94–208 

114TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 114–92 

MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND 

RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS BILL, 2016 

APRIL 24, 2015.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of 

the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. DENT, from the Committee on Appropriations, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

together with 

MINORITY VIEWS 

[To accompany H.R. 2029] 

The Committee on Appropriations submits the following report in 

explanation of the accompanying bill making appropriations for 

military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, and 

for other purposes. 

CONTENTS 

Page 

Purpose of the Bill ................................................................................................... 2 

Summary of Committee Recommendation ............................................................ 2 

Comparative Statement of New Budget Authority ............................................... 4 

Management and Oversight Initiatives ................................................................. 14 

Department of Defense: 

Military Construction ....................................................................................... 16 

NATO Security Investment Program .............................................................. 25 

Family Housing Construction and Operation and Maintenance .................. 25 

Chemical Demilitarization Construction, Defense-Wide ............................... 28 

Department of Defense Base Closure Account ............................................... 28 

Administrative Provisions ................................................................................ 29 

Department of Veterans Affairs: 

Veterans Benefits Administration ................................................................... 32 

Veterans Health Administration ..................................................................... 34 

National Cemetery Administration ................................................................. 50 

Departmental Administration ......................................................................... 51 

Administrative Provisions ................................................................................ 65 

Related Agencies: 

American Battle Monuments Commission ..................................................... 69 


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U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims .................................................... 70 

Cemeterial Expenses, Army ............................................................................ 70 

Armed Forces Retirement Home ..................................................................... 71 

Administrative Provisions ................................................................................ 72 

Department of Defense: 

Overseas Contingency Operations .................................................................. 72 

General Provisions ................................................................................................... 73 

House of Representatives Report Requirements ................................................... 74 

Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives ............................ 74 

Rescissions ........................................................................................................ 74 

Transfer of Funds ............................................................................................. 75 

Disclosure of Earmarks and Congressionally Directed Spending Items ...... 76 

Changes in Application of Existing Law ........................................................ 76 

Appropriations Not Authorized by Law .......................................................... 80 

Program Duplication ........................................................................................ 82 

Directed Rule Making ...................................................................................... 82 

Full Committee Votes ...................................................................................... 83 

Ramseyer Rule .................................................................................................. 84 

Comparison With the Budget Resolution ....................................................... 84 

Five-Year Projection of Outlays ...................................................................... 84 

Assistance to State and Local Governments .................................................. 85 

State Project List .............................................................................................. 85 

Minority Views .................................................................................................. 100 

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of the bill is to support our military and their families and provide the benefits and medical care that our veterans 

have earned for their service to our Nation. This is accomplished 

through the programs funded in the bill, which provide the facilities and infrastructure needed to house, train, and equip our military personnel to defend this nation, both in the United States and 

abroad; provide the housing and military community infrastructure 

that supports a good quality of life for them and their families; and 

allow the military to maintain an efficient and effective base structure. The bill also funds programs to ensure that all veterans receive the benefits and medical care that they have earned as a result of the sacrifices they have made in their service to our country. 

Finally, the bill funds four related agencies that provide support to 

our nation’s heroes: the American Battle Monuments Commission, 

Cemeterial Expenses, Army (including Arlington National Cemetery), the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, and 

the Armed Forces Retirement Home. 

SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

The Committee recommends $171,135,757,000 in budget authority for the fiscal year 2016 programs and activities funded in the 

bill. The fiscal year 2016 recommendation is an increase of 

$4,975,364,000 above the fiscal year 2015 enacted level and 

$2,195,982,000 below the President’s request. Included in this 

amount is $94,546,757,000 in mandatory budget authority and 

$76,589,000,000 in discretionary budget authority. 

The Committee recommendation highlights the continued commitment to our servicemembers and their families and to our veterans. In discretionary budget authority, the bill is nearly 6 percent over the fiscal year 2015 enacted level. The bill includes significant increases in military construction, which is 11.8 percent 

over the fiscal year 2015 level, and the Department of Veterans affairs budget, which is 5.6 percent over the fiscal year 2015 level. 

While the Committee recommendation continues essential support 


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for servicemembers and veterans, it does not provide funds for 

projects or activities that lacked sufficient justification or were less 

mission-critical. Where it was prudent, the Committee recommendation rescinds prior year funding that is no longer needed 

for the purpose for which it was appropriated while leaving sufficient resources to close out contracts. 

The programs funded in the bill for the Department of Defense 

address the priorities of the Department’s Agencies and the Services for numerous facility challenges that they face. The funds provided support new construction, family housing, continued cleanup 

of military bases closed during previous Base Realignment and Closure rounds, resource Combatant Commanders requirements where 

appropriate, and ensure that our military personnel and their families’ quality of life is preserved. 

The total recommended funding level for military construction 

and family housing, including base and Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funding, is $7,638,000,000, which is $1,080,000,000 

above the fiscal year 2015 enacted level and $799,620,000 below 

the budget request. The total includes $7,151,000,000 in base funding and $532,000,000 in OCO funding. The recommendation includes full funding for Family Housing, funding for necessary construction on our bases, including barracks, health facilities and 

schools, and support for critical overseas investments. 

The total funding level for fiscal year 2016 for the Department of Veterans Affairs is $163,208,416,000, an increase of 

$4,063,609,000 over the fiscal year 2015 enacted level. Of the total, 

$94,546,757,000 is provided for mandatory benefit programs and 

$68,661,659,000 is allocated to discretionary programs such as 

medical care, claims processing, and construction. In this bill, discretionary funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs is recommended at 5.6 percent over the fiscal year 2015 level. For fiscal 

year 2016, $58,662,202,000 for medical care has been appropriated 

in advance, and the recommendation includes an additional 

$969,554,000 in newly identified needs for VA, focusing on caregiver stipends, homelessness, and hepatitis C treatment. The recommendation fully funds the request for the administrative costs 

of Veterans Benefits Administration, including funding for 

paperless claims, centralized mail, and additional staff. In addition, 

the Committee recommendation includes $63,271,000,000 in advance appropriations for fiscal year 2017 for the three health care 

accounts of the Department and $106,412,214,000 in advance appropriations for mandatory benefits programs for fiscal year 2017. 

