[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 89 (Thursday, June 4, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S3789]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1631. Ms. MURKOWSKI submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
to amendment SA 1463 proposed by Mr. McCain to the bill H.R. 1735, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2016 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense and for military construction, to 
prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle G of title X, add the following:

     SEC. 1085. MAINTENANCE BY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OF 
                   CERTAIN JOINT VENTURES WITH DEPARTMENT OF 
                   DEFENSE.

       (a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b) and 
     notwithstanding the policy statement of the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs dated May 12, 2015, and entitled ``Veterans 
     Health Administration Hierarchy for Purchased Care'' or any 
     other policy of the Department relating to purchased care for 
     purposes of implementing section 101 of the Veterans Access, 
     Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-146; 
     38 U.S.C. 1701 note), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may 
     not--
       (1) withdraw from any arrangement under which the Secretary 
     of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Defense jointly 
     operate a hospital;
       (2) reduce or eliminate staffing, funding, or the provision 
     of other resources to a hospital that is so jointly operated; 
     or
       (3) limit the access of veterans to any such hospital.
       (b) Exception.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may carry 
     out an action listed in paragraphs (1) through (3) of 
     subsection (a) with respect to a hospital if the Secretary 
     submits a report to the Secretary of Defense, the appropriate 
     committees of Congress, and each Member of the Senate and the 
     House of Representatives who represents the State in which 
     the hospital is located--
       (1) providing 180 days advance notice of the intent of the 
     Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out the action; and
       (2) specifying the reasons of the Secretary for carrying 
     out the action.
       (c) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this 
     section, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' 
     means--
       (1) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on 
     Veterans' Affairs, and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
     Senate; and
       (2) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on 
     Veterans' Affairs, and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
     House of Representatives.
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