Grants the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) temporary authority (through October 1, 2015) to use certain transfers from the Veterans Choice Fund to pay for health care for eligible veterans at non-VA facilities, including pharmaceuticals for treatment of Hepatitis C.
[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3246 Introduced in House (IH)]
114th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3246
To provide for the temporary use of Veterans Choice Funds for certain
programs, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 28, 2015
Ms. Brown of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee
on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for the temporary use of Veterans Choice Funds for certain
programs, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. 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
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:
``(I) Section 1703 of title 38,
United States Code.
``(II) 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).
``(III) The Patient Centered
Community Care Program (known as
`PC3').
``(IV) 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').
``(V) Contracts relating to
dialysis.
``(VI) Agreements entered into by
the Secretary with--
``(aa) the Secretary of
Defense, the Director of the
Indian Health Service, or the
head of any other department or
agency of the Federal
Government; or
``(bb) any academic
affiliate or other non-
governmental entity.
``(VII) Programs relating to
emergency care, including under
sections 1725 and 1728 of title 38,
United States Code.''.
(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. 2. EMERGENCY DESIGNATIONS.
(a) In General.--This title, except for section 7, 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 7, 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.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H5573)
Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
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