108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2318
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an assured
adequate level of funding for veterans health care.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 4, 2003
Mr. EVANS (for himself, Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. ANDREWS, Ms. BALDWIN, Ms. BERKLEY,
Mr. BOSWELL, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Mrs. CAPITO, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. CARSON
of Oklahoma, Ms. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. COSTELLO, Mr. CRAMER, Mrs. DAVIS of
California, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. DELAHUNT, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. DINGELL, Mr. DOYLE,
Mr. FILNER, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. FROST, Mr. GIBBONS, Mr. GORDON,
Mr. GREEN of Texas, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. HINOJOSA, Mr. HOEFFEL, Mr. HOLDEN,
Mr. HOLT, Mr. HONDA, Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon, Mr. ISRAEL, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of
Texas, Mr. JENKINS, Mr. KANJORSKI, Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island, Mr. LARSEN
of Washington, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. LUCAS of Kentucky,
Mr. LYNCH, Mrs. MALONEY, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, Ms. MCCOLLUM,
Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. MCNULTY, Mr. MICHAUD, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD,
Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. PAYNE,
Mr. REYES, Mr. RODRIGUEZ, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. SANDLIN, Mr.
SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. SOUDER, Mr. STRICKLAND, Mr.
STUPAK, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Mr. UDALL of New Mexico, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. WALDEN
of Oregon, Mr. WEXLER, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. SULLIVAN, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. TOWNS,
and Mr. GRIJALVA) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an assured
adequate level of funding for veterans health care.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care Act
of 2003'.
SEC. 2. ASSURANCE OF ADEQUATE FUNDING FOR VETERANS HEALTH CARE.
(a) IN GENERAL- Chapter 3 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding
at the end the following new section:
`Sec. 320. Assured funding for veterans health care
`(a) For each fiscal year, the Secretary of the Treasury shall make available
to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs the amount determined under subsection
(b) with respect to that fiscal year. Each such amount is available, without
fiscal year limitation, for the programs, functions, and activities of the
Veterans Health Administration, as specified in subsection (c).
`(b)(1) The amount applicable to fiscal year 2005 under this subsection is
the amount equal to 130 percent of the amount obligated by the Department
during fiscal year 2003 for the purposes specified in subsection (c).
`(2) The amount applicable to any fiscal year after fiscal year 2005 under
this subsection is the amount equal to the product of the following:
`(i) the number of veterans enrolled in the Department health care system
under section 1705 of this title as of July 1 preceding the beginning
of such fiscal year; and
`(ii) the number of persons eligible for health care under chapter 17
of this title who are not covered by clause (i) and who were provided
hospital care or medical services under such chapter at any time during
the fiscal year preceding such fiscal year.
`(B) The per capita baseline amount, as increased from time to time pursuant
to paragraph (3)(B).
`(3)(A) For purposes of paragraph (2)(B), the term `per capita baseline amount'
means the amount equal to--
`(i) the amount specified in paragraph (1), divided by
`(ii) the number of veterans enrolled in the Department health care system
under section 1705 of this title as of September 30, 2003.
`(B) With respect to any fiscal year, the Secretary shall provide a percentage
increase (rounded to the nearest dollar) in the per capita baseline amount
equal to the percentage by which--
`(i) the Consumer Price Index (all Urban Consumers, United States City Average,
Hospital and related services, Seasonally Adjusted), published by the Bureau
of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor for the 12-month period ending
on the June 30 preceding the beginning of the fiscal year for which the
increase is made, exceeds
`(ii) such Consumer Price Index for the 12-month period preceeding the 12-month
period described in clause (i).
`(c)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the purposes for which amounts
made available pursuant to subsection (a) shall be all programs, functions,
and activities of the Veterans Health Administration.
`(2) Amounts made available pursuant to subsection (a) are not available for--
`(A) construction, acquisition, or alteration of medical facilities as provided
in subchapter I of chapter 81 of this title (other than for such repairs
as were provided for before the the date of the enactment of this section
through the Medical Care appropriation for the Department); or
`(B) grants under subchapter III of chapter 81 of this title.'.
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT- The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter
is amended by adding at the end the following new item:
`320. Assured funding for veterans health care.'.
END
