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PROBLEM: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Mortgage Fairness Act''.

SEC. 2. COMMUNITY SUPPORT OBLIGATIONS OF MORTGAGE BANKS.

    (a) In General.--Each mortgage bank shall have an ongoing 
responsibility to meet the credit needs of all the communities in which 
such bank makes a significant number of extensions of credit or extends 
a significant amount of credit, including extensions of credit in low- 
and moderate-income neighborhoods of such communities.
    (b) Definitions.--For purposes of this Act, the following 
definitions shall apply:
            (1) Mortgage bank.--The term ``mortgage bank'' means any 
        lender who does not accept deposits and originates housing 
        related loans.
            (2) Office.--The term ``Office'' means the Office of 
        Mortgage Bank and Insurance Supervision established by the 
        Secretary of Housing and Urban Development pursuant to section 
        3.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Housing and Urban Development.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE OF MORTGAGE BANK AND INSURANCE 
              SUPERVISION.

    The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall establish 
within the Department of Housing and Urban Development an office to be 
known as the Office of Mortgage Bank and Insurance Supervision to 
evaluate the community support performance of mortgage banks and 
mortgage insurance companies.

SEC. 4. MORTGAGE BANK COMMUNITY SUPPORT STATEMENTS.

    (a) In General.--The Office shall, on a biennial basis, require 
each mortgage bank to submit to the Office a community support 
statement, detailing the efforts of such bank at meeting the housing 
credit needs of each community in which the bank makes a significant 
number of extensions of credit or extends a significant amount of 
credit, including extensions of credit in low- and moderate-income 
neighborhoods of such communities.
    (b) Contents.--The statement submitted by each mortgage bank under 
subsection (a) shall include--
            (1) the data required to be maintained and disclosed by the 
        lender under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act of 1975 for the 
        previous 2 years, in a format which the Office shall establish;
            (2) underwriting criteria employed by the bank for all of 
        the bank's housing loan products;
            (3) descriptions of any activity the bank has undertaken 
        over the period under review to ascertain and meet identified 
        credit needs in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods within 
        communities in which the bank makes a significant number of 
        extensions of credit or extends a significant amount of credit, 
        including any partnerships formed with community-based 
        organizations, nonprofit developers of affordable housing, or 
        agencies of State or local government;
            (4) details of any findings of technical or substantive 
        violations of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act or the Fair 
        Housing Act, and any settlements or judgments arising from any 
        such findings; and
            (5) any other information the Office may require.

SEC. 5. MORTGAGE BANK COMMUNITY SUPPORT EVALUATION.

    The Office shall determine whether a mortgage bank is maintaining 
an adequate community support performance, based on--
            (1) community support performance statements received from 
        mortgage banks;
            (2) an analysis of the data required to be maintained and 
        disclosed by the lender under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act 
        of 1975 for the previous 2 years with respect to metropolitan 
        statistical areas in which the bank originates a significant 
        number of home loans, which shall emphasize--
                    (A) the institution's market share in neighborhoods 
                of different racial and income characteristics;
                    (B) the number of applications received from 
                minorities and low- and moderate-income persons; and
                    (C) the rate at which the institutions rejects 
                applications from minority and white applicants;
            (3) any evidence of illegal discriminatory credit 
        practices, including prescreening, or offering less favorable 
        loan products to applicants of different racial backgrounds; 
        and
            (4) public comment, which shall be received by the agency 
        for not less than 90 days after the Office actively solicits 
        comment solicitations of comment through notice in the Federal 
        Register and regular communications with community based 
        organizations.

SEC. 6. PENALTIES FOR FINDING OF INADEQUATE COMMUNITY SUPPORT 
              PERFORMANCE BY MORTGAGE BANKS.

