S.Amdt. 336

SA 336. Mr. HAGEL submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 1268, Making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2005, to establish and rapidly implement regulations for State driver's license and identification document security standards, to prevent terrorists from abusing the asylum laws of the United States, to unify terrorism-related grounds for inadmissibility and removal, to ensure expeditious construction of the San Diego border fence, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

On page 169, between lines 8 and 9, insert the following:

SEC. 1122. FUNDING FOR VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION FOR HEALTH CARE FOR VETERANS WHO SERVE ABROAD IN THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM.

(a) Transfer from Operation and Maintenance Accounts.--The Secretary of Defense shall transfer to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, from amounts appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act for the Operation and Maintenance accounts of the Department of Defense, an aggregate of $975,000,000, with the amount so transferred to be derived from amounts so appropriated or otherwise made available in such distribution as the Secretary of Defense determines appropriate.

(b) Deposit of Transferred Amount.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall deposit the amount transferred under subsection (a) in the Medical Services account of the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Upon deposit, such amount shall be merged with funds in such account, and shall, subject to subsection (c), be available for the same purposes, and subject to the same limitations as the funds with which merged.

(c) Availability of Amount.--The amount deposited in the Medical Services account of the Veterans Health Administration under subsection (b) shall be available only for the provision of care and treatment, including mental health care services, to veterans who serve abroad in the Global War on Terrorism. Such amount shall be available, without fiscal year limitation, until expended.