article: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Tobacco Trust Fund Act of 1998''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. Congress finds the following: (1) A consensus exists within the scientific and medical communities that tobacco products are inherently dangerous and cause cancer, heart disease, emphysema, and other serious illnesses. (2) Tobacco advertising and marketing has for decades contributed significantly to the use of tobacco products by adolescents and young adults, and, particularly, members of the Nation's uniformed services. (3) Reliable studies indicate that 75 percent of World War II veterans began smoking as young adults, and today large numbers of veterans are smokers. (4) Smoking related illnesses are highly prevalent among the more than 3,000,000 veterans who use the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system annually. (5) The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that it spent $3,600,000,000 in 1997 to treat smoking-related illnesses and that over the next five years it will spend $20,000,000,000 on such care. (6) Congress established the Department of Veterans Affairs in furtherance of its constitutional power to provide for the national defense in order to provide benefits and services to veterans of the uniformed services. (7) There is in the Department of Veterans Affairs a health care system which has as its primary function to provide a complete medical and hospital service for the medical care and treatment of such veterans as can be served through available appropriations. (8) The sale, distribution, marketing, advertising, and use of tobacco products has substantially and adversely impaired the ability of the Department of Veterans Affairs to carry out its health care mission because of the prevalence of smoking- related illnesses among veterans. (9) The Federal Government, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, has lacked the means to prevent the onset of smoking-related illnesses among veterans and has had no authority to deny needed treatment to any veteran on the basis that an illness is or might be smoking-related. (10) With some 20 percent of its health care budget absorbed in treating smoking-related illnesses, the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system has lacked resources to provide needed nursing home care, home care, community-based ambulatory care, and other services to tens of thousands of other veterans. (11) The network of academically affiliated medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs provides a unique system within which outstanding medical research is conducted and which has the potential to expand significantly ongoing research on tobacco-related illnesses. (12) It is in the public interest for Congress to enact legislation requiring that a portion of any amounts received from manufacturers of tobacco products be used to meet the costs of (A) treatment for diseases and adverse health effects associated with the use of tobacco products by those who served their country in uniform, and (B) medical and health services research relating to prevention and treatment of, and rehabilitation from, tobacco addiction and diseases associated with tobacco use. SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF TRUST FUND. (a) In General.--Chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1729A the following new section: ``Sec. 1729B. Veterans Tobacco Trust Fund ``(a) There is established in the Treasury of the United States a trust fund to be known as the `Veterans Tobacco Trust Fund', consisting of such amounts as may be appropriated, credited, or donated to the trust fund. ``(b) If a law is enacted that provides for the allocation of funds received from tobacco product manufacturers for programs to reduce use of tobacco products by minors and for health-care research, among other purposes, there shall be credited to the trust fund from amounts received by the United States pursuant to that law, without further appropriation, the amount of $3,000,000,000. ``(c) Amounts in the trust fund shall be available, without fiscal year limitation, to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for the following purposes: ``(1) Furnishing medical care and services under this chapter, to be available during any fiscal year for the same purposes and subject to the same limitations (other than with respect to the period of availability for obligation) as apply to amounts appropriated from the general fund of the Treasury for that fiscal year for medical care. ``(2) Conducting medical research, rehabilitation research, and health systems research, with particular emphasis on research relating to prevention and treatment of, and rehabilitation from, tobacco addiction and diseases associated with tobacco use.''. (b) Clerical Amendment.-- The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 1729A the following new item: ``Sec. 1729B. Veterans Tobacco Trust Fund.''.
summary: Veterans Tobacco Trust Fund Act of 1998 - Establishes in the Treasury the Veterans Tobacco Trust Fund. Provides that if a law is enacted that provides for the allocation of funds received from tobacco product manufacturers for programs to reduce the use of tobacco products by minors and for health-care research, then there shall be credited to the Fund, without further appropriation, the amount of $3 billion. Makes such amount available to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for: (1) furnishing veterans' medical care and services; and (2) conducting medical, rehabilitation, and health systems research, with particular emphasis on research relating to the prevention and treatment of, and rehabilitation from, tobacco addiction and diseases associated with tobacco use.