    (a) Remedial Action.--If the Secretary finds that a mortgage bank 
is maintaining an inadequate level of community support, the Secretary 
may issue an order--
            (1) requiring the bank to file a community support action 
        plan with the Office not more than 90 days after the finding, 
        which shall include concrete goals and timetables for 
        correcting identified deficiencies; and
            (2) prohibiting the bank from using any program or product 
        administered by the Secretary until all identified deficiencies 
        are met.
    (b) Cease and Desist Orders.--
            (1) Issuance of order.--
                    (A) In general.--If the Secretary determines that 
                there is reasonable cause to believe that a mortgage 
                bank is violating, has violated, or is about to violate 
                an order under subsection (a) or a community support 
                action plan filed pursuant to such an order, the 
                Secretary may issue an order requiring the mortgage 
                bank to--
                            (i) cease and desist from any such 
                        violation; and
                            (ii) take such affirmative action to 
                        prevent the occurrence or the continuance of 
                        such violation as the Secretary determines to 
                        be appropriate.
                    (B) Notice of charges.--An order issued under this 
                paragraph shall include a notice of the charges on 
                which the order is based and a statement of the facts 
                constituting the alleged violation.
                    (C) Effective period.--An order issued under this 
                paragraph shall--
                            (i) become effective upon service to the 
                        mortgagee; and
                            (ii) remain effective and enforceable 
                        pursuant to the terms of the order unless 
                        modified or rescinded by the Secretary or 
                        pursuant to an order of a court under paragraph 
                        (3) or in connection with the court's review of 
                        any administrative proceedings with respect to 
                        the order issued under this subsection.
            (2) Hearing.--Any mortgage bank which receives an order 
        under paragraph (1) shall be afforded an opportunity for a 
        hearing on the record by the Secretary as soon as practicable 
        but not later than 20 days after the order has been served.
            (3) Judicial hearing.--Within 10 days after a mortgage bank 
        has been served with a cease-and-desist order under this 
        subsection, the bank may apply to the United States district 
        court for the judicial district in which the home office of the 
        bank is located, or the United States District Court for the 
        District of Columbia, for an injunction setting aside, 
        limiting, or suspending the enforcement, operation, or 
        effectiveness of such order pending the completion of the 
        administrative proceedings pursuant to the notice of charges 
        served upon the bank, and such court shall have jurisdiction to 
        issue such injunction.
            (4) Judicial enforcement.--The Secretary may apply to the 
        United States district court, or the United States court of any 
        territory, within the jurisdiction of which the home office of 
        the mortgagee is located, for an injunction to enforce any 
        effective and outstanding order issued under this subsection 
        and, if the court determines that there has been a violation or 
        threatened violation of such order, the court shall issue such 
        injunction.
    (c) Civil Money Penalty.--
            (1) Imposition of penalty.--
                    (A) In general.--The Secretary may impose a civil 
                money penalty on any mortgage bank, and any director, 
                officer or employee of a mortgage bank, who violates 
                any order issued under subsection (a) or (b).
                    (B) Amount of penalty.--The amount of the penalty, 
                as determined by the Secretary, may not exceed--
                            (i) in the case of a violation of an order 
                        issued under subsection (a), $10,000 for each 
                        month during which such violation occurs; and
                            (ii) in the case of a violation of an order 
                        issued under subsection (b), $10,000 for each 
                        day during which such violation continues.
                    (C) Notification to attorney general.--Before 
                taking action to impose a civil money penalty for a 
                violation under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall 
                inform the Attorney General of the United States.
            (2) Assessment.--
                    (A) Written notice.--Any penalty imposed under 
                paragraph (1) may be assessed and collected by the 
                Secretary by written notice.
                    (B) Finality of assessment.--If, with respect to 
                any assessment under subparagraph (A), a hearing is not 
                requested pursuant to paragraph (5) within the period 
                of time allowed under such paragraph, the assessment 
                shall constitute a final and unappealable order.
            (3) Authority to modify or remit penalty.--The Secretary 
        may compromise, modify, or remit any penalty which the 
        Secretary may assess or already has assessed under paragraph 
        (1).
            (4) Mitigating factors.--In determining the amount of a 
        penalty under paragraph (1) with respect to any person, the 
        Secretary shall take into account the appropriateness of the 
        penalty with respect to--
                    (A) the gravity of the offense;
                    (B) any history of previous violations by the 
                person;
                    (C) the ability of the person to pay the penalty;
                    (D) injury to the public;
                    (E) benefits received by the person as a result of 
                the violation;
                    (F) the deterrent effect of the penalty on future 
                violations by such person and other persons; and
                    (G) such other factors as the Secretary may 
                determine in regulations to be appropriate.
            (5) Hearing.--The person against whom a civil money penalty 
        is assessed under paragraph (1) shall be afforded an 
        opportunity for a hearing on the record, if such person submits 
        a request for such hearing within 20 days after the issuance of 
        the notice of the assessment.
            (6) Collection.--
                    (A) Referral.--If any person fails to pay an 
                assessment after any penalty assessed under this 
                subsection has become final, the Secretary shall notify 
                the Attorney General who shall recover the amount 
                assessed in the appropriate United States district 
                court.
                    (B) Appropriateness of penalty not reviewable.--In 
                any civil action under subparagraph (A), the validity 
                and appropriateness of the penalty shall not be subject 
                to review.
            (7) Disbursement.--All penalties collected pursuant to this 
        subsection shall be deposited into the Treasury of the United 
        States.
            (8) Agency procedures--The Secretary shall, by regulation, 
        establish standards and procedures for carrying out this 
        subsection.

