[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3376 Engrossed in House (EH)]
2d Session
H. R. 3376
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To authorize major medical facility projects and major medical
facility leases for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year
1997, and for other purposes.
104th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 3376
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To authorize major medical facility projects and major medical
facility leases for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year
1997, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
TITLE I--CONSTRUCTION AUTHORIZATION
SEC. 101. AUTHORIZATION OF MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY PROJECTS.
(a) Ambulatory Care Addition Projects.--The Secretary of Veterans
Affairs may carry out the following ambulatory care addition major
medical facility projects, with each project to be carried out in the
amount specified for that project:
(1) Addition of ambulatory care facilities for mental
health enhancements at the Department of Veterans Affairs
medical center in Dallas, Texas, $19,900,000.
(2) Addition of ambulatory care facilities at the
Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in Brockton,
Massachusetts, $13,500,000.
(3) Addition of ambulatory care facilities for outpatient
improvements at the Department of Veterans Affairs medical
center in Shreveport, Louisiana, $25,000,000.
(4) Addition of ambulatory care facilities at the
Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in Lyons, New
Jersey, $21,100,000.
(5) Addition of ambulatory care facilities at the
Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in Tomah,
Wisconsin, $12,700,000.
(6) Addition of ambulatory care facilities at the
Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in Asheville,
North Carolina, in the amount of $28,800,000.
(7) Addition of ambulatory care facilities at the
Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in Temple, Texas,
in the amount of $9,800,000.
(8) Addition of ambulatory care facilities at the
Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in Tucson,
Arizona, in the amount of $35,500,000.
(b) Environmental Improvement Projects.--The Secretary of Veterans
Affairs may carry out the following environmental improvement major
medical facility projects, with each project to be carried out in the
amount specified for that project:
(1) Environmental improvements for the renovation of
nursing home facilities at the Department of Veterans Affairs
medical center in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, in the amount of
$9,500,000.
(2) Environmental improvements at the Department of
Veterans Affairs medical center in Marion, Illinois, in the
amount of $11,500,000.
(3) Environmental improvements to modernize patient wards
at the Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in
Atlanta, Georgia, $28,200,000.
(4) Environmental improvements for the replacement of a
psychiatric bed building at the Department of Veterans Affairs
medical center in Battle Creek, Michigan, $22,900,000.
(5) Environmental improvements for ward renovation for
patient privacy at the Department of Veterans Affairs medical
center in Omaha, Nebraska, $7,700,000.
(6) Environmental improvements at the Department of
Veterans Affairs medical center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
$17,400,000.
(7) Environmental improvements for the renovation of
various buildings at the Department of Veterans Affairs medical
center in Waco, Texas, $26,000,000.
(8) Environmental improvements for the replacement of
psychiatric beds at the Department of Veterans Affairs medical
center in Marion, Indiana, in the amount of $17,300,000.
(9) Environmental improvements for the renovation of
psychiatric wards at the Department of Veterans Affairs medical
center in Perry Point, Maryland, in the amount of $15,100,000.
(10) Environmental enhancement at the Department of
Veterans Affairs medical center in Salisbury, North Carolina,
in the amount of $18,200,000.
(c) Seismic Correction Projects.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs
may carry out the following seismic correction major medical facility
projects, with each project to be carried out in the amount specified
for that project:
(1) Seismic corrections at the Department of Veterans
Affairs medical center in Palo Alto, California, in the amount
of $36,000,000.
(2) Seismic corrections at the Department of Veterans
Affairs medical center in Long Beach, California, in the amount
of $20,200,000.
(3) Seismic corrections at the Department of Veterans
Affairs medical center in San Francisco, California,
$26,000,000.
SEC. 102. AUTHORIZATION OF MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY LEASES.
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may enter into leases for medical
facilities as follows:
(1) Lease of a satellite outpatient clinic in Allentown,
Pennsylvania, in an amount not to exceed $2,159,000.
(2) Lease of a satellite outpatient clinic in Beaumont,
Texas, in an amount not to exceed $1,940,000.
(3) Lease of a satellite outpatient clinic in Boston,
Massachusetts, in an amount not to exceed $2,358,000.
