US Codex
Pub. L.
Notes

Title VIII — Other Matters

113th Congress · Approved Aug 7, 2014 · 128 Stat. 1754 · Lineage

TITLE VIII Other Matters

SEC. 801. Appropriation of Amounts.

(a)
In General.— There is authorized to be appropriated, and is appropriated, to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated $5,000,000,000 to carry out subsection (b). Such funds shall be available for obligation or expenditure without fiscal year limitation.
(b)
Use of Amounts.— The amount appropriated under subsection (a) shall be used by the Secretary as follows:
(1)
To increase the access of veterans to care as follows:
(A)
To hire primary care and specialty care physicians for employment in the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(B)
To hire other medical staff, including the following:
(i)
Physicians.
(ii)
Nurses.
(iii)
Social workers.
(iv)
Mental health professionals.
(v)
Other health care professionals as the Secretary considers appropriate.
(C)
To carry out sections 301 and 302, including the amendments made by such sections.
(D)
To pay for expenses, equipment, and other costs associated with the hiring of primary care, specialty care physicians, and other medical staff under subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C).
(2)
To improve the physical infrastructure of the Department as follows:
(A)
To maintain and operate hospitals, nursing homes, domiciliary facilities, and other facilities of the Veterans Health Administration.
(B)
To enter into contracts or hire temporary employees to repair, alter, or improve facilities under the jurisdiction of the Department that are not otherwise provided for under this paragraph.
(C)
To carry out leases for facilities of the Department.
(D)
To carry out minor construction projects of the Department.
(c)
Availability.— The amount appropriated under subsection (a) shall remain available until expended.
(d)
Report.—
(1)
In general.— Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on how the Secretary has obligated the amounts appropriated under subsection (a) as of the date of the submittal of the report.
(2)
Appropriate committees of congress defined.— In this subsection, the term “appropriate committees of Congress” means—
(A)
the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and
(B)
the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
(e)
Funding Plan.— The Secretary shall submit to Congress a funding plan describing how the Secretary intends to use the amounts provided under subsection (a).

SEC. 802. Veterans Choice Fund.

(a)
In General.— There is established in the Treasury of the United States a fund to be known as the Veterans Choice Fund.
(b)
Administration of Fund.— The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall administer the Veterans Choice Fund established by subsection (a).
(c)
Use of Amounts.—
(1)
In general.— Any amounts deposited in the Veteran Choice Fund shall be used by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out section 101, including, subject to paragraph (2), any administrative requirements of such section.
(2)
Amount for administrative requirements.—
(A)
Limitation.— Except as provided by subparagraph (B), of the amounts deposited in the Veterans Choice Fund, not more than $300,000,000 may be used for administrative requirements to carry out section 101.
(B)
Increase.— The Secretary may increase the amount set forth in subparagraph (A) with respect to the amounts used for administrative requirements if—
(i)
the Secretary determines that the amount of such increase is necessary to carry out section 101;
(ii)
the Secretary submits to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs and Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs and Appropriations of the Senate a report described in subparagraph (C); and
(iii)
a period of 60 days has elapsed following the date on which the Secretary submits the report under clause (ii).
(C)
Report.— A report described in this subparagraph is a report that contains the following:
(i)
A notification of the amount of the increase that the Secretary determines necessary under subparagraph (B)(i).
(ii)
The justifications for such increased amount.
(iii)
The administrative requirements that the Secretary will carry out using such increased amount.
(d)
Appropriation and Deposit of Amounts.—
(1)
In general.— There is authorized to be appropriated, and is appropriated, to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated $10,000,000,000 to be deposited in the Veterans Choice Fund established by subsection (a). Such funds shall be available for obligation or expenditure without fiscal year limitation, and only for the program created under section 101.
(2)
Availability.— The amount appropriated under paragraph (1) shall remain available until expended.
(e)
Sense of Congress.— It is the sense of Congress that the Veterans Choice Fund is a supplement to but distinct from the Department of Veterans Affairs’ current and expected level of non-Department care currently part of Department’s medical care budget. Congress expects that the Department will maintain at least its existing obligations of non-Department care programs in addition to but distinct from the Veterans Choice Fund for each of fiscal years 2015 through 2017.

SEC. 803. Emergency Designations.

(a)
In General.— This Act 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 Act 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.