad-
ministration (including leases, site acquisition and disposal
activities directly supporting projects), shall be provided to
Department of Veterans Affairs components only on a reim-
bursable basis, and such amounts will remain available
until September 30, 2000.
GENERAL POST FUND, NATIONAL HOMES
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
For the cost of direct loans, $7,000, as authorized by
Public Law 102–54, section 8, which shall be transferred
from the ‘‘General post fund’’: Provided, That such costs,
including the cost of modifying such loans, shall be as de-
fined in section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974, as amended: Provided further, That these funds are
available to subsidize gross obligations for the principal
amount of direct loans not to exceed $70,000.
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In addition, for administrative expenses to carry out
the direct loan programs, $54,000, which shall be trans-
ferred from the ‘‘General post fund’’, as authorized by Pub-
lic Law 102–54, section 8.
DEPARTMENTAL ADMINISTRATION
GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES
For necessary operating expenses of the Department of
Veterans Affairs, not otherwise provided for, including uni-
forms or allowances therefor; not to exceed $25,000 for offi-
cial reception and representation expenses; hire of passenger
motor vehicles; and reimbursement of the General Services
Administration for security guard services, and the Depart-
ment of Defense for the cost of overseas employee mail,
$912,594,000: Provided, That funds under this heading
shall be available to administer the Service Members Occu-
pational Conversion and Training Act: Provided further,
That travel expenditures for the immediate Office of the
Secretary shall not exceed $100,000.
NATIONAL CEMETERY ADMINISTRATION
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
For necessary expenses for the maintenance and oper-
ation of the National Cemetery Administration, not other-
wise provided for, including uniforms or allowances there-
for; cemeterial expenses as authorized by law; purchase of
two passenger motor vehicles for use in cemeterial oper-
ations; and hire of passenger motor vehicles, $97,256,000:
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Provided, That of the amount made available under this
heading, not to exceed $117,000 may be transferred to and
merged with the appropriation for ‘‘General operating ex-
penses’’.
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
For necessary expenses of the Office of Inspector Gen-
eral in carrying out the Inspector General Act of 1978, as
amended, $43,200,000: Provided, That of the amount made
available under this heading, not to exceed $30,000 may
be transferred to and merged with the appropriation for
‘‘General operating expenses’’.
CONSTRUCTION, MAJOR PROJECTS
For constructing, altering, extending and improving
any of the facilities under the jurisdiction or for the use
of the Department of Veterans Affairs, or for any of the
purposes set forth in sections 316, 2404, 2406, 8102, 8103,
8106, 8108, 8109, 8110, and 8122 of title 38, United States
Code, including planning, architectural and engineering
services, maintenance or guarantee period services costs as-
sociated with equipment guarantees provided under the
project, services of claims analysts, offsite utility and storm
drainage system construction costs, and site acquisition,
where the estimated cost of a project is $4,000,000 or more
or where funds for a project were made available in a pre-
vious major project appropriation, $70,140,000, to remain
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available until expended: Provided, That except for advance
planning of projects (including market-based assessments of
health care needs which may or may not lead to capital
investments) funded through the advance planning fund
and the design of projects funded through the design fund,
none of these funds shall be used for any project which has
not been considered and approved by the Congress in the
budgetary process: Provided further, That funds provided
in this appropriation for fiscal year 2000, for each ap-
proved project shall be obligated: (1) by the awarding of
a construction documents contract by September 30, 2000;
and (2) by the awarding of a construction contract by Sep-
tember 30, 2001: Provided further, That the Secretary shall
promptly report in writing to the Committees on Appro-
priations any approved major construction project in which
obligations are not incurred within the time limitations es-
tablished above: Provided further, That no funds from any
other account except the ‘‘Parking revolving fund’’, may be
obligated for constructing, altering, extending, or improving
a project which was approved in the budget process and
funded in this account until one year after substantial com-
pletion and beneficial occupancy by the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs of the project or any part thereof with respect
to that part only.
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CONSTRUCTION, MINOR PROJECTS
For constructing, altering, extending, and improving
any of the facilities under the jurisdiction or for the use
of the Department of Veterans Affairs, including planning,
architectural and engineering services, maintenance or
guarantee period services costs associated with equipment
guarantees provided under the project, services of claims an-
alysts, offsite utility and storm drainage system construc-
tion costs, and site acquisition, or for any of the purposes
set forth in sections 316, 2404, 2406, 8102, 8103, 8106,
8108, 8109, 8110, and 8122 of title 38, United States Code,
where the estimated cost of a project is less than $4,000,000,
$175,000,000, to remain available until expended, along
with unobligated balances of previous ‘‘Construction, minor
projects’’ appropriations which are hereby made available
for any project where the estimated cost is less than
$4,000,000: Provided, That funds in this account shall be
available for: (1) repairs to any of the nonmedical facilities
under the jurisdiction or for the use of the Department
which are necessary because of loss or damage caused by
any natural disaster or catastrophe; and (2) temporary
measures necessary to prevent or to minimize further loss
by such causes.