The following table compares amounts recommended in the bill 

to the President’s request and amounts appropriated in fiscal year 

2015: 


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MANAGEMENT AND OVERSIGHT INITIATIVES

The Committee believes the effective stewardship of taxpayer 

dollars is of the highest priority. In the interest of eliminating 

waste, fraud, and abuse in Federal programs, the Committee has 

and will continue to use public hearings, briefings, and information 

requests, and reviews by the Government Accountability Office and 

the Inspectors General to promote strong financial and program 

management, oversight and leadership at the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and other agencies 

under the jurisdiction of this bill. 

The fiscal year 2016 appropriations Act and the accompanying 

report address management challenges of the Federal agencies 

funded herein, including directives to strengthen financial and program management, eliminate redundancy, and improve implementation and oversight of initiatives that support the mission of this 

bill. The Committee will use every means at its disposal to reduce 

mismanagement that results in waste, fraud, and abuse. 

Department of Defense (DOD).—In addition to the notification 

and reporting requirements for military construction programs contained in Title 10, United States Code, the Committee’s recommendations include several provisions requiring the Department 

of Defense to report on various aspects of military construction programs, or to provide notification to the Committee when certain actions are taken. The Committee also retains prior approval authority for any reprogramming of funds exceeding a specific threshold. 

In one case, the Committee limits any expenditure of construction 

funds until information requested in the fiscal year 2015 Appropriations Act, and not yet provided whole or in part, is received. 

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).—With the $163,208,416,000 

provided for the VA in this bill and the increase in the number of 

veterans seeking VA medical services, the Committee believes it is 

important to strengthen its tools to monitor spending as well the 

operating procedures of the VA workforce. The following initiatives 

demonstrate the Committee’s oversight focus: 

VA electronic health record.—The Committee continues to feel it 

is critical to closely track VA’s development of its electronic health 

record. In the aftermath of the DOD and VA decision not to pursue 

a single integrated health record, it becomes doubly important to 

ensure that the two health records are designed in a way that permits interoperability between the two in order that computable 

data from one record can be viewed and used by clinicians with a 

different electronic record system. The Committee continues the 

practice of the fiscal years 2013, 2014 and 2015 bills to include language requiring the VA to provide information on cost, timeline, 

performance benchmarks, and interoperability capacity of the 

VistA Evolution system before release of 75 percent of the funding 

provided. The Committee does not intend to delay the progress of 

developing the health record, but believes continuing oversight is 

necessary to ensure that the health record will have the capabilities and interoperability that the Committee believes are critical to 

patient care, as promised by VA leadership and in VA documents. 

Disability and appeals claims.—The Committee bill continues the 

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ports on remediation efforts at the poorest performing regional offices. The Committee is also concerned about the Board of Veterans 

Appeals (BVA). Despite adding 100 FTE last year, the BVA is falling behind and it faces a tsunami of appeals because so many 

claims decisions are being made and appeals are proportional to decisions. The Committee requires enhanced reporting on the appeals 

backlog and directs the Board to report on the status of the appeals 

backlog on a quarterly basis to include a definition of the backlog, 

the total number of appeals pending, and the total number of appeals in backlog, and to identify time-specific metrics related to reduction of the backlog. Further, the Committee urges VA to address the status of filling open BVA leadership positions, and the 

plans for information technology to address the increasing workload. 

Information Technology (IT).—The Committee continues to include bill language prohibiting obligation or expenditure of funds 

for information technology systems development, modernization 

and enhancement until VA submits to the Committees a certification of the amounts. The bill limits the amount of funds that can 

be transferred into IT to 10 percent of the total of the IT account. 

The bill contains language which allows for the reprogramming of 

funds among development, modernization and enhancement 

projects upon prior notification to, and approval by, the Committees. 

Stricter control of construction funding.—To enhance the Committee’s capacity to conduct oversight on VA’s facility construction 

efforts, several administrative provisions are added or strengthened 

in the bill: (1) no funding greater than $5,000,000 may be reprogrammed between construction projects unless approved by the 

Committees on Appropriations of both House of Congress; (2) any 

change to the scope of a construction project is prohibited without 

the approval of the Committees; and (3) VA must report any bid 

savings of $5,000,000 or more on projects as soon as they are identified. Additionally, the Committee continues bill language limiting 

the availability of these funds to five years. The Committee includes additional requirements for the VA as a result of the gross 

facility construction mismanagement with the VA Aurora, Colorado 

hospital project, including reporting on program oversight and 

management controls for current and future VA construction 

projects. 

Access to care for veterans.—In the aftermath of the appointment 

waitlist scandal in Phoenix and other VA hospital facilities, the 

Committee has urged VA to increase its use of non-VA contract 

care in order to provide care to veterans faster. One mechanism the 

Committee has urged VA to use is the Patient-Centered Community Care Program (PC3) which uses outside contractors to locate 

appointments for veterans through their networks of providers. The 

Committee is disappointed that PC3 is not being used extensively 

throughout the VA health system. As a result, the Committee has 

established rigorous reporting requirements on the usage of PC3 so 

that Congress will have the information it needs to facilitate PC3 

use to benefit veterans. 

Notification of change in use of funds.—To ensure that the Committee is informed of and approves of changes in planned uses of 


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medical services funds, the bill continues a reprogramming requirement for significant changes in funding of non-model initiatives. 

TITLE I 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

MILITARY CONSTRUCTION OVERVIEW

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level (including rescissions) .................... $6,558,000,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 8,437,620,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill (including rescissions) ...... 7,151,000,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... 593,000,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ (1,286,620,000) 

Military construction accounts provide funds for new construction, construction improvements, planning and design, and host nation support. Projects funded by these accounts include facilities for 

operations, training, maintenance, research and development, supply, medical care, and force protection, as well as unaccompanied 

housing, utilities infrastructure, and land acquisition. 

