Veterans Administration

Veterans Administration compensation and pensions For the payment of compensation, pensions, gratuities, and allowances, including burial awards, plot allowances, burial flags, headstones and grave markers, emergency and other officers’ retirement pay, 89 STAT. 594adjusted-service credits and certificates, and other benefits 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, $7,699,700,000, to remain available until expended. For “Compensation and pensions” for the period July 1, 1976, through September 30, 1976, $1,966,400,000, 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, and 33–39), $5,414,475,000, to remain available until expended. For “Readjustment benefits” for the period July 1, 1976, through September 30, 1976, $1,039,472,000, to remain available until expended. veterans insurance and indemnities For military and naval insurance, national service life insurance, servicemen’s indemnities, service-disabled veterans insurance, and soldiers’ and sailors’ civil relief, $6,600,000, to remain available until expended. For “Veterans insurance and indemnities” for the period July 1, 1976, through September 30, 1976, $2,450,000, to remain available until expended. 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; funeral, burial and other expenses incidental thereto for beneficiaries receiving care in Veterans Administration facilities; 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 allowance therefor as authorized by law (5 U.S.C. 5901–5902); and aid to State homes as authorized by law (38 U.S.C. 641); $3,666,711,000, plus reimbursements: Provided, 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. For “Medical care” for the period July 1, 1976, through September 30, 1976, $949,413,000, plus reimbursements. 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, $95,000,000, plus reimbursements. 89 STAT. 595 For “Medical and prosthetic research” for the period July 1, 1976, through September 30, 1976, to remain available until expended, $24,714,000, plus reimbursements. assistance for health manpower training institutions For pilot programs for assistance in the establishment of new State medical schools, grants to affiliated medical schools, assistance to public and nonprofit institutions of higher learning, hospitals and other health manpower institutions affiliated with the Veterans Administration to increase the production of professional and other health personnel, and for expansion of Veterans Administration hospital education and training capacity as authorized by 38 U.S.C. Chapter 82, $30,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 1982. For “Assistance for health manpower training institutions” for the period July 1, 1976, through September 30, 1976, $8,332,000, to remain available until September 30, 1982. 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, $38,528,000, plus reimbursements. For “Medical administration and miscellaneous operating expenses” for the period July 1, 1976, through September 30, 1976, $10,230,000, plus reimbursements. 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 $2,500 for official reception and representation expenses; cemeterial expenses as authorized by law, purchase of seven passenger motor vehicles, including one medium sedan for replacement only and the remainder light sedans for use in cemeterial operations, and hire of passenger motor vehicles; and reimbursement of the General Services Administration for security guard services; $462,450,000. For “General operating expenses” for the period July 1, 1976, through September 30, 1976, $112,164,000; and not to exceed $625 for official reception and representation allowances. construction, major projects For constructing, altering, extending and improving any of the facilities under the jurisdiction or for the use of the Veterans Administration, or for any of the purposes set forth in sections 5001, 5002 and 5004 of title 38, United States Code, including planning, architectural and engineering services, and site acquisition, where the estimated cost of a project is $1,000,000 or more, $297,464,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That $6,259,000 shall be available for construction of a research and education facility at Houston, Texas, $2,460,000 for expansion of clinic and outpatient facilities and correc-89 STAT. 596tion of fire and safety deficiencies at Northampton, Massachusetts, and $6,700,000 for construction of a research and education facility at Jackson, Mississippi: Provided further, That none of these funds shall be used for any project which has not been considered and approved by the Congress in the budgetary process. For “Construction, major projects” for the period July 1, 1976, through September 30, 1976, $15,860,000, to remain available until expended. construction, minor projects For constructing, altering, extending, and improving any of the facilities under the jurisdiction or for the use of the Veterans Administration, including planning, architectural and engineering services, and site acquisition, or for any of the purposes set forth in sections 5001, 5002 and 5004 of title 38, United States Code, where the estimated cost of a project is less than $1,000,000, and for necessary expenses of the Office of Construction, $106,426,000, to remain available until expended. For “Construction, minor projects” for the period July 1, 1976, through September 30, 1976, $16,490,000, to remain available until expended. grants for construction of state extended care facilities For grants to assist the several States to construct State nursing home facilities and to remodel, modify or alter existing hospital and domiciliary facilities in State homes, for furnishing care to veterans, as authorized by law (38 U.S.C. 644 and 5031–5037), $10,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 1978. 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), $2,100,000, of which $50,000 for hospital equipment, plant, and facilities rehabilitation grants shall remain available until expended. For “Grants to the Republic of the Philippines” for the period July 1, 1976, through September 30, 1976, $525,000, of which $13,000 for hospital equipment, plant, and facilities rehabilitation grants shall remain available until expended. loan guaranty revolving fund During the current fiscal year, the Loan guaranty revolving fund shall be available for expenses, but not to exceed $550,000,000, for property acquisitions, payment of participation sales insufficiencies, 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 of obligations of such fund and the Administrator of Veterans Affairs shall not be required to pay interest on amounts so transferred after the time of such transfer. During the period July 1, 1976, through September 30, 1976, the loan guaranty revolving fund shall be available for expenses, but not 89 STAT. 597to exceed $150,000,000, for property acquisitions, payment of participation sales insufficiencies, and other loan guaranty and insurance operations, 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. No part of the appropriations in this Act for the Veterans Administration (except, the appropriations for “Construction, major projects” and “Construction, minor projects”) 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.