[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1359 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1359

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to revise certain authorities 
relating to management and contracting in the provision of health care 
                               services.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 24, 1995

  Mr. Simpson introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to revise certain authorities 
relating to management and contracting in the provision of health care 
                               services.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Health Care Management and 
Contracting Flexibility Act of 1995''.

SEC. 2. WAITING PERIOD FOR ADMINISTRATIVE REORGANIZATIONS.

    Section 510(b) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in the second sentence, by striking out ``90-day period 
        of continuous session of Congress following'' and inserting in 
        lieu thereof ``45-day period beginning on''; and
            (2) by striking out the third sentence.

SEC. 3. REPEAL OF LIMITATIONS ON CONTRACTS FOR CONVERSION OF 
              PERFORMANCE OF ACTIVITIES OF DEPARTMENT HEALTH-CARE 
              FACILITIES.

    Section 8110 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
striking out subsection (c).

SEC. 4. REVISION OF AUTHORITY TO SHARE MEDICAL FACILITIES, EQUIPMENT, 
              AND INFORMATION.

    (a) Statement of Purpose.--The text of section 8151 of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended to read as follows:
    ``It is the purpose of this subchapter to improve the quality of 
health care provided veterans under this title by authorizing the 
Secretary to enter into agreements with health-care providers in order 
to share health-care resources with, and receive health-care resources 
from, such providers while ensuring no diminution of services to 
veterans. Among other things, it is intended by these means to 
strengthen the medical programs at Department facilities located in 
small cities or rural areas which facilities are remote from major 
medical centers.''.
    (b) Definitions.--Section 8152 of such title is amended--
            (1) by striking out paragraphs (1), (2) and (3) and 
        inserting in lieu thereof the following new paragraphs (1) and 
        (2):
            ``(1) The term `health-care resource' includes hospital 
        care (as that term is defined in section 1701(5) of this 
        title), any other health-care service, and any health-care 
        support or administrative resource.
            ``(2) The term `health-care providers' includes health-care 
        plans and insurers and any organizations, institutions, or 
        other entities or individuals that furnish health-care 
        resources.''; and
            (2) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (3).
    (c) Authority To Secure Health-Care Resources.--(1) Section 8153 of 
such title is amended--
            (A) by striking out paragraph (1) of subsection (a) and 
        inserting in lieu thereof the following new paragraph (1):
    ``(1) The Secretary may, when the Secretary determines it to be 
necessary in order to secure health-care resources which otherwise 
might not be feasibly available or to utilize effectively health-care 
resources, make arrangements, by contract or other form of agreement, 
for the mutual use, or exchange of use, of health-care resources 
between Department health-care facilities and non-Department health-
care providers. The Secretary may make such arrangements without regard 
to any law or regulation relating to competitive procedures.''; and
            (B) by striking out subsection (e).
    (2)(A) The section heading of such section is amended to read as 
follows:
``Sec. 8153. Sharing of health-care resources''.
    (B) The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 81 of such 
title is amended by striking out the item relating to section 8153 and 
inserting in lieu thereof the following new item:

``8153. Sharing of health-care resources.''.
                                 <all>