[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 121 (Wednesday, July 29, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H5640-H5650]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SURFACE TRANSPORTATION AND VETERANS HEALTH CARE CHOICE IMPROVEMENT ACT
OF 2015
General Leave
Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous materials on H.R. 3236.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
There was no objection.
Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 388, I call up
the bill (H.R. 3236) to provide an extension of Federal-aid highway,
highway safety, motor carrier safety, transit, and other programs
funded out of the Highway Trust Fund, to provide resource flexibility
to the Department of Veterans Affairs for health care services, and for
other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill contains an emergency designation
pursuant to section 4(g)(1) of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010.
Accordingly, the Chair must put the question of consideration under
section 4(g)(2) of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010.
The question is, Will the House now consider the bill?
The question of consideration was decided in the affirmative.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 388, the bill
is considered read.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 3236
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS; TABLE OF
CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Surface
Transportation and Veterans Health Care Choice Improvement
Act of 2015''.
(b) Reconciliation of Funds.--The Secretary of
Transportation shall reduce the amount apportioned or
allocated for a program, project, or activity under this Act
in fiscal year 2015 by amounts apportioned or allocated
pursuant to the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of
2014 and the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2015,
including the amendments made by such Acts, for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015.
(c) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act
is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; reconciliation of funds; table of contents.
TITLE I--SURFACE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM EXTENSION
Subtitle A--Federal-Aid Highways
Sec. 1001. Extension of Federal-aid highway programs.
Sec. 1002. Administrative expenses.
[[Page H5641]]
Subtitle B--Extension of Highway Safety Programs
Sec. 1101. Extension of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
highway safety programs.
Sec. 1102. Extension of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
programs.
Sec. 1103. Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act.
Subtitle C--Public Transportation Programs
Sec. 1201. Formula grants for rural areas.
Sec. 1202. Apportionment of appropriations for formula grants.
Sec. 1203. Authorizations for public transportation.
Sec. 1204. Bus and bus facilities formula grants.
Subtitle D--Hazardous Materials
Sec. 1301. Authorization of appropriations.
TITLE II--REVENUE PROVISIONS
Sec. 2001. Extension of Highway Trust Fund expenditure authority.
Sec. 2002. Funding of Highway Trust Fund.
Sec. 2003. Modification of mortgage reporting requirements.
Sec. 2004. Consistent basis reporting between estate and person
acquiring property from decedent.
Sec. 2005. Clarification of 6-year statute of limitations in case of
overstatement of basis.
Sec. 2006. Tax return due dates.
Sec. 2007. Transfers of excess pension assets to retiree health
accounts.
Sec. 2008. Equalization of Highway Trust Fund excise taxes on liquefied
natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, and compressed
natural gas.
TITLE III--ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS
Sec. 3001. Service fees.
TITLE IV--VETERANS PROVISIONS
Sec. 4001. Short title.
Sec. 4002. Plan to consolidate programs of Department of Veterans
Affairs to improve access to care.
Sec. 4003. Funding account for non-Department care.
Sec. 4004. Temporary authorization of use of Veterans Choice Funds for
certain programs.
Sec. 4005. Modifications of Veterans Choice Program.
Sec. 4006. Limitation on dialysis pilot program.
Sec. 4007. Amendments to Internal Revenue Code with respect to health
coverage of veterans.
Sec. 4008. Emergency designations.
TITLE I--SURFACE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM EXTENSION
Subtitle A--Federal-Aid Highways
SEC. 1001. EXTENSION OF FEDERAL-AID HIGHWAY PROGRAMS.
(a) In General.--Section 1001(a) of the Highway and
Transportation Funding Act of 2014 (128 Stat. 1840) is
amended by striking ``July 31, 2015'' and inserting ``October
29, 2015''.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) Highway trust fund.--Section 1001(b)(1) of the Highway
and Transportation Funding Act of 2014 (128 Stat. 1840) is
amended to read as follows:
``(1) Highway trust fund.--Except as provided in section
1002, there is authorized to be appropriated out of the
Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account)--
``(A) for fiscal year 2015, a sum equal to the total amount
authorized to be appropriated out of the Highway Trust Fund
(other than the Mass Transit Account) for programs, projects,
and activities for fiscal year 2014 under divisions A and E
of MAP-21 (Public Law 112-141) and title 23, United States
Code (excluding chapter 4 of that title); and
``(B) for the period beginning on October 1, 2015, and
ending on October 29, 2015, \29/366\ of the total amount
authorized to be appropriated out of the Highway Trust Fund
(other than the Mass Transit Account) for programs, projects,
and activities for fiscal year 2015 under divisions A and E
of MAP-21 (Public Law 112-141) and title 23, United States
Code (excluding chapter 4 of that title).''.
(2) General fund.--Section 1123(h)(1) of MAP-21 (23 U.S.C.
202 note) is amended by striking ``each of fiscal years 2013
and 2014 and $24,986,301 out of the general fund of the
Treasury to carry out the program for the period beginning on
October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015'' and inserting
``each of fiscal years 2013 through 2015 and $2,377,049 out
of the general fund of the Treasury to carry out the program
for the period beginning on October 1, 2015, and ending on
October 29, 2015''.
(c) Use of Funds.--
(1) In general.--Section 1001(c)(1) of the Highway and
Transportation Funding Act of 2014 (128 Stat. 1840) is
amended by striking ``(1) In general.--'' and all that
follows through ``to carry out programs'' and inserting the
following:
``(1) In general.--Except as otherwise expressly provided
in this subtitle, funds authorized to be appropriated under
subsection (b)(1)--
``(A) for fiscal year 2015 shall be distributed,
administered, limited, and made available for obligation in
the same manner and at the same levels as the amounts of
funds authorized to be appropriated out of the Highway Trust
Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account) for fiscal year
2014; and
``(B) for the period beginning on October 1, 2015, and
ending on October 29, 2015, shall be distributed,
administered, limited, and made available for obligation in
the same manner and at the same levels as \29/366\ of the
amounts of funds authorized to be appropriated out of the
Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account) for
fiscal year 2015,
to carry out programs''.
(2) Obligation ceiling.--Section 1102 of MAP-21 (23 U.S.C.
104 note) is amended--
(A) in subsection (a)--
(i) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (2); and
(ii) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following:
``(3) $40,256,000,000 for fiscal year 2015; and
``(4) $3,189,683,060 for the period beginning on October 1,
2015, and ending on October 29, 2015.'';
(B) in subsection (b)(12)--
(i) by striking ``each of fiscal years 2013 through 2014''
and inserting ``each of fiscal years 2013 through 2015''; and
(ii) by striking ``, and for the period beginning on
October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015, only in an
amount equal to $639,000,000, less any reductions that would
have otherwise been required for that year by section 251A of
the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985
(2 U.S.C. 901a), then multiplied by \304/365\ for that
period'' and inserting ``, and for the period beginning on
October 1, 2015, and ending on October 29, 2015, only in an
amount equal to $639,000,000, less any reductions that would
have otherwise been required for that year by section 251A of
the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985
(2 U.S.C. 901a), then multiplied by \29/366\ for that
period'';
(C) in subsection (c)--
(i) in the matter preceding paragraph (1) by striking
``each of fiscal years 2013 through 2014 and for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015''
and inserting ``each of fiscal years 2013 through 2015 and
for the period beginning on October 1, 2015, and ending on
October 29, 2015''; and
(ii) in paragraph (2) in the matter preceding subparagraph
(A) by striking ``for the period beginning on October 1,
2014, and ending on July 31, 2015, that is equal to \304/365\
of such unobligated balance'' and inserting ``for the period
beginning on October 1, 2015, and ending on October 29, 2015,
that is equal to \29/366\ of such unobligated balance'';
(D) in subsection (d) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)
by striking ``2015'' and inserting ``2016''; and
(E) in subsection (f)(1) in the matter preceding
subparagraph (A) by striking ``each of fiscal years 2013
through 2014 and for the period beginning on October 1, 2014,
and ending on July 31, 2015'' and inserting ``each of fiscal
years 2013 through 2015 and for the period beginning on
October 1, 2015, and ending on October 29, 2015''.
SEC. 1002. ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.
Section 1002 of the Highway and Transportation Funding Act
of 2014 (128 Stat. 1842) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a) by striking ``for administrative
expenses of the Federal-aid highway program $366,465,753 for
the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July
31, 2015.'' and inserting ``for administrative expenses of
the Federal-aid highway program--
``(1) $440,000,000 for fiscal year 2015; and
``(2) $34,863,388 for the period beginning on October 1,
2015, and ending on October 29, 2015.''; and
(2) by striking subsection (b)(2) and inserting the
following:
``(2) for fiscal year 2015 and for the period beginning on
October 1, 2015, and ending on October 29, 2015, subject to
the limitations on administrative expenses under the heading
`Federal Highway Administration' in appropriations Acts that
apply, respectively, to that fiscal year and period.''.
Subtitle B--Extension of Highway Safety Programs
SEC. 1101. EXTENSION OF NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY
ADMINISTRATION HIGHWAY SAFETY PROGRAMS.
(a) Extension of Programs.--
(1) Highway safety programs.--Section 31101(a)(1) of MAP-21
(126 Stat. 733) is amended--
(A) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (B); and
(B) by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the
following:
``(C) $235,000,000 for fiscal year 2015; and
``(D) $18,620,219 for the period beginning on October 1,
2015, and ending on October 29, 2015.''.
(2) Highway safety research and development.--Section
31101(a)(2) of MAP-21 (126 Stat. 733) is amended--
(A) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (B); and
(B) by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the
following:
``(C) $113,500,000 for fiscal year 2015; and
``(D) $8,993,169 for the period beginning on October 1,
2015, and ending on October 29, 2015.''.
(3) National priority safety programs.--Section 31101(a)(3)
of MAP-21 (126 Stat. 733) is amended--
(A) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (B); and
(B) by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the
following:
``(C) $272,000,000 for fiscal year 2015; and
``(D) $21,551,913 for the period beginning on October 1,
2015, and ending on October 29, 2015.''.
