,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #agbc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,august #b1    
#bjag ,mr4 ,sanders introduced the      
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
appropriate amounts to the ,department  
of ,veterans ,affairs to improve health 
care furnished by the ,department1 and  
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,strengthening ,veterans ,health ,care  
,act of #bjag4  #b4 ,sense of ,congress 
,it is the sense of ,congress that--    
7#a7 the ,veterans ,access1 ,choice1 and
 ,accountability ,act of #bjad 7,public 
,law #aac-adf7 established the ,veterans
 ,choice ,program under section #aja of 
such ,act 7,public ,law #aac-adf2 #ch   
,u4,s4,c4 #agja note7 as a temporary    
program to address a wait time backlog  
for the receipt of health care from the 
,department of ,veterans ,affairs and a 
shortage of health care professionals at

 medical facilities of the ,department2 
7#b7 as of the date of the enactment of 
this ,act1 there are approximately      
#de1jjj vacancies at the ,veterans      
,health ,administration2 and  7#c7 of   
those vacancies1 approximately #cf1jjj  
are vacancies for positions relating to 
front line care for veterans4  #c4      
,appropriation of amounts for health    
care from ,department of ,veterans      
,affairs  7a7 ,in general ,there is     
authorized to be appropriated1 and is   
appropriated1 to the ,secretary of      
,veterans ,affairs1 out of any funds in 
the ,treasury not otherwise             
appropriated1 #e1jjj1jjj1jjj to carry   
out subsection 7c74  7b7 ,availability  
of amounts ,the amount appropriated     
under subsection 7a7 shall be available 
for obligation or expenditure without   
fiscal year limitation4  7c7 ,use of    
amounts ,the amount appropriated under  
subsection 7a7 shall be used by the     
,secretary as follows3 7#a7 ,to increase
 the access of veterans to care as      

follows3  7,a7 ,to hire primary care and
 specialty care physicians for          
employment in the ,department of        
,veterans ,affairs4  7,b7 ,to hire other
 medical staff1 including the following3
 7i7 ,physicians4  7ii7 ,nurses4  7iii7 
,social workers4  7iv7 ,mental health   
professionals4  7v7 ,dental             
professionals4  7vi7 ,other health care 
professionals as the ,secretary         
considers appropriate4  7,c7 ,to carry  
out the following3  7i7 ,section #gdab  
of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code4    
7ii7 ,section #gcjb7;e7 of such title4  
7iii7 ,section #cja7;b77#b7 of the      
,veterans ,access1 ,choice1 and         
,accountability ,act of #bjad 7,public  
,law #aac-adf2 #ch ,u4,s4,c4 #gcjb      
note74  7,d7 ,to pay for expenses1      
equipment1 and other costs associated   
with the hiring of primary care         
physicians1 specialty care physicians1  
and other medical staff under           
subparagraphs 7,a71 7,b71 and 7,c74     
7#b7 ,to improve the physical           

infrastructure of the ,department as    
follows3 7,a7 ,to maintain and operate  
hospitals1 nursing homes1 domiciliary   
facilities1 and other facilities of the 
,veterans ,health ,administration4  7,b7
 ,to enter into contracts or hire       
temporary employees to repair1 alter1 or
 improve facilities under the           
jurisdiction of the ,department that are
 not otherwise provided for under this  
paragraph4  7,c7 ,to carry out leases   
for facilities of the ,department4  7,d7
 ,to carry out minor construction       
projects of the ,department4  7d7       
,report  7#a7 ,in general ,not later    
than one year after the date of the     
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,veterans ,affairs shall submit to   
the appropriate committees of ,congress 
a report on how the ,secretary has      
obligated the amount appropriated under 
subsection 7a7 as of the date of the    
submittal of the report4  7#b7          
,appropriate committees of congress     
defined ,in this subsection1 the term   

appropriate committees of ,congress     
means-- 7,a7 the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs and the ,committee  
on ,appropriations of the ,senate2 and  
7,b7 the ,committee on ,veterans'       
,affairs and the ,committee on          
,appropriations of the ,house of        
,representatives4  7e7 ,funding plan    
,the ,secretary shall submit to         
,congress a funding plan describing how 
the ,secretary intends to use the amount
 appropriated under subsection 7a74  #d4
 ,emergency designations  7a7 ,in       
general ,this ,act is designated as an  
emergency requirement pursuant to       
section #d7;g7 of the ,statutory        
,pay-,as-,you-,go ,act of #bjaj 7#b     
,u4,s4,c4 #icc7;g774  7b7 ,designation  
in ,senate ,in the ,senate1 this ,act is
 designated as an emergency requirement 
pursuant to section #djc7;a7 of ,s4     
,con4 ,res4 #ac 7#aaath ,congress71 the 
concurrent resolution on the budget for 
fiscal year #bjaj4