Reprogramming guidelines.—The following reprogramming 

guidelines apply for all military construction and family housing 

projects. A project or account (including the sub-elements of an account) which has been specifically reduced by the Congress in acting on the budget request is considered to be a Congressional interest item and as such, prior approval is required. Accordingly, no reprogramming to an item specifically reduced below the threshold 

by the Congress is permitted, except that the Department of Defense may seek reprogramming for appropriated increments. 

The reprogramming criteria that apply to military construction projects (25 percent of the funded amount or $2,000,000, whichever 

is less) continue to apply to new housing construction projects and 

to improvements over $2,000,000. To provide the services the flexibility to proceed with construction contracts without disruption or 

delay, the costs associated with environmental hazard remediation 

such as asbestos removal, radon abatement, lead-based paint removal or abatement, and any other legislated environmental hazard remediation may be excluded, if such remediation requirements 

could not be reasonably anticipated at the time of the budget submission. This exclusion applies to projects authorized in this budget 

year, as well as projects authorized in prior years for which construction has not been completed. Planning and design costs associated with military construction and family housing projects may 

also be excluded from these guidelines. In instances where prior 

approval to a reprogramming request for a project or account has 

been received from the Committees on Appropriations of both 

Houses of Congress, the adjusted amount approved becomes the 

new base for any future increase or decrease via below-threshold 

reprogramming (provided that the project or account is not a Congressional interest item as defined above). 

In addition to these guidelines, the services are directed to adhere to the guidance for military construction reprogramming actions and notifications, including the pertinent statutory authorities contained in Department of Defense Financial Management 

Regulation 7000.14–R and relevant updates and policy memoranda. 

The Committee further encourages the Office of the Director of NaVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:56 Apr 25, 2015 Jkt 094208 PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR092.XXX HR092

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tional Intelligence to use a format similar to that used by the Office 

of the Secretary of Defense to submit reprogramming requests. 

Facilities Sustainment, Restoration and Modernization 

(FSRM).—The Department of Defense is directed to continue describing on form 1390 the backlog of FSRM requirements at installations with future construction projects. For troop housing requests, form 1391 should describe any FSRM conducted in the past 

two years. Likewise, future requirements for unaccompanied housing at the corresponding installation should be included. Additionally, the forms should include English equivalent measurements for 

projects presented in metric measurement. Rules for funding repairs of facilities under the Operation and Maintenance accounts 

are described below: 

(1) components of the facility may be repaired by replacement. Such replacement can be up to current standards or 

codes; 

(2) interior arrangements and restorations may be included 

as repair; 

(3) additions, new facilities, and functional conversions must 

be performed as military construction projects. Such projects 

may be done concurrently with repair projects as long as the 

final conjunctively funded project is a complete and usable facility; and 

(4) the appropriate service secretary shall notify the appropriate committees 21 days prior to carrying out any repair 

project with an estimated cost in excess of $7,500,000. The 

Committee strongly encourages the services and defense agencies to indicate the plant replacement value of the facility to 

be repaired on each such notification. 

Quarterly summary of notifications.—The Committee directs the 

services and the Office of the Secretary of Defense (on behalf of 

itself and defense agencies) to continue to submit a quarterly report listing all notifications that have been submitted to the Committees during the preceding three-month period. 

Work in Progress or Planned (WIP) curve.—The Committee directs the services and the Office of the Secretary of Defense (on behalf of itself and defense agencies) to submit a WIP curve for each 

project requested in a budget submission over $100,000,000 with 

the 1391 justification to the congressional defense committees. 

Transfer of funds to and from the Foreign Currency Fluctuations, 

Construction, Defense Account.—The Committee directs the Department of Defense to submit a quarterly report to the Committees on 

Appropriations of both Houses of Congress on the transfer of funds 

from military construction and family housing accounts to the Foreign Currency Fluctuations, Construction, Defense account. The report shall specify the amount transferred to the Foreign Currency 

account from each military construction and/or family housing account, and all other accounts for which an appropriation is provided in this Act, during the preceding fiscal quarter, and the 

amounts transferred from the Foreign Currency account to the 

above accounts during the same period. This report shall be submitted no later than 30 days after the close of each fiscal quarter. 

In addition, the Department of Defense shall notify the Committees 

on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress within 7 days of 


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transferring any amount in excess of $10,000,000 to or from the 

Foreign Currency account. 

Bid savings.—The Committee has ascertained from cost variation 

notices required by 10 U.S.C. 2853 that the Department of Defense 

continues to have bid savings on previously appropriated military 

construction projects. The Committee’s recommendation therefore 

includes rescissions to the Army, Air Force, and Defense-Wide construction accounts. The Committee directs the Secretary of Defense 

to continue to submit 1002 reports on military construction bid savings at the end of each fiscal quarter to the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies of both 

the House and Senate. The Committee further directs the Secretary of Defense to assess planned projects within the services and 

the defense agencies under a threshold of $10,000,000 in expected 

costs and report to the congressional defense committees 90 days 

after enactment of this Act a list of such projects that could be completed with bid savings and subsequent reprogramming actions in 

lieu of incorporating them into a fiscal year or a future year budget 

submission. 

Defense Access Roads FYDP.—The Committee is concerned about 

the lack of future planning for Defense Access Roads (DAR) and 

transportation infrastructure needs around bases beyond fiscal 

year 2016. The Committee urges the Secretary of Defense to work 

with the Secretary of Transportation to prioritize all DAR certified 

roads and projects in the outyears 2017–2021, including examining 

bases in communities that have contributed to transportation infrastructure that benefits bases and report to the congressional defense committees no later than 30 days after enactment of this Act 

on its findings. 

Defense Access Roads project timeline.—Accompanying Public 

Law Number 113–235, the below language was included requesting 

an updated list of certified unfunded Defense Access Road requirements, and a list of unfunded requirements for road improvements 

surrounding military installations. The Committee still has yet to 

receive this report and directs the Department of Defense to submit 

the report 30 days after enactment of this Act. 