SEC. 7. COMMUNITY SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS FOR MORTGAGE INSURANCE 
              COMPANIES.

    (a) In General.--Each mortgage insurance company shall--
            (1) report to the Office the number and total dollar amount 
        of each mortgage insurance policy written by the company, by 
        census tract, the race, gender, and income of applicants for 
        mortgage insurance, and the disposition of each application for 
        mortgage insurance;
            (2) demonstrate to the Secretary adequate support for 
        community credit needs; and
            (3) make public to any person the underwriting criteria for 
        any mortgage insurance the company offers.
    (b) 2-Year Reporting Requirement.--At least once during each 2-year 
period beginning after the date of enactment of this Act, each mortgage 
insurance company shall submit a report to the Office containing the 
following information:
            (1) Adequacy of availability of mortgage insurance.--The 
        extent to which adequate mortgage insurance is available in 
        low- and moderate-income and minority neighborhoods within 
        areas in which the company writes a significant number of 
        mortgage insurance policies.
            (2) Underwriting guidelines.--The extent to which 
        underwriting guidelines used by the company do not unreasonably 
        restrict access to low- and moderate-income families within 
        areas in which the company writes a significant number of 
        mortgage insurance policies.
    (c) Duties of the Office.--The Office shall conduct biennial 
community support reviews of mortgage insurance companies including 
analysis of the following:
            (1) The data collected by the Agency on the distribution of 
        the mortgage insurance company's policies by census tract and 
        data on the disparate treatment of applicants for mortgage 
        insurance based on the applicants' race, gender, and income.
            (2) The underwriting criteria employed by the company and 
        the extent to which such criteria do not unreasonably restrict 
        access to credit for low- and moderate-income and minority 
        persons or neighborhoods.
            (3) Community support statements received from the mortgage 
        insurance company.
            (4) Any other information the Secretary may require 
        mortgage insurance companies to submit.
            (5) Any comments received from the public on the community 
        support performance of the mortgage insurance company during 
        the period covered by the review under this paragraph.
    (d) Duties of the Secretary.--The Secretary shall--
            (1) solicit and accept public comment for no fewer than 90 
        days before issuing a finding in connection with the review of 
        a mortgage insurance company under subsection (c)(2); and
            (2) review the community support performance of each 
        mortgage insurance company and determine whether the company is 
        providing an adequate level of community support in the areas 
        in which such company writes a significant number of mortgage 
        insurance policies.
    (e) Performance Statement.--If, after reviewing any evidence, the 
Secretary concludes that a mortgage insurance company is not meeting 
the requirements of this section, the Secretary may require such 
company to submit a statement indicating how the company expects to 
improve its record of providing community support.

SOLUTION: Mortgage Fairness Act - Requires each mortgage bank to meet the credit needs of all communities in which it makes a significant number of extensions of credit or extends a significant amount of credit, including extensions of credit in low- and moderate-income communities. 
(Sec. 3) Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to establish within HUD the Office of Mortgage Bank and Insurance Supervision. 
(Sec. 4) Directs the Office, on a biennial basis, to require each mortgage bank to submit to it a community support statement detailing the bank's efforts at meeting the housing credit needs of the above- referenced communities. 
(Sec. 5) Directs the Office to determine whether a mortgage bank is maintaining an adequate community support performance based on specified criteria. 
(Sec. 6) Sets forth certain penalties against a mortgage bank that has been found to be maintaining an inadequate level of community support. 
(Sec. 7) Requires each mortgage insurance company to: (1) report to the Office the total number and total dollar amount of each mortgage insurance policy written by it, by census tract, the race, gender, and income of applicants for mortgage insurance, and the disposition of each application for such insurance; (2) demonstrate to the Secretary adequate support for community credit needs; and (3) make public to any person the underwriting criteria for any mortgage insurance the company offers. 
Requires the Office to conduct biennial community support reviews of mortgage insurance companies.  Authorizes the Secretary to require a mortgage insurance company to submit a statement indicating how it expects to improve its record of providing community support whenever the Secretary concludes that such company is not meeting the requirements of this section.

