[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Pages 17995-17999]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           TEXT OF AMENDMENTS

  SA 2770. Mr. McCAIN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill H.R. 2029, making appropriations for military 
construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies 
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, and for other purposes; 
which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of the bill, add the following:

     SEC. ___. PROTECTING THE HIGHER EDUCATION CHOICES OF NON-
                   TRADITIONAL STUDENTS.

       None of the funds appropriated under this Act may be used 
     to participate in or carry out actions arising from the 
     Department of Education's Interagency Task Force of For-
     Profit Institutions of Higher Education.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2771. Mr. MORAN (for himself, Mr. Toomey, and Mr. Blumenthal) 
submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 
2029, making appropriations for military construction, the Department 
of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 2016, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on 
the table; as follows:

       At the end of title II, add the following:
       Sec. 247.  None of the amounts appropriated or otherwise 
     made available by this title may be used to carry out the 
     Home Marketing Incentive Program of the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs, to carry out the Appraisal Value Offer 
     Program of the Department, or to pay for the transfer or 
     relocation of an employee of the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs in a senior executive position (as defined in section 
     713(g) of title 38, United States Code).
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2772. Mrs. SHAHEEN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
to amendment SA 2763 proposed by Mr. Kirk (for himself, Mr. Tester, and 
Ms. Mikulski) to the bill H.R. 2029, making appropriations for military 
construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies 
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, and for other purposes; 
as follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:
       Sec. ___.  The Comptroller General of the United States 
     shall conduct random, periodic audits of medical facilities 
     of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Veterans 
     Integrated Service Networks to assess whether such facilities 
     and Networks are complying with all standards imposed by law 
     or by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs with respect to the 
     timely access of veterans to hospital care, medical services, 
     and other health care from the Department.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2773. Mrs. SHAHEEN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
by her to the bill H.R. 2029, making appropriations for military 
construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies 
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, and for other purposes; 
which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       On page 71, between lines 14 and 15, insert the following:
       Sec. 411. (a) Additional Amount to Facilitate Furnishing of 
     Legal Assistance to Veterans Unable to Afford Legal 
     Representation.--The amount appropriated or otherwise made 
     available by title III under the heading ``salaries and 
     expenses'' under the heading ``United States Court of Appeals 
     for Veterans Claims'' is hereby increased by $500,000.
       (b) Availability.--Of the amount appropriated or otherwise 
     made available by title III under the heading ``salaries and 
     expenses'' under the heading ``United States Court of Appeals 
     for Veterans Claims'', as increased by subsection (a), 
     $500,000 shall be available for the provision of financial 
     assistance as described in and in accordance with the process 
     and reporting procedures set forth in the Dire Emergency 
     Supplemental Appropriations and Transfers for Relief From the 
     Effects of Natural Disasters, for Other Urgent Needs, and for 
     Incremental Cost of ``Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm'' 
     Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-229) under the heading ``salaries 
     and expenses'' under the heading ``Court of Veterans 
     Appeals''. The amount available for financial assistance 
     under this subsection is in addition to any other amounts 
     available for such financial assistance under this Act.
       (c) Offset.--The amount appropriated or otherwise made 
     available by title II under the heading ``general 
     administration'' is hereby decreased by $500,000.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2774. Mr. MORAN (for himself, Mr. Toomey, Mr. Blumenthal, and Mr. 
Casey) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 
2763 proposed by Mr. Kirk (for himself, Mr. Tester, and Ms. Mikulski) 
to the bill H.R. 2029, making appropriations for military construction, 
the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal 
year ending September 30, 2016, and for other purposes; which was 
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of title II, add the following:
       Sec. ___.  None of the amounts appropriated or otherwise 
     made available by title

[[Page 17996]]

