In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.

[Q]: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Health Care Access Received 
Closer to Home Act of 2014''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) veterans who are authorized by the Secretary of 
        Veterans Affairs to receive health care in the community must 
        not lose the high quality, safety, care coordination, and other 
        veteran-centric elements that the health care system of the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs provides;
            (2) many veterans receive health care from both the 
        Department and community providers but the lack of care 
        coordination among the Department and community providers when 
        veterans receive purchased care places veterans at risk for 
        poor health outcomes and results in inefficient use of finite 
        health care resources;
            (3) veteran-centric care coordination is associated with 
        improved patient outcomes, as Department and non-Department 
        health care teams coordinate and collaborate to provide the 
        best care for veterans; and
            (4) if the Secretary purchases care for veterans from the 
        private sector, such care must be secured in a cost-effective 
        manner, in a way that complements the larger health care system 
        of the Department by using industry standards for care and 
        costs.

SEC. 3. REAUTHORIZATION AND MODIFICATION OF PILOT PROGRAM OF ENHANCED 
              CONTRACT CARE AUTHORITY FOR HEALTH CARE NEEDS OF 
              VETERANS.

    Section 403 of the Veterans' Mental Health and Other Care 
Improvements Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-387; 38 U.S.C. 1703 note) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``120 days after 
                the date of the enactment of this Act'' and inserting 
                ``90 days after the date of the enactment of the 
                Veterans Health Care Access Received Closer to Home Act 
                of 2014''; and
                    (B) by amending paragraph (4) to read as follows:
            ``(4) Program locations.--The Secretary shall carry out the 
        pilot program at locations in the following Veterans Integrated 
        Service Networks (and such other locations as the Secretary 
        considers appropriate):
                    ``(A) Veterans Integrated Service Network 1.
                    ``(B) Veterans Integrated Service Network 6.
                    ``(C) Veterans Integrated Service Network 15.
                    ``(D) Veterans Integrated Service Network 18.
                    ``(E) Veterans Integrated Service Network 19.'';
            (2) by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:
    ``(b) Covered Veterans.--For purposes of the pilot program under 
this section, a covered veteran is any rural or highly rural veteran 
who--
            ``(1) is--
                    ``(A) enrolled in the system of patient enrollment 
                established under section 1705(a) of title 38, United 
                States Code;
                    ``(B) eligible for health care under the laws 
                administered by the Secretary and enrolls in such 
                system of patient enrollment not later than 30 days 
                after the veteran begins receiving covered health 
                services under the pilot program; or
                    ``(C) eligible for health care under section 
                1710(e)(3) of such title; and
            ``(2) resides in a location that is--
                    ``(A) more than 60 minutes driving distance from 
                the nearest Department health care facility providing 
                primary care services, if the veteran is seeking such 
                services;
                    ``(B) more than 120 minutes driving distance from 
                the nearest Department health care facility providing 
                acute hospital care, if the veteran is seeking such 
                care; or
                    ``(C) more than 240 minutes driving distance from 
                the nearest Department health care facility providing 
                tertiary care, if the veteran is seeking such care.'';
            (3) by redesignating subsection (h) as subsection (j);
            (4) by inserting after subsection (g) the following new 
        subsections:
    ``(h) Appointments.--In carrying out the pilot program under this 
section, the Secretary shall ensure that medical appointments for 
veterans occur during the 30-day period beginning on the date that is 
15 days after the date on which the appointment is requested.
    ``(i) Outreach.--The Secretary shall ensure that a veteran eligible 
for the pilot program under this section is informed of such 
program.''; and
            (5) in paragraph (2)(B) of subsection (j), as redesignated 
        by paragraph (3) of this section, by striking the semicolon at 
        the end and inserting ``; and''.
[A]: Veterans Health Care Access Received Closer to Home Act of 2014 - Expresses the sense of Congress in support of veteran-centric health care coordination between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and community providers, as well as cost-effective VA purchase of veterans' care from the private sector. Amends the Veterans' Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act of 2008 to reauthorize a VA pilot program of contract care authority within specified Veterans Integrated Service Networks for the health care needs of veterans in highly rural areas who are enrolled in the VA annual patient enrollment system. Requires: (1) that medical appointments for veterans, under the pilot program, occur during the 30-day period beginning on the date that is 15 days after the appointment is requested, and (2) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that eligible veterans are informed of the program.