(4) Lease of a parking facility in Cleveland, Ohio, in an
amount not to exceed $1,300,000.
(5) Lease of a satellite outpatient clinic and Veterans
Benefits Administration field office in San Antonio, Texas, in
an amount not to exceed $2,256,000.
(6) Lease of a satellite outpatient clinic in Toledo, Ohio,
in an amount not to exceed $2,223,000.
SEC. 103. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 1997--
(1) for the Construction, Major Projects, account,
$422,300,000 for the projects authorized in section 101; and
(2) for the Medical Care account, $12,236,000 for the
leases authorized in section 102.
(b) Limitation.--The projects authorized in section 101 may only be
carried out using--
(1) funds appropriated for fiscal year 1997 pursuant to the
authorization of appropriations in subsection (a);
(2) funds appropriated for Construction, Major Projects for
a fiscal year before fiscal year 1997 that remain available for
obligation; and
(3) funds appropriated for Construction, Major Projects for
fiscal year 1997 for a category of activity not specific to a
project.
SEC. 104. REPORT ON HEALTH CARE NEEDS OF VETERANS IN EAST CENTRAL
FLORIDA.
(a) Report Required.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit
to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of
Representatives a report on the health care needs of veterans in east
central Florida. In preparing the report, the Secretary shall consider
the needs of such veterans for psychiatric and long-term care. The
Secretary shall include in the report the Secretary's views, based on
the Secretary's determination of such needs, as to the best means of
meeting such needs using the amounts appropriated pursuant to the
authorization of appropriations in this Act and Public Law 103-452 for
projects to meet the health care needs of such veterans. The Secretary
may, subject to the availability of appropriations for such purpose,
use an independent contractor to assist in the determination of such
health care needs.
(b) Limitation.--The Secretary may not obligate any funds, other
than for design work, for the conversion of the former Orlando Naval
Training Center Hospital in Orlando, Florida (now under the
jurisdiction of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs), to a nursing home
care unit until 45 days after the date on which the report required by
subsection (a) is submitted.
TITLE II--STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR HEALTH CARE RESOURCES
SEC. 201. STRATEGIC PLANNING.
Section 8107 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c);
(2) by striking out subsection (a) and inserting in lieu
thereof the following new subsections:
``(a) In order to promote effective planning for the efficient
provision of care to eligible veterans, the Secretary, based on the
analysis and recommendations of the Under Secretary for Health, shall
submit to each committee, not later than January 31 of each year, a
report regarding long-range health planning of the Department.
``(b) Each report under subsection (a) shall include the following:
``(1) A five-year strategic plan for the provision of care
under chapter 17 of this title to eligible veterans through
coordinated networks of medical facilities operating within
prescribed geographic service-delivery areas, such plan to
include provision of services for the specialized treatment and
rehabilitative needs of disabled veterans (including veterans
with spinal cord dysfunction, blindness, amputations, and
mental illness) through distinct programs or facilities of the
Department dedicated to the specialized needs of those
veterans.
``(2) A description of how planning for the networks will
be coordinated.
``(3) A profile regarding each such network of medical
facilities which identifies--
``(A) the mission of each existing or proposed
medical facility in the network;
``(B) any planned change in the mission for any
such facility and the rationale for such planned
change;
``(C) the population of veterans to be served by
the network and anticipated changes over a five-year
period and a ten-year period, respectively, in that
population and in the health-care needs of that
population;
``(D) information relevant to assessing progress
toward the goal of achieving relative equivalency in
the level of resources per patient distributed to each
network, such information to include the plans for and
progress toward lowering the cost of care-delivery in
the network (by means such as changes in the mix in the
network of physicians, nurses, physician assistants,
and advance practice nurses);
``(E) the capacity of non-Federal facilities in the
network to provide acute, long-term, and specialized
treatment and rehabilitative services (described in
section 7305 of this title), and determinations
regarding the extent to which services to be provided
in each service-delivery area and each facility in such
area should be provided directly through facilities of the Department
or through contract or other arrangements, including arrangements
authorized under sections 8111 and 8153 of this title; and
``(F) a five-year plan for construction,
replacement, or alteration projects in support of the
approved mission of each facility in the network and a
description of how those projects will improve access
to care, or quality of care, for patients served in the
network.
