Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 93.djvu/87

 PUBLIC LAW 96-22—JUNE 13, 1979

93 STAT. 55

"(2) The authority of the Administrator to enter into contracts under this subsection shall be effective for any fiscal year only to such extent or in such amounts as are provided in appropriation Acts.". TITLE III—CONSTRUCTION, ALTERATION, LEASE, AND ACQUISITION OF MEDICAL FACILITIES REVISION OF AUTHORITY FOR CONSTRUCTION, ALTERATION, LEASE, AND ACQUISITION OF MEDICAL FACILITIES

SEC. 301. (a) Subchapter I of chapter 81 is amended to read as follows: "Subchapter I—Acquisition and Operation of Medical Facilities "§ 5001. Definitions 38 USC 5001. "For the purposes of this subchapter: "(1) The term 'alter', with respect to a medical facility, means to repair, remodel, improve, or extend such medical facility. "(2) The terms 'construct' and 'alter', with respect to a medical facility, include such engineering, architectural, legal, fiscal, and economic investigations and studies and such surveys, designs, plans, working drawings, specifications, procedures, and other similar actions as are necessary for the construction or alteration, as the case may be, of such medical facility and as are carried out after the completion of the advanced planning (including the development of project requirements and preliminary plans) for such facility. "(3) The term 'medical facility' means any facility or part thereof which is, or will be, under the jurisdiction of the Administrator for the provision of health-care services (including hospital, nursing home, or domiciliary care or medical services), including any necessary building and auxiliary structure, garage, parking facility, mechanical equipment, trackage facilities leading thereto, abutting sidewalks, accommodations for attending personnel, and recreation facilities associated therewith. "(4) The term 'committee' means the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives or the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate, and the term 'committees' means both such committees. "§ 5002. Acquisition of medical facilities 38 USC 5002. "(a) The Administrator shall provide medical facilities for veterans entitled to hospital, nursing home, or domiciliary care or medical services under this title. "(b) No medical facility may be constructed or otherwise acquired or altered except in accordance with the provisions of this subchapter. "(c) In carrying out this subchapter, the Administrator— Functions. "(1) shall provide for the construction and acquisition of medical facilities in a manner that results in the equitable distribution of such facilities throughout the United States, taking into consideration the comparative urgency of the need for the services to be provided in the case of each particular facility; and "(2) shall give due consideration to excellence of architecture and design.

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