[104th Congress Public Law 110]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]


<DOC>
[DOCID: f:publ110.104]

                   EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY FOR CERTAIN

                VETERANS' AFFAIRS PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES

[[Page 110 STAT. 768]]

Public Law 104-110
104th Congress

                                 An Act


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend the authority of the 
    Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out certain programs and 
 activities, to require certain reports from the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs, and for other purposes. <<NOTE: Feb. 13, 1996 -  [H.R. 2353]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

                    TITLE I--EXTENSIONS OF AUTHORITY

SEC. 101. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITIES UNDER TITLE 38, UNITED STATES CODE.

    (a) Authority To Provide Priority Health Care for Certain Veterans 
Exposed to Toxic Substances.--(1) Section 1710(e)(3) of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by striking out ``after June 30, 1995,'' and all 
that follows through ``December 31, 1995'' and inserting in lieu thereof 
``after December 31, 1996''.
    (2) Section 1712(a)(1)(D) of such title is amended by striking out 
``December 31, 1995,'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``December 31, 
1996,''.
    (b) Drug and Alcohol Abuse and Dependence.--Section 1720A(e) of such 
title is amended by striking out ``December 31, 1995'' and inserting in 
lieu thereof ``December 31, 1997''.
    (c) Pilot Program for Noninstitutional Alternatives to Nursing Home 
Care.--Section 1720C(a) of such title is amended by striking out 
``September 30, 1995,'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``December 31, 
1997,''.
    (d) Negotiated Interest Rates.--Section 3703(c)(4) of such title is 
amended by striking out subparagraph (D).
    (e) Mortgages for Energy Efficient Improvements.--Section 3710(d) of 
such title is amended by striking out paragraph (7).
    (f) Enhanced Loan Asset Sale Authority.--Section 3720(h)(2) of such 
title is amended by striking out ``December 31, 1995'' and inserting in 
lieu thereof ``December 31, 1996''.
    (g) Authority of Lenders of Automatically Guaranteed Loans To Review 
Appraisals.--Section 3731(f) of such title is amended by striking out 
paragraph (3).
    (h) Agreements for Housing Assistance for Homeless Veterans.--
Section 3735(c) of such title is amended by striking out ``December 31, 
1995'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``December 31, 1997''.
    (i) Use of Data on Compensation for Certified Registered Nurse 
Anesthetists.--Section 7451(d)(3)(C)(iii) of such title is

[[Page 110 STAT. 769]]

amended by striking out ``April 1, 1995'' and inserting in lieu thereof 
``January 1, 1998''.
    (j) Health Professional Scholarship Program.--Section 7618 of such 
title is amended by striking out ``December 31, 1995'' and inserting in 
lieu thereof ``December 31, 1997''.
    (k) Enhanced-Use Leases of Real Property.--Section 8169 of such 
title is amended by striking out ``December 31, 1995'' and inserting in 
lieu thereof ``December 31, 1997''.

SEC. 102. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITIES UNDER OTHER PROVISIONS OF LAW.

    (a) Authority for Community-Based Residential Care for Homeless 
Chronically Mentally Ill Veterans and Other Veterans.--Section 115(d) of 
the Veterans' Benefits and Services Act of 1988 (38 U.S.C. 1712 note) is 
amended by striking out ``September 30, 1995'' and inserting in lieu 
thereof ``December 31, 1997''.
    (b) Demonstration Program of Compensated Work Therapy.--Section 7(a) 
of Public Law 102-54 (38 U.S.C. 1718 note) is amended by striking out 
``fiscal years 1991 through 1995'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``the 
period beginning on October 1, 1991, and ending on December 31, 1997,''.
    (c) Services and Assistance to Homeless Veterans.--The Homeless 
Veterans Comprehensive Service Programs Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-590; 
38 U.S.C. 7721 note) is amended--
            (1) in section 2, by striking out ``September 30, 1995,'' 
        and inserting in lieu thereof ``September 30, 1997,'';
            (2) in section 3(a)--
                    (A) by inserting ``(1)'' before ``Subject to'';
                    (B) by striking out ``fiscal years 1993, 1994, and 
                1995,''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:

    ``(2) The authority of the Secretary to make grants under this 
section expires on September 30, 1997.''; and
            (3) in section 12, by striking out ``each of the fiscal 
        years 1993, 1994, and 1995'' and inserting in lieu thereof 
        ``each of fiscal years 1993 through 1997''.

    (d) Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Projects.--(1) Section 
738(e)(1) of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
11448(e)(1)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(D) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 1996.''.

    (2) Section 741 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 11450) is amended by striking 
out ``October 1, 1995'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``December 31, 
1997''.

SEC. 103. <<NOTE: 38 USC 1710 note.>> RATIFICATION OF ACTIONS TAKEN 
            DURING PERIOD OF EXPIRED AUTHORITY.

    Any action taken by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs before the 
date of the enactment of this Act under a provision of law amended by 
this title that was taken during the period beginning on the date on 
which the authority of the Secretary under that provision of law expired 
and ending on the date of the enactment of this Act shall be considered 
to have the same force and effect as if the amendment to that provision 
of law made by this title had been in effect at the time of that action.

