Fiscal Year 2016 Department of Veterans Affairs Seismic Safety and Construction Authorization Act

Summary: Fiscal Year 2016 Department of Veterans Affairs Seismic Safety and Construction Authorization Act This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out the following major medical facility projects (each with specified maximum authorized funds):   seismic corrections to buildings, including retrofitting and replacement of high-risk buildings, in San Francisco, California;  seismic corrections to facilities, including facilities to support homeless veterans, at the medical center in West Los Angeles, California; seismic corrections to the mental health and community living center in Long Beach, California;  construction of an outpatient clinic, administrative space, cemetery, and columbarium in Alameda, California;  realignment of medical facilities in Livermore, California;  construction of a medical center in Louisville, Kentucky;  construction of a replacement community living center in Perry Point, Maryland; and  seismic corrections and other renovations to several buildings and construction of a specialty care building in American Lake, Washington.  A specified amount is authorized to be appropriated to the VA for such projects for FY2016 or the year in which funds are appropriated for the Construction, Major Projects, account. Such projects may only be carried out using specified funds.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Fiscal Year 2016 Department of 
Veterans Affairs Seismic Safety and Construction Authorization Act''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF CERTAIN MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY PROJECTS OF THE 
              DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (Public Law 
        114-113), which was signed by the President on December 18, 
        2015, included the following amounts to be appropriated to the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs:
                    (A) $35,000,000 to make seismic corrections to 
                Building 208 at the West Los Angeles Medical Center of 
                the Department in Los Angeles, California, which, 
                according to the Department, is a building that is 
                designated as having an exceptionally high risk of 
                sustaining substantial damage or collapsing during an 
                earthquake.
                    (B) $158,000,000 to provide for the construction of 
                a new research building, site work, and demolition at 
                the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
                    (C) $161,000,000 to replace Building 133 with a new 
                community living center at the Long Beach Veterans 
                Affairs Medical Center, which, according to the 
                Department, is a building that is designated as having 
                an extremely high risk of sustaining major damage 
                during an earthquake.
                    (D) $468,800,000 for construction projects that are 
                critical to the Department for ensuring health care 
                access and safety at medical facilities in Louisville, 
                Kentucky, Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis, Missouri, 
                Perry Point, Maryland, American Lake, Washington, 
                Alameda, California, and Livermore, California.
            (2) The Department is unable to obligate or expend the 
        amounts described in paragraph (1), other than for construction 
        design, because the Department lacks an explicit authorization 
        by an Act of Congress pursuant to section 8104(a)(2) of title 
        38, United States Code, to carry out the major medical facility 
        projects described in such paragraph.
            (3) Among the major medical facility projects described in 
        paragraph (1), three are critical seismic safety projects in 
        California.
            (4) Every day that the critical seismic safety projects 
        described in paragraph (3) are delayed increases the risk of a 
        life-threatening building failure in the case of a major 
        seismic event.
            (5) According to the United States Geological Survey--
                    (A) California has more than a 99-percent chance of 
                experiencing an earthquake of magnitude 6.7 or greater 
                in the next 30 years;
                    (B) even earthquakes of less severity than 
                magnitude 6.7 can cause life threatening damage to 
                seismically unsafe buildings; and
                    (C) in California, earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or 
                greater occur on average once every 1.2 years.
    (b) Authorization.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may carry out 
the following major medical facility projects, with each project to be 
carried out in an amount not to exceed the amount specified for that 
project:
            (1) Seismic corrections to buildings, including 
        retrofitting and replacement of high-risk buildings, in San 
        Francisco, California, in an amount not to exceed $180,480,000.
            (2) Seismic corrections to facilities, including facilities 
        to support homeless veterans, at the medical center in West Los 
        Angeles, California, in an amount not to exceed $105,500,000.
            (3) Seismic corrections to the mental health and community 
        living center in Long Beach, California, in an amount not to 
        exceed $287,100,000.
            (4) Construction of an outpatient clinic, administrative 
        space, cemetery, and columbarium in Alameda, California, in an 
        amount not to exceed $87,332,000.
            (5) Realignment of medical facilities in Livermore, 
        California, in an amount not to exceed $194,430,000.
            (6) Construction of a medical center in Louisville, 
        Kentucky, in an amount not to exceed $150,000,000.
            (7) Construction of a replacement community living center 
        in Perry Point, Maryland, in an amount not to exceed 
        $92,700,000.
            (8) Seismic corrections and other renovations to several 
        buildings and construction of a specialty care building in 
        American Lake, Washington, in an amount not to exceed 
        $16,260,000.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations for Construction.--There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for 
fiscal year 2016 or the year in which funds are appropriated for the 
Construction, Major Projects, account, $1,113,802,000 for the projects 
authorized in subsection (b).
    (d) Limitation.--The projects authorized in subsection (b) may only 
be carried out using--
            (1) funds appropriated for fiscal year 2016 pursuant to the 
        authorization of appropriations in subsection (c);
            (2) funds available for Construction, Major Projects, for a 
        fiscal year before fiscal year 2016 that remain available for 
        obligation;
            (3) funds available for Construction, Major Projects, for a 
        fiscal year after fiscal year 2016 that remain available for 
        obligation;
            (4) funds appropriated for Construction, Major Projects, 
        for fiscal year 2016 for a category of activity not specific to 
        a project;
            (5) funds appropriated for Construction, Major Projects, 
        for a fiscal year before fiscal year 2016 for a category of 
        activity not specific to a project; and
            (6) funds appropriated for Construction, Major Projects, 
        for a fiscal year after fiscal year 2016 for a category of 
        activity not specific to a project.