PROBLEM: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Expanding Access to Medical Records 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FULL ACCESS TO MEDICARE INFORMATION BY THE AUTHORIZED 
              REPRESENTATIVE OF A DECEASED BENEFICIARY.

    (a) In General.--Title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
section:

``full access to medicare information by the authorized representative 
                       of a deceased beneficiary

    ``Sec. 1899.  (a) In General.--In the case of the death of an 
individual entitled to, or enrolled for, benefits under part A or 
enrolled for benefits under part B, the Secretary shall--
            ``(1) make available to the authorized representative of 
        the individual all information concerning the individual's 
        benefits under this title, including--
                    ``(A) the coverage and status of such benefits (as 
                of the day before the individual's death); and
                    ``(B) billing, claims, and payment information 
                regarding items and services furnished to the 
                individual under this title (on or before such day); 
                and
            ``(2) provide such authorized representative access to any 
        source of information maintained by the Federal government with 
        respect to such benefits, including online databases, that the 
        individual had access to during his or her lifetime.
    ``(b) Definition of Authorized Representative; Special Rules.--
            ``(1) In general.--In this section, the term `authorized 
        representative' means an executor, administrator, or other 
        individual who has authority to act on the deceased 
        individual's behalf (as determined by the Secretary under 
        paragraph (2)).
            ``(2) Determination of authorized representative.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall establish 
                procedures under which the Secretary determines whether 
                an individual is an authorized representative of the 
                deceased individual. Under such procedures, the 
                individual seeking such determination shall provide 
                evidence (in such form and such manner as specified by 
                the Secretary) of the individual's legal authority to 
                act on behalf of the deceased individual.
                    ``(B) Timeline for determination.--The Secretary 
                shall make a determination under subparagraph (A) not 
                later than 30 days after receipt of the evidence 
                described in such subparagraph.
            ``(3) Notification and access to information.--After making 
        a determination under paragraph (2) with respect to an 
        individual, the Secretary shall--
                    ``(A) notify the individual of the determination 
                not later than 7 days after the date on which the 
                determination is made; and
                    ``(B) in the case where such individual is so 
                determined to be the authorized representative of the 
                deceased individual, as soon as practicable--
                            ``(i) make available to the authorized 
                        representative the information described in 
                        paragraph (1) of subsection (a); and
                            ``(ii) provide the authorized 
                        representative access to the sources described 
                        in paragraph (2) of such subsection.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by this section shall take 
effect on the date that is 60 days after the date of enactment of this 
Act.

SEC. 3. FULL ACCESS TO MEDICAID INFORMATION BY THE AUTHORIZED 
              REPRESENTATIVE OF A DECEASED BENEFICIARY.

    (a) In General.--Title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1396 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
section:

``full access to medicaid information by the authorized representative 
                       of a deceased beneficiary