[[Page H5642]]
(4) National driver register.--Section 31101(a)(4) of MAP-
21 (126 Stat. 733) is amended--
(A) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (B); and
(B) by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the
following:
``(C) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2015; and
``(D) $396,175 for the period beginning on October 1, 2015,
and ending on October 29, 2015.''.
(5) High visibility enforcement program.--
(A) Authorization of appropriations.--Section 31101(a)(5)
of MAP-21 (126 Stat. 733) is amended--
(i) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (B); and
(ii) by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the
following:
``(C) $29,000,000 for fiscal year 2015; and
``(D) $2,297,814 for the period beginning on October 1,
2015, and ending on October 29, 2015.''.
(B) Law enforcement campaigns.--Section 2009(a) of SAFETEA-
LU (23 U.S.C. 402 note) is amended--
(i) in the first sentence by striking ``each of fiscal
years 2013 and 2014 and in the period beginning on October 1,
2014, and ending on July 31, 2015'' and inserting ``each of
fiscal years 2013 through 2015 and in the period beginning on
October 1, 2015, and ending on October 29, 2015''; and
(ii) in the second sentence by striking ``each of fiscal
years 2013 and 2014 and in the period beginning on October 1,
2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,'' and inserting ``each of
fiscal years 2013 through 2015 and in the period beginning on
October 1, 2015, and ending on October 29, 2015,''.
(6) Administrative expenses.--Section 31101(a)(6) of MAP-21
(126 Stat. 733) is amended--
(A) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (B); and
(B) by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the
following:
``(C) $25,500,000 for fiscal year 2015; and
``(D) $2,020,492 for the period beginning on October 1,
2015, and ending on October 29, 2015.''.
(b) Cooperative Research and Evaluation.--Section 403(f)(1)
of title 23, United States Code, is amended by striking
``each fiscal year ending before October 1, 2014, and
$2,082,192 of the total amount available for apportionment to
the States for highway safety programs under section 402(c)
in the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on
July 31, 2015,'' and inserting ``each fiscal year ending
before October 1, 2015, and $198,087 of the total amount
available for apportionment to the States for highway safety
programs under section 402(c) in the period beginning on
October 1, 2015, and ending on October 29, 2015,''.
(c) Applicability of Title 23.--Section 31101(c) of MAP-21
(126 Stat. 733) is amended by striking ``fiscal years 2013
and 2014 and for the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and
ending on July 31, 2015,'' and inserting ``each of fiscal
years 2013 through 2015 and for the period beginning on
October 1, 2015, and ending on October 29, 2015,''.
SEC. 1102. EXTENSION OF FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY
ADMINISTRATION PROGRAMS.
(a) Motor Carrier Safety Grants.--Section 31104(a) of title
49, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (9); and
(2) by striking paragraph (10) and inserting the following:
``(10) $218,000,000 for fiscal year 2015; and
``(11) $17,273,224 for the period beginning on October 1,
2015, and ending on October 29, 2015.''.
(b) Administrative Expenses.--Section 31104(i)(1) of title
49, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (I); and
(2) by striking subparagraph (J) and inserting the
following:
``(J) $259,000,000 for fiscal year 2015; and
``(K) $20,521,858 for the period beginning on October 1,
2015, and ending on October 29, 2015.''.
(c) Grant Programs.--
(1) Commercial driver's license program improvement
grants.--Section 4101(c)(1) of SAFETEA-LU (119 Stat. 1715) is
amended by striking ``each of fiscal years 2013 and 2014 and
$24,986,301 for the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and
ending on July 31, 2015'' and inserting ``each of fiscal
years 2013 through 2015 and $2,377,049 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2015, and ending on October 29,
2015''.
(2) Border enforcement grants.--Section 4101(c)(2) of
SAFETEA-LU (119 Stat. 1715) is amended by striking ``each of
fiscal years 2013 and 2014 and $26,652,055 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015''
and inserting ``each of fiscal years 2013 through 2015 and
$2,535,519 for the period beginning on October 1, 2015, and
ending on October 29, 2015''.
(3) Performance and registration information system
management grant program.--Section 4101(c)(3) of SAFETEA-LU
(119 Stat. 1715) is amended by striking ``each of fiscal
years 2013 and 2014 and $4,164,384 for the period beginning
on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015'' and
inserting ``each of fiscal years 2013 through 2015 and
$396,175 for the period beginning on October 1, 2015, and
ending on October 29, 2015''.
(4) Commercial vehicle information systems and networks
deployment program.--Section 4101(c)(4) of SAFETEA-LU (119
Stat. 1715) is amended by striking ``each of fiscal years
2013 and 2014 and $20,821,918 for the period beginning on
October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015'' and inserting
``each of fiscal years 2013 through 2015 and $1,980,874 for
the period beginning on October 1, 2015, and ending on
October 29, 2015''.
(5) Safety data improvement grants.--Section 4101(c)(5) of
SAFETEA-LU (119 Stat. 1715) is amended by striking ``each of
fiscal years 2013 and 2014 and $2,498,630 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015''
and inserting ``each of fiscal years 2013 through 2015 and
$237,705 for the period beginning on October 1, 2015, and
ending on October 29, 2015''.
(d) High-Priority Activities.--Section 31104(k)(2) of title
49, United States Code, is amended by striking ``each of
fiscal years 2006 through 2014 and up to $12,493,151 for the
period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31,
2015,'' and inserting ``each of fiscal years 2006 through
2015 and up to $1,188,525 for the period beginning on October
1, 2015, and ending on October 29, 2015,''.
(e) New Entrant Audits.--Section 31144(g)(5)(B) of title
49, United States Code, is amended by striking ``per fiscal
year and up to $26,652,055 for the period beginning on
October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,'' and inserting
``per fiscal year and up to $2,535,519 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2015, and ending on October 29,
2015,''.
(f) Outreach and Education.--Section 4127(e) of SAFETEA-LU
(119 Stat. 1741) is amended by striking ``each of fiscal
years 2013 and 2014 and $3,331,507 to the Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration for the period beginning on
October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,'' and inserting
``each of fiscal years 2013 through 2015 and $316,940 to the
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for the period
beginning on October 1, 2015, and ending on October 29,
2015,''.
(g) Grant Program for Commercial Motor Vehicle Operators.--
Section 4134(c) of SAFETEA-LU (49 U.S.C. 31301 note) is
amended by striking ``each of fiscal years 2005 through 2014
and $832,877 for the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and
ending on July 31, 2015,'' and inserting ``each of fiscal
years 2005 through 2015 and $79,235 for the period beginning
on October 1, 2015, and ending on October 29, 2015,''.
SEC. 1103. DINGELL-JOHNSON SPORT FISH RESTORATION ACT.
Section 4 of the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act
(16 U.S.C. 777c) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)
by striking ``each fiscal year through 2014 and for the
period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31,
2015'' and inserting ``each fiscal year through 2015 and for
the period beginning on October 1, 2015, and ending on
October 29, 2015''; and
(2) in subsection (b)(1)(A) by striking ``for each fiscal
year ending before October 1, 2014, and for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,''
and inserting ``for each fiscal year ending before October 1,
2015, and for the period beginning on October 1, 2015, and
ending on October 29, 2015,''.
Subtitle C--Public Transportation Programs
SEC. 1201. FORMULA GRANTS FOR RURAL AREAS.
Section 5311(c)(1) of title 49, United States Code, is
amended--
(1) in subparagraph (A) by striking ``for each fiscal year
ending before October 1, 2014, and $4,164,384 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,''
and inserting ``for each fiscal year ending before October 1,
2015, and $396,175 for the period beginning on October 1,
2015, and ending on October 29, 2015,''; and
(2) in subparagraph (B) by striking ``for each fiscal year
ending before October 1, 2014, and $20,821,918 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,''
and inserting ``for each fiscal year ending before October 1,
2015, and $1,980,874 for the period beginning on October 1,
2015, and ending on October 29, 2015,''.
SEC. 1202. APPORTIONMENT OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR FORMULA
GRANTS.
Section 5336(h)(1) of title 49, United States Code, is
amended by striking ``for each fiscal year ending before
October 1, 2014, and $24,986,301 for the period beginning on
October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,'' and inserting
``for each fiscal year ending before October 1, 2015, and
$2,377,049 for the period beginning on October 1, 2015, and
ending on October 29, 2015,''.
