110 HR 7046 IH: To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to U.S. House of Representatives 2008-09-24 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

I 110th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 7046 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 24, 2008 Mr. Farr introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs A BILL To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to construct a new community-based outpatient clinic at Ord Military Community, California.

1.

Authority for construction of new community-based outpatient clinic at Ord Military Community, California

(a)

Findings

Congress makes the following findings: (1)Veterans in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties, California, must travel in excess of 60 miles to obtain full-service health care from Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities in Palo Alto, California (2)The Monterey Bay, California, area is medically underserved by family health care providers. (3)The former Fort Ord, in Monterey, California, was the largest military base closed in the Base Realignment and Closure process. (4)A Department of Veterans Affairs clinic was established at the former Fort Ord as a result of the closure of the base. (5)The Department of Veterans Affairs clinic is currently unable to meet the health care needs of the 50,479 veterans who reside on the central coast of California. (6)There are 31,000 members of the Armed Forces serving on active duty and their dependents who are underserved by both the Department of Veterans Affairs clinic and the Department of Defense clinic located at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center. (7)A new joint clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense is likely to be more cost efficient and better serve the medical needs of both the veterans population and the population of members of the Armed Forces serving on active duty and their dependents. (8)The Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs entered into a memorandum of understanding in support of a joint clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense. (9)Veterans returning from service in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom are likely to strain the capacity of the existing clinic resources of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense. (b)

Authority

Upon the completion of a feasibility study funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs on the construction of a new community-based outpatient clinic at the Ord Military Community, California, and subject to the availability of appropriations for such purpose, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall construct a new community-based outpatient clinic at the Ord Military Community, California, in accordance with the findings and recommendations of such study.