VETERANS ADMINISTRATION

VETERANS ADMINISTRATION General Operating Expenses For necessary operating expenses of the Veterans Administration, not otherwise provided for, including uniforms or allowances therefor, as authorized by law; not to exceed $1,000 for official reception and representation expenses: purchase of one passenger motor vehicle (medium sedan for replacement only) at not to exceed $3,000; hire81 Stat. 351 of passenger motor vehicles; and reimbursement of the General Services Administration for security guard services; $183,221,000: Provided, That no part of this appropriation shall be used to pay in excess of twenty-two persons engaged in public relations work. 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, and for carrying out the provisions of section 5055, title 38, United States Code, relating to pilot programs and grants for exchange of medical information, $13,975,000. 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, $45,850,000. Medical Care For expenses necessary 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 Veterans Administration including care and treatment in facilities not under the jurisdiction of the Veterans Administration, and furnishing recreational facilities, supplies and equipment; maintenance and operation 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; uniforms or allowances therefor as authorized by law (5 U.S.C. 5901; 80 Stat. 299); and aid to State homes as authorized by law (38 U.S.C. 641); $1,357,293,000, plus reimbursements: Prodded, That allotments and transfers may be made from this appropriation to the Public Health Service of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, and the Army, Navy, and Air Force of the Department of Defense, 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, burial flags, subsistence allowances for vocational rehabilitation, emergency and other officers’ retirement pay, adjusted-service credits and certificates, as authorized by law; 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, $4,558,000,000, to remain available until expended. Readjustment Benefits For the payment of readjustment and rehabilitation benefits to or on behalf of veterans as authorized by law (38 U.S.C. chapters 21, 31 (except section 1504), and 33–39), $427,200,000, to remain available until expended. 81 Stat. 352 Veterans Insurance and Indemnities For military and naval insurance, national service life insurance, servicemen’s indemnities, and service-disabled veterans insurance, to remain available until expended, $7,150,000, of which $2,000,000 shall be derived from the Veterans Special Term Insurance Fund. Grants to the Republic of the Philippines For payment to the Republic of the Philippines of grants, as authorized by law (38 U.S.C. 631–634), $1,325,000. 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 any of the purposes set forth in sections 5001, 5002, and 5004, title 38, United States Code, including necessary expenses of administration, $52,600,000, to remain available until expended. Grants for Construction of State Nursing Homes For grants to assist the several States to construct State home facilities for furnishing nursing home care to veterans, as authorized by law (38 U.S.C. 5031–5037), $4,000,000, to remain available until June 30, 1970. Participation Sales Authorization The Federal National Mortgage Association, as trustee, is hereby authorized to issue beneficial interests or participations in such loan assets of the Direct Loan Revolving Fund and the Loan Guaranty Revolving Fund as may be placed in trust with such association in accordance with section 302(c) of the Federal National Mortgage Association charter act, as amended, in an aggregate principal amount of not to exceed $850,000,000, in addition to amounts heretofore authorized: Provided, That this authorization shall remain available until June 30, 1969. Payment of Sales Insufficiencies For the payment of such insufficiencies as may be required by the trustee on account of outstanding beneficial interests or participations in Direct Loan Revolving Fund Assets or Loan Guaranty Revolving Fund assets authorized by this act to be issued pursuant to said section 302(c), as amended, not to exceed $665,000. Loan Guaranty Revolving Fund During the current fiscal year, the Loan guaranty revolving fund shall be available for expenses, but not to exceed $386,046,000, 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 unobligated balances including retained earnings of the Direct loan revolving fund shall be available, during the current fiscal year, for transfer to the Loan guaranty revolving fund in such amounts as may be necessary to provide for the timely payment of81 Stat. 353 obligations of such fluid 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 5 U.S.C. 3109. 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 38 U.S.C. 902), 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.