     II may be used to carry out the Home Marketing Incentive 
     Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs or to carry out 
     the Appraisal Value Offer Program of the Department with 
     respect to an employee of the Department in a senior 
     executive position (as defined in section 713(g) of title 38, 
     United States Code).
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2775. Mr. McCONNELL (for Ms. Murkowski) submitted an amendment 
intended to be proposed to amendment SA 2763 proposed by Mr. Kirk (for 
himself, Mr. Tester, and Ms. Mikulski) to the bill H.R. 2029, making 
appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
2016, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as 
follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:
       Sec. ___. (a) Not later than one year after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United 
     States shall submit to the congressional veterans committees 
     a report evaluating the implementation by the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs of section 101 of the Veterans Access, 
     Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-146; 
     38 U.S.C. 1701 note).
       (b) The report required by subsection (a) shall include, 
     with respect to the implementation of such section 101, an 
     evaluation of the following:
       (1) The effect of such implementation on the reduction in 
     the use of purchased care by the Department, including delays 
     or denials of care and interruptions in courses and 
     continuity of care.
       (2) The ability of health care providers to meet the demand 
     for primary, specialty, and behavioral health care under such 
     section 101 that cannot reasonably be provided in medical 
     facilities of the Department.
       (3) The efforts of the Department to recruit health care 
     providers to provide health care under such section 101.
       (4) The accuracy of the information provided to veterans 
     through call centers regarding the receipt of health care 
     under such section 101.
       (5) The timeliness of referrals of veterans by the 
     Department to health care providers under such section 101.
       (6) Unique issues and difficulties in the implementation of 
     section 101 with respect to veterans residing in rural areas, 
     the States of Alaska and Hawaii and states lacking a full 
     service VA Hospital.
       (7) With respect to rural areas: (A) an identification of 
     the average wait times for veterans in rural areas to receive 
     health care under such section 101, measured from when the 
     veteran first calls the Department or contracted call center 
     to request an appointment; (B) an assessment of utilization 
     rates for health care provided under such section 101 in 
     rural areas (C) an assessment of the accessibility of 
     veterans in rural areas to primary and specialty care at 
     medical centers of the Department and from non-Department 
     health care providers under such section 101; (D) an 
     assessment of the status of any pilot programs created by the 
     Department to provide care under such section 101; (E) an 
     identification of the number of health care providers 
     providing health care under such section 101 to veterans in 
     rural areas, broken out by primary care providers, specialty 
     and subspecialty providers, and behavioral health providers 
     in each Veterans Integrated Service Network.
       (8) Recommendations for such improvements to the provision 
     of health care under such section 101 as the Comptroller 
     General considers appropriate.
       (c) In this section, the term ``congressional veterans 
     committees'' means the Veterans Affairs Committees of the 
     United States Senate and the House of Representatives and the 
     Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and 
     Related Agencies of the Committees on Appropriations of the 
     United States Senate and the House of Representatives.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2776. Mr. McCONNELL (for Ms. Murkowski) submitted an amendment 
intended to be proposed to amendment SA 2763 proposed by Mr. Kirk (for 
himself, Mr. Tester, and Ms. Mikulski) to the bill H.R. 2029, making 
appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
2016, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as 
follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:
       Sec. ___.  Not later than February 1, 2016, the Secretary 
     of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committee on 
     Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on 
     Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a report 
     that supplements the report required under section 4002(c) of 
     the Surface Transportation and Veterans Health Care Choice 
     Improvement Act of 2015 (Public Law 114-41) and that contains 
     the following:
       (1) A description of the changes in access, if any, of 
     veterans in Alaska to purchased care from the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs that have resulted from implementation of 
     section 101 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and 
     Accountability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-146), including 
     denials of care and interruptions in the course and 
     continuity of care.
       (2) An assessment of the performance of the Department in 
     providing health care under such section 101 in Alaska, 
     including--
       (A) the performance of call center service provided to 
     veterans;
       (B) the accuracy of call center information provided to 
     veterans and health care providers;
       (C) whether health care providers are agreeing to provide 
     health care under such section 101 in each of the major 
     communities in Alaska;
       (D) gaps in the availability of health care providers, 
     disaggregated by primary, specialty, subspecialty, and 
     behavioral health care;
       (E) impediments to the provision of health care under such 
     section 101; and
       (F) plans to mitigate those impediments.
       (3) An assessment of the status of health care provider 
     vacancies at the VA Alaska Healthcare System as of the date 
     of submittal of the report under this section, including 
     impediments to filling those vacancies and plans to mitigate 
     those impediments.
       (4) A description of the manner in which the Department 
     plans to serve the primary, specialty, and behavioral health 
     care needs of veterans in Alaska if the plan and 
     recommendations set forth in the report submitted under such 
     section 4002(c) are implemented, including a description of 
     specific strategies to be employed by the Department to 
     address gaps in the provision of health care to veterans and 
     the supply and demand of health care providers for veterans, 
     including the roles of tribal health providers and community 
     providers in addressing those gaps.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2777. Mr. CARDIN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill H.R. 2029, making appropriations for military 
construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies 
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, and for other purposes; 
which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. __. COMPENSATION FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AFFECTED BY A 
                   LAPSE IN APPROPRIATIONS.