[[Page 110 STAT. 770]]

                       TITLE II--OTHER PROVISIONS

SEC. 201. CODIFICATION OF HOUSING REPORTING REQUIREMENTS AND CHANGES IN 
            THEIR FREQUENCY.

    (a) Codification of Housing Related Reporting Requirements.--(1) 
Chapter 37 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding after 
section 3735 the following new section:

``Sec. 3736. Reporting requirements

    ``The annual report required by section 529 of this title shall 
include a discussion of the activities under this chapter. Beginning 
with the report submitted at the close of fiscal year 1996, and every 
second year thereafter, this discussion shall include information 
regarding the following:
            ``(1) Loans made to veterans whose only qualifying service 
        was in the Selected Reserve.
            ``(2) Interest rates and discount points which were 
        negotiated between the lender and the veteran pursuant to 
        section 3703(c)(4)(A)(i) of this title.
            ``(3) The determination of reasonable value by lenders 
        pursuant to section 3731(f) of this title.
            ``(4) Loans that include funds for energy efficiency 
        improvements pursuant to section 3710(a)(10) of this title.
            ``(5) Direct loans to Native American veterans made pursuant 
        to subchapter V of this chapter.''.

    (2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is 
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 3735 the 
following new item:

``3736. Reporting requirements.''.

    (b) Repeal of Superseded Reporting Requirements.--The Veterans Home 
Loan Program Amendments of 1992 (Public Law 102-547; 106 Stat. 3633) is 
amended by striking out sections 2(c), 3(b), 8(d), 9(c), and 
10(b). <<NOTE: 33 USC 3702 note, 3703 note, 3707 note, 3710 note, 3761 
note.>> 

SEC. 202. OTHER REPORT REQUIREMENTS.

    (a) <<NOTE: 38 USC 1720A note.>> Report on Consolidation of Certain 
Programs.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress, 
not later than March 1, 1997, a report on the advantages and 
disadvantages of consolidating into one program the following three 
programs:
            (1) The alcohol and drug abuse contract care program under 
        section 1720A of title 38, United States Code.
            (2) The program to provide community-based residential care 
        to homeless chronically mentally ill veterans under section 115 
        of the Veterans' Benefits and Services Act of 1988 (38 U.S.C. 
        1712 note).
            (3) The demonstration program under section 7 of Public Law 
        102-54 (38 U.S.C. 1718 note).

    (b) <<NOTE: 38 USC 7611 note.>> Health Professional Scholarship 
Program.--(1) The Secretary shall submit to Congress, not later than 
March 31, 1997, a report setting forth the results of a study evaluating 
the operation of the health professional scholarship program under 
subchapter II of chapter 76 of title 38, United States Code. The study 
shall evaluate the efficacy of the program with respect to recruitment 
and retention of health care personnel for the Department of Veterans 
Affairs and shall compare the costs and benefits of the program

[[Page 110 STAT. 771]]

with the costs and benefits of alternative methods of ensuring adequate 
recruitment and retention of such personnel.

    (2) <<NOTE: Contracts.>> The Secretary shall carry out the study 
under this paragraph through a private contractor. The report under 
paragraph (1) shall include the report of the contractor and the 
comments, if any, of the Secretary on that report.

    (c) <<NOTE: 38 USC 8161 note.>> Enhanced Use Leases.--The Secretary 
shall submit to Congress, not later than March 31, 1997, a report 
evaluating the operation of the program under subchapter V of chapter 81 
of title 38, United States Code.

SEC. 203. CONTRACTS FOR UTILITIES, AUDIE L. MURPHY 
            MEMORIAL <<NOTE: Texas.>>  HOSPITAL.

    (a) Authority To Contract.--Subject to subsection (b), the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs may enter into contracts for the provision of 
utilities (including steam and chilled water) to the Audie L. Murphy 
Memorial Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. Each such contract may--
            (1) be for a period not to exceed 35 years;
            (2) provide for the construction and operation of a 
        production facility on or near property under the jurisdiction 
        of the Secretary;
            (3) require capital contributions by the parties involved 
        for the construction of such a facility, such contribution to be 
        in the form of cash, equipment, or other in-kind contribution; 
        and
            (4) provide for a predetermined formula to compute the cost 
        of providing such utilities to the parties for the duration of 
        the contract.

    (b) Funds.--A contract may be entered into under subsection (a) only 
to the extent as provided for in advance in appropriations Acts.
    (c) Additional Terms.--The Secretary may include in a contract under 
subsection (a) such additional provisions as the Secretary considers 
necessary to secure the provision of utilities and to protect the 
interests of the United States.

    Approved February 13, 1996.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 2353 (S. 991):
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 104-275 (Comm. on Veterans' Affairs).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD:
                                                        Vol. 141 (1995):
                                    Oct. 17, considered and passed 
                                        House.
                                                        Vol. 142 (1996):
                                    Jan. 5, considered and passed 
                                        Senate, amended, in lieu of S. 
                                        991.
                                    Jan. 25, House concurred in Senate 
                                        amendments with amendments.
                                    Jan. 30, Senate concurred in House 
                                        amendments.

                                  <all>