SEC. 1203. AUTHORIZATIONS FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
(a) Formula Grants.--Section 5338(a) of title 49, United
States Code, is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1) by striking ``and $7,158,575,342 for
the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July
31, 2015'' and inserting ``$8,595,000,000 for fiscal year
2015, and $681,024,590 for the period beginning on October 1,
2015, and ending on October 29, 2015'';
(2) in paragraph (2)--
(A) in subparagraph (A) by striking ``and $107,274,521 for
the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July
31, 2015,'' and inserting ``$128,800,000 for fiscal 2015, and
$10,205,464 for the period beginning on October 1, 2015, and
ending on October 29, 2015,'';
(B) in subparagraph (B) by striking ``for each of fiscal
years 2013 and 2014 and $8,328,767 for the period beginning
on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,'' and
inserting ``for each of fiscal years 2013 through
[[Page H5643]]
2015 and $792,350 for the period beginning on October 1,
2015, and ending on October 29, 2015,'';
(C) in subparagraph (C) by striking ``and $3,713,505,753
for the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on
July 31, 2015,'' and inserting ``$4,458,650,000 for fiscal
year 2015, and $353,281,011 for the period beginning on
October 1, 2015, and ending on October 29, 2015,'';
(D) in subparagraph (D) by striking ``and $215,132,055 for
the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July
31, 2015,'' and inserting ``$258,300,000 for fiscal year
2015, and $20,466,393 for the period beginning on October 1,
2015, and ending on October 29, 2015,'';
(E) in subparagraph (E)--
(i) by striking ``and $506,222,466 for the period beginning
on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,'' and
inserting ``$607,800,000 for fiscal year 2015, and
$48,159,016 for the period beginning on October 1, 2015, and
ending on October 29, 2015,'';
(ii) by striking ``and $24,986,301 for the period beginning
on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,'' and
inserting ``$30,000,000 for fiscal year 2015, and $2,377,049
for the period beginning on October 1, 2015, and ending on
October 29, 2015,''; and
(iii) by striking ``and $16,657,534 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,''
and inserting ``$20,000,000 for fiscal year 2015, and
$1,584,699 for the period beginning on October 1, 2015, and
ending on October 29, 2015,'';
(F) in subparagraph (F) by striking ``each of fiscal years
2013 and 2014 and $2,498,630 for the period beginning on
October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,'' and inserting
``each of fiscal years 2013 through 2015 and $237,705 for the
period beginning on October 1, 2015, and ending on October
29, 2015,'';
(G) in subparagraph (G) by striking ``each of fiscal years
2013 and 2014 and $4,164,384 for the period beginning on
October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,'' and inserting
``each of fiscal years 2013 through 2015 and $396,175 for the
period beginning on October 1, 2015, and ending on October
29, 2015,'';
(H) in subparagraph (H) by striking ``each of fiscal years
2013 and 2014 and $3,206,575 for the period beginning on
October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,'' and inserting
``each of fiscal years 2013 through 2015 and $305,055 for the
period beginning on October 1, 2015, and ending on October
29, 2015,'';
(I) in subparagraph (I) by striking ``and $1,803,927,671
for the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on
July 31, 2015,'' and inserting ``$2,165,900,000 for fiscal
year 2015, and $171,615,027 for the period beginning on
October 1, 2015, and ending on October 29, 2015,'';
(J) in subparagraph (J) by striking ``and $356,304,658 for
the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July
31, 2015,'' and inserting ``$427,800,000 for fiscal year
2015, and $33,896,721 for the period beginning on October 1,
2015, and ending on October 29, 2015,''; and
(K) in subparagraph (K) by striking ``and $438,009,863 for
the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July
31, 2015,'' and inserting ``$525,900,000 for fiscal year
2015, and $41,669,672 for the period beginning on October 1,
2015, and ending on October 29, 2015,''.
(b) Research, Development Demonstration and Deployment
Projects.--Section 5338(b) of title 49, United States Code,
is amended by striking ``and $58,301,370 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015''
and inserting ``$70,000,000 for fiscal year 2015, and
$5,546,448 for the period beginning on October 1, 2015, and
ending on October 29, 2015''.
(c) Transit Cooperative Research Program.--Section 5338(c)
of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking ``and
$5,830,137 for the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and
ending on July 31, 2015'' and inserting ``$7,000,000 for
fiscal year 2015, and $554,645 for the period beginning on
October 1, 2015, and ending on October 29, 2015''.
(d) Technical Assistance and Standards Development.--
Section 5338(d) of title 49, United States Code, is amended
by striking ``and $5,830,137 for the period beginning on
October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015'' and inserting
``$7,000,000 for fiscal year 2015, and $554,645 for the
period beginning on October 1, 2015, and ending on October
29, 2015''.
(e) Human Resources and Training.--Section 5338(e) of title
49, United States Code, is amended by striking ``and
$4,164,384 for the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and
ending on July 31, 2015'' and inserting ``$5,000,000 for
fiscal year 2015, and $396,175 for the period beginning on
October 1, 2015, and ending on October 29, 2015''.
(f) Capital Investment Grants.--Section 5338(g) of title
49, United States Code, is amended by striking ``and
$1,558,295,890 for the period beginning on October 1, 2014,
and ending on July 31, 2015'' and inserting ``$1,907,000,000
for fiscal year 2015, and $151,101,093 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2015, and ending on October 29,
2015''.
(g) Administration.--Section 5338(h) of title 49, United
States Code, is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1) by striking ``and $86,619,178 for the
period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31,
2015'' and inserting ``$104,000,000 for fiscal year 2015, and
$8,240,437 for the period beginning on October 1, 2015, and
ending on October 29, 2015'';
(2) in paragraph (2) by striking ``each of fiscal years
2013 and 2014 and not less than $4,164,384 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,''
and inserting ``each of fiscal years 2013 through 2015 and
not less than $396,175 for the period beginning on October 1,
2015, and ending on October 29, 2015,''; and
(3) in paragraph (3) by striking ``each of fiscal years
2013 and 2014 and not less than $832,877 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,''
and inserting ``each of fiscal years 2013 through 2015 and
not less than $79,235 for the period beginning on October 1,
2015, and ending on October 29, 2015,''.
SEC. 1204. BUS AND BUS FACILITIES FORMULA GRANTS.
Section 5339(d)(1) of title 49, United States Code, is
amended--
(1) by striking ``each of fiscal years 2013 and 2014 and
$54,553,425 for the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and
ending on July 31, 2015,'' and inserting ``each of fiscal
years 2013 through 2015 and $5,189,891 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2015, and ending on October 29,
2015,'';
(2) by striking ``$1,041,096 for such period'' and
inserting ``$99,044 for such period''; and
(3) by striking ``$416,438 for such period'' and inserting
``$39,617 for such period''.
Subtitle D--Hazardous Materials
SEC. 1301. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--Section 5128(a) of title 49, United States
Code, is amended--
(1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (2); and
(2) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following:
``(3) $42,762,000 for fiscal year 2015; and
``(4) $3,388,246 for the period beginning on October 1,
2015, and ending on October 29, 2015.''.
(b) Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Fund.--
Section 5128(b) of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1)--
(A) in the paragraph heading by striking ``Fiscal years
2013 and 2014'' and inserting ``Fiscal years 2013 through
2015''; and
(B) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) by striking
``fiscal years 2013 and 2014'' and inserting ``fiscal years
2013 through 2015''; and
(2) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
``(2) Fiscal year 2016.--From the Hazardous Materials
Emergency Preparedness Fund established under section
5116(i), the Secretary may expend for the period beginning on
October 1, 2015, and ending on October 29, 2015--
``(A) $14,896 to carry out section 5115;
``(B) $1,727,322 to carry out subsections (a) and (b) of
section 5116, of which not less than $1,081,557 shall be
available to carry out section 5116(b);
``(C) $11,885 to carry out section 5116(f);
``(D) $49,522 to publish and distribute the Emergency
Response Guidebook under section 5116(i)(3); and
``(E) $79,235 to carry out section 5116(j).''.
(c) Hazardous Materials Training Grants.--Section 5128(c)
of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking
``each of the fiscal years 2013 and 2014 and $3,331,507 for
the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July
31, 2015,'' and inserting ``each of fiscal years 2013 through
2015 and $316,940 for the period beginning on October 1,
2015, and ending on October 29, 2015,''.
TITLE II--REVENUE PROVISIONS
SEC. 2001. EXTENSION OF HIGHWAY TRUST FUND EXPENDITURE
AUTHORITY.
(a) Highway Trust Fund.--Section 9503 of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 is amended--
(1) by striking ``August 1, 2015'' in subsections
(b)(6)(B), (c)(1), and (e)(3) and inserting ``October 30,
2015'', and
(2) by striking ``Highway and Transportation Funding Act of
2015'' in subsections (c)(1) and (e)(3) and inserting
``Surface Transportation and Veterans Health Care Choice
Improvement Act of 2015''.
(b) Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund.--Section
9504 of such Code is amended--
(1) by striking ``Highway and Transportation Funding Act of
2015'' each place it appears in subsection (b)(2) and
inserting ``Surface Transportation and Veterans Health Care
Choice Improvement Act of 2015'', and
(2) by striking ``August 1, 2015'' in subsection (d)(2) and
inserting ``October 30, 2015''.
(c) Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund.--Section
9508(e)(2) of such Code is amended by striking ``August 1,
2015'' and inserting ``October 30, 2015''.
SEC. 2002. FUNDING OF HIGHWAY TRUST FUND.
Section 9503(f) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is
amended by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph (8) and
by inserting after paragraph (6) the following new paragraph:
``(7) Additional sums.--Out of money in the Treasury not
otherwise appropriated, there is hereby appropriated--
``(A) $6,068,000,000 to the Highway Account (as defined in
subsection (e)(5)(B)) in the Highway Trust Fund; and
``(B) $2,000,000,000 to the Mass Transit Account in the
Highway Trust Fund.''.
SEC. 2003. MODIFICATION OF MORTGAGE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
(a) Information Return Requirements.--Section 6050H(b)(2)
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking
``and'' at the end of subparagraph (C), by redesignating
subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (G) and by inserting after
subparagraph (C) the following new subparagraphs:
``(D) the amount of outstanding principal on the mortgage
as of the beginning of such calendar year,
[[Page H5644]]
``(E) the date of the origination of the mortgage,
``(F) the address (or other description in the case of
property without an address) of the property which secures
the mortgage, and''.
(b) Statements to Individuals.--Section 6050H(d)(2) of such
Code is amended by striking ``subsection (b)(2)(C)'' and
inserting ``subparagraphs (C), (D), (E), and (F) of
subsection (b)(2)''.
(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section
shall apply to returns required to be made, and statements
required to be furnished, after December 31, 2016.
SEC. 2004. CONSISTENT BASIS REPORTING BETWEEN ESTATE AND
PERSON ACQUIRING PROPERTY FROM DECEDENT.
(a) Property Acquired From a Decedent.--Section 1014 of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end
the following new subsection:
``(f) Basis Must Be Consistent With Estate Tax Return.--For
purposes of this section--
``(1) In general.--The basis of any property to which
subsection (a) applies shall not exceed--
``(A) in the case of property the final value of which has
been determined for purposes of the tax imposed by chapter 11
on the estate of such decedent, such value, and
``(B) in the case of property not described in subparagraph
(A) and with respect to which a statement has been furnished
under section 6035(a) identifying the value of such property,
such value.