       Section 1341 of title 31, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ``An officer'' and 
     inserting ``Except as specified in this subchapter or any 
     other provision of law, an officer''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(c)(1) In this subsection--
       ``(A) the term `covered lapse in appropriations' means a 
     lapse in appropriations that begins on or after October 1, 
     2015; and
       ``(B) the term `excepted employee' means an excepted 
     employee or an employee performing emergency work, as such 
     terms are defined by the Office of Personnel Management.
       ``(2) Each Federal employee furloughed as a result of a 
     covered lapse in appropriations shall be paid for the period 
     of the lapse in appropriations, and each excepted employee 
     who is required to perform work during a covered lapse in 
     appropriations shall be paid for such work, at the employee's 
     standard rate of pay at the earliest date possible after the 
     lapse in appropriations ends, regardless of scheduled pay 
     dates.
       ``(3) During a covered lapse in appropriations, each 
     excepted employee who is required to perform work shall be 
     entitled to use leave under chapter 63 of title 5, or any 
     other applicable law governing the use of leave by the 
     excepted employee, for which compensation shall be paid at 
     the earliest date possible after the lapse in appropriations 
     ends, regardless of scheduled pay dates.''.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2778. Mr. BLUMENTHAL submitted an amendment intended to be 
proposed to amendment SA 2763 proposed by Mr. Kirk (for himself, Mr. 
Tester, and Ms. Mikulski) to the bill H.R. 2029, making appropriations 
for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and 
related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       On page 31, line 23, strike the period and insert ``: 
     Provided, That such sums are allocated to conduct research 
     related to toxic exposure.''
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2779. Mr. BLUMENTHAL submitted an amendment intended to be 
proposed to amendment SA 2763 proposed by Mr. Kirk (for himself, Mr. 
Tester, and Ms. Mikulski) to the bill H.R. 2029, making appropriations 
for military construction, the Department

[[Page 17997]]

of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 2016, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on 
the table; as follows:

       On page 31, line 23, strike the period and insert ``: 
     Provided, That such sums are allocated to ensure the 
     provision of gender appropriate prosthetics and to conduct 
     research related to toxic exposure.''
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2780. Mr. BLUMENTHAL submitted an amendment intended to be 
proposed to amendment SA 2763 proposed by Mr. Kirk (for himself, Mr. 
Tester, and Ms. Mikulski) to the bill H.R. 2029, making appropriations 
for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and 
related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       On page 31, line 23, strike the period and insert ``: 
     Provided, That such sums are allocated to ensure the 
     provision of gender appropriate prosthetics.''
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2781. Mr. BLUMENTHAL submitted an amendment intended to be 
proposed to amendment SA 2763 proposed by Mr. Kirk (for himself, Mr. 
Tester, and Ms. Mikulski) to the bill H.R. 2029, making appropriations 
for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and 
related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       On page 30, line 6, strike the period and insert ``: 
     Provided further, That the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
     shall ensure that amounts appropriated to the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs for medical supplies and equipment are 
     allocated to ensure the provision of gender appropriate 
     prosthetics.''
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2782. Mr. BLUMENTHAL (for himself and Mr. Bennet) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 2763 proposed by Mr. 
Kirk (for himself, Mr. Tester, and Ms. Mikulski) to the bill H.R. 2029, 
making appropriations for military construction, the Department of 
Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 2016, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on 
the table; as follows:

       On page 39, line 14, insert after ``established above:'' 
     the following: ``Provided further, That the Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress, the Committee on 
     Veterans' Affairs of the Senate, and the Committee on 
     Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives, not later 
     than 30 days after the last day of each fiscal quarter, a 
     report on the super construction projects, as defined in 
     section 8103(e)(3) of title 38, United States Code, carried 
     out by the Department of Veterans Affairs, which shall 
     include the status of each such project as of the last day of 
     the quarter covered by the report, the actual cost and 
     schedule variances of each such project as of such day 
     compared to the planned cost and schedules for the project, 
     and a dispute resolution matrix depicting internal and 
     external disputes regarding technical, fiscal, schedule, or 
     other issues, along with action plans and timelines for 
     resolution:''
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2783. Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself and Mrs. Boxer) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by her to the bill H.R. 2029, making 
appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
2016, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as 
follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:
       Sec. ___. (a) Congress finds the following:
       (1) The Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and 
     Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016 that was reported 
     by the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate on May 21, 
     2015, includes the following amounts to be appropriated to 
     the Department of Veterans Affairs:
       (A) $35,000,000 to make seismic corrections to Building 208 
     at the West Los Angeles Medical Center of the Department in 
     Los Angeles, California, which, according to the Department, 
     is a building that is designated as having an exceptionally 
     high risk of sustaining substantial damage or collapsing 
     during an earthquake.
       (B) $158,000,000 to provide for the construction of a new 
     research building, site work, and demolition at the San 
     Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
       (C) $161,000,000 to replace Building 133 with a new 
     community living center at the Long Beach Veterans Affairs 
     Medical Center, which, according to the Department, is a 
     building that is designated as having an extremely high risk 
     of sustaining major damage during an earthquake.
       (D) $468,800,000 for construction projects that are 
     critical to the Department for ensuring health care access 
     and safety at medical facilities in Louisville, Kentucky, 
     Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis, Missouri, Perry Point, 
     Maryland, American Lake, Washington, Alameda, California, and 
     Livermore, California.
       (2) The Department is unable to obligate or expend the 
     amounts described in paragraph (1), other than for 
     construction design, because the Department lacks an explicit 
     authorization by an Act of Congress pursuant to section 
     8104(a)(2) of title 38, United States Code, to carry out the 
     major medical facility projects described in such paragraph.
       (3) Among the major medical facility projects described in 
     paragraph (1), three are critical seismic safety projects in 
     California.
       (4) Every day that the critical seismic safety projects 
     described in paragraph (3) are delayed increases the risk of 
     a life-threatening building failure in the case of a major 
     seismic event.
       (5) According to the United States Geological Survey--
       (A) California has more than a 99 percent chance of 
     experiencing an earthquake of magnitude 6.7 or greater in the 
     next 30 years;
       (B) even earthquakes of less severity than magnitude 6.7 
     can cause life threatening damage to seismically unsafe 
     buildings; and
       (C) in California, earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or greater 
     occur on average once every 1.2 years.
       (b) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may carry out the 
     following major medical facility projects, with each project 
     to be carried out in an amount not to exceed the amount 
     specified for that project:
       (1) Seismic corrections to buildings, including 
     retrofitting and replacement of high-risk buildings, in San 
     Francisco, California, in an amount not to exceed 
     $180,480,000.
       (2) Seismic corrections to facilities, including facilities 
     to support homeless veterans, at the medical center in West 
     Los Angeles, California, in an amount not to exceed 
     $105,500,000.
       (3) Seismic corrections to the mental health and community 
     living center in Long Beach, California, in an amount not to 
     exceed $287,100,000.
       (4) Construction of an outpatient clinic, administrative 
     space, cemetery, and columbarium in Alameda, California, in 
     an amount not to exceed $87,332,000.
       (5) Realignment of medical facilities in Livermore, 
     California, in an amount not to exceed $194,430,000.
       (6) Construction of a medical center in Louisville, 
     Kentucky, in an amount not to exceed $150,000,000.
       (7) Construction of a replacement community living center 
     in Perry Point, Maryland, in an amount not to exceed 
     $92,700,000.
       (8) Seismic corrections and other renovations to several 
     buildings and construction of a specialty care building in 
     American Lake, Washington, in an amount not to exceed 
     $16,260,000.
       (c) There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary 
     of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2016 or the year in which 
     funds are appropriated for the Construction, Major Projects, 
     account, $1,113,802,000 for the projects authorized in 
     subsection (b).
       (d) The projects authorized in subsection (b) may only be 
     carried out using--
       (1) funds appropriated for fiscal year 2016 pursuant to the 
     authorization of appropriations in subsection (c);
       (2) funds available for Construction, Major Projects, for a 
     fiscal year before fiscal year 2016 that remain available for 
     obligation;
       (3) funds available for Construction, Major Projects, for a 
     fiscal year after fiscal year 2016 that remain available for 
     obligation;
       (4) funds appropriated for Construction, Major Projects, 
     for fiscal year 2016 for a category of activity not specific 
     to a project;
       (5) funds appropriated for Construction, Major Projects, 
     for a fiscal year before fiscal year 2016 for a category of 
     activity not specific to a project; and
       (6) funds appropriated for Construction, Major Projects, 
     for a fiscal year after fiscal year 2016 for a category of 
     activity not specific to a project.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2784. Mrs. GILLIBRAND (for herself and Mr. Daines) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 2763 proposed by Mr. 
Kirk (for himself, Mr. Tester, and Ms. Mikulski) to the bill H.R. 2029, 
making appropriations for military construction, the Department of 
Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 2016, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on 
the table; as follows:

       At the end of title II, add the following:

     SEC. 247. CLARIFICATION OF PRESUMPTIONS OF EXPOSURE FOR 
                   VETERANS WHO SERVED IN VICINITY OF REPUBLIC OF 
                   VIETNAM.

       (a) Compensation.--Subsections (a)(1) and (f) of section 
     1116 of title 38, United States Code, are amended by 
     inserting ``(including the territorial seas of such 
     Republic)'' after

[[Page 17998]]

     ``served in the Republic of Vietnam'' each place it appears.
       (b) Health Care.--Section 1710(e)(4) of such title is 
     amended by inserting ``(including the territorial seas of 
     such Republic)'' after ``served on active duty in the 
     Republic of Vietnam''.
       (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsections (a) 
     and (b) shall take effect as of September 25, 1985.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2785. Mr. TOOMEY (for himself and Mr. Casey) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 2763 proposed by Mr. 
Kirk (for himself, Mr. Tester, and Ms. Mikulski) to the bill H.R. 2029, 
making appropriations for military construction, the Department of 
Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 2016, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on 
the table; as follows:

       At the end of title II, add the following:
       Sec. 247.  None of the amounts appropriated or otherwise 
     made available by this title may be used--
       (1) to carry out the memorandum of the Veterans Benefits 
     Administration known as ``Fast Letter 13-10'', issued on May 
     20, 2013; or
       (2) to create or maintain any patient record-keeping system 
     other than those currently approved by the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs Central Office in Washington, District of 
     Columbia.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2786. Mr. SULLIVAN (for himself and Ms. Murkowski) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 2763 proposed by Mr. 
Kirk (for himself, Mr. Tester, and Ms. Mikulski) to the bill H.R. 2029, 
making appropriations for military construction, the Department of 
Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 2016, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on 
the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:
       Sec. ___. (a) Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United 
     States shall submit to Congress a report on the recruitment 
     and retention of health care providers by the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs.
       (b) The report required by subsection (a) shall include the 
     following:
       (1) An identification of the ratio of veterans to health 
     care providers of the Department, disaggregated by State.
       (2) An analysis of the workload of primary and specialty 
     care providers of the Department, disaggregated by State.
       (3) An assessment of initiatives carried out by the 
     Veterans Health Administration to recruit and retain health 
     care providers of the Department.
       (4) An assessment of the extent to which the Veterans 
     Health Administration oversees health care providers of the 
     Department.
       (5) Such recommendations for improving the recruitment and 
     retention of health care providers of the Department as the 
     Comptroller General considers appropriate.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2787. Mr. SULLIVAN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
to amendment SA 2763 proposed by Mr. Kirk (for himself, Mr. Tester, and 
Ms. Mikulski) to the bill H.R. 2029, making appropriations for military 
construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies 
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, and for other purposes; 
which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:
       Sec. ___. (a) Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
     shall submit to Congress a report on the implementation by 
     the Department of Veterans Affairs of section 101 of the 
     Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 
     (Public Law 113-146; 38 U.S.C. 1701 note) in rural areas.
       (b) The report required by subsection (a) shall include the 
     following:
       (1) An identification of average wait times for veterans in 
     rural areas to receive health care under such section 101, 
     measured from when the veteran first calls the Department to 
     schedule an appointment.
       (2) An assessment of utilization rates for health care 
     provided under such section 101 in rural areas.
       (3) An assessment of the accessibility of veterans in rural 
     areas to primary and specialty care at medical centers of the 
     Department and from non-Department health care providers 
     under such section 101.
       (4) An identification of the number of health care 
     providers providing health care under such section 101 in 
     each Veterans Integrated Service Network.
       (5) An assessment of the status of any pilot programs 
     created by the Department to provide care under such section 
     101 in rural areas.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2788. Ms. COLLINS submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
to amendment SA 2763 proposed by Mr. Kirk (for himself, Mr. Tester, and 
Ms. Mikulski) to the bill H.R. 2029, making appropriations for military 
construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies 
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, and for other purposes; 
which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of title II, add the following:

