Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009


 * Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

{{SECTION|SEC. 1.|SECTION 1}}. SHORT TITLE.

 * This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009´´.

{{SECTION|SEC. 2.|SEC. 2}}. PRESIDENT'S BUDGET SUBMISSION.

 * Section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

{{SECTION|SEC. 3.|SEC. 3}}. ADVANCE APPROPRIATIONS FOR CERTAIN MEDICAL CARE ACCOUNTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

 * (a) .—
 * Chapter 1 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 116 the following new section:


 * (b) .—
 * The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 113 the following new line:


 * ``117. Advance appropriations for certain medical care accounts.´´.

{{SECTION|SEC. 4.|SEC. 4}}. COMPTROLLER GENERAL REVIEW OF THE ACCURACY OF VA MEDICAL CARE BUDGET SUBMISSION IN RELATION TO BASELINE HEALTH CARE MODEL PROJECTION.

 * (a) .—
 * The Comptroller General shall conduct a review of each budget of the President for a fiscal year that is submitted to Congress pursuant to section 1105(a) of title 31 in order to assess whether or not the relevant components of the amounts requested in such budget for such fiscal year for the medical care accounts of the Department of Veterans Affairs specified in section 117(c) of title 38, United States Code, as added by section 3, are consistent with estimates of the resources required by the Department for the provision of medical care and services in such fiscal year, as forecast using the Enrollee Health Care Projection Model, or other methodologies used by the Department.


 * (b) .—


 * (1) IN GENERAL.—
 * Not later than 120 days after the date of each year in 2011, 2012, and 2013, on which the President submits the budget request for the next fiscal year under section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, the Comptroller General shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs, Appropriations, and the Budget of the Senate and the Committees on Veterans' Affairs, Appropriations, and the Budget of the House of Representatives and to the Secretary a report on the review conducted under subsection (a).


 * (2) ELEMENTS.—
 * Each report under this paragraph shall include, for the fiscal year beginning in the year in which such report is submitted, the following:
 * (A) An assessment of the review conducted under subsection (a).


 * (B) The basis for such assessment.


 * (C) Such additional information as the Comptroller General determines appropriate.


 * (3) AVAILABILITY TO THE PUBLIC.—
 * Each report submitted under this subsection shall also be made available to the public.

Approved October 22, 2009.

Legislative History

 * HOUSE REPORTS:
 * (Comm. on Veterans' Affairs)
 * SENATE REPORTS:
 * (Comm. on Veterans' Affairs)
 * CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 155 (2009):
 * June 23, considered and passed House.
 * Aug. 6, Passed Senate in lieu of S. 423 with an amendment.
 * Oct. 13, Senate agreed to House amendment to Senate amendment.
 * Oct. 13, Senate agreed to House amendment to Senate amendment.