``(2) Exception.--Paragraph (1) shall only apply to any
property whose inclusion in the decedent's estate increased
the liability for the tax imposed by chapter 11 (reduced by
credits allowable against such tax) on such estate.
``(3) Determination.--For purposes of paragraph (1), the
basis of property has been determined for purposes of the tax
imposed by chapter 11 if--
``(A) the value of such property is shown on a return under
section 6018 and such value is not contested by the Secretary
before the expiration of the time for assessing a tax under
chapter 11,
``(B) in a case not described in subparagraph (A), the
value is specified by the Secretary and such value is not
timely contested by the executor of the estate, or
``(C) the value is determined by a court or pursuant to a
settlement agreement with the Secretary.
``(4) Regulations.--The Secretary may by regulations
provide exceptions to the application of this subsection.''.
(b) Information Reporting.--
(1) In general.--Subpart A of part III of subchapter A of
chapter 61 of such Code is amended by inserting after section
6034A the following new section:
``SEC. 6035. BASIS INFORMATION TO PERSONS ACQUIRING PROPERTY
FROM DECEDENT.
``(a) Information With Respect to Property Acquired From
Decedents.--
``(1) In general.--The executor of any estate required to
file a return under section 6018(a) shall furnish to the
Secretary and to each person acquiring any interest in
property included in the decedent's gross estate for Federal
estate tax purposes a statement identifying the value of each
interest in such property as reported on such return and such
other information with respect to such interest as the
Secretary may prescribe.
``(2) Statements by beneficiaries.--Each person required to
file a return under section 6018(b) shall furnish to the
Secretary and to each other person who holds a legal or
beneficial interest in the property to which such return
relates a statement identifying the information described in
paragraph (1).
``(3) Time for furnishing statement.--
``(A) In general.--Each statement required to be furnished
under paragraph (1) or (2) shall be furnished at such time as
the Secretary may prescribe, but in no case at a time later
than the earlier of--
``(i) the date which is 30 days after the date on which the
return under section 6018 was required to be filed (including
extensions, if any), or
``(ii) the date which is 30 days after the date such return
is filed.
``(B) Adjustments.--In any case in which there is an
adjustment to the information required to be included on a
statement filed under paragraph (1) or (2) after such
statement has been filed, a supplemental statement under such
paragraph shall be filed not later than the date which is 30
days after such adjustment is made.
``(b) Regulations.--The Secretary shall prescribe such
regulations as necessary to carry out this section, including
regulations relating to--
``(1) the application of this section to property with
regard to which no estate tax return is required to be filed,
and
``(2) situations in which the surviving joint tenant or
other recipient may have better information than the executor
regarding the basis or fair market value of the property.''.
(2) Penalty for failure to file.--
(A) Return.--Section 6724(d)(1) of such Code is amended by
striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (B), by striking
the period at the end of subparagraph (C) and inserting ``,
and'', and by adding at the end the following new
subparagraph:
``(D) any statement required to be filed with the Secretary
under section 6035.''.
(B) Statement.--Section 6724(d)(2) of such Code is amended
by striking ``or'' at the end of subparagraph (GG), by
striking the period at the end of subparagraph (HH) and
inserting ``, or'', and by adding at the end the following
new subparagraph:
``(II) section 6035 (other than a statement described in
paragraph (1)(D)).''.
(3) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections for subpart
A of part III of subchapter A of chapter 61 of such Code is
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 6034A
the following new item:
``Sec. 6035. Basis information to persons acquiring property from
decedent.''.
(c) Penalty for Inconsistent Reporting.--
(1) In general.--Section 6662(b) of such Code is amended by
inserting after paragraph (7) the following new paragraph:
``(8) Any inconsistent estate basis.''.
(2) Inconsistent basis reporting.--Section 6662 of such
Code is amended by adding at the end the following new
subsection:
``(k) Inconsistent Estate Basis Reporting.--For purposes of
this section, there is an `inconsistent estate basis' if the
basis of property claimed on a return exceeds the basis as
determined under section 1014(f).''.
(d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section
shall apply to property with respect to which an estate tax
return is filed after the date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 2005. CLARIFICATION OF 6-YEAR STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS IN
CASE OF OVERSTATEMENT OF BASIS.
(a) In General.--Section 6501(e)(1)(B) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 is amended--
(1) by striking ``and'' at the end of clause (i), by
redesignating clause (ii) as clause (iii), and by inserting
after clause (i) the following new clause:
``(ii) An understatement of gross income by reason of an
overstatement of unrecovered cost or other basis is an
omission from gross income; and'', and
(2) by inserting ``(other than in the case of an
overstatement of unrecovered cost or other basis)'' in clause
(iii) (as so redesignated) after ``In determining the amount
omitted from gross income''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section
shall apply to--
(1) returns filed after the date of the enactment of this
Act, and
(2) returns filed on or before such date if the period
specified in section 6501 of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986 (determined without regard to such amendments) for
assessment of the taxes with respect to which such return
relates has not expired as of such date.
SEC. 2006. TAX RETURN DUE DATES.
(a) Due Dates for Returns of Partnerships, S Corporations,
and C Corporations.--
(1) Partnerships and s corporations.--
(A) In general.--So much of subsection (b) of 6072 of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as precedes the second sentence
thereof is amended to read as follows:
``(b) Returns of Partnerships and S Corporations.--Returns
of partnerships under section 6031 and returns of S
corporations under sections 6012 and 6037 made on the basis
of the calendar year shall be filed on or before the 15th day
of March following the close of the calendar year, and such
returns made on the basis of a fiscal year shall be filed on
or before the 15th day of the third month following the close
of the fiscal year.''.
(B) Conforming amendment.--Section 6072(a) of such Code is
amended by striking ``6017, or 6031'' and inserting ``or
6017''.
(2) Conforming amendments relating to c corporation due
date of 15th day of fourth month following taxable year.--
(A) Section 170(a)(2)(B) of such Code is amended by
striking ``third month'' and inserting ``fourth month''.
(B) Section 563 of such Code is amended by striking ``third
month'' each place it appears and inserting ``fourth month''.
(C) Section 1354(d)(1)(B)(i) of such Code is amended by
striking ``3d month'' and inserting ``4th month''.
(D) Subsections (a) and (c) of section 6167 of such Code
are each amended by striking ``third month'' and inserting
``fourth month''.
(E) Section 6425(a)(1) of such Code is amended by striking
``third month'' and inserting ``fourth month''.
(F) Subsections (b)(2)(A), (g)(3), and (h)(1) of section
6655 of such Code are each amended by striking ``3rd month''
and inserting ``4th month''.
(G) Section 6655(g)(4) of such Code is amended by
redesignating subparagraph (E) as subparagraph (F) and by
inserting after subparagraph (D) the following new
subparagraph:
``(E) Subsection (b)(2)(A) shall be applied by substituting
`3rd month' for `4th month'.''.
(3) Effective dates.--
(A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph (B),
the amendments made by this subsection shall apply to returns
for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2015.
(B) Special rule for c corporations with fiscal years
ending on june 30.--In the case of any C corporation with a
taxable year ending on June 30, the amendments made by this
subsection shall apply to returns for taxable years beginning
after December 31, 2025.
[[Page H5645]]
(b) Modification of Due Dates by Regulation.--In the case
of returns for taxable years beginning after December 31,
2015, the Secretary of the Treasury, or the Secretary's
designee, shall modify appropriate regulations to provide as
follows:
(1) The maximum extension for the returns of partnerships
filing Form 1065 shall be a 6-month period ending on
September 15 for calendar year taxpayers.
(2) The maximum extension for the returns of trusts filing
Form 1041 shall be a 5\1/2\-month period ending on September
30 for calendar year taxpayers.
(3) The maximum extension for the returns of employee
benefit plans filing Form 5500 shall be an automatic 3\1/2\-
month period ending on November 15 for calendar year plans.
(4) The maximum extension for the returns of organizations
exempt from income tax filing Form 990 (series) shall be an
automatic 6-month period ending on November 15 for calendar
year filers.
(5) The maximum extension for the returns of organizations
exempt from income tax that are required to file Form 4720
returns of excise taxes shall be an automatic 6-month period
beginning on the due date for filing the return (without
regard to any extensions).
(6) The maximum extension for the returns of trusts
required to file Form 5227 shall be an automatic 6-month
period beginning on the due date for filing the return
(without regard to any extensions).
(7) The maximum extension for filing Form 6069, Return of
Excise Tax on Excess Contributions to Black Lung Benefit
Trust Under Section 4953 and Computation of Section 192
Deduction, shall be an automatic 6-month period beginning on
the due date for filing the return (without regard to any
extensions).
(8) The maximum extension for a taxpayer required to file
Form 8870 shall be an automatic 6-month period beginning on
the due date for filing the return (without regard to any
extensions).
(9) The due date of Form 3520-A, Annual Information Return
of a Foreign Trust with a United States Owner, shall be the
15th day of the 3d month after the close of the trust's
taxable year, and the maximum extension shall be a 6-month
period beginning on such day.
(10) The due date of Form 3520, Annual Return to Report
Transactions with Foreign Trusts and Receipt of Certain
Foreign Gifts, for calendar year filers shall be April 15
with a maximum extension for a 6-month period ending on
October 15.
(11) The due date of FinCEN Report 114 (relating to Report
of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts) shall be April 15
with a maximum extension for a 6-month period ending on
October 15 and with provision for an extension under rules
similar to the rules in Treas. Reg. section 1.6081-5. For any
taxpayer required to file such Form for the first time, any
penalty for failure to timely request for, or file, an
extension, may be waived by the Secretary.
