[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1077 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1077

   To stay implementation of the plan for allocation of health care 
resources of the Department of Veterans Affairs until the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs certifies that the Secretary, in developing such plan, 
 took into account certain medical and nonmedical factors of veterans 
   residing within each region to be served by a Veterans Integrated 
                           Services Network.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 13, 1997

   Mr. Quinn (for himself, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. Gilman, Mr. Manton, Mr. 
Boehlert, Mr. Solomon, Mr. Forbes, Mr. King, Mr. McHugh, Mr. Paxon, Mr. 
 Walsh, Mrs. Maloney of New York, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Schumer, Mrs. Kelly, 
    Mr. Lazio of New York, Mr. Towns, Ms. Slaughter, Mr. Engel, Mr. 
   LaFalce, Mrs. Lowey, Mr. McNulty, Mr. Flake, Mr. Nadler, and Mr. 
  Houghton) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To stay implementation of the plan for allocation of health care 
resources of the Department of Veterans Affairs until the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs certifies that the Secretary, in developing such plan, 
 took into account certain medical and nonmedical factors of veterans 
   residing within each region to be served by a Veterans Integrated 
                           Services Network.

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

SECTION 1. CERTIFICATION THAT PLAN FOR ALLOCATION OF VETERANS HEALTH 
              CARE RESOURCES CONSIDERED CERTAIN MEDICAL AND NONMEDICAL 
              FACTORS.

    (a) Certification Required.--The plan for allocation of health care 
resources of the Department of Veterans Affairs submitted to Congress 
under subsection (c) of section 429 of the Departments of Veterans 
Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies 
Appropriations Act, 1997 (110 Stat. 2929) may not be implemented until 
after the Secretary of Veterans Affairs certifies to the Congress that 
the Secretary, in developing such plan, took into account the medical-
related factors described in subsection (b) and the nonmedical factors 
described in subsection (c). Such certification shall be accompanied by 
the data the Secretary used in considering such factors.
    (b) Medical-Related Factors.--The medical-related factors described 
in this subsection are the following:
            (1) The medical condition of veterans residing within each 
        region served by a Veterans Integrated Services Network.
            (2) The cost for each Veterans Integrated Services Network 
        to meet the specialized medical needs for veterans suffering 
        from catastrophic injury, disease, or illness, including spinal 
        cord dysfunction, amputation, blindness, and mental illness.
            (3) The cost for each Veterans Integrated Services Network 
        to meet the rehabilitative needs of veterans suffering from 
        such catastrophic injury, disease, or illness.
            (4) The cost for each Veterans Integrated Services Network 
        to provide medical support services, including prosthetics, 
        pharmaceutical supplies, social services, and medical 
        transportation to and from Veterans Integrated Services Network 
        medical facilities.
            (5) The cost for Veterans Integrated Services Network 
        facilities to provide for the treatment and care of those 
        members of the veterans population suffering from substance 
        abuse, psychological problems, or AIDS.
    (c) Nonmedical Factors.--The nonmedical factors described in this 
subsection are the following:
            (1) The expected reliance of veterans on Department of 
        Veterans Affairs health care facilities for medical care as a 
        result of--
                    (A) the cost of living for veterans residing in the 
                region served by each Veterans Integrated Services 
                Network; and
                    (B) the size of the population of veterans in each 
                such region who are impoverished.
            (2) The size of the population of homeless veterans in each 
        such region and the wider array of disease and illness due to 
        the hardships and lack of hygiene from which the homeless 
        suffer.
            (3) The age of the veterans population residing in each 
        such region and the costs associated with long-term care 
        necessary to meet the needs of the aging veterans population.
            (4) The age and type of infrastructure used by Department 
        of Veterans Affairs medical facilities, including the cost of 
        operating, maintaining, repairing, and remodeling such 
        facilities and the costs associated with adverse weather 
        conditions, such as snow removal, in regions in which such 
        facilities are located.
    (d) Veterans Integrated Services Network Defined.--For purposes of 
this section, the term ``Veterans Integrated Services Network'' means 
the network developed by the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide 
for the health care of veterans.
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