    ``Sec. 1943.  (a) In General.--In the case of the death of an 
individual enrolled under the State plan for medical assistance or 
under a waiver of such plan, the State Medicaid agency shall--
            ``(1) make available to the authorized representative of 
        the individual all information concerning the individual's 
        benefits under this title, including--
                    ``(A) the coverage and status of such benefits (as 
                of the day before the individual's death); and
                    ``(B) billing, claims, and payment information 
                regarding items and services furnished to the 
                individual under this title (on or before such day); 
                and
            ``(2) provide such authorized representative access to any 
        source of information maintained by the State with respect to 
        such benefits, including online databases, that the individual 
        had access to during his or her lifetime.
    ``(b) Definition of Authorized Representative; Special Rules.--
            ``(1) In this section, the term `authorized representative' 
        means an executor, administrator, or other individual who has 
        authority to act on the deceased individual's behalf (as 
        determined by the State Medicaid agency under paragraph (2)).
            ``(2) Determination of authorized representative.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The State Medicaid agency shall 
                establish procedures under which such agency determines 
                whether an individual qualifies as an authorized 
                representative of the deceased individual. Under such 
                procedures, the individual seeking such a determination 
                shall provide evidence (in such form and such manner as 
                specified by the State Medicaid Agency) of the 
                individual's legal authority to act on behalf of the 
                deceased individual.
                    ``(B) Timeline for determination.--The State 
                Medicaid agency shall make a determination under 
                subparagraph (A) not later than 30 days after receipt 
                of the evidence described in such subparagraph.
            ``(3) Notification and access to information.--After making 
        a determination under paragraph (2) with respect to an 
        individual, the State Medicaid Agency shall--
                    ``(A) notify the individual of the determination 
                not later than 7 days after the date on which the 
                determination is made; and
                    ``(B) in the case where such individual is so 
                determined to be the authorized representative of the 
                deceased individual, as soon as practicable--
                            ``(i) make available to the authorized 
                        representative the information described in 
                        paragraph (1) of subsection (a); and
                            ``(ii) provide the authorized 
                        representative access to the sources described 
                        in paragraph (2) of such subsection.
    ``(c) Definition of State Medicaid Agency.--The term `State 
Medicaid agency' means the State agency responsible for administering 
the State plan established under this title or any waiver of such 
plan.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
        amendment made by this section shall take effect on the date 
        that is 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
            (2) Extension of effective date for state law amendment.--
        In the case of a State plan under this title which the 
        Secretary of Health and Human Services determines requires 
        State legislation in order for the plan to meet the additional 
        requirements imposed by the amendment made by subsection (a), 
        the State plan shall not be regarded as failing to comply with 
        the requirements of such title solely on the basis of its 
        failure to meet these additional requirements before the first 
        day of the first calendar quarter beginning after the close of 
        the first regular session of the State legislature that begins 
        after the date of the enactment of this Act. For purposes of 
        the previous sentence, in the case of a State that has a 2-year 
        legislative session, each year of the session is considered to 
        be a separate regular session of the State legislature.

SOLUTION: Expanding Access to Medical Records Act - Amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) grant the authorized representative of a deceased beneficiary full access to information with respect to the deceased beneficiary's benefits under the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

PROBLEM: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Comprehensive Hepatitis C 
Health Care Act''.

SEC. 2. COMPREHENSIVE HEPATITIS C HEALTH CARE TESTING AND TREATMENT 
              PROGRAM FOR VETERANS.

    (a) In General.--(1) Chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after section 1720E the following new section:
``Sec. 1720F. Hepatitis C testing and treatment
    ``(a) Initial Testing.--(1) During the one-year period beginning on 
the date of the enactment of the Veterans Comprehensive Hepatitis C 
Health Care Act, the Secretary shall provide a blood test for the 
Hepatitis C virus to--
            ``(A) each veteran who served in the active military, 
        naval, or air service during the Vietnam era or who is 
        considered to be `at risk,' and is enrolled to receive care 
        under section 1710 of this title who requests the test or is 
        otherwise receiving a physical examination or any care or 
        treatment from the Secretary; and
            ``(B) to any other veteran who requests the test.
    ``(2) After the end of the period referred to in paragraph (1), the 
Secretary shall provide a blood test for the Hepatitis C virus to any 
veteran who requests the test.
    ``(b) Followup Testing and Treatment.--In the case of any veteran 
who tests positive for the Hepatitis C virus, the Secretary--
            ``(1) shall provide such followup tests as are considered 
        medically appropriate; and
            ``(2) shall provide appropriate treatment for that veteran 
        in accordance with the national protocol for the treatment of 
        Hepatitis C.
    ``(c) Status of Care.--(1) Treatment shall be provided under 
subsection (b) without regard to whether the Hepatitis C virus is 
determined to be service-connected and without regard to priority group 
categorization of the veteran. No copayment may be charged for 
treatment under subsection (b), and no third-party reimbursement may be 
sought or accepted, under section 1729 of this title or any other 
provision of law, for testing or treatment under subsection (a) or (b).
    ``(2) Paragraph (1) shall cease to be in effect upon the effective 
date of a determination by the Secretary or by Congress that the 
occurrence of the Hepatitis C virus in specified veterans shall be 
presumed to be service-connected.
    ``(d) Staffing.--(1) The Secretary shall require that each 
Department medical center employ at least one full-time 
gastroenterologist, hepatologist, or other qualified physician to 
provide tests and treatment for the Hepatitis C virus under this 
section.
    ``(2) The Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, ensure that 
each Department medical center has at least one staff member assigned 
to work, in coordination with Hepatitis C medical personnel, to 
coordinate treatment options for Hepatitis C patients and provide 
information and counseling for those patients and their families. Such 
a staff member should preferably be trained in psychology or psychiatry 
or be a social worker.
    ``(3) In order to improve treatment provided to veterans with the 
Hepatitis C virus, the Secretary shall provide increased training 
options to Department health care personnel.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
1720E the following new item:

