[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 174 (Tuesday, December 10, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H7614-H7617]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
VA EXPIRING AUTHORITIES EXTENSION ACT OF 2013
Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass
[[Page H7615]]
the bill (H.R. 1402) to amend title 38, United States Code, to extend
the authorization of appropriations for the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs to pay a monthly assistance allowance to disabled veterans
training or competing for the Paralympic Team and the authorization of
appropriations for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide
assistance to the United States Paralympics, Inc., as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1402
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``VA
Expiring Authorities Extension Act of 2013''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act
is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. References to title 38, United States Code.
Sec. 3. Scoring of budgetary effects.
Sec. 4. Extension of authorization of appropriations for payment of a
monthly assistance allowance to disabled veterans
training or competing in large-scale adaptive sports
programs.
Sec. 5. Reauthorization and modification of adaptive sports assistance
program.
Sec. 6. Extension of authority to transport certain individuals to and
from Department of Veterans Affairs facilities.
Sec. 7. Extension of authority for operation of the Department of
Veterans Affairs regional office in Manila, the Republic
of the Philippines.
Sec. 8. Extension of requirement to provide nursing home care to
certain veterans with service-connected disabilities.
Sec. 9. Extension of treatment and rehabilitation services for
seriously mentally ill and homeless veterans.
Sec. 10. Extension of authority to provide housing assistance for
homeless veterans.
Sec. 11. Extension of authority for the Advisory Committee on Homeless
Veterans.
Sec. 12. Extension of authority for the Veterans' Advisory Commission
on Education.
Sec. 13. Extension of requirements relating to vendee loans.
Sec. 14. Extension of authority for the performance of medical
disabilities examinations by contract physicians.
SEC. 2. REFERENCES TO TITLE 38, UNITED STATES CODE.
Except as otherwise expressly provided, whenever in this
Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an
amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provision, the
reference shall be considered to be made to a section or
other provision of title 38, United States Code.
SEC. 3. SCORING OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.
The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of
complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall
be determined by reference to the latest statement titled
``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act,
submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the
Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such
statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.
SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR
PAYMENT OF A MONTHLY ASSISTANCE ALLOWANCE TO
DISABLED VETERANS TRAINING OR COMPETING IN
LARGE-SCALE ADAPTIVE SPORTS PROGRAMS.
(a) Reauthorization and Use of Certain Funds.--Subsection
(d)(4) of section 322 is amended by striking ``through 2013''
and all that follows and inserting ``through 2015.''.
(b) Cooperation With Organization.--Subsection (b)(4) of
such section is amended by striking ``cooperate with the
United States Olympic Committee'' and all that follows
through ``its partners;'' and inserting ``cooperate with
entities with significant experience in managing large-scale
adaptive sports programs;''.
(c) Applicability to Commonwealths and Territories of the
United States.--Such section is further amended by
redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f) and inserting
after subsection (d) the following new subsection (e):
``(e) Applicability to Commonwealths and Territories of the
United States.--The provisions of this subsection shall apply
in the same manner and to the same degree as to the United
States Olympic Committee to the Paralympic sport entities the
Secretary considers appropriate to represent the interests of
each of the following:
``(1) American Samoa.
``(2) Guam.
``(3) Puerto Rico.
``(4) The Northern Mariana Islands.
``(5) The United States Virgin Islands.''.
SEC. 5. REAUTHORIZATION AND MODIFICATION OF ADAPTIVE SPORTS
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
(a) Reauthorization.--Subsection (a) of section 521A is
amended to read as follows:
``(a) Adaptive Sports Program.--(1) The Secretary may carry
out a program under which the Secretary may make grants to
eligible entities for planning, developing, managing, and
implementing programs to provide adaptive sports
opportunities for disabled veterans and disabled members of
the Armed Forces.
``(2) For purposes of this section, an eligible entity is
an entity with significant experience in managing a large-
scale adaptive sports program.''.
(b) Additional Application Requirements.--Subsection
(c)(2)(A) of such section is amended--
(1) by striking ``of all partnerships'' and all that
follows through the end and inserting ``of--''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new clauses:
``(i) all partnerships referred to in paragraph (3) at the
national and local levels that will be participating in such
activities and the amount of grant funds that the eligible
entity proposes to make available for each of such
partnerships;
``(ii) the anticipated personnel, travel, and
administrative costs that will be paid for by the eligible
entity using grant funds;
``(iii) the financial controls implemented by the eligible
entity, including methods to track expenditures of grant
funds;
``(iv) the performance metrics to be used by the eligible
entity to evaluate the effectiveness of the activities to be
carried out using grant funds; and
``(v) the anticipated personnel, travel, and administrative
costs that will be paid for by grantees under this subsection
using grant funds; and''.
