Short title

This Act may be cited as the

Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009

Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that the provision of health care services to veterans could be more effectively and efficiently planned and managed if funding was provided for the management and provision of such services in the form of advance appropriations.

Presidents’ budget submissions

Section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

(36)information on estimates of appropriations for the fiscal year following the fiscal year for which the budget is submitted for the following accounts of the Department of Veterans Affairs: (A)Medical Services. (B)Medical Support and Compliance. (C)Medical Facilities. (D)Information Technology Systems. (E)Medical and Prosthetic Research.

Advance appropriations for certain accounts of the Department of Veterans Affairs

(a)

Advance appropriations for certain accounts

(1)

In general

Chapter 1 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 116 the following new section:

117.

Advance appropriations for certain accounts

(a)

In general

For each fiscal year, beginning with fiscal year 2011, discretionary new budget authority provided in an appropriations Act for the appropriations accounts of the Department specified in subsection (c) shall— (1)be made available for that fiscal year; and (2)include, for each such appropriations account, advance discretionary new budget authority that first becomes available for the first fiscal year after the budget year. (b)

Estimates required

The Secretary shall include in documents submitted to Congress in support of the President’s budget submitted pursuant to section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, detailed estimates of the funds necessary for the accounts of the Department specified in subsection (c) for the fiscal year following the fiscal year for which the budget is submitted. (c)

Accounts specified

The accounts specified in this subsection are the following accounts of the Department of Veterans Affairs: (1)Medical Services. (2)Medical Support and Compliance. (3)Medical Facilities. (4)Information Technology Systems. (5)Medical and Prosthetic Research. (d)

Annual report

Not later than July 31 of each year, the Secretary shall submit to Congress an annual report on the sufficiency of the Department’s resources for the next fiscal year beginning after the date of the submittal of the report for the provision of medical care. Such report shall also include estimates of the workload and demand data for that fiscal year.

(2)

Clerical amendment

The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 116 the following new item:

117. Advance appropriations for certain accounts.

Comptroller General study on adequacy and accuracy of baseline model projections of the Department of Veterans Affairs for health care expenditures

(a)

Study of adequacy and accuracy of base line model projections

The Comptroller General shall conduct a study of the adequacy and accuracy of the budget projections made by the Enrollee Health Care Projection Model (in this section referred to as the Model), its equivalent, or other methodologies utilized for the purpose of estimating and projecting health care expenditures of the Department of Veterans Affairs with respect to the fiscal year involved and the subsequent four fiscal years. (b)

Reports

(1)

In general

Not later than the date of each year in 2011, 2012, and 2013, on which the President submits the budget request for the next fiscal year under section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, the Comptroller General shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress and to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs a report. (2)

Elements

Each report under this paragraph shall include, for the fiscal year concerning the year for which the budget is submitted, the following: (A)A statement whether the amount requested in the budget of the President for expenditures of the Department for health care in such fiscal year is consistent with anticipated expenditures of the Department for health care in such fiscal year as determined utilizing the Model. (B)The basis for such statement. (C)Such additional information as the Comptroller General determines appropriate. (3)

Availability to the public

Each report submitted under this subsection shall be made available to the public by the Comptroller General. (4)

Appropriate committees of congress defined

In this subsection, the term appropriate committees of Congress means— (A)the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs, Appropriations, and the Budget of the Senate; and (B)the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs, Appropriations, and the Budget of the House of Representatives.

Report to Congress

Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs, Appropriations, and the Budget of the Senate and House of Representatives a report on the requirements of this Act and the amendments made by this Act. Such report shall include— (1)the Secretary’s plans for improving the capability of the Department of Veterans Affairs to better and more accurately estimate future health care costs and demands; and (2)a description of impediments, statutory or otherwise, to providing future year estimates and advance appropriations for the Medical Services, Medical Support and Compliance, Medical Facilities, Information Technology Systems, and Medical and Prosthetic Research accounts of the Department.