[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 118 (Friday, August 19, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 19, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
 AUTHORIZING MEDICAL FACILITY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS FOR THE DEPARTMENT 
                          OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 515, S. 2277, a 
bill to authorize major medical facility construction projects; that 
the bill be read a third time, passed, that the motion to reconsider be 
laid upon the table, and that any statements appear at the appropriate 
place in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, as chairman of the Committee on 
Veterans' Affairs, I am delighted that the Senate is considering the 
pending measure, legislation which authorizes funds for the 
construction of major medical facility projects and for major medical 
facility leases for the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Committee 
on Veterans' Affairs met on June 9, 1994, and voted unanimously to 
report this bill.
  Mr. President, this bill as it comes before the Senate, which I will 
refer to as the ``committee bill,'' would authorize funds for major 
medical facility projects and leases for the Department of Veterans 
Affairs. The committee must authorize projects for which funds were not 
appropriated prior to October 9, 1992, or which were not authorized for 
fiscal year 1994.
  The committee bill would authorize funds for the projects and leases 
requested in the budget of the President for fiscal year 1995. The 
projects included in the President's budget that require authorization 
are a medical center with ambulatory care facilities and a nursing home 
in Brevard County, FL, $17.2 million in design funds, and a research 
facility addition at the VA Medical Center, Portland, OR, $16.1 
million.
  Projects proposed in the President's fiscal year 1995 budget that 
have been previously authorized or are grandfathered under the 
authorization statute are seismic corrections at the VA Medical Center, 
Memphis, TN, $62.3 million; phase one of construction of a medical 
center to replace the Martinez, CA, facility, $7.3 million; and a 
research facility at the VA Medical Center, Huntington, WV, $9.9 
million.
  The major medical facility leases proposed in the President's budget 
and authorized by the committee bill are an outpatient clinic in Ponce, 
PR, $1,175,040, and an outpatient clinic in Winston-Salem, NC, 
$844,800.
  Leases for which funding is requested in the President's fiscal year 
1995 budget, but for which authorization is not required, are a 
residential facility in Hilo, HI, $457,200; an outpatient expansion in 
Sacramento, CA, $345,000; a parking garage in Birmingham, AL, $546,000; 
and a health care medical education center in Washington, DC, $350,000.
  The committee bill would also authorize the ambulatory care projects 
that were proposed in the documents submitted to Congress by the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs in conjunction with the budget, to be 
financed with funds from the Health Care Investment Fund to be 
established under the proposed Health Security Act. These projects will 
be crucial to VA's ability to adapt to changing trends in health care 
practices. They are the lease-purchase of an outpatient clinic in Bay 
Pines, FL, $9.6 million; an ambulatory care addition and renovations at 
the VA Medical Center, Boston, MA, $48 million; renovation of the Naval 
Training Center Hospital in Orlando, FL, for use as a VA outpatient 
clinic and nursing home, $14 million; an ambulatory care addition at 
the VA Medical Center, Gainesville, FL, $17.8 million; an ambulatory 
care addition at the VA Medical Center, Hampton, VA, $29.2 million; and 
an ambulatory care addition and renovations at the VA Medical Center, 
West Haven, CT, $48.6 million.
  Ambulatory care projects proposed to be constructed through the 
Investment Fund that do not require authorization are an ambulatory 
care addition at the VA Medical Center, Columbia, MO $22.9 million; and 
an ambulatory care addition and parking garage at San Juan, PR, $34.8 
million.
  These projects will enable VA to meet current primary health care 
needs of veterans more efficiently. The proposal to construct these 
ambulatory care facilities using funds from the Health Security Act 
Investment Fund is unacceptable. The Investment Fund was intended to 
ensure that VA will have the resources needed to compete in a reformed 
health care environment. The funds set aside for that purpose must 
remain available for that purpose. The Investment Fund was not intended 
to be a substitute for an annual construction budget adequate to meet 
the health care needs of veterans.
  Two projects authorized by the committee bill were added by the 
committee at markup. These are an ambulatory care project in Phoenix, 
AZ, costing $50 million, and a nursing home addition in Charleston, SC, 
costing $7.3 million.
  The total cost of the projects authorized would be $395 million. The 
capitalized value of the leases authorized is $15.9 million.
  The committee bill also authorizes funds for construction of an 
ambulatory care facility to replace the earthquake-damaged facility in 
Sepulveda, CA. Funds for this project totaling $104 million have been 
made available through the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act of 
1994. The committee bill includes a provision which would waive the 
otherwise applicable 90-day waiting period under section 510(b) of 
title 38 relating to the reorganization of VA facilities.
  Mr. President, I thank the members of the committee for their support 
of the committee bill, and the members of the majority and minority 
committee staff who worked on this measure. I look forward to working 
with the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs on these matters, and to 
final passage of the bill. I urge my colleagues to give their unanimous 
support to the committee bill as reported.
  So the bill (S. 2277) was passed, as follows:

                                S. 2277

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION OF MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY PROJECTS 
                   AND MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY LEASES.