(c) Corporations Permitted Statutory Automatic 6-Month
Extension of Income Tax Returns.--
(1) In general.--Section 6081(b) of such Code is amended--
(A) by striking ``3 months'' and inserting ``6 months'',
and
(B) by adding at the end the following: ``In the case of
any return for a taxable year of a C corporation which ends
on December 31 and begins before January 1, 2026, the first
sentence of this subsection shall be applied by substituting
`5 months' for `6 months'. In the case of any return for a
taxable year of a C corporation which ends on June 30 and
begins before January 1, 2026, the first sentence of this
subsection shall be applied by substituting `7 months' for `6
months'.''.
(2) Effective date.--The amendments made by this subsection
shall apply to returns for taxable years beginning after
December 31, 2015.
SEC. 2007. TRANSFERS OF EXCESS PENSION ASSETS TO RETIREE
HEALTH ACCOUNTS.
(a) In General.--Section 420(b)(4) of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986 is amended by striking ``December 31, 2021'' and
inserting ``December 31, 2025''.
(b) Conforming ERISA Amendments.--
(1) Sections 101(e)(3), 403(c)(1), and 408(b)(13) of the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C.
1021(e)(3), 1103(c)(1), 1108(b)(13)) are each amended by
striking ``MAP-21' '' and inserting ``Surface Transportation
and Veterans Health Care Choice Improvement Act of 2015''.
(2) Section 408(b)(13) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 1108(b)(13))
is amended by striking ``January 1, 2022'' and inserting
``January 1, 2026''.
SEC. 2008. EQUALIZATION OF HIGHWAY TRUST FUND EXCISE TAXES ON
LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS, LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS,
AND COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS.
(a) Liquefied Petroleum Gas.--
(1) In general.--Section 4041(a)(2)(B) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking ``and'' at the
end of clause (i), by redesignating clause (ii) as clause
(iii), and by inserting after clause (i) the following new
clause:
``(ii) in the case of liquefied petroleum gas, 18.3 cents
per energy equivalent of a gallon of gasoline, and''.
(2) Energy equivalent of a gallon of gasoline.--Section
4041(a)(2) of such Code is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(C) Energy equivalent of a gallon of gasoline.--For
purposes of this paragraph, the term `energy equivalent of a
gallon of gasoline' means, with respect to a liquefied
petroleum gas fuel, the amount of such fuel having a Btu
content of 115,400 (lower heating value). For purposes of the
preceding sentence, a Btu content of 115,400 (lower heating
value) is equal to 5.75 pounds of liquefied petroleum gas.''.
(b) Liquefied Natural Gas.--
(1) In general.--Section 4041(a)(2)(B) of such Code, as
amended by subsection (a)(1), is amended by striking ``and''
at the end of clause (ii), by striking the period at the end
of clause (iii) and inserting ``, and'' and by inserting
after clause (iii) the following new clause:
``(iv) in the case of liquefied natural gas, 24.3 cents per
energy equivalent of a gallon of diesel.''.
(2) Energy equivalent of a gallon of diesel.--Section
4041(a)(2) of such Code, as amended by subsection (a)(2), is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``(D) Energy equivalent of a gallon of diesel.--For
purposes of this paragraph, the term `energy equivalent of a
gallon of diesel' means, with respect to a liquefied natural
gas fuel, the amount of such fuel having a Btu content of
128,700 (lower heating value). For purposes of the preceding
sentence, a Btu content of 128,700 (lower heating value) is
equal to 6.06 pounds of liquefied natural gas.''.
(3) Conforming amendments.--Section 4041(a)(2)(B)(iii) of
such Code, as redesignated by subsection (a)(1), is amended--
(A) by striking ``liquefied natural gas,'', and
(B) by striking ``peat), and'' and inserting ``peat) and''.
(c) Energy Equivalent of a Gallon of Gasoline to Compressed
Natural Gas.--Section 4041(a)(3) of such Code is amended by
adding at the end the following:
``(D) Energy equivalent of a gallon of gasoline.--For
purposes of this paragraph, the term `energy equivalent of a
gallon of gasoline' means 5.66 pounds of compressed natural
gas.''.
(d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section
shall apply to any sale or use of fuel after December 31,
2015.
TITLE III--ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS
SEC. 3001. SERVICE FEES.
Paragraph (4) of section 44940(i) of title 49, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following
new subparagraphs:
``(K) $1,560,000,000 for fiscal year 2024.
``(L) $1,600,000,000 for fiscal year 2025.''.
TITLE IV--VETERANS PROVISIONS
SEC. 4001. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``VA Budget and Choice
Improvement Act''.
SEC. 4002. PLAN TO CONSOLIDATE PROGRAMS OF DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO CARE.
(a) Plan.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall develop
a plan to consolidate all non-Department provider programs by
establishing a new, single program to be known as the
``Veterans Choice Program'' to furnish hospital care and
medical services to veterans enrolled in the system of
patient enrollment established under section 1705(a) of title
38, United States Code, at non-Department facilities.
(b) Elements.--The plan developed under subsection (a) to
establish the Veterans Choice Program to furnish hospital
care and medical services at non-Department facilities shall
include, at a minimum, the following:
(1) A standardized method to furnish such care and services
that incorporates the strengths of the non-Department
provider programs into a single streamlined program that the
Secretary administers uniformly in each Veterans Service
Integrated Network and throughout the medical system of the
Veterans Health Administration.
(2) An identification of the eligibility requirements for
any such care and services, including with respect to
service-connected disabilities and non-service-connected
disabilities.
(3) A description of the authorization process for such
care or medical services, including with respect to
identifying the roles of clinicians, schedulers, any third-
party administrators, the Chief Business Office of the
Department, and any other entity involved in the
authorization process.
(4) The structuring of the billing and reimbursement
process, including the use of third-party medical claims
adjudicators or technology that supports automatic
adjudication.
(5) A description of the reimbursement rate to be paid to
health care providers under such program.
(6) An identification of how the Secretary will determine
the eligibility requirements of health care providers at non-
Department facilities to participate in such program,
including how the Secretary plans to structure a non-
Department care network to allow the maximum amount of
flexibility in providing care and services under the program.
(7) An explanation of the processes to be used to ensure
that the Secretary will fully comply with all requirements of
chapter 39 of title 31, United States Code (commonly referred
to as the ``Prompt Payment Act''), in paying for such care
and services furnished at non-Department facilities.
(8) A description of how, to the greatest extent
practicable, the Secretary plans to use infrastructure and
networks of non-Department provider programs that exist as of
the date of the plan to implement such program.
[[Page H5646]]
(9) A description of how--
(A) health care providers at non-Department facilities that
furnish such care or services to veterans under such program
will have access to, and transmit back to the Department, the
medical records of such veterans; and
(B) the Department will receive from such non-Department
providers such medical records and any other relevant
information.
(10) A description of how the Secretary plans to ensure an
efficient transition to such program for veterans who
participate in the non-Department provider programs,
including a timeline, milestones, and estimated costs for
implementation, outreach, and training.
(c) Submission.--Not later than November 1, 2015, the
Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs
of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report
containing--
(1) a description of each non-Department provider program
and the statutory authority for each such program;
(2) the plan under subsection (a);
(3) the estimated costs and budgetary requirements to
implement the plan and to furnish hospital care and medical
services pursuant to such plan; and
(4) any recommendations for legislative proposals the
Secretary determines necessary to implement such plan.
(d) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) The term ``non-Department facility'' has the meaning
given that term in section 1701 of title 38, United States
Code.
(2) The term ``non-Department provider programs'' means
each program administered by the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs under which the Secretary enters into contracts or
other agreements with health care providers at non-Department
facilities to furnish hospital care and medical services to
veterans, including pursuant to the following:
(A) Section 1703 of title 38, United States Code.
(B) The Veterans Choice Program established by section 101
of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of
2014 (Public Law 113-146; 38 U.S.C. 1701 note).
(C) The Patient Centered Community Care Program (known as
``PC3'').
(D) The pilot program established by section 403 of the
Veterans' Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act of
2008 (Public Law 110-387; 38 U.S.C. 1703 note) (known as
``Project ARCH'').
(E) Contracts relating to dialysis.
(F) Agreements entered into by the Secretary with--
(i) the Secretary of Defense, the Director of the Indian
Health Service, or any the head of any other department or
agency of the Federal Government; or
(ii) any academic affiliate or other non-governmental
entity.
(G) Programs relating to emergency care, including under
sections 1725 and 1728 of title 38, United States Code.
SEC. 4003. FUNDING ACCOUNT FOR NON-DEPARTMENT CARE.
Each budget of the President submitted to Congress under
section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, for fiscal year
2017 and each fiscal year thereafter shall include an
appropriations account for non-Department provider programs
(as defined in section 2(d)) to be comprised of--
(1) discretionary medical services funding that is
designated for hospital care and medical services furnished
at non-Department facilities; and
(2) any funds transferred for such purpose from the
Veterans Choice Fund established by section 802 of the
Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014
(Public Law 113-146; 128 Stat. 1802).
SEC. 4004. TEMPORARY AUTHORIZATION OF USE OF VETERANS CHOICE
FUNDS FOR CERTAIN PROGRAMS.
(a) In General.--Subsection (c) of section 802 of the
Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014
(Public Law 113-146; 128 Stat. 1802) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``Any amounts'' and
inserting ``Except as provided by paragraph (3), any
amounts''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following paragraph:
``(3) Temporary authority for other uses.--
``(A) Other non-department care.--In addition to the use of
amounts described in paragraph (1), of the amounts deposited
in the Veterans Choice Fund, not more than $3,348,500,000 may
be used by the Secretary during the period described in
subparagraph (C) for amounts obligated by the Secretary on or
after May 1, 2015, to furnish health care to individuals
pursuant to chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, at
non-Department facilities, including pursuant to non-
Department provider programs other than the program
established by section 101.
``(B) Hepatitis c.--Of the amount specified in subparagraph
(A), not more than $500,000,000 may be used by the Secretary
during the period described in subparagraph (C) for
pharmaceutical expenses relating to the treatment of
Hepatitis C.
