[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1838 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1838

  To provide for the health care needs of veterans in far South Texas.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 19, 2007

 Mr. Cornyn (for himself and Mrs. Hutchison) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To provide for the health care needs of veterans in far South Texas.

    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 ``South Texas Veterans Access to Care 
Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The current and future health care needs of veterans 
        residing in the Far South Texas area are not being fully met by 
        the Department of Veterans Affairs.
            (2) The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that more 
        than 100,000 veterans reside in Far South Texas.
            (3) In its Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services 
        study, the Department of Veterans Affairs found that fewer than 
        three percent of its enrollees in the Valley-Coastal Bend 
        Market of Veterans Integrated Service Network 17 reside within 
        its acute hospital access standards.
            (4) Travel times for veterans from the market referred to 
        in paragraph (3) can exceed six hours from their residences to 
        the nearest Department of Veterans Affairs hospital for acute 
        inpatient health care.
            (5) Even with the significant travel times, veterans from 
        Far South Texas demonstrate a high demand for health care 
        services from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
            (6) Deployments involving members of the Texas National 
        Guard and Reservists from Texas will serve to continue to 
        increase the population of veterans in Far South Texas.

SEC. 3. MEDICAL CARE FOR VETERANS IN FAR SOUTH TEXAS.

    (a) Determination.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
determine, and notify Congress pursuant to subsection (b), whether the 
needs of veterans in Far South Texas for acute inpatient hospital care 
should be met--
            (1) through a project for a public-private venture to 
        provide inpatient services and long-term care to veterans in an 
        existing facility in Far South Texas;
            (2) through a project for construction of a new full-
        service, 50-bed hospital with a 125-bed nursing home in Far 
        South Texas; or
            (3) through a sharing agreement with a military treatment 
        facility in Far South Texas.
    (b) Notification and Prospectus.--Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to 
Congress a report--
            (1) identifying which of the three options specified in 
        subsection (a) has been selected by the Secretary; and
            (2) providing, for the option selected, a prospectus that 
        includes, at a minimum, the matter specified in paragraphs (1) 
        through (8) of section 8104(b) of title 38, United States Code, 
        and the project timelines.

SEC. 4. PUBLIC-PRIVATE VENTURE FOR MEDICAL CARE FOR VETERANS IN FAR 
              SOUTH TEXAS.

    (a) Project.--If the option selected by the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs under subsection (a) of section 3 is the option specified in 
paragraph (1) of such subsection for a project of a public-private 
venture to provide inpatient and long-term care to veterans at an 
existing facility in Far South Texas, then the Secretary shall, subject 
to the availability of appropriations for such purpose, take such steps 
as necessary to enter into an agreement with an appropriate private-
sector entity to provide for inpatient and long-term care services for 
veterans at an existing facility in one of the counties of Far South 
Texas. Such an agreement may include provision for construction of a 
new wing or other addition at such facility to provide additional 
services that will, under the agreement, be leased by the United States 
and dedicated to care and treatment of veterans by the Secretary under 
title 38, United States Code.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as necessary for a public-private venture 
project under this section.

SEC. 5. NEW DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTER, FAR SOUTH 
              TEXAS.

    (a) Project Authorization.--If the option selected by the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs under subsection (a) of section 3 is the option 
specified in paragraph (2) of such subsection for a project for 
construction in Far South Texas of a new full-service, 175-bed facility 
providing inpatient and long-term care services, such facility shall be 
located in the county in Far South Texas that the Secretary determines 
most suitable to meet the health care needs of veterans in the region.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Construction, Major Projects, account of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs, in addition to any other amounts 
authorized for that account, the amount of $175,000,000 for the project 
authorized by subsection (a).

SEC. 6. SHARED FACILITY WITH DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, FAR SOUTH TEXAS.

    (a) Project Authorization.--If the option selected by the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs under subsection (a) of section 3 is the option 
specified in paragraph (3) of such subsection for a project of a 
Department of Veterans Affairs-Department of Defense shared facility to 
provide inpatient and long-term care to veterans at an existing 
facility in Far South Texas, then the Secretary shall, subject to the 
availability of appropriations for such purpose, take such steps as 
necessary to enter into an agreement with an appropriate military 
treatment facility to provide for inpatient and long-term care services 
for veterans at an existing facility in one of the counties of Far 
South Texas. Such an agreement may include provision for construction 
of a new wing or other addition at such facility to provide additional 
services that will, under the agreement, be leased by the United States 
and dedicated to care and treatment of veterans by the Secretary under 
title 38, United States Code.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as necessary for a Department of Veterans 
Affairs-Department of Defense venture project under this section.

SEC. 7. FAR SOUTH TEXAS DEFINED.

    In this Act, the term ``Far South Texas'' means the following 
counties of the State of Texas: Aransas, Bee, Brooks, Calhoun, Cameron, 
Crockett, DeWitt, Dimmit, Duval, Goliad, Hidalgo, Jackson, Jim Hogg, 
Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, Starr, 
Victoria, Webb, Willacy, and Zapata.
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