The Committee is very concerned about the lack of use of 

the Defense Access Roads program within the Department 

of Defense. The Committee has heard of many worthwhile 

road construction/expansion projects in and around military installations that are in great need of funding. These 

projects would provide a great benefit to the installations 

and the surrounding communities. Therefore, the Committee directs the Department to review needed projects 

around military installations as well as a timeline on when 

those projects will be completed and report back to the 

Committee not later than 30 days after enactment of this 

Act. If the Department cannot provide a timeline, they 

should explain how the program can be changed to meet 

those requirements. 

High Performance and Sustainable Building Requirements.—The 

Committee notes that in March 2013, the Department of Defense 

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fines the minimum requirements for planning, design and construction, renovation, repair, maintenance and operations, and equipment installation in new and existing facilities. In a policy memorandum issued in November 2013, military components were authorized to pursue greater energy and water efficiency if such initiatives are shown to reduce total ownership cost of the facility, or 

preserve or increase mission effectiveness in the face of projected 

resource scarcity. The Committee regrets that the Department of 

Defense has done little to increase the use of innovative building 

materials following the inclusion of similar language in the report 

accompanying the Howard P. Buck McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015, H.R. 4435. The Committee 

recognizes that innovative technologies have expanded the availability of materials with lower embodied energy for facilities that 

require tall walls and large open spaces with minimal intermediate 

supports. In addition, design techniques such as advanced framing 

contribute to lower material costs, increased energy efficiency, and 

reduced waste in facilities. Therefore, the Committee encourages 

the Department of Defense to incorporate the use of innovative renewable building materials, systems, and design techniques that 

support the requirements of UFC 1–200–02 and the goals of achieving greater efficiency and lower environmental impacts at a lower 

material cost. Furthermore, the Committee encourages the Department of Defense to collaborate with the United States Department 

of Agriculture and the United States Forest Service to advance its 

understanding of innovative renewable building materials and systems and jointly develop a plan on expanding their use as appropriate. 

Facilities in excess of mission requirements.—The Committee is 

concerned that Department of Defense officials have stated an estimated 30 percent of Defense facilities are in excess of mission requirements, a fiscally unsustainable diversion of scarce resources 

from readiness. Therefore the Committee requests, not later than 

60 days after enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense is to 

provide to the congressional defense committees a report detailing 

each department facility with a utilization rate less than 50 percent of available capacity, the number of uniformed personnel and 

civilian employees at each of those facilities, and the annual budget 

for personnel, as well as operations and maintenance costs associated with each identified facility. Finally, the report shall indicate 

any facility determined to be 100% in excess of mission requirements. 

Pre-Engineered/Prefabricated Buildings.—The Committee encourages the Department of Defense to expand utilization of existing GSA Schedule for Pre-Engineered/Prefabricated Buildings and 

Structures (PEBS). The Committee urges DOD contracting personnel and agency executives to consider the savings in costs and 

time potentially gained by procuring its facility needs, when possible and practical, through the GSA Schedule. The Committee also 

encourages DOD policy makers and program managers to streamline the process and eliminate any unnecessary bureaucratic, regulatory or policy impediments to such GSA procurement. 

Critical Infrastructure.—In a declining military construction 

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ture at installations deemed critical by current Defense Strategic 

Guidance and Combatant Commander (COCOM) requirements. Installations deemed critical support missions in support of our nation’s military. For example, PACOM’s realignment to the Pacific 

region and our reliance on installations within the area of responsibility to have the ability to execute their assigned missions will undoubtedly increase in the future. The Committee urges DOD to ensure that such installations have the proper investment in infrastructure that is fully capable of supporting COCOM and services’ 

requirements in the future. 

Department of Defense (DOD) excess facilities capacity.—DOD is 

facing long term challenges in maintaining its extensive portfolio 

of facilities and reducing unneeded infrastructure. The Office of the 

Secretary of Defense (OSD) has made some improvements, but the 

military departments’ use of their databases to identify consolidation opportunities is still in need of improvement. During the fiscal 

year 2016 Hearing on Installations, Environment, and BRAC Senior DOD officials testified that DOD continues to have excess infrastructure and that an additional BRAC round is necessary to make 

further reductions and achieve future cost savings. With BRAC authorization not under the jurisdiction of this Committee, the Committee therefore, directs each Services Assistant Secretary for Installations, Energy and Environment to provide a strategic plan to 

manage DOD’s excess real property efficiently and what opportunities there are to consolidate unutilized or underutilized facilities 

subsequently reducing operation and maintenance costs for maintaining those facilities. This report shall be submitted no later than 

90 days after enactment of this Act. 

MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, ARMY

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $528,427,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 743,245,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 663,245,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... 134,818,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ (80,000,000) 

The Committee recommendation includes a rescission of 

$96,000,000 from bid savings under Administrative Provisions. 

MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, NAVY AND MARINE CORPS

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $1,018,772,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 1,669,239,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 1,349,678,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... 330,906,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ (319,561,000) 

The Committee recommendation includes a new title IV, Overseas Contingency Operations which includes $244,004,000 of ‘‘Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps’’ projects that were requested in title I for which funding is provided in title IV. 

Live-Fire Training Range Complex (NW Field).—The Committee 

fully supports and applauds the efforts of the Marine Corps to establish the appropriate training ranges on Guam in support of the 

movement of Marines from Okinawa. The budget request for the 

live-fire training range is $125,677,000. The Committee is concerned that the projected cost of the live-fire training range itself 


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is $32,310,000 while the supporting facilities cost is $76,500,000, or 

double of the cost of the actual range. The Committee therefore has 

reduced project P715 by $25,000,000 and directs the Secretary of 

the Navy to certify in writing to the congressional defense committees 60 days after enactment of this Act that the supporting facilities costs of any future training ranges for the Marine Corps will 

not exceed the actual cost of the range itself. 