``(C) Period described.--The period described in this
subparagraph is the period beginning on the date of the
enactment of the VA Budget and Choice Improvement Act and
ending on October 1, 2015.
``(D) Reports.--Not later than 14 days after the date of
the enactment of the VA Budget and Choice Improvement Act,
and not less frequently than once every 14-day period
thereafter during the period described in subparagraph (C),
the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional
committees a report detailing--
``(i) the amounts used by the Secretary pursuant to
subparagraphs (A) and (B); and
``(ii) an identification of such amounts listed by the non-
Department provider program for which the amounts were used.
``(E) Definitions.--In this paragraph:
``(i) The term `appropriate congressional committees'
means--
``(I) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Committee
on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
``(II) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Committee
on Appropriations of the Senate.
``(ii) The term `non-Department facilities' has the meaning
given that term in section 1701 of title 38, United States
Code.
``(iii) The term `non-Department provider program' has the
meaning given that term in section 4002(d) of the VA Budget
and Choice Improvement Act.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--Subsection (d)(1) of such
section is amended by inserting before the period at the end
the following: ``(or for hospital care and medical services
pursuant to subsection (c)(3) of this section)''.
SEC. 4005. MODIFICATIONS OF VETERANS CHOICE PROGRAM.
(a) Increased Period of Follow-Up Care.--Subsection (h) of
section 101 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and
Accountability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-146; 38 U.S.C.
1701 note) is amended by striking ``(but for a period not
exceeding 60 days)''.
(b) Expansion of Eligibility.--Such section is further
amended--
(1) by striking paragraph (1) of subsection (b) and
inserting the following new paragraph:
``(1) the veteran is enrolled in the patient enrollment
system of the Department of Veterans Affairs established and
operated under section 1705 of title 38, United States Code,
including any such veteran who has not received hospital care
or medical services from the Department and has contacted the
Department seeking an initial appointment from the Department
for the receipt of such care or services; and''; and
(2) in subsection (g)(1), by striking ``In the case'' and
all that follows through ``, when'' and insert ``When''.
(c) Expansion of Providers.--Such section is further
amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(1)(B), by adding at the end the
following new clause:
``(v) Subject to subsection (d)(5), a health care provider
not otherwise covered under any of clauses (i) through
(iv).''; and
(2) in subsection (d), by adding at the end the following
new paragraph:
``(5) Agreements with other providers.--In accordance with
the rates determined pursuant to paragraph (2), the Secretary
may enter into agreements under paragraph (1) for furnishing
care and services to eligible veterans under this section
with an entity specified in subsection (a)(1)(B)(v) if the
entity meets criteria established by the Secretary for
purposes of this section.''.
(d) Clarification of Wait Times.--Subparagraph (A) of
subsection (b)(2) of such section is amended to read as
follows:
``(A) attempts, or has attempted, to schedule an
appointment for the receipt of hospital care or medical
services under chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code,
but is unable to schedule an appointment within--
``(i) the wait-time goals of the Veterans Health
Administration for the furnishing of such care or services;
or
``(ii) with respect to such care or services that are
clinically necessary, the period determined necessary for
such care or services if such period is shorter than such
wait-time goals;''.
(e) Modification of Distance Requirement.--Subparagraph (B)
of subsection (b)(2) of such section is amended to read as
follows:
``(B) resides more than 40 miles (as calculated based on
distance traveled) from--
``(i) with respect to a veteran who is seeking primary
care, a medical facility of the Department, including a
community-based outpatient clinic, that is able to provide
such primary care by a full-time primary care physician; or
``(ii) with respect to a veteran not covered under clause
(i), the medical facility of the Department, including a
community-based outpatient clinic, that is closest to the
residence of the veteran;''.
SEC. 4006. LIMITATION ON DIALYSIS PILOT PROGRAM.
(a) Limitation.--None of the funds authorized to be
appropriated or otherwise made available to the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs may be used to expand the dialysis pilot
program or to create any new dialysis capability provided by
the Department in a facility that is not an initial facility
under the dialysis pilot program until--
(1) an independent analysis of the dialysis pilot program
is conducted for each such initial facility;
(2) the Secretary submits to the appropriate congressional
committees the report under subsection (b); and
(3) a period of 180 days has elapsed following the date on
which the Secretary submits such report.
(b) Report.--The Secretary shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a report containing the following:
(1) The independent analysis described in subsection
(a)(1).
[[Page H5647]]
(2) A five-year dialysis investment plan explaining all of
the options of the Secretary for delivering dialysis care to
veterans, including how and where such care will be
delivered.
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) The term ``appropriate congressional committees''
means--
(A) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate.
(2) The term ``dialysis pilot program'' means the pilot
demonstration program approved by the Under Secretary of
Veterans Affairs for Health in August 2010 and by the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs in September 2010 to provide
dialysis care to patients at certain outpatient facilities
operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(3) The term ``initial facility'' means one of the four
outpatient facilities identified by the Secretary to
participate in the dialysis pilot program prior to the date
of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 4007. AMENDMENTS TO INTERNAL REVENUE CODE WITH RESPECT
TO HEALTH COVERAGE OF VETERANS.
(a) Exemption in Determination of Employer Health Insurance
Mandate.--
(1) In general.--Section 4980H(c)(2) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(F) Exemption for health coverage under tricare or the
veterans administration.--Solely for purposes of determining
whether an employer is an applicable large employer under
this paragraph for any month, an individual shall not be
taken into account as an employee for such month if such
individual has medical coverage for such month under--
``(i) chapter 55 of title 10, United States Code, including
coverage under the TRICARE program, or
``(ii) under a health care program under chapter 17 or 18
of title 38, United States Code, as determined by the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in coordination with the
Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary.''.
(2) Effective date.--The amendment made by this subsection
shall apply to months beginning after December 31, 2013.
(b) Eligibility for Health Savings Account Not Affected by
Receipt of Medical Care for Service-Connected Disability.--
(1) In general.--Section 223(c)(1) of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following
new subparagraph:
``(C) Special rule for individuals eligible for certain
veterans benefits.--An individual shall not fail to be
treated as an eligible individual for any period merely
because the individual receives hospital care or medical
services under any law administered by the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs for a service-connected disability (within
the meaning of section 101(16) of title 38, United States
Code).''.
(2) Effective date.--The amendment made by this subsection
shall apply to months beginning after December 31, 2015.
SEC. 4008. EMERGENCY DESIGNATIONS.
(a) In General.--This title, except for section 4007, is
designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section
4(g) of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (2 U.S.C.
933(g)).
(b) Designation in Senate.--In the Senate, this title,
except for section 4007, is designated as an emergency
requirement pursuant to section 403(a) of S. Con. Res. 13
(111th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for
fiscal year 2010.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill shall be debatable for 1 hour,
equally divided among and controlled by the respective chairs and
ranking minority members of the Committees on Transportation and
Infrastructure, Ways and Means, and Veterans' Affairs.
The gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster), the gentleman from
Oregon (Mr. DeFazio), the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Ryan), the
gentleman from Washington (Mr. McDermott), the gentleman from Florida
(Mr. Miller), and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Brown) each will
control 10 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3236 is a 3-month clean extension to
the surface transportation legislation. It is the right thing to do.
It gives the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the
Committee on Ways and Means the time to work out a long-term solution
to the surface transportation bill, which we need to pass for the
health of this country.
Importantly, it gives the House of Representatives the ability to do
its constitutional duty to be heard on important legislation that is
important to all 50 States and all 435 congressional districts.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I would direct anyone interested in this
legislation to my remarks on the 5-month bill.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I ask all 435 Members of the House to
support H.R. 3236 with a ``yes'' vote.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I just want to echo the comments of the prior chair. We think this is
the right solution. This is very similar to the bill we passed earlier.
We believe this gives us the time we need to try and put together a
long-term highway solution. That is why we are in favor of this.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, here we are with another short-term extension of the
highway trust fund. It is silly; it is counterproductive. Anybody who
knows anything knows this is ridiculous. They say we have got to have
time to work out a compromise. How many years do you need time?
When I served in the State legislature in my home State of
Washington, a businessman once told me that businessowners don't care
what the rate is or how long; they just want to know how long they have
to deal with something.
Now, how can businesses do any kind of planning in this country when
they get 1-, 2-, and 3-month extensions? This is the 25th time that we
have done a short-term extension of the highway trust fund. Put another
way, this is the 25th time the Congress has shirked its responsibility
to the taxpayers and businesses to provide reliable transportation
infrastructure across this country.
Now, as I thought about this debate, I was reminded of a tube of
toothpaste that lays in my bathroom. It is about one-third gone. All of
you have one of these at home that is laying there.
You know what you do; you keep squeezing it one more time. You say:
Can I get one more brush out of this? Will I get one more? Can I get
one more? That is what we have been doing here. We are squeezing the
tube one more time. We are going to be back.
You save your toothpaste because it is going to be back; it is going
to be back in November or December. We are going to be right back down
here squeezing to get a little bit.
Now, my belief is that it is time that we stop this. It is time for a
long-term funding bill, and we should have done it this time.
Now, in order to make this bill even worse, they wrap in the
toothpaste tube of the Veterans Administration. Let's give a little bit
of money here, a little bit of money there; and we will see if we can
kind of move it along and then stay out of trouble. We never fix
anything here.
This Congress is the Congress of the half-empty toothpaste tube. I
will probably vote with everybody else because you don't want the
Veterans Administration to be having problems and you don't want the
hospital construction to stop.
We will vote for it, but it is foolish, and it is a statement about
the failure of the Republican Party to deal with major issues.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas
(Mr. Sam Johnson), a member of the Committee on Ways and Means.
Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. I thank the chairman. I come to the floor
today to talk about our bill, H.R. 2514, the Help Veterans Save for
Health Care Act, which is part of the legislation now before us.
As a 29-year Air Force veteran and former POW, it is no secret I am a
proud advocate for America's veterans. They bravely served our country.
