Sec. 802. VETERANS CHOICE FUND
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## 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 Except as provided in paragraphs
(3)and (4), 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. ####
(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 program**” has the meaning given that term in section 4002(d) of the VA Budget and Choice Improvement Act. ####
(4)Permanent authority for other uses Beginning on March 1, 2019, amounts remaining in the Veterans Choice Fund may be used to furnish hospital care, medical services, and extended care services 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. Such amounts shall be available in addition to amounts available in other appropriations accounts for such purposes. ###
(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(or for hospital care and medical services pursuant to paragraphs
(3)and
(4)of subsection
(c)of this section). ####
(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.