Union Calendar No. 171
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2684
[Report No. 106–286]
A BILL
Making appropriations for the Departments of Vet-
erans Affairs and Housing and Urban Develop-
ment, and for sundry independent agencies,
boards, commissions, corporations, and offices
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2000,
and for other purposes.
AUGUST 3, 1999
Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
IB
Union Calendar No. 171
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2684
[Report No. 106–286]
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 ending Sep-
tember 30, 2000, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AUGUST 3, 1999
Mr. WALSH, from the Committee on Appropriations, reported the following
bill; which was committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
A BILL
Making appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Af-
fairs and Housing and Urban Development, and for sun-
dry independent agencies, boards, commissions, corpora-
tions, and offices for the fiscal year ending September
30, 2000, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
That the following sums are appropriated, out of any
money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the
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Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban
Development, and for sundry independent agencies,
boards, commissions, corporations, and offices for the fis-
cal year ending September 30, 2000, and for other pur-
poses, namely:
TITLE I—DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION
COMPENSATION AND PENSIONS
(INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)
For the payment of compensation benefits to or on
behalf of veterans and a pilot program for disability ex-
aminations 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, 51, 53, 55, and 61; 92 Stat. 2508); and bur-
ial benefits, emergency and other officers’ retirement pay,
adjusted-service credits and certificates, payment of pre-
miums due on commercial life insurance policies guaran-
teed 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: Provided, That not to exceed $17,932,000
of the amount appropriated shall be reimbursed to ‘‘Gen-
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eral operating expenses’’ and ‘‘Medical care’’ for necessary
expenses in implementing those provisions authorized in
the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation 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 specifi-
cally provided as the ‘‘Compensation and pensions’’ appro-
priation: Provided further, That such sums as may be
earned on an actual qualifying patient basis, shall be reim-
bursed to ‘‘Medical facilities revolving 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
U.S.C. chapters 21, 30, 31, 34, 35, 36, 39, 51, 53, 55,
and 61, $1,469,000,000, to remain available until ex-
pended: 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
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Stat. 487, $28,670,000, to remain available until ex-
pended.
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: Pro-
vided, That such costs, including the cost of modifying
such loans, shall be as defined in section 502 of the Con-
gressional Budget Act of 1974, as amended: Provided fur-
ther, 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,
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, 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
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are available to subsidize gross obligations for the prin-
cipal 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 prin-
cipal 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
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 trans-
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ferred to and merged with the appropriation for ‘‘General
operating expenses’’.
VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
MEDICAL CARE
For necessary expenses for the maintenance and op-
eration of hospitals, nursing homes, and domiciliary facili-
ties; for furnishing, as authorized by law, inpatient and
outpatient care and treatment to beneficiaries of the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs, including care and treat-
ment in facilities not under the jurisdiction of the Depart-
ment; and furnishing recreational facilities, supplies, and
equipment; funeral, burial, and other expenses incidental
thereto for beneficiaries receiving care in the Department;
administrative expenses in support of planning, design,
project management, real property acquisition and disposi-
tion, construction and renovation of any facility under the
jurisdiction or for the use of the Department; oversight,
engineering and architectural activities not charged to
project cost; repairing, altering, improving or providing fa-
cilities in the several hospitals and homes under the juris-
diction of the Department, not otherwise provided for, ei-
ther by contract or by the hire of temporary employees
and purchase of materials; uniforms or allowances there-
for, as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 5901–5902; aid to State
homes as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 1741; administrative
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and legal expenses of the 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 re-
ferred to in 38 U.S.C. 8110(a)(5), $19,006,000,000, plus
reimbursements: Provided, That of the funds made avail-
able under this heading, $635,000,000 is for the equip-
ment and land and structures object classifications only,
which amount shall not become available for obligation
until August 1, 2000, and shall remain available until Sep-
tember 30, 2001.
In addition, in conformance with Public Law 105–
33 establishing the Department of Veterans Affairs Med-
ical Care Collections Fund, such sums as may be deposited
to such Fund pursuant to 38 U.S.C. 1729A may be trans-
ferred 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 au-
thorized by 38 U.S.C. chapter 73, to remain available until
September 30, 2001, $326,000,000, 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 activi-
ties, $61,200,000 plus reimbursements, to remain avail-
able until September 31, 2001: 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 dis-
posal activities directly supporting projects), shall be pro-
vided to Department of Veterans Affairs components only
on a reimbursable 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 trans-
ferred from the ‘‘General post fund’’: 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 prin-
cipal 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
Public 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
uniforms or allowances therefor; not to exceed $25,000 for
official reception and representation expenses; hire of pas-
senger motor vehicles; and reimbursement of the General
Services Administration for security guard services, and
the Department of Defense for the cost of overseas em-
ployee mail, $886,000,000 to remain available until Sep-
tember 30, 2001: Provided, That funds under this heading
shall be available to administer the Service Members Occu-
pational Conversion and Training Act.
NATIONAL CEMETERY ADMINISTRATION
For necessary expenses for the maintenance and op-
eration of the National Cemetery Administration, not oth-
erwise provided for, including uniforms or allowances
therefor; cemeterial expenses as authorized by law; pur-
chase of two passenger motor vehicles for use in cemeterial
operations; and hire of passenger motor vehicles,
$97,000,000.
