Topic: Health — Medical Facilities
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2008-09-08 00:00:00

Veterans' Programs Extension and Construction Authorization Act of 2008 - Title I: Authorization of Medical Facility Projects and Major Medical Facility Leases - (Sec. 101) Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out major medical facility projects (projects) in FY2009 in: (1) Palo Alto, California; (2) San Antonio, Texas; and (3) San Juan, Puerto Rico. (Sec. 102) Amends the Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act of 2006 to: (1) increase amounts authorized for projects at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Denver, Colorado; and (2) repeal the authority for a project at the VA medical center in Gulfport, Mississippi. Increases amounts authorized for projects at the following locations in connection with the Capital Asset Realignment Initiative: (1) Gainesville, Florida; (2) Las Vegas, Nevada; (3) Lee County, Florida; (4) Orlando, Florida; and (5) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Sec. 103) Authorizes the Secretary to carry out specified major medical facility leases (leases) in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. (Sec. 104) Authorizes the Secretary to carry out a project to construct a new VA medical facility in Okaloosa County, Florida. (Sec. 105) Authorizes appropriations for projects and leases authorized under this title. (Sec. 106) Requires a report from the Secretary to the congressional veterans committees on the progress of the VA's Director of Construction and Facilities Administration in carrying out required duties. (Sec. 107) Directs the Secretary to report annually to the veterans committees detailing information on VA community-based outpatient clinics and other outpatient clinics. Title II: Extension of Certain Authorities - (Sec. 201) Makes permanent the temporary authority to consider noninstitutional extended care services as covered VA medical services. (Sec. 202) Extends through FY2013 VA authority to conduct audits of payments made for non-VA care and services furnished to veterans through contracts and fee-based arrangements. (Sec. 203) Makes permanent (under current law, expires at the end of 2008) the authority to provide hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care to certain veterans who participated in Department of Defense (DOD) chemical and biological testing. (Sec. 204) Extends through FY2010 VA authority to collect: (1) specified copayments for each day of hospital or nursing home care provided to certain veterans; and (2) from third-party insurers the cost of certain care and services provided by the VA to veterans with non-service-connected disabilities. (Sec. 205) Extends through 2013 VA authority to provide nursing home care to veterans with service-connected disabilities rated at 70% or higher, and to veterans in need of nursing home care for their service-connected disabilities. (Sec. 206) Extends through FY2010 VA authority to obtain information from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Social Security Administration for income verification purposes for VA needs-based benefits. (Sec. 207) Extends permanently (under current law, terminates at the end of 2008) VA authority to establish research corporations. (Sec. 208) Extends through FY2012 VA demonstration projects involving adjustable rate and hybrid adjustable rate mortgages. (Sec. 209) Amends the Veterans' Health Care Act of 1984 to extend through 2012 the annual report requirement of the Special Committee on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. (Sec. 210) Extends through 2012 the annual report requirement of the Committee on Care of Severely Chronically Mentally Ill Veterans. (Sec. 211) Makes permanent (under current law, terminates in 2008) a required biannual report from the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans. (Sec. 212) Makes permanent (under current law, terminates at the end of 2009) the Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans. (Sec. 213) Amends the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 to extend through 2011 a temporary increase in the maximum loan guaranty amount for certain veterans' housing loans guaranteed by the VA. Title III: Other Matters - (Sec. 301) Increases, from 2500 to 2600, the cap on the number of veterans for which programs of independent living services and assistance may be annually initiated. (Sec. 302) Increases from 90% to 100% the maximum percentage of home loan value authorized to be guaranteed by the VA upon refinancing.