VETERANS ADMINISTRATION

VETERANS ADMINISTRATION General Operating Expenses For necessary operating expenses of the Veterans Administration, not otherwise provided for, including expenses incidental to securing employment for and recognition of war veterans; uniforms or allowances therefor, as authorized by law; not to exceed $1,000 for official reception and representation expenses; reimbursement of the Department of the Army for the services of the officer assigned to the Veterans Administration to serve as Assistant Deputy Administrator; and reimbursement of the General Services Administration for security guard service; $155, 125,000: Provided, That no part of this appropriation shall be used to pay in excess of twenty-two persons engaged in public relations work: Provided further, That no part of this appropriation shall be used to pay educational institutions for reports and certifications of attendance at such institutions an allowance at a rate in excess of $1 per month for each eligible veteran enrolled in and attending such institution. Medical Administration and Miscellaneous Operating Expenses For expenses necessary for administration of the medical, hospital, domiciliary, construction and supply, research, employee education and training activities, as authorized by law, $14,200,000. Medical and Prosthetic Research For expenses necessary for carrying out programs of medical and prosthetic research and development, as authorized by law, to remain available until expended, #7,000,000, of which $1,275,000 shall be for prosthetic research and development activities. 78 Stat. 660 Medical Care For expenses necessary for the maintenance and operation of hospitals and domiciliary facilities: for furnishing, as authorized by law, inpatient and outpatient care and treatment to beneficiaries of the Veterans Administration including care and treatment in facilities not under the jurisdiction of the Veterans Administration, and furnishing recreational articles and facilities; maintenance, operation and acquisition of farms and burial grounds; repairing, altering, improving or providing facilities in the several hospitals and homes under the jurisdiction of the Veterans Administration, not otherwise provided for, either by contract, or by the hire of temporary employees and purchase of materials; purchase of eighty-four passenger motor vehicles for replacement only; uniforms or allowances therefor as authorized by law (5 U.S.C. 2131); and aid to State homes as authorized by section 641 of title 38, United States Code; $1, 115,935,000, plus reimbursements: Provided, That allotments and transfers may e made from this appropriation to the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (Public Health Service), the Army, Navy, and Air Force Departments, for disbursements by them under the various headings of their applicable appropriations, of such amounts as are necessary for the care and treatment of beneficiaries of the Veterans Administration. Compensation and Pensions For the payment of compensation, pensions, gratuities, and allowances (including burial awards authorized by section 902 of title 38, United States Code, burial flags, and subsistence allowances for vocational rehabilitation), authorized under any Act of Congress, or regulation of the President based thereon, including emergency officers’ retirement pay and annuities, the administration of which is now or may hereafter be placed in the Veterans Administration, and for the payment of adjusted-service credits as provided in sections 401 and 601 of the Act of May 19, 1924, as amended, and for payment of amounts of compromises or settlements under 28 U.S.C. 2677 of tort claims potentially subject to the offset provisions of 38 U.S.C. 351, $3,963,000,000, to remain available until expended. Readjustment Benefits For the payment of benefits to or on behalf of veterans as authorized by part VIII, Veterans Regulation No. 1 (a), as saved from repeal by section 12(a) of the Act of September 2, 1958 (72 Stat. 1264), and chapters 21, 33, 35, 37, and 39 of title 38, United States Code, and for supplies, equipment, and tuition authorized by chapter 31 of title 38, United States Code, $37, 100,000, to remain available until expended. Veterans Insurance and Indemnities For military and naval insurance, for national service life insurance, for servicemen’s indemnities, and for service-disabled veterans insurance, $13,700,000, to remain available until expended. Construction of Hospital and Domiciliary Facilities For hospital and domiciliary facilities, for planning and for major alterations, improvements, and repairs and extending any of the facilities under the jurisdiction of the Veterans Administration or for 78 Stat. 661any of the purposes set forth in sections 5001, 5002, and 5004, title 38, United States Code, $98, 103,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That the limitation under the head “Hospital and domiciliary facilities” in the Independent Offices Appropriation Act, 1957, on the amount available for major alteration, rehabilitation, and modernization for the continued operation of the hospital at McKinney, Texas, is reduced from “$2,000,000” to “$1,990,000”. Grants to the Republic of the Philippines For payment to the Republic of the Philippines of grants in accordance with sections 631 to 634 of title 38, United States Code, for expenses incident to medical care and treatment of veterans, $310,000. Loan Guaranty Revolving Fund During the current fiscal year, the Loan guaranty revolving fund shall be available for expenses, but not to exceed $380,000,000, for property acquisitions and other loan guaranty and insurance operations under Chapter 37, title 38, United States Code, except, administrative expenses, as authorized by section 1824 of such title: Provided, That the retained earnings of the Direct loans to veterans and reserves revolving fund shall he available, during the current fiscal year, for transfer to said Loan guaranty revolving fund in such amounts as may be necessary to provide for the foregoing expenses: Provided further, That, in addition, not to exceed $200,000,000 of unobligated balances of said Direct loans revolving fund shall be available, during the current fiscal year, for transfer to the Loan guaranty revolving fund in such amount as may be necessary to provide for the foregoing expenses and the Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs shall not be required to pay interest on amounts so transferred after the time of such transfer. Administrative Provisions Not to exceed 5 per centum of any appropriation for the current fiscal year for “Compensation and pensions”, “Readjustment benefits”, and “Veterans insurance and indemnities” may be transferred to any other of the mentioned appropriations, but not to exceed 10 per centum of the appropriations so augmented. Appropriations available to the Veterans Administration for the current fiscal year for salaries and expenses shall be available for services as authorized by section 15 of the Act of August 2, 1946 (5 U.S.C. 55a). The appropriation available to the Veterans Administration for the current fiscal year for “Medical care” shall be available for funeral, burial, and other expenses incidental thereto (except, burial awards authorized by section 902 of title 38, United States Code), for beneficiaries of the Veterans Administration receiving care under such appropriations. No part of the appropriations in this Act for the Veterans Administration (except the appropriation for “Construction of hospital and domiciliary facilities”) shall be available for the purchase of any site for or toward the construction of any new hospital or home. No part of the foregoing appropriations shall be available for hospitalization or examination of any persons except beneficiaries entitled under the laws bestowing such benefits to veterans, unless reimbursement of cost is made to the appropriation at such rates as may be fixed by the Administrator of Veterans Affairs.