[Q]: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Center for Excellence in 
Research and Development Act of 1996''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Due to the end of the Cold War, the United States has 
        not recently conducted underground nuclear testing at the 
        Department of Energy facility known as the Nevada Test Site, 
        Nevada, and the United States does not plan to conduct such 
        testing in the foreseeable future.
            (2) Because the world political situation is ever-changing 
        and dangerous, it is imperative that the United States remain 
        strong militarily and continue to be a nuclear superpower.
            (3) It is imperative that portions of the Nevada Test Site 
        be maintained in a full state of readiness to ensure the 
        capability of the nuclear arsenal of the United States.
            (4) The Nevada Test Site is in a beneficial location for 
        activities suitable for research and development of emerging 
        technologies that will be important to the United States in the 
        21st century.
            (5) Technology development carried out at the Nevada Test 
        Site should include both private-sector and military projects.
            (6) The Nevada Test Site can support the stewardship of the 
        Nation's nuclear weapons stockpile, the nonproliferation of 
        nuclear weapons, and the technological competitiveness of the 
        United States by providing the environment for nuclear and non-
        nuclear test and demonstration experiments and projects for 
        government, industry, and academia.
            (7) The Nevada Test Site can provide the infrastructure to 
        support industrial and civilian tests of environmentally 
        demanding projects and programs in addition to maintaining its 
        readiness capability in support of the nuclear arsenal.
            (8) The Nevada Test Site can support the testing and 
        demonstration of environmental clean-up technologies by 
        government and industry.
            (9) The Nevada Test Site can support the testing of 
        alternative and renewable energy sources for environmentally 
        clean and economically competitive replacements for traditional 
        fossil energy sources and uses in many parts of Nevada and in 
        the United States as a whole.
            (10) The Nevada Test Site can provide support for 
        disarmament activities such as the demonstration of rocket 
        motor destruction technology and conventional munitions 
        destruction technology.
            (11) The Nevada Test Site can support non-proliferation 
        experiments in disablement, nuclear forensics, sensors, and 
        verification and monitoring.
            (12) The Nevada Test Site can support treaty-compliant 
        experiments for stockpile stewardship purposes.
            (13) The size and remoteness of the Nevada Test Site make 
        the Nevada Test Site well-suited for a multitude of activities 
        associated with the restructuring of the United States 
        military.
            (14) The Nevada Test Site can also support non-
        proliferation, counter-proliferation, and counter-terrorism 
        activities.

SEC. 3. PURPOSES.

    It is the purpose of this Act--
            (1) to ensure full operational readiness of the underground 
        nuclear testing facilities and infrastructure of the Nevada 
        Test Site;
            (2) to ensure an appropriate level of funds for such 
        readiness to be maintained;
            (3) to create a National Test and Demonstration Center of 
        Excellence at the Nevada Test Site for the promotion of 
        disarmament, demilitarization, alternative and renewable energy 
        sources, the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons, counter-
        proliferation of nuclear weapons, sensor development, and 
        environmentally sensitive technologies; and
            (4) to ensure the availability of the Nevada Test Site, 
        within appropriate restrictions, for use by private-sector 
        industries seeking to make use of the inherent qualities that 
        make the Nevada Test Site the greatest outdoor laboratory in 
        the world.

