(5) employ such persons as are necessary for the establishment, maintenance, and operation of the Service, and pay the salaries, wages, and expenses of all such employees from the funds of the Service. Personnel necessary for the transaction of the business of the Service at canteens, warehouses, and storage depots shall be appointed, compensated from funds of the Service, and removed by the Administrator without regard to the provisions of title 5 governing appointments in the competitive service and chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5. Those employees are subject to the provisions of title 5 relating to a preference eligible described in section 2108(3) of title 5, subchapter I of chapter 81 of title 5, and subchapter III of chapter 83 of title 5;

(6) make all necessary contracts or agreements to purchase or sell merchandise, fixtures, equipment, supplies, and services, without regard to section 5 of title 41 and to do all things necessary to carry out such contracts or agreements, including the making of necessary adjustments and compromising of claims in connection therewith;

(7) fix the prices of merchandise and services in canteens so as to carry out the purposes of this chapter;

(8) accept gifts and donations of merchandise, fixtures, equipment, and supplies for the use and benefit of the Service;

(9) make such rules and regulations, not inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter, as the Administrator considers necessary or appropriate to effectuate its purposes;

(10) delegate such duties and powers to employees as the Administrator considers necessary or appropriate, whose official acts performed within the scope of the delegated authority shall have the same force and effect as though performed by the Administrator;

(11) authorize the use of funds of the Service when available, subject to such regulations as the Administrator may deem appropriate, for the purpose of cashing checks, money orders, and similar instruments in nominal amounts for the payment of money presented by veterans hospitalized or domiciled at hospitals and homes of the Veterans' Administration, and by other persons authorized by section 4203 of this title to make purchases at canteens. Such checks, money orders, and other similar instruments may be cashed outright or may be accepted, subject to strict administrative controls, in payment for merchandise or services, and the difference between the amount of the purchase and the amount of the tendered instrument refunded in cash.

(Amended P.L. 86-109, § 1; P.L. 94-581, § 210(d); P.L. 97-295, § 4(88) (A), (B); P.L. 99-576, § 702(13).)

§ 4203. Operation of Service

(a) The canteens at hospitals and homes of the Veterans' Administration shall be primarily for the use and benefit of veterans hospitalized or domiciled at such hospitals and homes. Service at such canteens may also be furnished to personnel of the Veterans' Administration and recognized veterans' organizations employed at

such hospitals and homes and to other persons so employed, to the families of all the foregoing persons who reside at the hospital or home concerned, and to relatives and other persons while visiting any of the persons named in this subsection; however, service to any person not hospitalized, domiciled, or residing at the hospital or home shall be limited to the sale of merchandise or services for consumption or use on the premises.

(b) Service at canteens other than those established at hospitals and homes shall be limited to sales of merchandise and services for consumption or use on the premises, to personnel employed at such establishments, their visitors, and other persons at such establishments on official business.

$4204. Financing of Service

To finance the establishment, maintenance, and operation of the Service there is hereby authorized to be appropriated, from time to time, such amounts as are necessary to provide for (1) the acquisition of necessary furniture, furnishings, fixtures, and equipment for the establishment, maintenance, and operation of canteens, warehouses, and storage depots; (2) stocks of merchandise and supplies for canteens and reserve stocks of same in warehouses and storage depots; (3) salaries, wages, and expenses of all employees; (4) administrative and operation expenses; and (5) adequate working capital for each canteen and for the Service as a whole. Amounts appropriated under the authority contained in this chapter and all income from canteen operations become and will be administered as a revolving fund to effectuate the provisions of this chapter.

(Amended P.L. 92-310, § 209; P.L. 99-576, § 702(14).)

$4205. Revolving fund

The revolving fund shall be deposited in a checking account with the Treasury of the United States. Such amounts thereof as the Administrator may determine to be necessary to establish and maintain operating accounts for the various canteens may be deposited in checking accounts in other depositaries selected by the Administrator.

§ 4206. Budget of Service

The Service shall prepare annually and submit a budget program as provided for wholly owned Government corporations by chapter 91 of title 31, which shall contain an estimate of the needs of the Service for the ensuing fiscal year including an estimate of the amount required to restore any impairment of the revolving fund resulting from operations of the current fiscal year. Any balance in the revolving fund at the close of the fiscal year in excess of the estimated requirements for the ensuing fiscal year shall be covered into the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts.

(Amended P.L. 97-258, § 3(k).)

§ 4207. Audit of accounts

The Service shall maintain a set of accounts which shall be audited by the Comptroller General in accordance with the provisions of chapter 35 of title 31.

(Amended P.L. 93-604, § 704; P.L. 97-295, § 4(89); P.L. 97-452, § 2(e)(3).)

§ 4208. Service to be independent unit

It is the purpose of this chapter that, under control and supervision of the Administrator, the Service shall function as an independent unit in the Veterans' Administration and shall have exclusive control over all its activities including sales, procurement and supply, finance, including disbursements, and personnel management, except as otherwise provided in this chapter.

(Amended P.L. 97-295, § 4(90).)

PART VI-ACQUISITION AND DISPOSITION OF PROPERTY

CHAPTER

81. Acquisition and Operation of Hospital and Domiciliary Facilities; Procurement and Supply ...

82. Assistance in Establishing New State Medical Schools; Grants to Affiliated Medical Schools; Assistance to Health Manpower Training Institutions.

83. Acceptance of Gifts and Bequests

85. Disposition of Deceased Veterans' Personal Property ..

(521)

Sec.

5001

5070

5101

5201

CHAPTER 81-ACQUISITION AND OPERATION OF HOSPITAL AND DOMICILIARY FACILITIES; PROCUREMENT AND SUPPLY

SUBCHAPTER I—ACQUISITION AND OPERATION OF MEDICAL FACILITIES

Acquisition of medical facilities.

Authority to construct and alter, and to acquire sites for, medical facilities.
Congressional approval of certain medical facility acquisitions.

Structural requirements.

Construction contracts.

Operational and construction plans for medical facilities.

Contributions to local authorities.

5002.

5003.

5004.

5005.

5006.

5007.

5008.

5009.

Parking facilities.

5010.

5011.

5011A.

5012.

5013.

5014.

5015.

Operation of medical facilities.

Sharing of Veterans' Administration and Department of Defense health

care resources.

Furnishing of health-care services to members of the Armed Forces during a war or national emergency.

Partial relinquishment of legislative jurisdiction.

Property formerly owned by National Home for Disabled Volunteer Sol-
diers.

Use of federally owned facilities; use of personnel.
Acceptance of certain property.

SUBCHAPTER II—PROCUREMENT AND SUPPLY

5021.

Revolving supply fund.

5022.

5023.

Authority to procure and dispose of property and to negotiate for common services.

Procurement of prosthetic appliances.

5024. Grant of easements in Government-owned lands.

SUBCHAPTER III-STATE HOME FACILITIES FOR FURNISHING DOMICILIARY, NURSING HOME, AND HOSPITAL CARE

SUBCHAPTER IV—SHARING OF MEDICAL FACILITIES, EQUIPMENT, AND INFORMATION

Pilot programs; grants to medical schools.

Coordination with health services development activities carried out under the National Health Planning and Resources Development Act of 1974. [REPEALED]