[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 122 (Tuesday, September 26, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10217-S10218]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    AUTHORIZING MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY PROJECTS AND LEASES FOR THE 
                     DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 592, S. 3421.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 3421) to authorize major medical facility 
     projects and major medical facility

[[Page S10218]]

     leases for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal 
     years 2006 and 2007, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
bill which had been reported from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs 
with amendments, as follows:

  [Strike the parts shown in boldface brackets and insert the parts 
shown in italic.]

                                S. 3421

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

     SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION OF FISCAL YEAR 2006 MAJOR MEDICAL 
                   FACILITY PROJECTS.

       The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may carry out the 
     following major medical facility projects in fiscal year 
     2006, with each project to be carried out in the amount 
     specified for that project:
       (1) Restoration, new construction or replacement of the 
     medical center facility for the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs Medical Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, due to damage 
     from Hurricane Katrina in an amount not to exceed 
     [$675,000,000] $636,000,000. The Secretary is authorized to 
     carry out the project as a collaborative effort consistent 
     with the New Orleans Collaborative Opportunities Study Group 
     Report dated June 12, 2006.
       (2) Restoration of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
     Medical Center, Biloxi, Mississippi, and consolidation of 
     services performed at the Department of Veterans Affairs 
     Medical Center, Gulfport, Mississippi, in an amount not to 
     exceed $310,000,000.
       (3) Replacement of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
     Medical Center, Denver, Colorado, in an amount not to exceed 
     $52,000,000.

     SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF AUTHORIZATION FOR MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY 
                   CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AUTHORIZED UNDER CAPITAL 
                   ASSET REALIGNMENT INITIATIVE.

       Notwithstanding subsection (d) of section 221 of the 
     Veterans Health Care, Capital Asset, and Business Improvement 
     Act of 2003 (Public Law 108-170; 117 Stat. 2050), the 
     Secretary of Veterans Affairs may enter into contracts before 
     September 30, 2009, to carry out each major medical facility 
     project, as originally authorized by such section 221, as 
     follows with each project to be carried out in the amount 
     specified for that project:
       (1) Construction of an outpatient clinic and regional 
     office at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 
     Anchorage, Alaska, in an amount not to exceed $75,270,000.
       (2) Consolidation of clinical and administrative functions 
     of the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in 
     Cleveland, Ohio, and the Department of Veterans Affairs 
     Medical Center in Brecksville, Ohio, in an amount not to 
     exceed $102,300,000.
       (3) Construction of the Extended Care Building at the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Des Moines, 
     Iowa, in an amount not to exceed $25,000,000.
       (4) Renovation of patient wards at the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, in 
     an amount not to exceed $9,100,000.
       (5) Correction of patient privacy deficiencies at the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Gainesville, 
     Florida, in an amount not to exceed $85,200,000.
       (6) 7th and 8th Floor Wards Modernization addition at the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Indianapolis, 
     Indiana, in an amount not to exceed $27,400,000.
       (7) Construction of a new Medical Center Facility at the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Las Vegas, 
     Nevada, in an amount not to exceed $406,000,000.
       (8) Construction of an Ambulatory Surgery/Outpatient 
     Diagnostic Support Center in the Gulf South Submarket of 
     Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 8 and completion 
     of Phase I land purchase, Lee County, Florida, in an amount 
     not to exceed $65,100,000.
       (9) Seismic Corrections-Buildings 7 & 126 at the Department 
     of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Long Beach, California, 
     in an amount not to exceed $107,845,000.
       (10) Seismic Corrections-Buildings 500 & 501 at the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Los Angeles, 
     California, in an amount not to exceed $79,900,000.
       (11) Construction of a New Medical Center facility in the 
     Orlando, Florida, area in an amount not to exceed 
     $377,700,000.
       (12) Consolidation of Campuses at the University Drive and 
     H. John Heinz III divisions, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in an 
     amount not to exceed $189,205,000.
       (13) Ward Upgrades and Expansion at the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas, in an 
     amount not to exceed $19,100,000.
       (14) Seismic Corrections-Building 1, Phase 1 Design at the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Juan, 
     Puerto Rico, in an amount not to exceed $15,000,000.
       (15) Construction of a Spinal Cord Injury Center at the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Syracuse, New 
     York, in an amount not to exceed $53,900,000.
       (16) Upgrade Essential Electrical Distribution Systems at 
     the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tampa, 
     Florida, in an amount not to exceed $49,000,000.
       (17) Expansion of the Spinal Cord Injury Center addition at 
     the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tampa, 
     Florida, in an amount not to exceed $7,100,000.
       (18) Blind Rehabilitation and Psychiatric Bed renovation 
     and new construction project at the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs Medical Center, Temple, Texas, in an amount not to 
     exceed $56,000,000.

     SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF FISCAL YEAR 2006 MAJOR MEDICAL 
                   FACILITY LEASES.

       The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may carry out the 
     following major medical facility leases in fiscal year 2006 
     at the locations specified, and in an amount for each lease 
     not to exceed the amount shown for such location:
       (1) For an outpatient clinic, Baltimore, Maryland, 
     $10,908,000.
       (2) For an outpatient clinic, Evansville, Illinois, 
     $8,989,000.
       (3) For an outpatient clinic, Smith County, Texas, 
     $5,093,000.

     SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF FISCAL YEAR 2007 MAJOR MEDICAL 
                   FACILITY LEASES.

       The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may carry out the 
     following major medical facility leases in fiscal year 2007 
     at the locations specified, and in an amount for each lease 
     not to exceed the amount shown for such location:
       (1) For an outpatient and specialty care clinic, Austin, 
     Texas, $6,163,000.
       (2) For an outpatient clinic, Lowell, Massachusetts, 
     $2,520,000.
       (3) For an outpatient clinic, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 
     $4,409,000.
       (4) For up to four outpatient clinics, Las Vegas, Nevada, 
     $8,518,000.
       (5) For an outpatient clinic, Parma, Ohio, $5,032,000.

     SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       (a) Authorization of Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2006 
     Major Medical Facility Projects.--There is authorized to be 
     appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for fiscal 
     year 2006 for the Construction, Major Projects, account, 
     [$1,606,000,000] $998,000,000 for the projects authorized in 
     section 1.
       (b) Authorization of Appropriations for Major Medical 
     Facility Projects Under Capital Asset Realignment 
     Initiative.--
       (1) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for 
     fiscal year 2007 for the Construction, Major Projects, 
     account, $1,750,120,000 for the projects whose authorization 
     is extended by section 2.
       (2) Availability.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to the 
     authorization of appropriations in paragraph (1) shall remain 
     available until September 30, 2009.
       (c) Authorization of Appropriations for Major Medical 
     Facility Leases.--
       (1) Fiscal year 2006 leases.--There is authorized to be 
     appropriated for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for fiscal 
     year 2006 for the Medical Care account, $24,990,000 for the 
     leases authorized in section 4.
       (2) Fiscal year 2007 leases.--There is authorized to be 
     appropriated for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for fiscal 
     year 2007 for the Medical Care account, $26,642,000 for the 
     leases authorized in section 5.
       (d) Limitation.--The projects authorized in sections 1 and 
     2 may only be carried out using--
       (1) funds appropriated for fiscal year 2006 or 2007 
     pursuant to the authorization of appropriations in 
     subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this section;
       (2) funds available for Construction, Major Projects, for a 
     fiscal year before fiscal year 2006 that remain available for 
     obligation;
       (3) funds available for Construction, Major Projects, for a 
     fiscal year after fiscal year 2006 or 2007 that are available 
     for obligation; and
       (4) funds appropriated for Construction, Major Projects, 
     for fiscal year 2006 or 2007 for a category of activity not 
     specific to a project.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
committee-reported amendments be agreed to, the Craig substitute 
amendment at the desk be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a 
third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, 
and any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The committee amendments were agreed to.
  The amendment (No. 5074) was agreed to.
  (The amendment is printed in today's Record under ``Text of 
Amendments.'')
  The bill (S. 3421), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed.

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