SEC. 4. MAINTENANCE OF READINESS CAPABILITY OF NEVADA TEST SITE.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--The amount referred to in paragraph (2) is 
        hereby authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Energy 
        for fiscal year 1995 and each fiscal year thereafter to 
        maintain the operational readiness of the underground nuclear 
        testing facilities and infrastructure of the Nevada Test Site.
            (2) Authorized amount.--The amount referred to in paragraph 
        (1) is not less than the amount appropriated to the Secretary 
        of Energy for fiscal year 1992 to maintain the operational 
        readiness of the underground nuclear testing facilities and 
        infrastructure of the Nevada Test Site.
    (b) Staffing Levels.--The Secretary of Energy shall maintain a 
staffing level at the Nevada Test Site that the Secretary considers 
sufficient to carry out activities under this Act in addition to any 
other activities conducted by the Department of Energy at the Nevada 
Test Site.
    (c) Infrastructure Assessments and Activities.--The Secretary of 
Energy, through the Nevada Test Site Operations Office, shall carry out 
any infrastructure assessments and activities necessary to accommodate 
new projects and initiatives at the Nevada Test Site.

SEC. 5. NATIONAL TEST AND DEMONSTRATION CENTER OF EXCELLENCE.

    (a) Establishment.--There is hereby established within the 
Department of Energy a National Test and Demonstration Center of 
Excellence (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ``Center''), to be 
located at the Nevada Test Site, Nevada.
    (b) Purpose.--It shall be the purpose of the Center to promote 
disarmament, demilitarization, alternative and renewable energy 
sources, the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons, counter-proliferation 
of nuclear weapons, sensor development, and environmentally sensitive 
technologies.
    (c) Activities Related to Alternative and Renewable Energy 
Sources.--The Center shall carry out the following testing and 
demonstration activities that are related to alternative and renewable 
energy sources:
            (1) The characterization of solar and geothermal resources 
        at the Nevada Test Site.
            (2) The development of alternative and renewable energy 
        sources, including, as a goal of the Center, the development 
        and completion of two 100-megawatt solar power plants by the 
        year 2000.
            (3) The conduct of a National Alternative-Fueled Vehicles 
        Program, the objective of which shall be to demonstrate the 
        regional use of natural gas, electricity, and hydrogen as 
        vehicle fuels.
    (d) Activities Related to Disarmament and Demilitarization.--The 
Center shall carry out testing and demonstration activities that are 
related to changes occurring in United States military as a result of 
the end of the Cold War, including activities--
            (1) that involve the demilitarization of large rocket motor 
        and conventional ordnance;
            (2) that assist in disarmament and demilitarization, 
        generally; and
            (3) that test and demonstrate the nonmilitary application 
        of technologies and resources the military application of which 
        has decreased or otherwise changed due to disarmament and 
        demilitarization.
    (e) Activities Related to Nuclear Stockpile Stewardship.--The 
Center shall carry out testing and demonstration activities related to 
the stewardship of the nuclear stockpile of the United States. Such 
activities shall include--
            (1) the conduct of experiments that assist in monitoring 
        compliance with international agreements on the 
        nonproliferation of nuclear weapons;
            (2) the provision of support to the Department of Energy 
        nuclear weapons complex;
            (3) the conduct of programs for the Department of Energy 
        and the Department of Defense to develop simulator technologies 
        for nuclear weapons design and effects, including advanced 
        hydrodynamic simulators, inertial confinement fusion test 
        facilities, and nuclear weapons effects simulators; and
            (4) the conduct of the stockpile stewardship program 
        established pursuant to section 3138 of the National Defense 
        Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994 (107 Stat. 1946; Public 
        Law 103-160).
    (f) Activities Related to Nonproliferation.--The Center shall carry 
out experiments related to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, 
including experiments with respect to disablement, nuclear forensics, 
sensors, and verification and monitoring.
    (g) Activities Related to Counter-Proliferation.--The Center shall 
carry out experiments related to the counter-proliferation of nuclear 
weapons.
    (h) Activities Related to Environmental Technologies.--The Center 
shall carry out testing and demonstration activities related to the 
development of environmental technologies, including--
            (1) the demonstration of technologies concerning the 
        remediation of toxic and hazardous chemicals; and
            (2) the conduct of training activities pertaining to 
        emergency response to hazardous and toxic accidents and 
        emergencies.
    (i) Other Activities.--The Center may carry out the testing and 
demonstration of any other technology which, in the determination of 
the Secretary of Energy, is appropriate for testing and demonstration 
at the Nevada Test Site.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Except as provided in section 4, there is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Energy for fiscal year 1997 such sums 
as may be necessary to carry out this Act.
[A]: National Center for Excellence in Research and Development Act of 1996 - Authorizes appropriations to the Secretary of Energy for FY 1995 and beyond to maintain the operational readiness of the underground nuclear testing facilities and infrastructure of the Nevada Test Site. 
Establishes within the Department of Energy a national Test and Demonstration Center of Excellence at the Nevada Test Site, Nevada, to implement testing and demonstration activities related to:  (1) certain alternative and renewable energy sources, including solar and geothermal energy, as well as natural gas, electricity, and hydrogen as components of a National Alternative-Fueled Vehicles Program; (2) certain changes in the U.S. military as a result of the end of the Cold War, including demilitarization and disarmament activities and the nonmilitary application of military technologies and resources; (3) stewardship of the Federal nuclear stockpile; (4) non-proliferation and counter-proliferation of nuclear weapons; and (5) development of certain environmental technologies, including technologies for remediation of toxic and hazardous chemicals, and activities pertaining to emergency response to hazardous and toxic accidents.