     SEC. 247. REPORT ON USE OF SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS BY 
                   DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

       (a) Report Required.--Not later than 120 days after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs shall submit to the appropriate committees of 
     Congress a report on the use of social security numbers by 
     the Department of Veterans Affairs and the plans of the 
     Secretary to discontinue the unnecessary use.
       (b) Contents.--The report required by subsection (a) shall 
     include the following:
       (1) A list of documents and records of the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs that contain social security numbers.
       (2) A list of all government and non-government entities 
     and the numbers of their employees that have access to the 
     social security numbers of veterans that are stored by the 
     Department.
       (3) A description of how the Department, other governmental 
     entities, and persons use social security numbers they obtain 
     from the Department, including a description of any 
     information sharing arrangements that the Secretary may have 
     with the heads of other governmental entities.
       (4) The number of data breaches of Department of Veterans 
     Affairs information systems that involved social security 
     numbers that occurred during the five-year period ending on 
     the date of the enactment of this Act that the Secretary 
     discovered or that were reported to the Secretary, a 
     description and status of the investigations conducted by the 
     Secretary regarding such breaches, and a description of the 
     plans of the Secretary to remediate such breaches.
       (5) The plans of the Secretary, including a timeline, to 
     discontinue the unnecessary use by the Department of social 
     security numbers.
       (c) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this 
     section, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' 
     means--
       (1) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the Senate; and
       (2) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2789. Mr. CORNYN (for himself and Mr. Cruz) submitted an amendment 
intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 2029, making 
appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
2016, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as 
follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:
       Sec. ___. (a) Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
     shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a 
     report that includes, with respect to the South Texas 
     Veterans Health Care System of the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs, the following:
       (1) A description of the nature and scope of any 
     foreseeable increase in wait times for medical appointments.
       (2) An assessment of whether a shortage of health care 
     providers is the primary cause of any such increase in wait 
     times.
       (3) An identification of any other causes of any such 
     increase in wait times.
       (4) A description of any action taken by the Department to 
     correct any such increase in wait times.
       (5) An assessment of any issues relating to access to care.
       (6) A plan for how the Secretary will remedy any such 
     increase in wait times, including a detailed description of 
     steps to be taken and a timeline for completion.
       (b) In this section, the term ``appropriate committees of 
     Congress'' means--
       (1) the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on 
     Veterans' Affairs of the Senate; and
       (2) the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on 
     Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2790. Mr. DAINES submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to 
amendment SA 2763 proposed by Mr. Kirk (for himself, Mr. Tester, and 
Ms. Mikulski) to the bill H.R. 2029, making appropriations for military 
construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies 
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, and for other purposes; 
which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:


[[Page 17999]]

       At the end of title II, add the following:
       Sec. 2__.  The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure 
     that all health care providers of the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs are trained to treat and address health issues unique 
     to women veterans.

                          ____________________