(c) Use of Funds for Administrative Expenses.--Paragraph
(4) of subsection (d) of such section is amended to read as
follows:
``(4)(A) At the discretion of the Secretary, an eligible
entity that receives a grant under this section may use a
portion of the grant for the administrative expenses and
personnel expenses of the eligible entity. The amount that
may be used for such expenses may not exceed--
``(i) in the case of a grant made for adaptive sports
opportunities taking place during fiscal year 2014, 10
percent of the total amount of the grant;
``(ii) in the case of a grant made for adaptive sports
opportunities taking place during fiscal year 2015, 7.5
percent of the total amount of the grant; and
``(iii) in the case of a grant made for adaptive sports
opportunities taking place during any subsequent fiscal year,
5 percent of the total amount of the grant.
``(B) For purposes of this paragraph, personnel expenses
include any costs associated with an employee of the eligible
entity other than reimbursement for time spent by such an
employee directly providing coaching or training for disabled
veterans or members of the Armed Forces.''.
(d) Funding.--Subsection (g) of such section is amended--
(1) by striking ``There is'' and inserting ``(1) There
is'';
(2) by striking ``through 2013'' and all that follows and
inserting ``through 2015.''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(2) Amounts appropriated pursuant to this subsection
shall remain available without fiscal year limitation.''.
(e) Reauthorization.--Subsection (l) of such section is
amended by striking ``may not provide assistance under this
section after December 31, 2013'' and inserting ``may only
provide assistance under this section for adaptive sports
opportunities occurring during fiscal years 2010 through
2016''.
(f) Comptroller General Report.--Not later than 18 months
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller
General of the United States shall submit to Congress a
report on the use of the grants, if any, awarded under
section 521A of title 38, United States Code, as amended by
this section, during the first program year that begins after
the date of the enactment of this Act. Such report shall
include each of the following:
(1) An assessment of how the Secretary of Veterans Affairs,
eligible entities that received grants under such section,
and grantees under subsection (c) of such section have
provided adaptive sports opportunities to veterans and
members of the Armed Forces through grants awarded under such
section.
(2) An assessment of how the Secretary oversees the use of
funds provided under such section.
(3) A description of the benefit provided to veterans and
members of the Armed Forces through programs and activities
developed through grants awarded under such section.
(g) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--Section 521A, as
amended by this section, is further amended--
(1) in subsection (b)--
(A) in the first sentence, by striking ``the United States
Olympic Committee'' and inserting ``an eligible entity''; and
(B) in the second sentence, by striking ``The United States
Olympic Committee'' and inserting ``An eligible entity that
receives a grant under this section'';
(2) in subsection (c)--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) by striking ``the United States Olympic Committee'' the
first time it appears and inserting ``an eligible entity'';
and
(ii) by striking ``the United States Olympic Committee''
the second time it appears and inserting ``the eligible
entity''; and
[[Page H7616]]
(B) in paragraphs (2) and (3), by striking ``the United
States Olympic Committee'' each place it appears and
inserting ``the eligible entity'';
(3) in subsection (d)--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) by striking ``The United States Olympic Committee'' and
inserting ``An eligible entity that receives a grant under
this section,'';
(ii) by striking ``a grant under this section'' and
inserting ``the grant''; and
(iii) by striking ``the United States Olympic Committee''
and inserting ``the eligible entity''; and
(B) in paragraph (5), by striking ``the United States
Olympic Committee'' and inserting ``an eligible entity that
receives a grant under this section'';
(4) in subsection (e)--
(A) by striking ``the United States Olympic Committee'' and
inserting ``an eligible entity''; and
(B) by striking ``the integrated adaptive sports program''
and inserting ``the adapted sports opportunities funded by
the grant'';
(5) in subsection (f), by striking ``the integrated
adaptive sports program'' and inserting ``adapted sports
opportunities funded under this section''; and
(6) in subsection (j)--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) by striking ``the United States Olympic Committee'' the
first place it appears and inserting ``an eligible entity'';
(ii) by striking ``the United States Olympic Committee''
the second place it appears and inserting ``the eligible
entity'';
(iii) by striking ``the integrated adaptive sports
program,'' and inserting ``the adapted sports opportunities
funded by the grant,''; and
(iv) by striking ``the integrated adaptive sports
program.'' and inserting ``such opportunities and
programs.'';
(B) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following
new paragraph (3):
``(3) If an eligible entity that receives a grant under
this section for any fiscal year does not submit the report
required by paragraph (1) for such fiscal year, the entity
shall not be eligible to receive a grant under this section
for the subsequent fiscal year.''; and
(7) by striking subsection (m).
(h) Clerical Amendments.--
(1) Section heading.--The heading of such section is
amended to read as follows:
``Sec. 521A. Adaptive sports programs for disabled veterans
and members of the Armed Forces''.