Shipboard and Base Lighting Systems.—The Committee commends the Navy for its increasing use of tubular light-emitting 

diode (T–LED) lighting and encourages it to continue these activities. The Committee directs the Navy to consider updating lighting 

specifications for ships and bases so T–LED use is an option, developing an approved products list for T–LEDs that is broadly available for use in all vessels, as well as bases, using total lifecycle 

costs to determine the value of T–LEDs, and making the installation of T–LEDs in vessels a priority when appropriate, such as during ship retrofits and new builds. T–LED usage on bases would 

help the Navy in reaching the goals it has set forth in its Shore 

Energy Program which seeks to reduce shore energy intensity by 

30% (energy consumption per square foot) by 2015 and by 50% in 

2020. 

MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, AIR FORCE

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $811,774,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 1,389,185,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 1,237,055,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... 425,281,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ (152,130,000) 

The Committee recommendation includes a rescission of 

$52,600,000 from bid savings under Administrative Provisions. The 

bid savings are available based on the first quarter bid savings and 

unobligated balances update from DOD in which the Air Force listed two projects as ‘‘known bills’’ but also requested funding for the 

projects in the fiscal year 2016 President’s budget submission. 

Therefore, the Committee has provided funding for Guardian Angel 

Operations Facility and Low Observation/Corrosion Control/Composite Repair Shop within Military Construction, Air Force within 

its appropriations therefore making the funds available for rescission. 

The Committee recommendation includes a new title IV, Overseas Contingency Operations which includes $75,000,000 of ‘‘Military Construction, Air Force’’ projects that were requested in title 

I for which funding is provided in title IV. 

Long Range Strike Bomber.—The Committee is concerned about 

the procurement of the new Long Range Strike Bomber. The fiscal 

year 2016 budget submission included funding for the Long Range 

Strike Bomber Hangar and supporting facilities. The Committee 

believes that the fiscal year 2016 request is early to need since a 

decision on the type of aircraft will not occur until June 2015; 

therefore the recommendation reduces ‘‘Military Construction, Air 

Force’’ by $77,130,000. 

Space launch infrastructure.—The Committee recognizes the national importance of having a safe, secure, reliable, and modern 

space launch range infrastructure to support the national security 


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space mission. The Committee is aware that there are a number 

of aging facilities, with structural and technological deficiencies, 

that are indispensable hubs for commands, telemetry, and radar 

support for U.S. space launch capabilities as well as warfighters 

down-range. The Committee is concerned that the current condition 

of the aging facilities, such as the Range Communications Facility 

at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, which is the Air Force Space 

Command’s number one current mission MILCON project for fiscal 

years 2013–2017 and the impact such conditions may have on the 

ability of U.S. Air Force Space Command to meet its mission and 

operational requirements until such facilities are recapitalized. The 

Committee urges the Air Force to prioritize resources and future 

requests to Congress, as appropriate, to ensure that U.S. space 

launch range capabilities are in safe, secure, and reliable condition. 

Air Traffic Control Towers.—The Committee is concerned that 

the Department of the Air Force’s Air Traffic Control Towers have 

been neglected over the years and funding for military construction 

has been deferred to the out years of budget submissions. Many of 

the air towers are deteriorating and antiquated, creating significant life, safety, and health concerns. In some cases, towers have 

developed extensive mold issues and contain health risks related to 

the use of asbestos and lead-based paint. Additionally, obstructed 

views in some cases prevent 100% positive visual control of aircraft 

landing and taxiing on the airfield. Given the safety issues, the 

Committee urges the Department of the Air Force to prioritize 

funding for these towers in a much timelier manner. The Committee believes that these towers are valuable national security assets that the Department of the Air Force should maintain in a 

manner that will ensure their vital role in protecting U.S. national 

security interests. 

Construction of airfield and base camp.—Funds requested for the 

construction of airfield infrastructure to enable beddown of aircraft 

to support operations by AFRICOM for the purpose of conducting 

intelligence gathering on extremist groups in the Sahel Region represents an expansion of the U.S. military footprint on the African 

continent. The Committee requests quarterly notifications until the 

facility is operational on the status of construction of infrastructure 

elements, number of U.S. uniformed, civilian, and contracted personnel on site, and timeline for completion of construction. 

MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, DEFENSE-WIDE

(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $1,991,690,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 2,300,767,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 1,931,456,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... (60,234,000) 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ (369,311,000) 

The Committee recommendation includes a rescission of 

$134,000,000 from bid savings under Administrative Provisions. 

The Committee recommendation includes a new title IV, Overseas Contingency Operations which includes $212,996,000 of ‘‘Military Construction, Defense-Wide’’ projects that were requested in 

title I for which funding is provided in title IV. 


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Transfer of funds.—The accompanying bill provides transfer authority to the Secretary of Defense to allow the transfer of funds 

to such appropriations of the Department of Defense available for 

military construction or family housing as the Secretary may designate. 

DODEA school construction.—The Committee fully supports the 

fiscal year 2016 request for the construction of ten schools in the 

United States and overseas. The Committee however, is concerned 

that the changes that are occurring across the Department of Defense associated with force structure reductions may impact whether funding is needed at an installation or if it is determined not 

to be an enduring installation. The Committee therefore directs the 

Director of the Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) 

to report on the status of DODEA funding and provide by location 

any funding that has been placed on hold for any reason to the congressional defense committees 90 days after enactment of this Act. 

Behavioral Health/Dental Clinic Add, Project 80412.—The Committee fully supports the two clinic additions contained in this request. However, the Committee is concerned about the parking 

plan for this project as requested in the budget submission. The fiscal year 2016 budget submission includes $16,275,000 for one-third 

of the required parking for this two-phased project with no definitive plan for the additional parking requirements. Therefore, the 

Committee includes a reduction of $16,275,000. Parking at 

Schofield Barracks writ large is at a premium and with phase II 

of this project not being requested until fiscal year 2018, the Committee is concerned that there is not a clear path forward and directs the Director of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs to provide to the Committee a full parking 

master plan for project 80412 no later than 90 days after enactment of this Act. 

