FR: Dale Dirks and Dane Christiansen

May 3, 2016

MEMORANDUM

TO: Sleep Research Society

RE: Senate Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Military Construction/VA Appropriations Bill

The Senate Appropriations Committee approved and posted its FY 2017 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (Mil-Con/VA) Appropriations bill last week. The bill funds veterans’ benefits, healthcare and medical research programs. The bill includes $83 billion in FY 2017 discretionary funding, $3.1 billion above the FY 2016 level. For the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), this represents a 4.8 percent increase over the FY2016 level.

Of specific interest to SRS, the bill (S. 2806) and its accompanying committee report (Sen. Rept. 114-237) include the following:

 $52.75 billion for VA Medical Services, an increase of $1.07 billion over FY 2016, enabling VA to care for 9.2 million patients in FY 2017.

o DOD/VA Joint Formulary and sleep disorders language (below).

DOD/VA Joint Formulary.—The Committee remains committed to ensuring VA has the resources it needs to support transitioning veterans as they leave military service. The Committee notes the Department’s statutorily-required report, due July 1, 2016, regarding ongoing efforts to develop a strategic joint uniform formulary between the Department of Defense and VA, with particular focus on medications to treat psychiatric conditions, sleep disorders, and pain management. The Department is directed to submit a report to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress no later than 180 days after enactment of this act assessing costs and savings associated with such a strategic joint uniform formulary.

o Sleep Disorders language (below).

Sleep Disorders.—The Committee recommends the Department assign a program manager for sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, which affects at least 200,000 veterans of the Persian Gulf War and Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

 $675 million for the VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program, an increase of $44.6 million over FY 2016.

The Senate had been moving forward quickly on committee-reported appropriations bills, but a procedural maneuver slowed Senate floor consideration of the spending bills. Nonetheless, the committee-reported Mil-Con/VA bill will either be considered by the Senate a little later this spring or serve as the Senate’s mark once they untangle the procedural hang-ups or compare it with the House-passed bill later this year.

We will continue to keep you informed as the process moves forward.