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OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
For necessary expenses of the Office of Inspector
General in carrying out the Inspector General Act of 1978,
as amended, $38,500,000.
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 associated with equipment guarantees pro-
vided 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 previous major project appropriation,
$34,700,000, to remain available until expended: Pro-
vided, That except for advance planning of projects includ-
ing 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
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process: Provided further, That funds provided in this ap-
propriation for fiscal year 2000, for each approved 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 September 30,
2001: Provided further, That the Secretary shall promptly
report in writing to the Committees on Appropriations any
approved major construction project in which obligations
are not incurred within the time limitations established
above: Provided further, That no funds from any other ac-
count except the ‘‘Parking revolving fund’’, may be obli-
gated 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
completion and beneficial occupancy by the Department
of Veterans Affairs of the project or any part thereof with
respect to that part only.
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 plan-
ning, architectural and engineering services, maintenance
or guarantee period services costs associated with equip-
ment guarantees provided under the project, services of
claims analysts, offsite utility and storm drainage system
construction costs, and site acquisition, or for any of the
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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, $102,300,000, to remain avail-
able 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 be-
cause 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 avail-
able until expended, which shall be available for all author-
ized 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
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to veterans as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 8131–8137,
$80,000,000, 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, $11,000,000, 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 Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2000 for salaries
and expenses 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
available for the purchase of any site for or toward the
construction 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-
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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 re-
imbursement of cost is made to the ‘‘Medical care’’ ac-
count at such rates as may be fixed by the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs.
SEC. 105. Appropriations available to the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2000 for ‘‘Com-
pensation and pensions’’, ‘‘Readjustment benefits’’, and
‘‘Veterans insurance and indemnities’’ shall be available
for payment of prior year accrued obligations required to
be recorded by law against the corresponding prior year
accounts within the last quarter of fiscal year 1999.
SEC. 106. Appropriations accounts available to the
Department 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 accounts they shall be payable from ‘‘Compensation
and pensions’’.
SEC. 107. Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, during fiscal year 2000, the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs shall, from the National Service Life Insurance
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Fund (38 U.S.C. 1920), the Veterans’ Special Life Insur-
ance Fund (38 U.S.C. 1923), and the United States Gov-
ernment Life Insurance Fund (38 U.S.C. 1955), reim-
burse 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 determined reserves have been
set aside: Provided further, That if the cost of administra-
tion of an insurance program exceeds the amount of sur-
plus earnings accumulated in that program, reimburse-
ment shall be made only to the extent of such surplus
earnings: Provided further, That the Secretary shall deter-
mine the cost of administration for fiscal year 2000, which
is properly allocable to the provision of each insurance pro-
gram and to the provision of any total disability income
insurance included in such insurance program.
SEC. 108. Beginning in fiscal year 2000 and there-
after, funds available in any Department of Veterans Af-
fairs appropriation or fund for salaries and expenses shall
also be available to reimburse the Office of Resolution
Management and the Office of Employment Discrimina-
tion Complaint Adjudication for all services provided by
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such office at rates which will recover actual costs. Pay-
ments may be made in advance for services to be furnished
based on estimated costs. Amounts received shall be cred-
ited to the ‘‘General operating expenses’’ account for use
by the office that provided the service: Provided, That the
amounts listed in the House Report accompanying this
Act for each office and administration reimbursing the Of-
fice of Resolution Management and the Office of Employ-
ment Discrimination Complaint Adjudication for service
rendered shall not be exceeded.
SEC. 109. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may
carry out a major medical facility project to renovate and
construct facilities at the Olin E. Teague Department of
Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Temple, Texas, for a
joint venture Cardiovascular Institute, in an amount not
to exceed $11,500,000. In order to carry out that project,
the amount of $11,500,000 appropriated for fiscal year
1998 and programmed for the renovation of Building 9
at the Waco, Texas, Department of Veterans Affairs Med-
ical Center is hereby made available for that project.
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Of the amount made available under this heading,
$20,000,000 shall be available for the Economic Develop-
ment Initiative (EDI) to finance a variety of efforts.
Of the amount made available under this heading,
$20,000,000 shall be available for neighborhood initia-
tives.
For the cost of guaranteed loans, $25,000,000, as au-
thorized by section 108 of the Housing and Community
Development Act of 1974: Provided, That such costs, in-
cluding 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 total loan principal, any part of
which is to be guaranteed, not to exceed $1,087,000,000,
notwithstanding any aggregate limitation on outstanding
obligations guaranteed in section 108(k) of the Housing
and Community Development Act of 1974: Provided fur-
ther, That in addition, for administrative expenses to carry
out the guaranteed loan program, $1,000,000, which shall
be transferred to and merged with the appropriation for
‘‘Salaries and expenses’’.
BROWNFIELDS REDEVELOPMENT
For Economic Development Grants, as authorized by
section 108(q) of the Housing and Community Develop-
ment Act of 1974, as amended, for Brownfields redevelop-
ment projects, $20,000,000, to remain available until ex-