Special Operations Command resiliency and human performance 

centers.—The Committee’s recommendation does not include funding for the Human Performance Center at Pendleton and the embedded facility at Fort Bragg. The Committee is concerned that 

these facilities are redundant in nature to existing medical facilities, clinics and gymnasiums located at the installations. 

SOCOM POTFF military construction requirements.—The Committee remains concerned about the lack of transparency in 

SOCOM’s process of evaluating the military construction requirements for POTFF facilities overall, including the out-years. The 

Committee is further concerned about the lack of response from the 

Command on prior fiscal year reporting requirements that were 

both in enacted law and required in the accompanying reports. 

Therefore, the Committee directs the SOCOM Commander to report to the congressional defense committees no later than 90 days 

after enactment of this Act on the following: 

1. The population to be supported to include a breakout of 

combat operators, combat support operators, combat non-operators and combat service support to include a priority for Service SOF component and USSOCOM. 

2. Identify all POTFF physical training requirements and facility square footage by labor category, function and equipment, including outdoor space if needed. 


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3. What is the current status of all facilities or facility 

groups by location and installation; the degree to which 

POTFF requirements are being met; the way ahead if requirements are not being met; and what existing MWR athletic facilities can provide, or not provide to meet POTFF physical 

performance and embedded staffing requirement. 

4. What is the preferred support concept by installation, and 

unit or regional unit group. 

5. Specify the priority of all requested POTFF facility military construction requirements with respect to all SOCOM 

military priorities to include unfunded requirements. 

Concord Naval Weapons Station.—The Committee is pleased by 

the progress made by the Navy to transfer land at the Concord 

Naval Weapons Station Inland Area closed under the 2005 Base 

Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Authority. The Committee encourages the Navy to continue to work with the United States Fish 

and Wildlife Services to complete an Environmental Impact Statement as quickly as possible. 

GUARD AND RESERVE ITEM OF INTEREST

Enforcement of Border Security.—Recognizing the need to bolster 

resources for the enforcement of border security, the Committee instructs the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard to 

explore public-private partnerships with state and local governments, to design, and construct facilities adjacent to our southwestern border that will support National Guard activities and 

house and support assets used by Customs and Border Protection 

and other law enforcement agencies for the terrestrial, maritime, 

and aerial surveillance of those borders, to include aircraft hangars 

suitable for unmanned aerial systems and report back to the Committee 180 days after the enactment of the this Act. 

MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, ARMY NATIONAL GUARD

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $128,920,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 197,237,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 167,437,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... 38,517,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ (29,800,000) 

MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, AIR NATIONAL GUARD

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $92,663,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 138,738,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 138,738,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... 46,075,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ – – – 

MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, ARMY RESERVE

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $103,946,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 113,595,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 104,295,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... 349,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ (9,300,000) 


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MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, NAVY RESERVE

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $51,528,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 36,078,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 36,078,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... (15,450,000) 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ – – – 

MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, AIR FORCE RESERVE

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $49,492,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 65,021,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 65,021,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... 15,529,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ – – – 

NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION SECURITY INVESTMENT

PROGRAM

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $199,700,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 120,000,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 150,000,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... (¥49,700,000) 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ 30,000,000 

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization Security Investment 

Program (NSIP) consists of annual contributions by NATO member 

countries. The program finances the costs of construction needed to 

support the roles of the major NATO commands. The investments 

cover facilities such as airfields, fuel pipelines and storage, harbors, 

communications and information systems, radar and navigational 

aids, and military headquarters, both within NATO nations and for 

‘‘out of area’’ operations such as Afghanistan. 

The U.S. occasionally has been forced to temporarily delay the 

authorization of projects due to shortfalls in U.S. obligation authority. The Committee directs the Secretary of Defense to notify the 

Committee within 14 days of the U.S. taking action to temporarily 

delay the authorization of projects, or to temporarily withhold 

funds from previously authorized projects, due to shortfalls in U.S. 

obligation authority. 

Finally, the bill provides an additional $30,000,000 for NSIP to 

support fixed and mobile infrastructure necessary for NATO wartime, crisis, peace support and deterrence operations and NATOunique training requirements as prioritized by the NATO Strategic 

Commanders. The additional funds will support responses to the 

challenges posed by Russia and to the risks and threats emanating 

from the Middle East and North Africa. 

FAMILY HOUSING OVERVIEW

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $1,190,535,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 1,413,181,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 1,413,181,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... 222,646,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ – – – 

Family housing construction accounts provide funds for new construction, construction improvements, the Federal government 

costs for family housing privatization projects, and planning and 


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design. The operation and maintenance accounts provide funds to 

pay for maintenance and repair, furnishings, management, services, utilities, leasing, interest, mortgage insurance, and miscellaneous expenses. 

Family housing privatization progress reports.—The Committee 

directs the Department of Defense to continue submitting semi-annual progress reports on the family housing privatization program, 

including a breakout of military tenant satisfaction rates by 

project. 

Foreign currency savings and sub-account transfers.—The Committee directs that savings in family housing operation and maintenance accounts from foreign currency re-estimates be used to maintain and repair existing family housing units. The Comptroller is 

directed to report to the Committees on Appropriations of both 

Houses of Congress on how these savings are allocated 90 days 

after enactment of this Act. In addition, the Committee directs the 

services and Defense agencies to notify the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress within 30 days of a transfer 

of funds between sub-accounts within the family housing construction and family housing operation and maintenance accounts, if 

such transfer is in excess of 10 percent of the funds appropriated 

to the sub-account to which the funds are being transferred. Notifications to the Committees shall indicate the sub-accounts and 

amounts that are being used to source the transfer. 

Leasing reporting requirements.—The Secretary of Defense is directed to report to the Committees on Appropriations of both 

Houses of Congress quarterly on the details of all new or renewed 

domestic leases entered into during the previous quarter that exceed the cost threshold set by 10 U.S.C. 2828(b)(2), including certification that less expensive housing was not available for lease. 