They deserve the best care when they return home. Unfortunately, the VA
has failed to uphold its end of the bargain. We have been working hard
to fix it.
To add insult to injury, the IRS--yes, the IRS--has also let down our
veterans. Right now, the IRS prohibits veterans from contributing to a
health savings account for a period of time if they choose to get care
at the VA.
These health savings accounts enable Americans to save and pay for
medical expenses; yet, here, we have the IRS standing in the way of
veterans, keeping them from getting the care they want, need, and
deserve. That is wrong.
[[Page H5648]]
Bottom line, veterans shouldn't have to choose between getting care
at the VA for a service-connected disability or being able to save for
health care, including their families. My bill would allow veterans to
do both.
In closing, I thank my colleagues from both sides of the aisle for
their support. I would also like to thank the chairman for working with
me on this, but most importantly, I want to personally thank each of
our veterans who faithfully serve to protect this great Nation.
Let's get this done.
Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis).
{time} 1630
Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. I thank the gentleman from Washington
for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I agree with the gentleman. I agree that we are
squeezing and squeezing and extending and extending when we know better
and we know the difference. We know that we could have a meaningful
solution to the problem that we face. We know it. We come and we kick
the can a little bit, add a little bit more to it.
Like him, I am going to vote for it. But I am going to vote for it
not because I think it is the best approach; I am going to vote for it
because I want to see construction crews continue to work. I want to
see families who are looking for paychecks be able to continue to get
them.
I am going to vote for it because I want to see roads and bridges and
highways repaired. I want to see veterans be able to go to the doctor
and not wonder whether or not the doctor is going to be there to take
care of them.
So, yes, I will vote for it; and I will look up and see that we will
be back in December voting again, but we do what we have to do. We have
to keep America working. I will vote for it to keep America working.
Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, let's review this week. When I got on the plane from
Seattle, we were supposed to be here on Friday. By the time I landed at
Dulles Airport, they had already given away Friday. We weren't going to
have any votes on Friday. So now the week is 1 day short. They
continued to ineptly manage this place in such a way, Mr. Speaker, that
they are now giving away Thursday.
Now they want to hurry out of here. They want to get out of here.
They don't want the American people to see what they are really doing.
If you look at this transportation issue, what is making us
uncompetitive in the rest of the world is that everywhere else they are
spending money on infrastructure. People know you have to have roads,
you have to have high-speed stuff in the ground that will carry a
little bit of a message here and there. All that wiring, all that stuff
that we could be doing, we should be doing. We should be planning. But
there isn't any State that can plan with this kind of a highway bill.
Now, why aren't we doing the thing today that is right? Well, because
the Senate has come up with a great proposal. They have a 6-year
authorization, but they come up with 3 years of money. How does a State
plan with that? We are authorized for 6 years out to whatever that
would be, and we are going to wind up only getting money for 3 years.
How do we do bond issues in the State when we don't know what the Feds
are going to do? This kind of planning makes government fail. And it is
what the Republicans want: a Federal Government that fails.
Now, there was a guy named Eisenhower. When he became President, he
came in and said: You know something? This country needs roads. And he
created the entire system. He was a Republican from Kansas, of all
places, and he understood what the country needed to move forward.
People said in the last election what we need to do is elect
Republicans. By God, if we get Republicans, we will get what we need in
this country. Well, I don't know if they knew what they were voting
for, but what they got is a Senate and House that can't come up with a
highway bill. They have been here for 8 months. Everybody knows we need
it. The sources of revenue are not mysteries.
Russell Long used to say about taxation: ``Don't tax you, don't tax
me, tax that fellow behind the tree.''
We know there is nobody behind the tree. We are going to have to
raise some taxes to do what is necessary.
Well, there are those guys that have that money overseas. Maybe we
can get those guys who have got that overseas money and bring it back
and fund this. I guess they are behind the tree. But they also live
here, so they are not really behind the tree.
This argument is going to go on in December or whenever this thing
ends. It doesn't really make any difference. We will come back here,
and we will get out our toothpaste tube and we will squeeze a little
bit more out of it just to see if we can brush our teeth one more time.
That is what this is about. We have done it on issue after issue here,
and somebody has to call the Republican Party on this.
The American people should understand, they are not serious about
running government for the things that affect ordinary human beings. A
transit system in a State is absolutely important. As cities get more
crowded and more crowded and there is no parking, if you don't have a
transit system that works, you can't have development. Everybody wants
development.
Where the heck are you going to put the development? Out in the
bushes? No. You are going to put it in the city where the people live.
But if they can't move around and get to the jobs, you have got
terrible problems. In every city and everybody's district, if you have
got a city with over 50,000, you have got problems with traffic, and
yet we can't get a transportation bill out of here that goes for more
than 3 months. Now, that is pathetic.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I disagree with the gentleman. I
think we should pass this bill, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I have no speakers, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 2 minutes.
First of all, I want to thank the chairman for his continued
bipartisan work on the Veterans' Affairs Committee. We all want to do
what is best for the veterans, and the chairman has continued to work
toward that goal.
On this past Monday, 62 years after the signing of the Korean
Armistice Agreement, the committee laid a wreath at the Tomb of the
Unknown Soldier at Arlington Cemetery in honor of our fallen military
members. Today, we need more than a ceremony. We should honor our
veterans now by passing H.R. 3236.
I support this legislation because it addresses the $3 million
shortfall for fiscal year 2015 at the VA and keeps hospitals and
medical facilities open for our veterans through the end of the fiscal
year. Let me repeat that. It will allow the VA to keep hospitals and
clinics open for our veterans through the end of this fiscal year.
This legislation allows the VA to use $3.348 billion that was
appropriated for the Choice Program to use for non-VA care, to pay for
health care provided to veterans and family members under the programs
provided by non-VA providers from May 1 to October 1, 2015. The VA has
completed more than 56 million appointments between June 1, 2014, and
May 31, 2015. That is 2.6 million more than the same time last year.
H.R. 3236 allows the VA to access $3 billion from the Choice fund and
$348 million from other unobligated accounts. Of that amount, $500
million may be used for pharmaceutical expenses related to the
treatment of hepatitis C at the VA. This is a cure that many of our
veterans need, especially those who served in Vietnam.
Three times in this fiscal year, the Secretary has testified before
the VA committee, and he has consistently been asking for the authority
to run the VA like a business.
Mr. MILLER of Florida. I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. BROWN of Florida. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia
(Mr. Bishop).
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
I want to thank Chairman Miller of the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs, Ranking Member Brown, and, of
[[Page H5649]]
course, Chairman Dent, who chairs the Appropriations MILCON-VA
Subcommittee, where I serve as ranking member.
Today, this body is debating text within the highway bill to address
the Department of Veterans Affairs' $3 billion budget shortfall for
veterans' health care in FY 2015. Without this legislation, the VA
could run out of money by September. Costs have exploded by more than
10 percent in the last year as a result of higher demand, while the
budget increased by only 2.8 percent.
Additionally, costs for treatments have increased. For example, due
to the new lifesaving hepatitis C medicine costing as much as $1,000
for a single pill, the VA's $700 million FY 2015 budget for hepatitis C
has already been exceeded with more than 2 months left in the fiscal
year.
This situation is a prime example of how the sequester caps imposed
by the Budget Control Act and locked in by the Republican budget
constrain our ability to deal with issues responsibly and in a timely
manner. It is well past time that we come to the table to break the
cycle of irresponsible funding levels that are shortchanging our
veterans' health care.
While the House-passed FY 2016 MILCON-VA Appropriations bill adds
$970 million for VA medical care advance appropriations within the FY
2015 bill, the amount still remains $330 million below the VA request,
most likely leading to another budget shortfall in FY 2016. Today's
bill is only a Band-Aid, a temporary solution, because of budget caps.
To be clear, if we continue to ignore the new reality of increased
demand and higher costs, delivery of healthcare services to millions of
currently enrolled veterans will be devastated for the foreseeable
future.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Ms. BROWN of Florida. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. If Congress continues to function under these
budgets caps, we will see more gaps in access, utilization, safety,
and, ultimately, a lower standard of care. Even further, the caps limit
Congress' options to create jobs, keep our communities safe, research
lifesaving medical treatments, and give our children a better
education.
I urge Members to vote for this bill to ensure that veterans continue
to receive the care which they have earned, but we cannot continue to
govern in this fashion. Today, we must take the next step towards a
more responsible budgeting process so we can eventually stop lurching
from one crisis to the next. To do so, the budget caps must be directly
addressed in order to properly invest in veterans' health care as well
as advance other priorities assisting hard-working Americans.
Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my
time.
Ms. BROWN of Florida. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon
(Mr. Blumenauer).
Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
It is a little frustrating as we watch these disparate subjects
lumped together on the floor with truncated debate. I want to speak to
just one element that we are discussing here today, and that deals with
the extension of transportation funding.
The passage of this bill will represent the 34th short-term extension
of the surface transportation bill. What country became great building
its infrastructure 8 months at a time? 6 months at a time? a year at a
time? It is a failure on the part of Congress to be able to understand
that you cannot pay for 2015 infrastructure needs with 1993 dollars--
the last time we adjusted the user fee, the gas tax that supports the
highway trust fund.
{time} 1645
I do see a little tiny glimmer of daylight with the 3-month
extension. I have personally been urging the President to indicate that
this is the last extension that he will sign.
The House Ways and Means Committee could pass a funding measure in a
week if we would roll up our sleeves. We have legislation there that is
supported by the U.S. Chamber, AFL-CIO, by truckers, transit, the AAA,
a wide array of people who say: Step up, raise our user fee, fund the
transportation system, and do it right.
We used to have the finest infrastructure in the world. Now, we are
about 25th in the world and falling further.
If the Ways and Means Committee would spend a week listening to the
people who build, maintain, operate, and use our infrastructure, we
could come to a resolution.
Ronald Reagan's approach was to raise the user fee 125 percent in
1982.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Ms. BROWN of Florida. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.
