Bipartisan legislation that would authorize the construction of several Department of Veterans Affairs construction projects funded in the fiscal year 2022 has been introduced in the House of Representatives.
Congressmen Colin Allred (D-TX-32) and Jake Ellzey (R-TX-06), both members of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, recently co-led the introduction of the Fiscal Year 2022 Veterans Affairs Major Medical Facility Authorization Act.
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“Texas is home to the second-largest number of veterans in the nation and as our veteran population continues to grow we must invest in our VA facilities,” said Allred.
The bill also authorizes continued funding for the spinal cord injury center at the Dallas VA Medical Center and funding to build a new health care center in El Paso, Texas.
"Here in North Texas, we do an excellent job of taking care of our veterans. But we can always do better. This bill will help in the development of a Spinal Cord Injury Center at the Dallas VA,” said Ellzey.
This additional funding will help complete the Dallas project, which is currently underway and will construct a 30-bed Long Term Care Spinal Cord Injury Center, with the capacity to expand to 60 beds.
“Maintaining and building facilities is a fundamental element of preserving and strengthening VA’s specialized systems of care,” said Paralyzed Veterans of America Executive Director of Government Relations Heather Ansley.
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.
Projects in the bill include:
- Spinal cord injury center in Dallas at $292,239,000
- New health care center in El Paso at $150,000,000
- Restoration and consolidation of the Gulfport Hospital in Biloxi, MS at $341,500,000
- Community living center and domiciliary and outpatient facilities in Canandaigua, NY at $443,900,000
- Seismic corrections to the mental health and community living center in Long Beach, CA at $387,300,000
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- Spinal cord injury building with a community living center and parking garage in San Diego, CA at $262,100,000
- New research facility in San Francisco, CA at $254,880,000
- New critical care center in West Los Angeles, CA at $115,790,000
- Seismic retrofit and renovation of buildings in Portland, OR at $20,000,000
- Replacement bed tower and clinical building expansion in St. Louis, MO at $135,340,000
- New surgical intensive care unit and renovated operating rooms in Oklahoma City, OK at $47,564,000
- New medical facility in Louisville, KY at $953,000,000
Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16), who represents El Paso, is also an original cosponsor of the legislation.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com