For foreign leases, the Department is directed to: (1) perform an 

economic analysis on all new leases or lease/contract agreements 

where more than 25 units are involved; (2) report the details of 

new or renewed lease agreements that exceed the cost threshold 

set by 10 U.S.C. 2828(e)(1) 21 days prior to entering into such an 

agreement; and (3) base leasing decisions on the economic analysis. 

Camp Humphreys housing.—The Committee is concerned that 

the Department of Defense (DOD) has not yet provided the report 

on its strategy and associated funding requirements necessary to 

provide adequate family housing for service members assigned to 

United States Army Garrison (USAG) Humphreys, Korea. The 

Committee strongly urges DOD to expeditiously complete and submit its report to the Committee including the resources DOD needs 

to meet the on-base housing requirements and to improve living 

conditions for service members and their families in desperate need 

of a suitable, long-term housing solution at USAG Humphreys. 

FAMILY HOUSING CONSTRUCTION, ARMY

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $78,609,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 99,695,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 99,695,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... 21,086,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ – – – 


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FAMILY HOUSING OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, ARMY

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $350,976,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 393,511,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 393,511,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... 42,535,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ – – – 

FAMILY HOUSING CONSTRUCTION, NAVY AND MARINE CORPS

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $16,412,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 16,541,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 16,541,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... 129,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ – – – 

FAMILY HOUSING OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, NAVY AND

MARINE CORPS

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $354,029,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 353,036,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 353,036,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... (993,000) 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ – – – 

FAMILY HOUSING CONSTRUCTION, AIR FORCE

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $– – – 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 160,498,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 160,498,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... 160,498,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ – – – 

FAMILY HOUSING OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, AIR FORCE

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $327,747,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 331,232,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 331,232,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... 3,485,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ – – – 

FAMILY HOUSING OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, DEFENSE-WIDE

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $61,100,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 58,668,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 58,668,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... (2,432,000) 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ – – – 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FAMILY HOUSING IMPROVEMENT FUND

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $1,662,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... – – – 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ – – – 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... (1,662,000) 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ – – – 


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CHEMICAL DEMILITARIZATION CONSTRUCTION, DEFENSE-WIDE

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $38,715,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... – – – 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ – – – 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... (38,715,000) 

Fiscal year 2015 budget request ................................................ – – – 

THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE BASE CLOSURE ACCOUNT

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $315,085,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 251,334,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 251,334,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... (63,751,000) 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ – – – 

Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove.—The Committee understands that the Navy has completed its Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the disposal and reuse of the 

former Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base (NAS JRB) Willow 

Grove Horsham, PA. The Committee further understands that the 

Navy is in the process of drafting the Findings of Suitability to 

Transfer as well as environmental remediation for site cleanup. 

The Committee is concerned by the slow pace of progress in remediating these properties. The Committee directs the Secretary of 

Defense to provide a report to the Committee identifying the remediation requirements as required by the BRAC process and an estimated timeline for completion for making NAS JRB Willow Grove 

suitable for redevelopment no later than 60 days after enactment 

of this Act. 

Accountability for BRAC clean up funds.—As the Committee has 

previously noted in H. Rept. 112–94, and again in H. Rept. 113– 

416, the Committee remains concerned regarding the current pace 

of Legacy BRAC site clean-up. Consequently, the committee will 

ask for and the DOD is instructed to cooperate in and collaborate 

on a new GAO study updating the study GAO–07–166 on environmental cleanup progress. 

Infrastructure Inventory and Assessment of Infrastructure Necessary to Support On-going Defense Activities.—The Committee is 

concerned about the Department and the Services’ frequent reference to the need for another full round of base closures. Though 

the committee is not endorsing or precluding another BRAC round, 

it is interested in more detailed information that would help lead 

Congress to make an informed decision on that question. By no 

later than December 31, 2015, the Secretary of Defense is directed 

to provide the following infrastructure and military construction information to the Committee as it might relate to a future BRAC 

round. 

The Secretary of Defense shall provide a comprehensive inventory of military installations, including those overseas, for each 

military department, with specifications of the number and types 

of facilities in the active and reserve forces of each military department. 

Using this infrastructure inventory the Secretary of Defense 

shall prepare the following: • A description of the infrastructure necessary to support ongoing defense activities. 


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• A discussion of categories of excess infrastructure and infrastructure capacity, and the Secretary’s targets for the reduction of such excess capacity. • An assessment of the excess infrastructure and the value 

of retaining certain excess infrastructure to support surge or 

reversibility requirements. • An economic analysis of the effect of the closure or realignment of military installations to reduce excess infrastructure. 

In determining the level of necessary versus excess infrastructure, the Secretary of Defense shall consider the following: • The anticipated continuing need for and availability of 

military installations outside the United States and the potential for future prohibitions or restrictions on the use of such 

military installations. • Any efficiencies that may be gained from joint tenancy by 

more than one branch of the Armed Forces at a military installation or the reorganization or association of two or more military installations as a single military installation. 

On the basis of this infrastructure inventory report and its descriptions and economic analysis, the Secretary of Defense shall include a certification regarding whether the need exists for closure 

or realignment of military installations. 

As a condition on the certification above, the Secretary shall include an additional certification that every recommendation for closure or realignment of military installations in a round of closures 

and realignments will result in annual net savings for each of the 

military departments within six years after the initiation of a 

round of closures and realignments. 

ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS

The bill includes 31 provisions of which 26 were in effect in fiscal 

year 2015 and 5 are new or revised provisions. The administrative 

provisions included in the bill are as follows: 

The bill includes section 101 prohibiting the use of funds for payments under a cost-plus-a-fixed-fee contract for construction where 

cost estimates exceed $25,000. An exception for Alaska is provided. 

The bill includes section 102 permitting the use of construction 

funds for the hire of passenger motor vehicles. 

The bill includes section 103 permitting funds to be expended on 

the construction of defense access roads under certain circumstances. 

