[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1291 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1291

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to revise the manner by which 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs ranks applicants for grants under the 
State home construction grant program administered by the Secretary and 
to limit the number of grants any State may be awarded in a year under 
                             that program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 10, 1997

Mrs. Kelly (for herself, Mrs. Lowey, Mr. Quinn, Mr. Gilman, Mr. McHugh, 
   Mr. LaFalce, Mr. King, Mr. Boehlert, Mr. Solomon, Mr. Nadler, Mr. 
  Manton, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Houghton, Mr. Engel, Mrs. McCarthy of New 
York, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. Owens, Ms. Slaughter, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Schumer, 
 and Mr. Rangel) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                   the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to revise the manner by which 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs ranks applicants for grants under the 
State home construction grant program administered by the Secretary and 
to limit the number of grants any State may be awarded in a year under 
                             that program.

    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 Nursing Care Availability 
Act of 1997''.

SEC. 2. REVISION TO MANNER BY WHICH THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
              RANKS APPLICANTS FOR GRANTS UNDER THE STATE HOME 
              CONSTRUCTION GRANT PROGRAM.

    Section 8135(b)(2) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking out subparagraphs (B) and (C) and inserting 
        in lieu thereof the following:
            ``(B) An application from a State that has a greater need 
        for nursing home or domiciliary beds for veterans than other 
        States from which applications are received, determined by 
        ranking the States in order by the number of such beds needed, 
        with the number of such beds needed for each State computed on 
        the basis of a requirement of four such beds for every 1,000 
        veterans residing in the State (and taking into account the 
        number of such beds already in existence in a State).''; and
            (2) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (C).

SEC. 3. LIMITATION ON NUMBER OF GRANTS A GIVEN STATE MAY BE AWARDED IN 
              ANY YEAR.

    Section 8135(b)(4) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
inserting before the period at the end the following: ``, except that 
no State may be awarded more than one grant during any fiscal year''.
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