H.R. 2684 (enr) Making appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and for sundry independent agencies, boards, commissions, corporations, and offices for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2000, and for oth...

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                  In the Senate of the United States,

                                                    September 24, 1999.
      Resolved, That the bill from the House of Representatives (H.R. 
2684) entitled ``An Act making appropriations for the Departments of 
Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and for sundry 
independent agencies, boards, commissions, corporations, and offices 
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2000, and for other 
purposes.'', do pass with the following

                               AMENDMENT:

    Page 2, strike out all after line 9, over to and including line 3 
on page 95, and insert:

                TITLE I--DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

                    Veterans Benefits Administration

                       compensation and pensions

    For the payment of compensation benefits to or on behalf of 
veterans and a pilot program for disability examinations as authorized 
by law (38 U.S.C. 107, chapters 11, 13, 18, 51, 53, 55, and 61); 
pension benefits to or on behalf of veterans as authorized by law (38 
U.S.C. chapters 15, 51, 53, 55, and 61; 92 Stat. 2508); and burial 
benefits, emergency and other officers' retirement pay, adjusted-
service credits and certificates, payment of premiums due on commercial 
life insurance policies guaranteed under the provisions of Article IV 
of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940, as amended, and 
for other benefits as authorized by law (38 U.S.C. 107, 1312, 1977, and 
2106, chapters 23, 51, 53, 55, and 61; 50 U.S.C. App. 540-548; 43 Stat. 
122, 123; 45 Stat. 735; 76 Stat. 1198), $21,568,364,000, to remain 
available until expended: Provided, That not to exceed $38,079,000 of 
the amount appropriated shall be reimbursed to ``General operating 
expenses'' and ``Medical care'' for necessary expenses in implementing 
those provisions authorized in the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 
1990, and in the Veterans' Benefits Act of 1992 (38 U.S.C. chapters 51, 
53, and 55), the funding source for which is specifically provided as 
the ``Compensation and pensions'' appropriation: Provided further, That 
such sums as may be earned on an actual qualifying patient basis, shall 
be reimbursed to ``Medical facilities revolving fund'' to augment the 
funding of individual medical facilities for nursing home care provided 
to pensioners as authorized.

                         readjustment benefits

    For the payment of readjustment and rehabilitation benefits to or 
on behalf of veterans as authorized by 38 U.S.C. chapters 21, 30, 31, 
34, 35, 36, 39, 51, 53, 55, and 61, $1,469,000,000, to remain available 
until expended: Provided, That funds shall be available to pay any 
court order, court award or any compromise settlement arising from 
litigation involving the vocational training program authorized by 
section 18 of Public Law 98-77, as amended.

                   veterans insurance and indemnities

    For military and naval insurance, national service life insurance, 
servicemen's indemnities, service-disabled veterans insurance, and 
veterans mortgage life insurance as authorized by 38 U.S.C. chapter 19; 
70 Stat. 887; 72 Stat. 487, $28,670,000, to remain available until 
expended.

         veterans housing benefit program fund program account

                     (including transfer of funds)

    For the cost of direct and guaranteed loans, such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out the program, as authorized by 38 U.S.C. chapter 
37, as amended: Provided, That such costs, including the cost of 
modifying such loans, shall be as defined in section 502 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, as amended: Provided further, That 
during fiscal year 2000, within the resources available, not to exceed 
$300,000 in gross obligations for direct loans are authorized for 
specially adapted housing loans.
    In addition, for administrative expenses to carry out the direct 
and guaranteed loan programs, $156,958,000, which may be transferred to 
and merged with the appropriation for ``General operating expenses''.

                  education loan fund program account

                     (including transfer of funds)

    For the cost of direct loans, $1,000, as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 
3698, as amended: Provided, That such costs, including the cost of 
modifying such loans, shall be as defined in section 502 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, as amended: Provided further, That 
these funds are available to subsidize gross obligations for the 
principal amount of direct loans not to exceed $3,000.
    In addition, for administrative expenses necessary to carry out the 
direct loan program, $214,000, which may be transferred to and merged 
with the appropriation for ``General operating expenses''.

            vocational rehabilitation loans program account

                     (including transfer of funds)