[Q]: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Transit Benefits 
Modernization Act''.
    (b) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority 
        (``WMATA'') provides approximately 2.3 million Metrorail and 
        Metrobus trips per year across the National Capital Region to 
        Federal employees, commuters, and millions of visitors to the 
        Nation's capital.
            (2) Approximately 40 percent of WMATA peak-hour commuters 
        are Federal employees.
            (3) WMATA began building its rail system in 1969, currently 
        serves 91 stations, and has 117 miles of track.
            (4) The Federal Transit Administration (``FTA'') and the 
        National Transportation Safety Board have found significant 
        safety concerns resulting from a backlog of deferred 
        maintenance.
            (5) WMATA has designed a plan, called SafeTrack, in an 
        effort to address this backlog of deferred maintenance.
            (6) SafeTrack would close the system earlier on weekends 
        and expand weekday maintenance by reducing the number of rails 
        in use at certain stations from two to one.
            (7) The plan includes 15 ``Safety Surges'' with around-the-
        clock single tracking or segment shutdowns that will impact 
        rush hour commutes.
            (8) FTA's review of SafeTrack's first two ``safety surge'' 
        areas found a number of defects in the plan's execution.
            (9) SafeTrack is scheduled to conclude in March 2017.
            (10) During SafeTrack, WMATA is encouraging customers to 
        utilize other commuting options, including ride-sharing 
        services.
            (11) WMATA has indicated that service disruptions will 
        continue to occur following SafeTrack as routine maintenance is 
        needed.
            (12) The Federal Government, which is negatively affected 
        when employees cannot easily commute to and from work, has an 
        interest in assisting employees with alternate commuting 
        options.

SEC. 2. PROVIDING A FRINGE TRANSIT BENEFIT FOR USE OF TRANSPORTATION 
              NETWORK COMPANIES.

    For purposes of section 132(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986, the use of a transportation network company by Federal employees 
as provided for in this Act shall be treated as a fringe benefit which 
qualifies as a qualified transportation fringe for the period 
established in section 3(a) of this Act.

SEC. 3. TRANSIT BENEFITS FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES FOR THE USE OF DIGITAL 
              TRANSPORTATION COMPANIES.

