[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3421 Engrossed in Senate (ES)]
109th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3421
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To authorize major medical facility projects and major medical facility
leases for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal years 2006 and
2007, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION OF FISCAL YEAR 2006 MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY
PROJECTS.
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may carry out the following major
medical facility projects in fiscal year 2006, with each project to be
carried out in the amount specified for that project:
(1) Restoration, new construction or replacement of the
medical center facility for the Department of Veterans Affairs
Medical Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, due to damage from
Hurricane Katrina in an amount not to exceed $636,000,000. The
Secretary is authorized to carry out the project as a
collaborative effort consistent with the New Orleans
Collaborative Opportunities Study Group Report dated June 12,
2006.
(2) Restoration of the Department of Veterans Affairs
Medical Center, Biloxi, Mississippi, and consolidation of
services performed at the Department of Veterans Affairs
Medical Center, Gulfport, Mississippi, in an amount not to
exceed $310,000,000.
(3) Replacement of the Department of Veterans Affairs
Medical Center, Denver, Colorado, in an amount not to exceed
$98,000,000.
SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF AUTHORIZATION FOR MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY
CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AUTHORIZED UNDER CAPITAL ASSET
REALIGNMENT INITIATIVE.
Notwithstanding subsection (d) of section 221 of the Veterans
Health Care, Capital Asset, and Business Improvement Act of 2003
(Public Law 108-170; 117 Stat. 2050), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
may enter into contracts before September 30, 2009, to carry out each
major medical facility project, as originally authorized by such
section 221, as follows with each project to be carried out in the
amount specified for that project:
(1) Construction of an outpatient clinic and regional
office at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center,
Anchorage, Alaska, in an amount not to exceed $75,270,000.
(2) Consolidation of clinical and administrative functions
of the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in
Cleveland, Ohio, and the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical
Center in Brecksville, Ohio, in an amount not to exceed
$102,300,000.
(3) Construction of the Extended Care Building at the
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Des Moines,
Iowa, in an amount not to exceed $25,000,000.
(4) Renovation of patient wards at the Department of
Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, in
an amount not to exceed $9,100,000.
(5) Correction of patient privacy deficiencies at the
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Gainesville,
Florida, in an amount not to exceed $85,200,000.
(6) 7th and 8th Floor Wards Modernization addition at the
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Indianapolis,
Indiana, in an amount not to exceed $27,400,000.
(7) Construction of a new Medical Center Facility at the
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Las Vegas,
Nevada, in an amount not to exceed $406,000,000.
(8) Construction of an Ambulatory Surgery/Outpatient
Diagnostic Support Center in the Gulf South Submarket of
Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 8 and completion of
Phase I land purchase, Lee County, Florida, in an amount not to
exceed $65,100,000.
(9) Seismic Corrections-Buildings 7 & 126 at the Department
of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Long Beach, California, in
an amount not to exceed $107,845,000.
(10) Seismic Corrections-Buildings 500 & 501 at the
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Los Angeles,
California, in an amount not to exceed $79,900,000.
(11) Construction of a New Medical Center facility in the
Orlando, Florida, area in an amount not to exceed $377,700,000.
(12) Consolidation of Campuses at the University Drive and
H. John Heinz III divisions, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in an
amount not to exceed $189,205,000.
(13) Ward Upgrades and Expansion at the Department of
Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas, in an
amount not to exceed $19,100,000.
(14) Seismic Corrections-Building 1, Phase 1 Design at the
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Juan, Puerto
Rico, in an amount not to exceed $15,000,000.
(15) Construction of a Spinal Cord Injury Center at the
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Syracuse, New
York, in an amount not to exceed $53,900,000.
(16) Upgrade Essential Electrical Distribution Systems at
the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tampa,
Florida, in an amount not to exceed $49,000,000.
(17) Expansion of the Spinal Cord Injury Center addition at
the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tampa,
Florida, in an amount not to exceed $7,100,000.
(18) Blind Rehabilitation and Psychiatric Bed renovation
and new construction project at the Department of Veterans
Affairs Medical Center, Temple, Texas, in an amount not to
exceed $56,000,000.
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF FISCAL YEAR 2007 MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY
PROJECTS.
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may carry out the following major
medical facility projects in fiscal year 2007 in the amount specified
for each project:
(1) Seismic Corrections, Nursing Home Care Unit and
Dietetics at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center,
American Lake, Washington, in an amount not to exceed
$38,220,000.
(2) Replacement of Operating Suite at the Department of
Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Columbia, Missouri, in an
amount not to exceed $25,830,000.
(3) Construction of a new clinical addition at the
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Fayetteville,
Arkansas, in an amount not to exceed $56,163,000.
(4) Construction of Spinal Cord Injury Center at the
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, in an amount not to exceed $32,500,000.
(5) Medical facility improvements and cemetery expansion of
Jefferson Barracks at the Department of Veterans Affairs
Medical Center, St. Louis, Missouri, in an amount not to exceed
$69,053,000.
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF FISCAL YEAR 2006 MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY
LEASES.
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may carry out the following major
medical facility leases in fiscal year 2006 at the locations specified,
and in an amount for each lease not to exceed the amount shown for such
location:
(1) For an outpatient clinic, Baltimore, Maryland,
$10,908,000.
(2) For an outpatient clinic, Evansville, Illinois,
$8,989,000.
(3) For an outpatient clinic, Smith County, Texas,
$5,093,000.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF FISCAL YEAR 2007 MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY
LEASES.
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may carry out the following major
medical facility leases in fiscal year 2007 at the locations specified,
and in an amount for each lease not to exceed the amount shown for such
location:
(1) For an outpatient and specialty care clinic, Austin,
Texas, $6,163,000.
