H.R. 4635 (rs) 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, 2001, and for othe...

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                                                 Union Calendar No. 378
106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4635

                          [Report No. 106-674]

   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, 2001, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 12, 2000

Mr. Walsh, from the Committee on Appropriations, reported the following 
 bill; which was committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   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, 2001, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the following sums 
are appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise 
appropriated, for the Departments of Veteran Affairs and Housing and 
Urban Development, and for sundry independent agencies, boards, 
commissions, corporations, and offices for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 2001, and for other purposes, namely:

                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), $22,766,276,000, to remain 
available until expended: Provided, That not to exceed $17,419,000 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, $1,664,000,000, 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, $19,850,000, 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 2001, 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, $161,484,000, 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 $3,400.
    In addition, for administrative expenses necessary to carry out the 
direct loan program, $220,000, 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, $52,000, 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 $2,726,000.
    In addition, for administrative expenses necessary to carry out the 
direct loan program, $432,000, 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, $532,000, 
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)

    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 such sums 
as necessary to fund cost comparison studies as referred to in 38 
U.S.C. 8110(a)(5): $20,281,587,000, plus reimbursements: Provided, That 
of the funds made available under this heading, not more than 
$3,000,000,000 may be used for the operation and maintenance of 
facilities: Provided further, That of the funds made available under 
this heading, $927,000,000 is for the equipment and land and structures 
object classifications only, which amount shall not become available 
for obligation until August 1, 2001, and shall remain available until 
September 30, 2002: Provided further, That of the funds made available 
under this heading, not to exceed $900,000,000 shall be available until 
September 30, 2002: Provided further, That of the funds made available 
under this heading, not to exceed $28,134,000 may be transferred to and 
merged with the appropriation for ``General operating expenses'': 
Provided further, That the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct 
by contract a program of recovery audits for the fee basis and other 
medical services contracts 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 percentage 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.
    None of the foregoing funds may be transferred to the Department of 
Justice for the purposes of supporting tobacco litigation.

                    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, 2002, $321,000,000, 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, $62,000,000 plus reimbursements: Provided, 
That technical and consulting services offered by the Facilities 
Management Field Service, including project management and 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, 2001.

                      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, $1,006,000,000: Provided, That of the funds made 
available under this heading, not to exceed $50,050,000 shall be 
available until September 30, 2002: Provided further, That funds under 
this heading shall be available to administer the Service Members 
Occupational Conversion and Training Act.

                    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, $106,889,000: 
Provided, That travel expenses shall not exceed $1,125,000: Provided 
further, That of the amount made available under this heading, not to 
exceed $125,000 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, 
$46,464,000: Provided, That of the amount made available under this 
heading, not to exceed $28,000 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, $62,140,000, 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 
fund, none of these funds shall be used for any project which has not 
been considered and approved by the Congress in the budgetary process: 
Provided further, That funds provided in this appropriation for fiscal 
year 2001, for each approved project, shall be obligated: (1) by the 
awarding of a construction documents contract by September 30, 2001; 
and (2) by the awarding of a construction contract by September 30, 
2002: Provided further, That the Secretary shall promptly report in 
writing to the Committees on Appropriations any approved major 

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