    (a) In General.--During the period beginning on the date of 
enactment of this Act and ending on December 31, 2018, any agency that 
has a program, including a program established under section 7905 of 
title 5, United States Code, or Executive Order 13150 (April 21, 2000; 
65 Fed. Reg. 24613), to provide transit benefits to employees of the 
agency shall provide transit benefits to employees who use the services 
of any digital transportation company within the Washington 
Metropolitan Area in the same manner as such agency provides transit 
benefits to employees who use public transportation services within the 
Washington Metropolitan Area.
    (b) Requirements.--
            (1) Election.--Unless otherwise statutorily authorized, an 
        employee may receive transit benefits under this section only 
        if the employee agrees in writing to not accept any other 
        transit or parking benefit offered by the head of any agency 
        with a transit benefit program while receiving the transit 
        benefits under this section.
            (2) Limitation.--The amount of the transit benefit provided 
        to an employee under this section during any month for the use 
        of services provided by any digital transportation company may 
        not exceed the amount of the monthly average transit benefit 
        received by the employee during the 6-month period immediately 
        preceding the month during which an election is made under 
        paragraph (1).
            (3) Implementation.--Transit benefits under this section 
        shall be provided in a manner substantially similar to the 
        manner in which transit benefits are provided to employees who 
        use mass transportation services. The head of any agency with a 
        transit benefit program may consult with any digital 
        transportation company and any other head of any agency with a 
        transit benefit program to establish the procedures necessary 
        to provide transit benefits under this section.
            (4) Substantiation.--The head of any agency with a transit 
        benefit program, the Secretary of the Department of 
        Transportation, and the Secretary of the Treasury shall, in 
        connection with the establishment of a process for implementing 
        the transit benefit for any digital transportation company, 
        work with any such digital transportation company in 
        establishing a process to substantiate the use of transit 
        benefits by Federal employees using the benefit for services 
        provided by a digital transportation company each month.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section--
            (1) the term ``Washington Metropolitan Area'' means the 
        District of Columbia; Montgomery, Prince George's, Frederick, 
        and Charles Counties in Maryland; Arlington, Fairfax, Loudon, 
        and Prince William Counties in Virginia; and all cities now or 
        hereafter existing in Maryland or Virginia within the 
        geographic area bounded by the outer boundaries of the combined 
        area of said counties;
            (2) the term ``digital transportation company'' means any 
        transportation network company or car-sharing service;
            (3) the term ``car-sharing service'' means a membership or 
        non-membership based service primarily designed for shorter 
        time or shorter distance trips where individuals are charged 
        per mile or per hour, or both, for vehicle usage; and
            (4) the term ``transportation network company'' means a 
        corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, or other entity 
        that uses a digital network to connect riders to drivers 
        affiliated with the entity in order for a driver to provide 
        transportation services to a rider.
[A]:
Transit Benefits Modernization Act  This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to treat the use of a transportation network company by federal employees during the period beginning on the date of enactment of this bill and ending on December 31, 2018, as a qualified transportation fringe benefit that is excluded from an employee's gross income.  A &quot;transportation network company&quot; is a corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, or other entity that uses a digital network to connect riders to drivers affiliated with the entity in order for a driver to provide transportation services to a rider.  During the period beginning on the date of enactment of this bill and ending on December 31, 2018, any agency that provides transit benefits to employees must provide benefits for using digital transportation companies within the Washington Metropolitan Area in the same manner as benefits are provided for using public transportation services in the area.  A &quot;digital transportation company&quot; is any transportation network company or car-sharing service (a membership or non-membership based service primarily designed for shorter time or shorter distance trips where individuals are charged per mile or per hour, or both, for vehicle usage). To elect to receive benefits under this section, an employee must agree in writing not to accept any other transit or parking benefit offered by any agency with a transit benefit program while receiving the benefits under this section. The amount of transit benefits provided to an employee under this section may not exceed the monthly average transit benefit received by the employee during the six-month period immediately preceding the month during which an election is made.