[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 141 (Wednesday, October 8, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2019-E2020]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    H.R. 3260--VETERANS' EXTENDED HEALTH CARE SERVICES AND BUSINESS 
                        ENHANCEMENTS ACT OF 2003

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 8, 2003

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing H.R. 
3260 in bi-partisan collaboration with my colleague, the gentleman from 
Illinois and Ranking Member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Lane 
Evans. This bill would augment certain health care business practices 
and programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to achieve 
greater efficiencies and economies of scale. Other enhancements 
included in this bill would benefit the Department of Defense (DOD) and 
VA's nonprofit research corporations. The bill would also extend 
certain reporting dates and authorities of VA in the provision of 
health care services to our Nation's veterans. Finally, our bill would 
authorize the naming of the Prescott, Arizona Veterans Affairs Medical 
Center for the late Bob Stump, my predecessor as Chairman of the 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill would authorize a five-year extension to VA's 
authority to provide non-institutional extended care services and 
required nursing home care to certain veterans. The mounting importance 
of providing long-term care alternatives to our aging veterans is 
supported by the projected increase in veterans who are 85 years of age 
or older from some 644,000 today to 1.3 million within the next decade.
  In 1999, Congress enacted the Veterans Millennium Health Care and 
Benefits Act (Public Law 106-117), requiring VA to operate and maintain 
certain long-term care programs in nursing home care. This Act also 
contained initiatives in geriatric evaluation, domiciliary care, adult 
day health care, respite, palliative and hospice programs. All of these 
programs are intended to address the growing needs of aging and 
disabled veterans by both institutional and non-institutional means. 
The authorities for these programs in the Veterans Millennium Health 
Care and Benefits Act will expire on December 31, 2003. This 
legislation would extend these authorities until December 31, 2008.
  H.R. 3260 would also allow veterans who are former prisoners of war 
to receive outpatient dental care from VA, without requiring them to 
have been in captivity for at least 90 days, as under current law. This 
bill also would eliminate the requirement under current law that ex-
POWs must now pay pharmacy co-payments. These are tangible and 
justified enhancements showing the gratitude of the nation for the 
sacrifices of former prisoners of war.

  Mr. Speaker, this bill would also streamline the process and 
notification requirements when VA intends to enter into an enhanced-use 
lease agreement for better use of underutilized VA property. Initially 
authorized in 1991, this unique asset management authority allows VA to 
enter into partnerships with private industry to yield the ``highest 
and best'' use of VA property for veterans, taxpayers, and the 
government.
  The enhanced-use lease program was created by Congress to allow VA 
activities to generate revenue, maximize value, minimize costs, and 
maintain competitiveness by developing health care and long-term care 
facilities, parking, energy plants, transitional and independent senior 
housing, assisted living, research and development facilities, child 
and adult day care and office space (government and commercial) 
projects in partnerships with private and public entities. Since its 
inception, the enhanced-use lease program has generated cost savings, 
private investment, new long-term sources of revenues as well as jobs 
and expanded tax revenues.
  Mr. Speaker, this program represents cost effective, good government. 
This bill would extend the benefits of the enhanced-use lease program 
to the Veterans Benefits and National Cemetery Administrations as well 
as the health care system. Current law limits the program to real 
estate assets of the Veterans Health Administration. This bill would 
allow the proceeds to be retained by the Veterans Health 
Administration, the Veterans Benefits Administration or the National 
Cemetery Administration, whichever administration initiated and 
developed the enhanced-use lease project.
  This bill would allow the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to extend 
authority to the Secretary of Defense, beginning in fiscal year 2004, 
to purchase medical equipment, services and supplies through VA's 
revolving supply fund. This simple provision would serve to further 
expand federal purchasing power and enhance economies of scale.
  Mr. Speaker, at the request of the Department, this bill would change 
statutory reporting dates on several reports VA is required to make to 
Congress. The bill would also provide certain Federal liability 
coverage to a very specific and small group of employees who work in 
the nonprofit research corporations authorized in title 38. Congress 
established these nonprofit corporations to manage non-appropriated 
research activities, primarily those funded through grants from the 
National Institutes of Health, philanthropic grants and a variety of 
clinical and pharmaceutical trials. Congress expanded the role of VA 
nonprofit corporations in 1999 to include a variety of educational 
endeavors for VA clinical care staff. Employees of these nonprofit 
corporations would have liability coverage equivalent to their VA 
counterparts. The bill would also authorize a five-year extension of 
the basic authority for these nonprofits through December 31, 2008.

  The final provision of this bill is to honor our departed former 
Chairman, the Honorable Bob Stump. In June of this year, we were 
saddened by the loss of our former colleague who

[[Page E2020]]

served with distinction in Congress for 26 years.
  From his enlistment in the Navy during World War II at the age of 16, 
to his extraordinary leadership as Chairman of the Veterans' Affairs 
and Armed Services Committees in the House of Representatives, Bob 
Stump was a true American hero. Chairman Stump used his influence to 
promote responsible legislation to assist and honor our Nation's 
veterans, past, present and future.
  Under Bob Stump's leadership, Congress increased funding for 
veterans' health care; expanded access to long term care for aging 
veterans, including nonhospital alternative care; reformed eligibility 
standards for access to VA health care; extended the national cemetery 
system, including Arlington National Cemetery; increased assistance to 
disabled veterans and their survivors; and strengthened the Montgomery 
GI Bill that has helped millions of veterans fulfill their educational 
and career goals.
  As his successor as Chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I 
particularly know and appreciate all that he did for our Nation's 
veterans, service members and their families. A modest man who 
preferred to shun the spotlight, Bob Stump's lifetime of service to 
America and our Nation's veterans left this country a better place. I 
am honored to include in this legislation a provision to name the 
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Prescott, Arizona as 
the ``Bob Stump Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.'' This 
memorial is a fitting tribute in his beloved home state of Arizona, and 
will ensure that his legacy will continue to shine brightly for 
generations to come.
  Mr. Speaker, the Veterans' Extended Health Care Services and Business 
Enhancements Act of 2003 is an important measure. I urge my colleagues 
to support H.R. 3260 and to work with me and my colleagues on the 
Committee to advance this legislation this year.

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