[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 91 (Tuesday, June 9, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3931-S3932]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CORNYN:
  S. 1534. A bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to 
ensure that the medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
located in Harlingen, Texas, includes a full-service inpatient health 
care facility, to redesignate such medical 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. 1534

       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 South Texas 
     Veterans Inpatient Care Act of 2015''.

     SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF MEDICAL CENTER OF DEPARTMENT OF 
                   VETERANS AFFAIRS IN HARLINGEN, TEXAS, AND 
                   INCLUSION OF INPATIENT HEALTH CARE FACILITY AT 
                   SUCH MEDICAL CENTER.

       (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) The current and future health care needs of veterans 
     residing in 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 South Texas.
       (3) Travel times for veterans from the Valley Coastal Bend 
     area from their homes to the nearest hospital of the 
     Department for acute inpatient health care can exceed six 
     hours.
       (4) Even with the significant travel times, veterans from 
     South Texas demonstrate a high demand for health care 
     services from the Department.
       (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 in South Texas.
       (6) The Department 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, 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 medical center of the Department located in 
     Harlingen, Texas.
       (b) Redesignation of Medical Center in Harlingen, Texas.--
       (1) In general.--The medical center of the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs located in Harlingen, Texas, shall after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act be known and designated as 
     the ``Treto Garza South Texas Department of Veterans Affairs 
     Health Care Center''.
       (2) References.--Any reference in any law, regulation, map, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     medical center of the Department 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, as designated under 
     subsection (b), 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

[[Page S3932]]

     the Department for fiscal year 2016 a project to expand the 
     capabilities of the Treto Garza South Texas Department of 
     Veterans Affairs Health Care Center, as so designated, 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 health care 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) South Texas Defined.--In this section, the term ``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.

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