``1720F. Hepatitis C testing and treatment.''.

SEC. 3. FUNDING FOR HEPATITIS C PROGRAMS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
              AFFAIRS.

    (a) Program Account.--Beginning with fiscal year 2004, amounts 
appropriated for the Department of Veterans Affairs for Hepatitis C 
detection and treatment shall be provided, within the ``Medical Care'' 
account, through the ``Specific Purpose'' subaccount, rather than the 
``VERA'' subaccount.
    (b) Allocation of Funds to VISNs.--In allocating funds appropriated 
for the Department of Veterans Affairs for the ``Medical Care'' account 
to the Veterans Integrated Service Networks, the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall allocate funds for detection and treatment of the 
Hepatitis C virus based upon incidence rates of that virus among 
veterans (rather than based upon the overall population of veterans) in 
each such network.
    (c) Limitation on Use of Funds.--Amounts appropriated for the 
Department of Veterans Affairs for Hepatitis C detection and treatment 
through the ``Specific Purpose'' subaccount may not be used for any 
other purpose.

SEC. 4. NATIONAL POLICY.

    (a) Standardized Nationwide Policy.--The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall develop and implement a standardized policy to be applied 
throughout the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system with 
respect to the Hepatitis C virus. The policy shall include the testing 
protocol for the Hepatitis C virus, treatment options, education and 
notification efforts, and establishment of a specific Hepatitis C 
diagnosis code for measurement and treatment purposes.
    (b) Outreach.--The Secretary shall, on an annual basis, take 
appropriate actions to notify veterans who have not been tested for the 
Hepatitis C virus of the need for such testing and the availability of 
such testing from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

SEC. 5. HEPATITIS C CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
establish at least one, and not more than three, additional Hepatitis C 
centers of excellence or additional sites at which activities of 
Hepatitis C centers of excellence are carried out. Each such additional 
center or site shall be established at a Department of Veterans Affairs 
medical center in one of the five geographic service areas (known as a 
Veterans Integrated Service Network) with the highest case rate of 
Hepatitis C in fiscal year 1999.
    (b) Funding.--Funding for the centers or sites established under 
subsection (a) shall be provided from amounts available to the Central 
Office of the Department of Veterans Affairs and shall be in addition 
to amounts allocated for Hepatitis C pursuant to section 3.

SOLUTION:
Veterans Comprehensive Hepatitis C Health Care Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, during the first year after the enactment of this Act, to provide a blood test for the Hepatitis C virus to: (1) each veteran who served on active military duty during the Vietnam era, or who is considered to be "at risk," and who is enrolled to receive veterans' medical care and requests such care or is otherwise receiving a physical examination or any other care or treatment from the Secretary; and (2) any other veteran who requests such test. Requires the Secretary, after such period, to provide such test to any veteran who requests it. Requires the Secretary to provide followup tests and appropriate treatment for any veteran who tests positive. Prohibits a copayment from being charged for such treatment.Provides funding for Department Hepatitis C detection and treatment programs, beginning with FY 2004.Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop and implement a standardized Department policy with respect to such virus; and (2) annually take appropriate outreach actions to notify untested veterans.Directs the Secretary to establish at least one and no more than three additional Hepatitis C centers of excellence within the Department health care network. Provides funding.