(2) Table of sections.--The table of sections at the
beginning of chapter 5 is amended by striking the item
relating to section 521A and inserting the following new
item:
``512A. Adaptive sports programs for disabled veterans and members of
the Armed Forces.''.
(i) Implementation.--To ensure the uninterrupted provision
of adaptive sports for disabled veterans and disabled members
of the Armed Forces, any regulations that the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs determines are necessary to implement the
amendments made by this section may be promulgated by interim
final rules to ensure the award of grants under section 521A
of title 38, United States Code, as amended by this section,
before the end of fiscal year 2014.
SEC. 6. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY TO TRANSPORT CERTAIN
INDIVIDUALS TO AND FROM DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS FACILITIES.
Section 111A(a)(2) is amended by striking ``the date that
is one year after the date of the enactment of this section''
and inserting ``December 31, 2014''.
SEC. 7. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY FOR OPERATION OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS REGIONAL OFFICE
IN MANILA, THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES.
Section 315(b) is amended by striking ``December 31, 2013''
and inserting ``December 31, 2014''.
SEC. 8. EXTENSION OF REQUIREMENT TO PROVIDE NURSING HOME CARE
TO CERTAIN VETERANS WITH SERVICE-CONNECTED
DISABILITIES.
Section 1710A(d) is amended by striking ``December 31,
2013'' and inserting ``December 31, 2014''.
SEC. 9. EXTENSION OF TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION SERVICES
FOR SERIOUSLY MENTALLY ILL AND HOMELESS
VETERANS.
(a) General Treatment.--Section 2031(b) is amended by
striking ``December 31, 2013'' and inserting ``December 31,
2014''.
(b) Additional Services at Certain Locations.--Section
2033(d) is amended by striking ``December 31, 2013'' and
inserting ``December 31, 2014''.
SEC. 10. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE HOUSING ASSISTANCE
FOR HOMELESS VETERANS.
Section 2041(c) is amended by striking ``December 31,
2013'' and inserting ``December 31, 2014''.
SEC. 11. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY FOR THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON
HOMELESS VETERANS.
Section 2066(d) is amended by striking ``December 31,
2013'' and inserting ``December 31, 2014''.
SEC. 12. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY FOR THE VETERANS' ADVISORY
COMMISSION ON EDUCATION.
Section 3692(c) is amended by striking ``December 31,
2013'' and inserting ``December 31, 2014''.
SEC. 13. EXTENSION OF REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO VENDEE LOANS.
Section 3733(a)(7) is amended by striking ``September 30,
2013'' each place it appears and inserting ``September 30,
2014''.
SEC. 14. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF
MEDICAL DISABILITIES EXAMINATIONS BY CONTRACT
PHYSICIANS.
Section 704(c) of the Veterans Benefits Act of 2003 (Public
Law 108-183; 38 U.S.C. 5101 note) is amended by striking
``December 31, 2013'' and inserting ``December 31, 2014''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Miller) and the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Michaud) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.
General Leave
Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks and add any extraneous materials they may have on H.R. 1402, as
amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I rise today in support of H.R. 1402, as amended, the VA Expiring
Authorities Act of 2013. Mr. Speaker, to put it simply, this bill
extends the legal authorization for several VA authorities. Without
enactment of this bill before December 31, 2013, the authorization to
run certain programs and exercise certain legal authorities would end.
This would be very detrimental to veterans and their families.
For example, the bill extends VA's authority to ensure that severely
disabled veterans have priority access to nursing home care, to include
those who require that level of care for service-connected
disabilities. It also extends VA's adaptive sports program, which is
currently run through a partnership with the U.S. Paralympic committee.
I have met with veterans who have benefited from this partnership and
have seen firsthand the positive impact that the activities and events
have had on them and their families.
H.R. 1402, as amended, would extend other legal authorities to help
veterans, including the authorization for treatment and rehabilitative
services for homeless and seriously mentally ill veterans, housing
assistance for homeless veterans, authorization to permit the use of
contract exam providers for disability claims, and several other
important extensions.
I am pleased also to report that funding for these extensions was
included in both the President's budget request and appropriation bills
passed by the House and pending in the Senate.
I thank my good friend and ranking member of the full committee, Mr.
Michaud, for his assistance to bring this piece of legislation to the
floor. And again, I want to thank all of my colleagues in the Senate
for reaching an agreement with us on this language, especially the
Senate VA chairman, Mr. Sanders, and the ranking member, Mr. Burr of
North Carolina.
Once again, I want to encourage all Members to support the bill.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in full support of H.R. 1402, as amended, the VA Expiring
Authorities Extension Act of 2013.
Mr. Speaker, this bill, as amended, would extend a number of critical
programs administered by the VA. It is a bipartisan measure. I
appreciate the highly collaborative efforts of the committee staffs and
the cooperative efforts of our colleagues in the other body.