    For the cost of direct loans, $57,000, as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 
chapter 31, as amended: Provided, That such costs, including the cost 
of modifying such loans, shall be as defined in section 502 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, as amended: Provided further, That 
these funds are available to subsidize gross obligations for the 
principal amount of direct loans not to exceed $2,531,000.
    In addition, for administrative expenses necessary to carry out the 
direct loan program, $415,000, which may be transferred to and merged 
with the appropriation for ``General operating expenses''.

          native american veteran housing loan program account

                     (including transfer of funds)

    For administrative expenses to carry out the direct loan program 
authorized by 38 U.S.C. chapter 37, subchapter V, as amended, $520,000, 
which may be transferred to and merged with the appropriation for 
``General operating expenses''.

  guaranteed transitional housing loans for homeless veterans program 
                                account

                     (including transfer of funds)

    For the cost, as defined in section 13201 of the Budget Enforcement 
Act of 1990, including the cost of modifying loans, of guaranteed loans 
as authorized by 38 U.S.C. chapter 37 subchapter VI, $48,250,000, to 
remain available until expended: Provided, That no more than five loans 
may be guaranteed under this program prior to November 11, 2001: 
Provided further, That no more than fifteen loans may be guaranteed 
under this program: Provided further, That the total principal amount 
of loans guaranteed under this program may not exceed $100,000,000: 
Provided further, That not to exceed $750,000 of the amounts 
appropriated by this Act for ``General operating expenses'' and 
``Medical care'' may be expended for the administrative expenses to 
carry out the guaranteed loan program authorized by 38 U.S.C. chapter 
37, subchapter VI.

                     Veterans Health Administration

                              medical care

                     (including transfer of funds)

    For necessary expenses for the maintenance and operation of 
hospitals, nursing homes, and domiciliary facilities; for furnishing, 
as authorized by law, inpatient and outpatient care and treatment to 
beneficiaries of the Department of Veterans Affairs, including care and 
treatment in facilities not under the jurisdiction of the Department; 
and furnishing recreational facilities, supplies, and equipment; 
funeral, burial, and other expenses incidental thereto for 
beneficiaries receiving care in the Department; administrative expenses 
in support of planning, design, project management, real property 
acquisition and disposition, construction and renovation of any 
facility under the jurisdiction or for the use of the Department; 
oversight, engineering and architectural activities not charged to 
project cost; repairing, altering, improving or providing facilities in 
the several hospitals and homes under the jurisdiction of the 
Department, not otherwise provided for, either by contract or by the 
hire of temporary employees and purchase of materials; uniforms or 
allowances therefor, as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 5901-5902; aid to State 
homes as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 1741; administrative and legal 
expenses of the Department for collecting and recovering amounts owed 
the Department as authorized under 38 U.S.C. chapter 17, and the 
Federal Medical Care Recovery Act, 42 U.S.C. 2651 et seq.; and not to 
exceed $8,000,000 to fund cost comparison studies as referred to in 38 
U.S.C. 8110(a)(5), $19,006,000,000, plus reimbursements: Provided, That 
of the funds made available under this heading, $600,000,000 is 
designated by Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 
251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act 
of 1985 and shall be available only to the extent that an official 
budget request that includes designation of the entire amount of the 
request as an emergency requirement (as defined in the Balanced Budget 
and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985) is transmitted by the 
President to Congress: Provided further, That of the funds made 
available under this heading, $635,000,000 is for the equipment and 
land and structures object classifications only, which amount shall not 
become available for obligation until August 1, 2000, and shall remain 
available until September 30, 2001: Provided further, That of the funds 
made available under this heading, not to exceed $900,000,000 shall be 
available until September 30, 2001: Provided further, That of the funds 
made available under this heading, not to exceed $27,907,000 may be 
transferred to and merged with the appropriation for ``General 
operating expenses'': Provided further, That the Department shall 
conduct by contract a program of recovery audits with respect to 
payments for hospital care; and, notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302(b), 
amounts collected, by setoff or otherwise, as the result of such audits 
shall be available, without fiscal year limitation, for the purposes 
for which funds are appropriated under this heading and the purposes of 
paying a contractor a percent of the amount collected as a result of an 
audit carried out by the contractor: Provided further, That all amounts 
so collected under the preceding proviso with respect to a designated 
health care region (as that term is defined in 38 U.S.C. 1729A(d)(2)) 
shall be allocated, net of payments to the contractor, to that region.
    In addition, in conformance with Public Law 105-33 establishing the 
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Care Collections Fund, such sums 
as may be deposited to such Fund pursuant to 38 U.S.C. 1729A may be 
transferred to this account, to remain available until expended for the 
purposes of this account.