Mr. BLUMENAUER. If we did our job, sending clear signals about
transportation funding, the appropriating committee, the T&I, if they
knew what they were working with, could come forth with a bill easily
in 2 months, so we wouldn't have to continue this charade.
We could put hundreds of thousands of people to work at family-wage
jobs in every city around the country; we would meet our obligations,
and we would stop this shameful exercise of abrogating our
responsibility to rebuild and renew.
Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have, sir?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Florida has 3 minutes
remaining.
Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I believe that the Secretary needs that authority. In addition to
solving the fiscal crisis, this bill will enable the Secretary to run
VA more like a business, and that, Mr. Speaker, means a more efficient
VA and better care for our veterans.
In closing, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation to
ensure that our veterans are taken care of.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my
time.
Mr. Speaker, only 2 weeks ago, buried in a letter from the Deputy
Secretary, the Department of Veterans Affairs made a startling
announcement. That announcement was, unless Congress intervened, the VA
healthcare system would shut down in August, due to a massive budget
shortfall that resulted from larger than anticipated demand for non-VA
care and increased costs for hepatitis C treatment.
A VA healthcare system shutdown would be an unprecedented event in
these United States' history. The possibility of a shutdown was never
mentioned, even once, during a hearing that I called in late June,
where VA first publicly admitted its budget troubles, or during any of
the four times that Secretary McDonald testified before Congress this
year or anywhere in the quarterly financial plan that VA submitted in
March, showing that VA was operating under budget so far this fiscal
year.
Once again, this Congress comes to rescue a mismanaged Department of
Veterans Affairs.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, today, H.R. 3236 will come to the floor of
the House with a critical 3 month extension to the Highway Trust fund
as well as changes to Department of Veterans Affairs' spending
authorities. In particular, it contains changes to the Veterans
Affairs' Choice Program that I believe are very important for Guam. It
expands eligibility for the program and codifies some of the changes
that the VA has made since the inception of the program to make it more
accessible to veterans in rural or isolated communities and reduces
some barriers to timely care.
Though this bill is a good step towards better care for our veterans,
there are many more improvements that I will continue to work for with
my colleagues and the VA. There is still a need for greater flexibility
in the reimbursement rate to health care providers which could be an
issue on Guam in the near future. Further, there is a need to improve
the methods in which our veterans and their records can move back and
forth between VA and non-VA providers. Additionally, though I would
have preferred to see additional appropriations to cover the shortfall
in the other programs that are covering non-VA provided care for our
veterans, I have been assured that the movement of funds within the VA
accounts will not negatively affect the care our veterans are receiving
through the Choice Program and that the transfer is temporary. I will
continue to urge the Obama Administration to provide adequate funding
for all VA programs, but particularly the Choice program which has a
lot of interest and support on Guam. The Choice
[[Page H5650]]
program has the ability to, in the long-term, address some of the
systemic issues to VA care in isolated areas of the country.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
Pursuant to House Resolution 388, the previous question is ordered on
the bill.
The question is on the engrossment and third reading of the bill.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was
read the third time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the passage of the bill.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 385,
nays 34, answered ``present'' 1, not voting 13, as follows:
[Roll No. 486]
YEAS--385
Abraham
Adams
Aderholt
Aguilar
Allen
Ashford
Babin
Barr
Barton
Bass
Beatty
Becerra
Benishek
Bera
Bilirakis
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (MI)
Bishop (UT)
Black
Blackburn
Blum
Blumenauer
Bonamici
Bost
Boustany
Boyle, Brendan F.
Brady (PA)
Brady (TX)
Brat
Brooks (AL)
Brown (FL)
Brownley (CA)
Buchanan
Bucshon
Burgess
Bustos
Butterfield
Calvert
Capps
Capuano
Cardenas
Carson (IN)
Carter (GA)
Cartwright
Castor (FL)
Castro (TX)
Chabot
Chaffetz
Chu, Judy
Cicilline
Clarke (NY)
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Coffman
Cohen
Cole
Collins (GA)
Collins (NY)
Comstock
Conaway
Connolly
Conyers
Cook
Costello (PA)
Courtney
Cramer
Crawford
Crenshaw
Crowley
Cuellar
Culberson
Cummings
Curbelo (FL)
Davis (CA)
Davis, Danny
Davis, Rodney
DeFazio
Delaney
DeLauro
DelBene
Denham
Dent
DeSantis
DeSaulnier
DesJarlais
Deutch
Diaz-Balart
Dingell
Doggett
Dold
Donovan
Doyle, Michael F.
Duckworth
Duffy
Duncan (SC)
Duncan (TN)
Edwards
Ellison
Ellmers (NC)
Emmer (MN)
Engel
Eshoo
Esty
Farenthold
Farr
Fattah
Fincher
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Fleming
Flores
Forbes
Fortenberry
Foster
Foxx
Frankel (FL)
Franks (AZ)
Frelinghuysen
Fudge
Gabbard
Gallego
Garamendi
Gibbs
Gibson
Gohmert
Goodlatte
Gowdy
Graham
Granger
Graves (GA)
Graves (LA)
Graves (MO)
Grayson
Green, Al
Green, Gene
Griffith
Grijalva
Guinta
Guthrie
Gutierrez
Hahn
Hanna
Hardy
Harper
Harris
Hartzler
Hastings
Heck (NV)
Heck (WA)
Hensarling
Herrera Beutler
Higgins
Hill
Himes
Hinojosa
Holding
Honda
Hoyer
Hudson
Huelskamp
Huffman
Huizenga (MI)
Hultgren
Hunter
Hurd (TX)
Hurt (VA)
Israel
Issa
Jackson Lee
Jeffries
Jenkins (KS)
Jenkins (WV)
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (OH)
Johnson, E. B.
Johnson, Sam
Jolly
Jordan
Joyce
Kaptur
Katko
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Kelly (MS)
Kelly (PA)
Kennedy
Kildee
Kilmer
Kind
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kinzinger (IL)
Kirkpatrick
Kline
Knight
Kuster
LaMalfa
Lamborn
Lance
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Latta
Lawrence
Lee
Lewis
Lieu, Ted
Lipinski
LoBiondo
Loebsack
Lofgren
Long
Loudermilk
Love
Lowenthal
Lowey
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Lujan, Ben Ray (NM)
Lynch
MacArthur
Maloney, Carolyn
Maloney, Sean
Marchant
Marino
Massie
Matsui
McCarthy
McCaul
McGovern
McHenry
McKinley
McMorris Rodgers
McNerney
McSally
Meadows
Meehan
Meeks
Meng
Messer
Mica
Miller (FL)
Miller (MI)
Moolenaar
Mooney (WV)
Mullin
Murphy (FL)
Murphy (PA)
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Newhouse
Noem
Nolan
Norcross
Nugent
Nunes
O'Rourke
Olson
Palazzo
Pallone
Palmer
Pascrell
Paulsen
Payne
Pelosi
Perlmutter
Peterson
Pingree
Pittenger
Pitts
Pocan
Poe (TX)
Poliquin
Pompeo
Posey
Price, Tom
Quigley
Rangel
Ratcliffe
Reed
Reichert
Rice (NY)
Richmond
Rigell
Roby
Roe (TN)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rohrabacher
Rokita
Rooney (FL)
Ros-Lehtinen
Roskam
Ross
Rothfus
Rouzer
Roybal-Allard
Royce
Ruiz
Ruppersberger
Rush
Russell
Ryan (OH)
Ryan (WI)
Sanchez, Linda T.
Sanchez, Loretta
Sarbanes
Scalise
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schrader
Schweikert
Scott, Austin
Scott, David
Serrano
Sessions
Sewell (AL)
Sherman
Shimkus
Shuster
Simpson
Sinema
Sires
Slaughter
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Smith (WA)
Speier
Stefanik
Stewart
Stivers
Stutzman
Swalwell (CA)
Takai
Takano
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Thompson (PA)
Thornberry
Tiberi
Tipton
Titus
Tonko
Torres
Trott
Tsongas
Turner
Upton
Valadao
Van Hollen
Vargas
Veasey
Vela
Velazquez
Wagner
Walberg
Walden
Walorski
Walters, Mimi
Walz
Wasserman Schultz
Waters, Maxine
Watson Coleman
Webster (FL)
Wenstrup
Westerman
Westmoreland
Williams
Wilson (FL)
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Womack
Woodall
Yarmuth
Yoder
Yoho
Young (AK)
Young (IA)
Young (IN)
Zeldin
Zinke
NAYS--34
Amash
Amodei
Barletta
Beyer
Bridenstine
Buck
Byrne
Clark (MA)
DeGette
Garrett
Gosar
Grothman
Hice, Jody B.
Jones
Lummis
McClintock
McDermott
Moulton
Mulvaney
Neugebauer
Pearce
Perry
Polis
Renacci
Ribble
Rice (SC)
Salmon
Sanford
Scott (VA)
Sensenbrenner
Visclosky
Walker
Weber (TX)
Welch
ANSWERED ``PRESENT''--1
McCollum
NOT VOTING--13
Brooks (IN)
Carney
Carter (TX)
Clawson (FL)
Cooper
Costa
Labrador
Levin
Lujan Grisham (NM)
Moore
Peters
Price (NC)
Whitfield
{time} 1731
Mr. WALKER and Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts changed their vote from
``yea'' to ``nay.''
Messrs. HONDA, HOYER, RICHMOND, CLYBURN, ISRAEL, CLEAVER, KILDEE,
JOHNSON of Georgia, and YOHO changed their vote from ``nay'' to
``yea.''
So the bill was passed.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
Stated for:
Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 486, I was unavoidably
detained in DC traffic while returning from a meeting at the White
House. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''
Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 486, had I been present, I
would have voted ``yes.''
Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, due to
circumstances beyond my control, I regretfully missed rollcall vote 486
on July 29th. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''
Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to be present for a vote taken
on the House floor today, as I was unavoidably detained. Had I been
present, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall Vote No. 486.
____________________