[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 57 (Wednesday, April 24, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S2963]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CORNYN:
  S. 800. A bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure 
that the South Texas Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Center 
at Harlingen, located in Harlingen, Texas, includes a full-service 
inpatient health care facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 
to redesignate such center, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Veterans' Affairs.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 800

       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 ``Treto Garza Far South Texas 
     Veterans Inpatient Care Act of 2013''.

     SEC. 2. INPATIENT HEALTH CARE FACILITY AT DEPARTMENT OF 
                   VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL FACILITY IN HARLINGEN, 
                   TEXAS.

       (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) The current and future health care needs of veterans 
     residing in Far South Texas are not being fully met by the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs.
       (2) According to recent census data, more than 108,000 
     veterans reside in Far South Texas.
       (3) Travel times for veterans from the Valley Coastal Bend 
     area from their homes to the nearest Department of Veterans 
     Affairs hospital for acute inpatient health care can exceed 
     six hours.
       (4) 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.
       (5) Ongoing overseas deployments of members of the Armed 
     Forces from Texas, including members of the Armed Forces on 
     active duty, members of the Texas National Guard, and members 
     of the other reserve components of the Armed Forces, will 
     continue to increase demand for medical services provided by 
     the Department of Veterans Affairs.
       (6) The Department of Veterans Affairs employs an annual 
     Strategic Capital Investment Planning process to ``enable the 
     VA to continually adapt to changes in demographics, medical 
     and information technology, and health care delivery'', which 
     results in the development of a multi-year investment plan 
     that determines where gaps in services exist or are projected 
     and develops an appropriate solution to meet those gaps.
       (7) According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, final 
     approval of the Strategic Capital Investment Planning 
     priority list serves as the ``building block'' of the annual 
     budget request for the Department.
       (8) Arturo ``Treto'' Garza, a veteran who served in the 
     Marine Corps, rose to the rank of Sergeant, and served two 
     tours in the Vietnam War, passed away on October 3, 2012.
       (9) Treto Garza, who was also a former co-chairman of the 
     Veterans Alliance of the Rio Grande Valley, tirelessly fought 
     to improve health care services for veterans in the Rio 
     Grande Valley, with his efforts successfully leading to the 
     creation of the South Texas VA Health Care Center at 
     Harlingen, located in Harlingen, Texas.
       (b) Redesignation of South Texas Department of Veterans 
     Affairs Health Care Center.--
       (1) In general.--The South Texas Department of Veterans 
     Affairs Health Care Center at Harlingen, located in 
     Harlingen, Texas, is redesignated as the ``Treto Garza South 
     Texas Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Center''.
       (2) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
     referred to in paragraph (1) shall be deemed to be a 
     reference to the ``Treto Garza South Texas Department of 
     Veterans Affairs Health Care Center''.
       (c) Requirement of Full-service Inpatient Facility.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
     ensure that the Treto Garza South Texas Department of 
     Veterans Affairs Health Care Center includes a full-service 
     inpatient health care facility of the Department and shall 
     modify the existing facility as necessary to meet that 
     requirement.
       (2) Plan to expand facility capabilities.--The Secretary 
     shall include in the annual Strategic Capital Investment Plan 
     of the Department a project to expand the capabilities of the 
     Treto Garza South Texas Department of Veterans Affairs Health 
     Care Center by adding the following:
       (A) Inpatient capability for 50 beds with appropriate 
     administrative, clinical, diagnostic, and ancillary services 
     needed for support.
       (B) An urgent care center.
       (C) The capability to provide a full range of services to 
     meet the needs of women veterans.
       (d) Report to Congress.--Not later than 180 days after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 
     to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the 
     Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives a report detailing a plan to implement the 
     requirements in subsection (c), including an estimate of the 
     cost of required actions and the time necessary for the 
     completion of those actions.
       (e) Far South Texas Defined.--In this section, the term 
     ``Far South Texas'' means the following counties in Texas: 
     Aransas, Bee, Brooks, Calhoun, Cameron, DeWitt, Dimmit, 
     Duval, Goliad, Hidalgo, Jackson, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Kenedy, 
     Kleberg, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, Starr, Victoria, 
     Webb, Willacy, Zapata.
                                 ______