                    medical and prosthetic research

    For necessary expenses in carrying out programs of medical and 
prosthetic research and development as authorized by 38 U.S.C. chapter 
73, to remain available until September 30, 2001, $316,000,000, plus 
reimbursements.

      medical administration and miscellaneous operating expenses

    For necessary expenses in the administration of the medical, 
hospital, nursing home, domiciliary, construction, supply, and research 
activities, as authorized by law; administrative expenses in support of 
capital policy activities, $60,703,000 plus reimbursements: Provided, 
That project technical and consulting services offered by the 
Facilities Management Service Delivery Office, including technical 
consulting services, project management, real property administration 
(including leases, site acquisition and disposal activities directly 
supporting projects), shall be provided to Department of Veterans 
Affairs components only on a reimbursable basis, and such amounts will 
remain available until September 30, 2000.

                   general post fund, national homes

                     (including transfer of funds)

    For the cost of direct loans, $7,000, as authorized by Public Law 
102-54, section 8, which shall be transferred from the ``General post 
fund'': Provided, That such costs, including the cost of modifying such 
loans, shall be as defined in section 502 of the Congressional Budget 
Act of 1974, as amended: Provided further, That these funds are 
available to subsidize gross obligations for the principal amount of 
direct loans not to exceed $70,000.
    In addition, for administrative expenses to carry out the direct 
loan programs, $54,000, which shall be transferred from the ``General 
post fund'', as authorized by Public Law 102-54, section 8.

                      Departmental Administration

                       general operating expenses

    For necessary operating expenses of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, not otherwise provided for, including uniforms or allowances 
therefor; not to exceed $25,000 for official reception and 
representation expenses; hire of passenger motor vehicles; and 
reimbursement of the General Services Administration for security guard 
services, and the Department of Defense for the cost of overseas 
employee mail, $912,594,000: Provided, That funds under this heading 
shall be available to administer the Service Members Occupational 
Conversion and Training Act: Provided further, That travel expenditures 
for the immediate Office of the Secretary shall not exceed $100,000.

                    national cemetery administration

                     (including transfer of funds)

    For necessary expenses for the maintenance and operation of the 
National Cemetery Administration, not otherwise provided for, including 
uniforms or allowances therefor; cemeterial expenses as authorized by 
law; purchase of two passenger motor vehicles for use in cemeterial 
operations; and hire of passenger motor vehicles, $97,256,000: 
Provided, That of the amount made available under this heading, not to 
exceed $117,000 may be transferred to and merged with the appropriation 
for ``General operating expenses''.

                      office of inspector general

                     (including transfer of funds)

    For necessary expenses of the Office of Inspector General in 
carrying out the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, 
$43,200,000: Provided, That of the amount made available under this 
heading, not to exceed $30,000 may be transferred to and merged with 
the appropriation for ``General operating expenses''.

                      construction, major projects

    For constructing, altering, extending and improving any of the 
facilities under the jurisdiction or for the use of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs, or for any of the purposes set forth in sections 316, 
2404, 2406, 8102, 8103, 8106, 8108, 8109, 8110, and 8122 of title 38, 
United States Code, including planning, architectural and engineering 
services, maintenance or guarantee period services costs associated 
with equipment guarantees provided under the project, services of 
claims analysts, offsite utility and storm drainage system construction 
costs, and site acquisition, where the estimated cost of a project is 
$4,000,000 or more or where funds for a project were made available in 
a previous major project appropriation, $70,140,000, to remain 
available until expended: Provided, That except for advance planning of 
projects (including market-based assessments of health care needs which 
may or may not lead to capital investments) funded through the advance 
planning fund and the design of projects funded through the design 

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