H.R. 1402, as amended, would extend the authorization of
appropriations for the VA to provide monthly stipends to athletes
competing in large-scale adaptive sports programs and extend the
authority of the VA to provide grants to entities that plan and carry
out adaptive sports programs. This bill represents a bipartisan and
bicameral agreement to modify the existing program and to provide more
stringent oversight of the program.
H.R. 1402, as amended, would also extend to the end of next year the
authority of the VA to transport certain individuals to and from VA
facilities, to operate the regional office in the Philippines, and to
contract with non-
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VA physicians to conduct medical disability examinations.
H.R. 1402, as amended, would also extend the requirement that VA
provide nursing home care to certain veterans, extend the authority to
provide treatment and rehabilitation services for seriously mentally
ill and homeless veterans, and extend the authority of the VA to
provide housing assistance for homeless veterans.
Finally, this bill would extend the authority for two advisory
committees--the Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans and the
Advisory Committee on Education--as well as extend the authority for
requirements relating to the sale of vendee loans by the VA.
Mr. Speaker, we have passed many veterans bills out of the House this
year. It is my hope that some of these bills will become law before the
year is out. I look forward to working with our colleagues in the
Senate to make sure that we get this bill passed. The job at hand today
is to pass this extenders bill, send it over to the Senate for quick
consideration, and get it to the President's desk before the end of the
year before the authority to continue these vital programs lapses.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, one of the things that is
necessary in order to bring a piece of legislation that has this many
moving parts is somebody who has been involved very much in each of
those pieces of legislation.
I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Colorado
(Mr. Coffman), chairman of the Oversight and Investigations
Subcommittee.
Mr. COFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, earlier this year I introduced, along with
Representative Mark Takano, H.R. 1402, the Veteran Paralympics Act, and
I am happy to see that this legislation is now poised to pass the House
floor along with other important programs for veterans.
My portion of this legislation will extend this joint program,
operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Olympic
Committee, that funds grants to adaptive sports programs for disabled
veterans all across our country.
Paralympic programs are adaptive sports for physically disabled
athletes, and research has shown that Paralympic sports and other forms
of physical activity are an impactful aspect for the successful
rehabilitation for these wounded warriors.
The Veterans Paralympics Act will ensure that disabled veterans in
local communities throughout our country will continue to have
opportunities for rehabilitation, stress relief, and higher achievement
through adaptive sports. Currently, there are dozens of partnership
organizations in Colorado and over 300 nationwide that are helping our
veterans with their rehabilitation through adaptive sports.
During committee hearings, I discussed the Veterans Paralympics Act
with Charlie Huebner, the U.S. Olympic Committee's Paralympics chief.
He stated that this extension would help more than 16,000 disabled
veterans in communities throughout America receive adaptive sports
rehabilitation.
Mr. Huebner and I both emphatically agree that participation in
adaptive sports and other athletic activities can help speed the
rehabilitation process for disabled veterans, and this legislation, if
passed, will ensure rehabilitative opportunities for disabled veterans
in local communities throughout the country. I am proud to lead this
effort to extend and support this important program.
Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Takano).
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maine, the
ranking member, for yielding me this time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support the Veterans Paralympic Act, a
bipartisan piece of legislation that would extend the funding for
adaptive sport programs for disabled veterans.
Through the Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Olympic
Committee, this joint program has provided sports and other athletic
activities that help speed up the rehabilitation process for our
Nation's heroes. By extending the funding through 2018, and improving
access to adaptive sports programs, this legislation would provide the
greatest opportunity for rehabilitation through sports our veterans
have ever had. The sacrifice of these heroes is immeasurable, and I
believe that Congress should be doing all it can to help their
rehabilitation process.
I thank the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Coffman) for introducing
this bill, and I look forward to its passage.
Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to yield 3
minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Negrete McLeod).
Mrs. NEGRETE McLEOD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1402 that
extends VA housing programs for homeless veterans.
The California district which I represent is home to over 20,000
veterans. Like the Nation, homelessness among veterans is a serious
problem in my district. It will take continued coordination between VA
and local organizations to ensure that veterans are able to take
advantage of housing assistance programs.
As a member of the House VA Subcommittee on Health, in August of this
year I hosted a town hall with the VA and local organizations. Over 200
veterans attended and signed up for VA veterans benefits for the very
first time. This is a great example of better coordination in helping
our veterans.
Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I would like to once again thank Chairman
Miller for his collaborative effort in bringing both of these bills
before the House today and his continued support to make sure that we
do everything we can to pass legislation that will help our veterans. I
also want to thank the staffs on both the majority and the minority
side for working so well together to get these bills before the floor.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1402, as amended.
I yield back the balance of my time.
{time} 1430
Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I, too, urge my colleagues to
support H.R. 1402, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Miller) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 1402, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
____________________