(2) For an outpatient clinic, Lowell, Massachusetts,
$2,520,000.
(3) For an outpatient clinic, Grand Rapids, Michigan,
$4,409,000.
(4) For up to four outpatient clinics, Las Vegas, Nevada,
$8,518,000.
(5) For an outpatient clinic, Parma, Ohio, $5,032,000.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) Authorization of Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2006 Major
Medical Facility Projects.--There is authorized to be appropriated to
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2006 for the
Construction, Major Projects, account, $1,044,000,000 for the projects
authorized in section 1.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations for Major Medical Facility
Projects Under Capital Asset Realignment Initiative.--
(1) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for
fiscal year 2007 for the Construction, Major Projects, account,
$1,750,120,000 for the projects whose authorization is extended
by section 2.
(2) Availability.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to the
authorization of appropriations in paragraph (1) shall remain
available until September 30, 2009.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2007 Major
Medical Facility Projects.--There is authorized to be appropriated to
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2007 for the
Construction, Major Projects, account, $221,766,000 for the projects
authorized in section 3.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations for Major Medical Facility
Leases.--
(1) Fiscal year 2006 leases.--There is authorized to be
appropriated for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for fiscal
year 2006 for the Medical Care account, $24,990,000 for the
leases authorized in section 4.
(2) Fiscal year 2007 leases.--There is authorized to be
appropriated for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for fiscal
year 2007 for the Medical Care account, $26,642,000 for the
leases authorized in section 5.
(e) Limitation.--The projects authorized in sections 1 and 2 may
only be carried out using--
(1) funds appropriated for fiscal year 2006 or 2007
pursuant to the authorization of appropriations in subsections
(a), (b), and (c) of this section;
(2) funds available for Construction, Major Projects, for a
fiscal year before fiscal year 2006 that remain available for
obligation;
(3) funds available for Construction, Major Projects, for a
fiscal year after fiscal year 2006 or 2007 that are available
for obligation; and
(4) funds appropriated for Construction, Major Projects,
for fiscal year 2006 or 2007 for a category of activity not
specific to a project.
SEC. 7. INCREASE IN THRESHOLD FOR MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY PROJECTS.
(a) Increase.--Section 8104(a)(3)(A) of title 38, United States
Code, is amended by striking ``$7,000,000'' and inserting
``$10,000,000''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall
take effect on October 1, 2006, and shall apply with respect to any
fiscal year beginning on or after that date.
SEC. 8. EXPANSION OF ELIGIBILITY UNDER SURVIVORS' AND DEPENDENTS
EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
(a) Eligibility for Dependents of Servicemembers.--
(1) Children.--Section 3501(a)(1)(A) of title 38, United
States Code, is amended--
(A) in clause (ii) by striking ``or'' at the end;
(B) by redesignating clause (iii) as clause (iv);
and
(C) by inserting after clause (ii) the following
clause (iii):
``(iii) is hospitalized or receiving outpatient
medical care, services, or treatment pending discharge
from the active military, naval, or air service for a
total disability permanent in nature resulting from a
service-connected disability (as determined by the
Secretary), or''.
(2) Spouses.--Subparagraph (D) of section 3501(a)(1) of
such title is amended to read as follows:
``(D)(i) the spouse of any veteran who has a total
disability permanent in nature resulting from a service-
connected disability,
``(ii) the spouse of any person who is hospitalized or
receiving outpatient medical care, services, or treatment
pending discharge from the active military, naval, or air
service for a total disability permanent in nature resulting
from a service-connected disability (as determined by the
Secretary), or
``(iii) the surviving spouse of a veteran who died while a
disability so evaluated was in existence,''.
(b) Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Duration of assistance.--Section 3511 of such title is
amended--
(A) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ``both
sections 3501(a)(1)(D)(i) and 3501(a)(1)(D)(ii)'' and
inserting ``sections 3501(a)(1)(D)(i),
3501(a)(1)(D)(ii), and 3501(a)(1)(D)(iii)'';
(B) in subsection (b)(2), by striking
``3501(a)(1)(A)(iii)'' and inserting
``3501(a)(1)(A)(iv)''; and
(C) in subsection (c), by striking
``3501(a)(1)(A)(iii), 3501(a)(1)(C), or
3501(a)(1)(D)(i)'' and inserting ``3501(a)(1)(A)(iv),
3501(a)(1)(C), 3501(a)(1)(D)(i), or
3501(a)(1)(D)(ii)''.
(2) Period of eligibility.--Section 3512 of such title is
amended--
(A) in subsection (a)(6), by striking
``3501(a)(1)(A)(iii)'' and inserting
``3501(a)(1)(A)(iv)'';
(B) in subsection (b)(1)(A), by striking
``3501(a)(1)(D)(i), or 3501(a)(1)(D)(ii) of this
title.'' and all that follows through the end, and
inserting the following: ``or 3501(a)(1)(D) of this
title. In the case of a surviving spouse made eligible
by clause (iii) of section 3501(a)(1)(D), the 10-year
period may not be reduced by any earlier period during
which the person otherwise was eligible for educational
assistance under this chapter as a spouse described in
clause (i) or (ii) of that section.''; and
(C) in subsection (d), by striking ``veteran'' and
inserting ``person''.
(3) Effective dates.--Section 5113(b)(3) of such title is
amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(D) The term `veteran' includes a person as described in
sections 3501(a)(1)(A)(iii) and 3501(a)(1)(D)(ii) of this
title.''.
Passed the Senate September 26, 2006.
Attest:
Secretary.
109th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3421
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To authorize major medical facility projects and major medical facility
leases for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal years 2006 and
2007, and for other purposes.