A bipartisan bill authorizing several Veterans Affairs construction projects funded in fiscal year 2021, including a spinal cord injury center in Dallas, Texas, has been introduced in Congress.
“Our veteran population is growing and in order to fulfill the promises we’ve made, we need serious and strategic investment. That’s why I am leading on this bill that will create jobs and expand care facilities for our veterans and it’s why I led the charge to secure the Garland VA Medical Center,” said Congressman Colin Allred (D-TX), who introduced the FY 2021 Major Medical Facility Authorization Act, H.R. 3804.
“Major VA projects take an enormous amount of planning and preparation, and I am proud that this bill helps to move forward the Long Term Care Spinal Cord Injury Center in Dallas and many other important projects across the country,” said Allred.
The Dallas project, currently underway, will construct a 30-bed Long Term Care Spinal Cord Injury Center, with the capacity to expand to 60 beds, including a warehouse/administration building, parking garage, and central plant improvements.
It also provides for the reworking of the construction site at the Dallas VA Medical Center. In addition to providing long-term care for the medical complications of spinal cord injuries/disorders, the center will provide a residential setting in which highly dependent or medically complex veterans could live on a long-term basis, receiving the specialized environment, staff skills, and equipment that they require.
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The complete list of projects authorized in the bill include:
- Spinal cord injury center in Dallas at $249,000,000
- Specialty care building in American Lake, WA at $110,600,000
- Community living center and domiciliary and outpatient facilities in Canandaigua, NY at $383,741,000
- Outpatient clinic and national cemetery in Alameda, CA at $266,200,000
- Realignment and closure of the Livermore Campus in Livermore, CA at $455,000,000
- Seismic corrections to the mental health and community living center in Long Beach, CA at $367,300,000
- Spinal cord injury building with a community living center and parking garage in San Diego, CA at $252,100,000
Cosponsors of the legislation include Reps. Kim Schrier, M.D. (D-WA), Marilyn Strickland (D-WA), and Mike Levin (D-CA). The bill is a companion to S. 1910, introduced by Sens. Jon Tester (D-MT), chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and Jerry Moran (R-KS).
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.
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