PARKING REVOLVING FUND
For the parking revolving fund as authorized by 38
U.S.C. 8109, income from fees collected, to remain available
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until expended, which shall be available for all authorized
expenses except operations and maintenance costs, which
will be funded from ‘‘Medical care’’.
GRANTS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF STATE EXTENDED CARE
FACILITIES
For grants to assist States to acquire or construct
State nursing home and domiciliary facilities and to re-
model, modify or alter existing hospital, nursing home and
domiciliary facilities in State homes, for furnishing care
to veterans as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 8131–8137,
$90,000,000, to remain available until expended.
GRANTS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF STATE VETERANS
CEMETERIES
For grants to aid States in establishing, expanding,
or improving State veteran cemeteries as authorized by 38
U.S.C. 2408, $25,000,000, to remain available until ex-
pended.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
SEC. 101. Any appropriation for fiscal year 2000 for
‘‘Compensation and pensions’’, ‘‘Readjustment benefits’’,
and ‘‘Veterans insurance and indemnities’’ may be trans-
ferred to any other of the mentioned appropriations.
SEC. 102. Appropriations available to the Department
of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2000 for salaries and ex-
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penses shall be available for services authorized by 5 U.S.C.
3109.
SEC. 103. No appropriations in this Act for the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs (except the appropriations for
‘‘Construction, major projects’’, ‘‘Construction, minor
projects’’, and the ‘‘Parking revolving fund’’) shall be avail-
able for the purchase of any site for or toward the construc-
tion of any new hospital or home.
SEC. 104. No appropriations in this Act for the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs shall be available for hos-
pitalization or examination of any persons (except bene-
ficiaries entitled under the laws bestowing such benefits to
veterans, and persons receiving such treatment under 5
U.S.C. 7901–7904 or 42 U.S.C. 5141–5204), unless reim-
bursement of cost is made to the ‘‘Medical care’’ account
at such rates as may be fixed by the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs.
SEC. 105. Appropriations available to the Department
of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2000 for ‘‘Compensation
and pensions’’, ‘‘Readjustment benefits’’, and ‘‘Veterans in-
surance and indemnities’’ shall be available for payment
of prior year accrued obligations required to be recorded
by law against the corresponding prior year accounts with-
in the last quarter of fiscal year 1999.
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SEC. 106. Appropriations accounts available to the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2000 shall be
available to pay prior year obligations of corresponding
prior year appropriations accounts resulting from title X
of the Competitive Equality Banking Act, Public Law 100–
86, except that if such obligations are from trust fund ac-
counts they shall be payable from ‘‘Compensation and pen-
sions’’.
SEC. 107. Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
during fiscal year 2000, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall, from the National Service Life Insurance Fund (38
U.S.C. 1920), the Veterans’ Special Life Insurance Fund
(38 U.S.C. 1923), and the United States Government Life
Insurance Fund (38 U.S.C. 1955), reimburse the ‘‘General
operating expenses’’ account for the cost of administration
of the insurance programs financed through those accounts:
Provided, That reimbursement shall be made only from the
surplus earnings accumulated in an insurance program in
fiscal year 2000, that are available for dividends in that
program after claims have been paid and actuarially deter-
mined reserves have been set aside: Provided further, That
if the cost of administration of an insurance program ex-
ceeds the amount of surplus earnings accumulated in that
program, reimbursement shall be made only to the extent
of such surplus earnings: Provided further, That the Sec-
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retary shall determine the cost of administration for fiscal
year 2000, which is properly allocable to the provision of
each insurance program and to the provision of any total
disability income insurance included in such insurance
program.
SEC. 108. (a) SENSE OF SENATE.—It is the sense of
the Senate that it should be the goal of the Department of
Veterans Affairs to serve all veterans equitably at health
care facilities in urban and rural areas.
(b) REPORT REQUIRED.—(1) Not later than six
months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees
on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the House of Rep-
resentatives a report on the impact of the allocation of funds
under the Veterans Equitable Resource Allocation (VERA)
funding formula on the rural subregions of the health care
system administered by the Veterans Health Administra-
tion.
(2) The report shall include the following:
(A) An assessment of impact of the allocation of
funds under the VERA formula on—
(i) travel times to veterans health care in
rural areas;
(ii) waiting periods for appointments for
veterans health care in rural areas;
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(iii) the cost associated with additional
community-based outpatient clinics;
(iv) transportation costs; and
(v) the unique challenges that Department
of Veterans Affairs medical centers in rural, low-
population subregions face in attempting to in-
crease efficiency without large economies of scale.
(B) The recommendations of the Secretary, if
any, on how rural veterans’ access to health care serv-
ices might be enhanced.
SEC. 109. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
Act, none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available in this Act for the Medical Care appropriation
of the Department of Veterans Affairs may be obligated for
the realignment of the health care delivery system in VISN
12 until 60 days after the Secretary of Veterans Affairs cer-
tifies that the Department has (1) consulted with veterans
organizations, medical school affiliates, employee represent-
atives, State veterans and health associations, and other in-
terested parties with respect to the realignment plan to be
implemented, and (2) made available to the Congress and
the public information from the consultations regarding
possible impacts on the accessibility of veterans health care
services to affected veterans.