[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6802 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6802

  To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend or make permanent 
 certain authorities of the Department of Veterans Affairs expiring in 
                     2008, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 1, 2008

  Mr. Buyer introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend or make permanent 
 certain authorities of the Department of Veterans Affairs expiring in 
                     2008, 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. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans' 
Authorities Extension Act of 2008''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Repeal of sunset on inclusion of noninstitutional extended care 
                            services in definition of medical services.
Sec. 3. Extension of recovery audit authority.
Sec. 4. Permanent authority for provision of hospital care, medical 
                            services, and nursing home care to veterans 
                            who participated in certain chemical and 
                            biological testing conducted by the 
                            Department of Defense.
Sec. 5. Extension of health care copayments collections authority.
Sec. 6. Extension of nursing home care.
Sec. 7. Extension of collections authority from health plans for 
                            nonservice-connected health care provided 
                            to veterans with service-connected 
                            disabilities.
Sec. 8. Permanent authority to carry out income verification.
Sec. 9. Permanent authority to establish research corporations.

SEC. 2. REPEAL OF SUNSET ON INCLUSION OF NONINSTITUTIONAL EXTENDED CARE 
              SERVICES IN DEFINITION OF MEDICAL SERVICES.

    Section 1701 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking paragraph (10); and
            (2) in paragraph (6)--
                    (A) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) and (F) as 
                subparagraphs (F) and (G), respectively; and
                    (B) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the 
                following new subparagraph (E):
                    ``(E) Noninstitutional extended care services, 
                including alternatives to institutional extended care 
                which the Secretary may furnish directly, by contract, 
                or through provision of case management by another 
                provider or payer.''.

SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF RECOVERY AUDIT AUTHORITY.

    Section 1703(d)(4) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ``2008'' and inserting ``2013''.

SEC. 4. PERMANENT AUTHORITY FOR PROVISION OF HOSPITAL CARE, MEDICAL 
              SERVICES, AND NURSING HOME CARE TO VETERANS WHO 
              PARTICIPATED IN CERTAIN CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL TESTING 
              CONDUCTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.

    Section 1710(e)(3) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``and'' after the 
        semicolon;
            (2) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``; and'' and 
        inserting a period; and
            (3) by striking subparagraph (D).

SEC. 5. EXTENSION OF HEALTH CARE COPAYMENTS COLLECTIONS AUTHORITY.

    Section 1710(f)(2)(B) of title 38, United States Code, is amended 
by striking ``2008'' and inserting ``2009''.

SEC. 6. EXTENSION OF NURSING HOME CARE.

    Section 1710A(d) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ``2008'' and inserting ``2013''.

SEC. 7. EXTENSION OF COLLECTIONS AUTHORITY FROM HEALTH PLANS FOR 
              NONSERVICE-CONNECTED HEALTH CARE PROVIDED TO VETERANS 
              WITH SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITIES.

    Section 1729(a)(2)(E) of title 38, United States Code, is amended 
by striking ``2008'' and inserting ``2009''.

SEC. 8. PERMANENT AUTHORITY TO CARRY OUT INCOME VERIFICATION.

    Section 5317 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
striking subsection (g).

SEC. 9. PERMANENT AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH RESEARCH CORPORATIONS.

    (a) Repeal.--Section 7368 of title 38, United States Code, is 
repealed.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 73 of such title is amended by striking the item relating to 
section 7368.
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