``(4) A status report for each facility on progress
toward--
``(A) instituting planned mission changes
identified under paragraph (3)(B);
``(B) implementing principles of managed care of
eligible veterans; and
``(C) developing and instituting cost-effective
alternatives to provision of institutional care.''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(d)(1) The Secretary shall submit to each committee, not later
than January 31 of each year, a report showing the current priorities
of the Department for proposed major medical construction projects.
Each such report shall identify the 20 projects, from within all the
projects in the Department's inventory of proposed projects, that have
the highest priority and, for those 20 projects, the relative priority
and rank scoring of each such project. The 20 projects shall be
compiled, and their relative rankings shall be shown, by category of
project (including the categories of ambulatory care projects, nursing
home care projects, and such other categories as the Secretary
determines).
``(2) The Secretary shall include in each report, for each project
listed, a description of the specific factors that account for the
relative ranking of that project in relation to other projects within
the same category.
``(3) In a case in which the relative ranking of a proposed project
has changed since the last report under this subsection was submitted,
the Secretary shall also include in the report a description of the
reasons for the change in the ranking, including an explanation of any
change in the scoring of the project under the Department's scoring
system for proposed major medical construction projects.''.
SEC. 202. REVISION TO PROSPECTUS REQUIREMENTS.
(a) Additional Information.--Section 8104(b) of title 38, United
States Code, is amended--
(1) by striking out ``shall include--'' and inserting in
lieu thereof ``shall include the following:'';
(2) in paragraph (1)--
(A) by striking out ``a detailed'' and inserting in
lieu thereof ``A detailed''; and
(B) by striking out the semicolon at the end and
inserting in lieu thereof a period;
(3) in paragraph (2)--
(A) by striking out ``an estimate'' and inserting
in lieu thereof ``An estimate''; and
(B) by striking out ``; and'' and inserting in lieu
thereof a period;
(4) in paragraph (3), by striking out ``an estimate'' and
inserting in lieu thereof ``An estimate''; and
(5) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:
``(4) Demographic data applicable to the project, including
information on projected changes in the population of veterans
to be served by the project over a five-year period and a ten-
year period.
``(5) Current and projected workload and utilization data.
``(6) Current and projected operating costs of the
facility, to include both recurring and non-recurring costs.
``(7) The priority score assigned to the project under the
Department's prioritization methodology and, if the project is
being proposed for funding ahead of a project with a higher
score, a specific explanation of the factors other than the
priority that were considered and the basis on which the
project is proposed for funding ahead of projects with higher
priority scores.
``(8) A listing of each alternative to construction of the
facility that has been considered.''.
(b) Applicability.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall
apply with respect to any prospectus submitted by the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs after the date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 203. CONSTRUCTION AUTHORIZATION REQUIREMENTS.
(a) Definition of Major Medical Facility Project.--Paragraph (3)(A)
of section 8104(a) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by
striking out ``$3,000,000'' and inserting ``$5,000,000''.
(b) Applicability of Construction Authorization Requirement.--(1)
Subsection (b) of section 301 of the Veterans' Medical Programs
Amendments of 1992 (Public Law 102-405; 106 Stat. 1984) is repealed.
(2) The amendments made by subsection (a) of such section shall
apply with respect to any major medical facility project or any major
medical facility lease of the Department of Veterans Affairs,
regardless of when funds are first appropriated for that project or
lease, except that in the case of a project for which funds were first
appropriated before October 9, 1992, such amendments shall not apply
with respect to amounts appropriated for that project for a fiscal year
before fiscal year 1998.
(c) Limitation on Obligations for Advance Planning.--Section 8104
of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following new subsection:
``(f) The Secretary may not obligate funds in an amount in excess
of $500,000 from the Advance Planning Fund of the Department toward
design or development of a major medical facility project until--
``(1) the Secretary submits to the committees a report on
the proposed obligation; and
``(2) a period of 30 days has passed after the date on
which the report is received by the committees.''.