       (a) Projects Authorized.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
     may carry out the major medical facility projects for the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs, and may carry out the major 
     medical facility leases for that Department, for which funds 
     are requested in the budget of the President for fiscal year 
     1995. The authorization in the preceding sentence applies to 
     projects and leases which have not been authorized, or for 
     which funds have not been appropriated, in any fiscal year 
     before fiscal year 1995 and to projects and leases which have 
     been authorized, or for which funds were appropriated, in 
     fiscal years before fiscal year 1995.
       (b) Additional Projects.--(1) In addition to the projects 
     authorized in subsection (a), the Secretary may carry out the 
     following major medical facility projects in the amounts 
     specified for such projects:
       (A) The projects that are proposed in the documents 
     submitted to Congress by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in 
     conjunction with the budget of the President for fiscal year 
     1995 to be financed with funds from the proposed Health Care 
     Investment Fund.
       (B) Construction of a nursing home facility at the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Charleston, 
     South Carolina, $7,300,000.
       (C) Construction of an outpatient care addition at the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in Phoenix, 
     Arizona, $50,000,000.
       (2) The authorizations in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) 
     of paragraph (1) apply to projects which have not been 
     authorized, or for which funds have not been appropriated, in 
     any fiscal year before fiscal year 1995 and to projects which 
     have been authorized, or for which funds were appropriated, 
     in fiscal years before fiscal year 1995.
       (c) Projects for Which Funds Appropriated.--In addition to 
     the projects authorized in subsections (a) and (b), the 
     Secretary may carry out the following major medical facility 
     projects for which funds were appropriated in chapter 7 of 
     the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act of 1994 (title 
     I of Public Law 103-211; 108 Stat. 10) in the amounts 
     specified:
       (1) Construction of an ambulatory care/support services 
     facility at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 
     in Sepulveda, California, $53,700,000.
       (2) Other major medical facility projects required to 
     repair, restore, or replace earthquake-damaged facilities at 
     the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in 
     Sepulveda, California, $50,000,000.

     SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       (a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
     the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 1995--
       (1) $395,000,000 for the major medical facility projects 
     authorized in subsections (a) and (b) of section 1; and
       (2) $15,900,000 for the major medical facility leases 
     authorized in section 1(a).
       (b) Limitation.--The projects authorized in subsections (a) 
     and (b) of section 1 may only be carried out using--
       (1) funds appropriated for fiscal year 1995 pursuant to the 
     authorization of appropriations in subsection (a);
       (2) funds appropriated for Construction, Major Projects for 
     a fiscal year before fiscal year 1995 that remain available 
     for obligation; and
       (3) funds appropriated for Construction, Major Projects for 
     fiscal year 1995 for a category of activity not specific to a 
     project.
       (c) Limitation on Certain Projects.--The projects 
     authorized in subsection (c) of section 1 may only be carried 
     out using--
       (1) funds appropriated to the Construction, Major Projects 
     account under chapter 7 of the Emergency Supplemental 
     Appropriations Act of 1994 (title I of Public Law 103-211; 
     108 Stat. 10) and funds transferred by the President to the 
     Construction, Major Projects account pursuant to chapter 8 of 
     that Act (108 Stat. 14);
       (2) funds appropriated to the Medical Care account by 
     chapter 7 of the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act of 
     1994 that are transferred to the Construction, Major Projects 
     account;
       (3) funds appropriated to the Construction, Major Projects 
     account for a fiscal year before fiscal year 1994 that remain 
     available for obligation; and
       (4) funds appropriated to the Construction, Major Projects 
     account for fiscal year 1994 for a category of activity not 
     specific to a project.

     SEC. 3. WAIVER OF CONGRESSIONAL WAITING PERIOD REQUIREMENT 
                   FOR A SPECIFIED ADMINISTRATIVE REORGANIZATION.

       (a) Waiver.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may 
     undertake the administrative reorganization described in 
     subsection (b) of this section without regard to the waiting 
     period requirement of section 510(b) of title 38, United 
     States Code.
       (b) Covered Administrative Reorganization.--The 
     administrative reorganization referred to in subsection (a) 
     of this section is a reorganization at the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Sepulveda, California, 
     necessitated by the January 1994 earthquake damage at that 
     location, as described in the letters dated April 25, 1994, 
     and the accompanying detailed plan and justification, 
     submitted by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to the 
     chairmen of the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate 
     and the House of Representatives pursuant to section 510(b) 
     of title 38, United States Code.

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