An amendment comprised of 2 amendments offered en bloc regarding medical care for veterans.

In title I, strike the heading “Veterans Health Administration” and all of the paragraphs under that heading and insert the following:

Veterans Health Administration

medical care

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; 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 sections 5901-5902 of title 5, United States Code; aid to State homes as authorized by section 1741 of title 38, United States Code; administrative and legal expenses of the department for collecting and recovering amounts owed the department as authorized under chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, and the Federal Medical Care Recovery Act (42 U.S.C. 2651 et seq.), $27,068,220,000, plus reimbursements: Provided, That of the funds made available under this heading, not to exceed $900,000,000 shall be available until September 30, 2005.

medical care collections fund

(including transfer of funds)

Amounts deposited during the current fiscal year in the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Care Collections Fund under section 1729A of title 38, United States Code, may be transferred to “Medical care”, to remain available until expended.

medical and prosthetic research

(including transfer of funds)

For necessary expenses in carrying out programs of medical and prosthetic research and development as authorized by chapter 73 of title 38, United States Code, to remain available until September 30, 2005, $408,000,000, 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, $79,000,000, of which $3,000,000 shall be available until September 30, 2005, plus reimbursements: Provided, That technical and consulting services offered by the Facilities Management Field Support 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, 2004.

In section 116(a), strike “under ‘Medical services for priority 7-8 veterans' and” and insert “under ‘Medical care' and”.

In section 117, strike “Medical Services” both places it appears and insert “Medical care”.

In section 118, strike “transferred to” and all that follows through “for the” and insert “transferred to ‘Medical care' for the”.

Strike section 119.