SEC. 204. TERMINOLOGY CHANGES.
(a) Definition of ``Construct''.--Section 8101(2) of title 38,
United States Code, is amended--
(1) by striking out ``working drawings'' and inserting in
lieu thereof ``construction documents''; and
(2) by striking out ``preliminary plans'' and inserting in
lieu thereof ``design development''.
(b) Parking Facilities.--Section 8109(h)(3)(B) of such title is
amended by striking out ``working drawings'' and inserting in lieu
thereof ``construction documents''.
SEC. 205. VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION HEADQUARTERS.
(a) Repeal of Statutory Specification of Organizational Services.--
The text of section 7305 of title 38, United States Code, is amended to
read as follows:
``(a) The Veterans Health Administration shall include the Office
of the Under Secretary for Health and such professional and auxiliary
services as the Secretary may find to be necessary to carry out the
functions of the Administration.
``(b) In organizing, and appointing persons to positions in, the
Office, the Under Secretary shall ensure that the Office is staffed so
as to provide the Under Secretary with appropriate expertise, including
expertise in--
``(1) unique programs operated by the Administration to
provide for the specialized treatment and rehabilitation of
disabled veterans (including blind rehabilitation, spinal cord
dysfunction, mental illness, and geriatrics and long-term
care); and
``(2) appropriate clinical care disciplines.''.
(b) Office of the Under Secretary.--Section 7306 of such title is
amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) by striking out ``and who shall be a qualified
doctor of medicine'' in paragraph (2);
(B) by striking out paragraphs (5), (6), and (7);
and
(C) by redesignating the succeeding two paragraphs
as paragraphs (5) and (6), respectively; and
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) by striking out ``subsection (a)(3)'' and all
that follows through ``two may be'' and inserting in
lieu thereof ``subsection (a)(3), not more than two may
be'';
(B) by striking out the semicolon after ``dental
medicines'' and inserting in lieu thereof a period; and
(C) by striking out paragraphs (2) and (3).
TITLE III--OTHER MATTERS
SEC. 301. NAME OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTER,
JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI.
(a) Name.--The Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in
Jackson, Mississippi, shall be known and designated as the ``G. V.
Sonny Montgomery Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center''. Any
reference to such medical center in any law, regulation, map, document,
record, or other paper of the United States shall be considered to be a
reference to the G. V. Sonny Montgomery Department of Veterans Affairs
Medical Center.
(b) Effective Date.--Subsection (a) shall take effect at noon on
January 3, 1997, or the first day on which G. V. Sonny Montgomery
otherwise ceases to be a Member of the House of Representatives.
SEC 302. NAME OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTER, JOHNSON
CITY, TENNESSEE.
(a) Name.--The Mountain Home Department of Veterans Affairs medical
center in Johnson City, Tennessee, shall after the date of the
enactment of this Act be known and designated as the ``James H. Quillen
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center''. Any reference to such
medical center in any law, regulation, map, document, record, or other
paper of the United States shall be considered to be a reference to the
James H. Quillen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
(b) Effective Date.--Subsection (a) shall take effect at noon on
January 3, 1997, or the first day on which James H. Quillen otherwise
ceases to be a Member of the House of Representatives.
SEC. 303. NAME OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS NURSING CARE CENTER,
ASPINWALL, PENNSYLVANIA.
The Department of Veterans Affairs nursing care center at the
Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in Aspinwall,
Pennsylvania, shall after the date of the enactment of this Act be
known and designated as the ``H. John Heinz, III Department of Veterans
Affairs Nursing Care Center''. Any reference to such nursing care
center in any law, regulation, map, document, record, or other paper of
the United States shall be considered to be a reference to the H. John
Heinz, III Department of Veterans Affairs Nursing Care Center.
SEC. 304. RESTORATION OF AUTHORITY FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS RESEARCH CORPORATIONS.
Section 7368 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by
striking out ``December 31, 1992'' and inserting in lieu thereof
``December 31, 2000''.
Passed the House of Representatives June 4, 1996.
Attest:
Clerk.