The bill includes section 104 prohibiting construction of new 

bases in the United States without a specific appropriation. 

The bill includes section 105 limiting the use of funds for the 

purchase of land or land easements that exceed 100 percent of 

value except under certain conditions. 

The bill includes section 106 prohibiting the use of funds to acquire land, prepare sites, or install utilities for family housing except housing for which funds have been appropriated. 

The bill includes section 107 limiting the use of minor construction funds to relocate any activity from one installation to another 

without prior notification. 

The bill includes section 108 prohibiting the procurement of steel 

unless American producers, fabricators, and manufacturers have 

been allowed to compete. 


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The bill includes section 109 prohibiting the use of funds to pay 

real property taxes in foreign nations. 

The bill includes section 110 prohibiting the use of funds to initiate a new installation overseas without prior notification. 

The bill includes section 111 establishing a preference for United 

States architectural and engineering services where the services 

are in Japan, NATO member countries, or countries bordering the 

Arabian Sea. 

The bill includes section 112 establishing a preference for United 

States contractors for military construction in the United States 

territories and possessions in the Pacific and on Kwajalein Atoll, or 

countries within the Central Command area of responsibility, except bids by Marshallese contractors for military construction on 

Kwajalein Atoll. 

The bill includes section 113 requiring the Secretary of Defense 

to give prior notice to Congress of military exercises where construction costs exceed $100,000. 

The bill includes section 114 allowing funds appropriated in prior 

years to be used for new projects authorized during the current session of Congress. 

The bill includes section 115 allowing the use of expired or 

lapsed funds to pay the cost of supervision for any project being 

completed with lapsed funds. 

The bill includes section 116 providing that funds for military 

construction projects are available until the end of the fourth fiscal 

year following the fiscal year in which funds are appropriated, subject to certain conditions. 

(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

The bill includes section 117 allowing for the transfer of funds 

from Family Housing Construction accounts to the Department of 

Defense Family Housing Improvement Fund and funds from Military Construction accounts to the Department of Defense Military 

Unaccompanied Housing Improvement Fund. 

(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

The bill includes section 118, as amended, providing transfer authority to the Homeowners Assistance Program. 

The bill includes section 119, as amended, requiring that funds 

in this title be the sole source of all operation and maintenance for 

flag and general officer quarter houses, and limits the repair on 

these quarters to $15,000 per year without notification. 

The bill includes section 120 making funds in the Ford Island 

Improvement Fund available until expended. 

(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

The bill includes section 121 allowing the transfer of expired 

funds to the ‘‘Foreign Currency Fluctuations, Construction, Defense’’ account. 

The bill includes section 122 prohibiting the use of funds to relocate a unit of the Army that would impact more than 200 personnel. 


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1 All funding cited excludes amounts in the Medical Care Collections Fund. 

The bill includes section 123 allowing the transfer of funds 

among projects and activities in accordance with the reprogramming guidelines. 

The bill includes section 124 prohibiting the use of funds for 

projects at Arlington National Cemetery. 

(INCLUDING RESCISSION OF FUNDS)

The bill includes section 125 rescinding funds from prior appropriations Acts. 

(INCLUDING RESCISSION OF FUNDS) 

The bill includes section 126 rescinding funds from prior appropriations Acts. 

(INCLUDING RESCISSION OF FUNDS) 

The bill includes section 127 rescinding funds from prior appropriations Acts. 

(INCLUDING RESCISSION OF FUNDS) 

The bill includes section 128 rescinding funds from 10 U.S.C. 

3374. 

The bill includes section 129 defining the congressional defense 

committees. 

The bill includes section 130 prohibiting funds to close or realign 

Lajes Air Force Base, and prohibits funds to construct an intelligence facility at a separate location, unless DoD certifies that 

Lajes does not meet operations requirements for certain intelligence activities. 

The bill includes section 131 providing additional funding for Defense Access Roads. 

The bill does not include section 121 as requested to provide authority under a continuing resolution when an authorization bill 

has been enacted to obligate funds that have not been appropriated. 

TITLE II 

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level1 ..................................................... $159,144,807,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request1 .................................................. 164,649,778,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill1 ....................................... 163,208,416,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ............................................... 4,063,609,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ............................................ (1,441,362,000) 

Fiscal year 2017 advance budget request1 ................................... 167,253,585,000 

Fiscal year 2017 Committee recommendation in the bill1 .......... 167,253,585,000 

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) serves approximately 

48,300,000 people or 15 percent of the total estimated resident population of the U.S. and Puerto Rico: 22,000,000 veterans and 

26,300,000 family members of living veterans or survivors of deceased veterans. To serve adequately the nation’s veterans, VA employs 342,000 people, making it one of the largest Federal agencies 

in terms of employment. 


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VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION (VBA) 

COMPENSATION AND PENSIONS

(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ....................................................... $79,071,000,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................... 79,124,675,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ........................................ 79,124,675,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ............................................... 53,675,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ............................................ – – – 

Fiscal year 2017 advance budget request ..................................... 87,146,761,000 

Fiscal year 2017 Committee recommendation in the bill ........... 87,146,761,000 

This appropriation will provide funds for service-connected compensation payments to an estimated 4,701,000 veterans, survivors, 

and dependents in 2016. In addition, pension payments will be 

funded for 522,000 veterans and their survivors. The average cost 

per compensation case for veterans in 2016 is estimated at $16,182 

and pension payments are projected at $12,600. For the first time, the bill provides $87,146,761,000 in fiscal year 

2017 advance funding, as authorized in P.L. 113–235. 

The appropriation includes authority to transfer funding not to exceed $15,562,000 in 2016 and $16,021,000 in 2017 to the General 

Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration, and Information Technology Systems accounts. These funds are for the administrative expenses of implementing cost-saving provisions required by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990, P.L. 

101–508, the Veterans’ Benefits Act of 1992, P.L. 102–568, and the 

Veterans’ Benefits Improvements Act of 1994, P.L. 103–446. These 

cost-saving provisions include verifying pension income against Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Social Security Administration 

(SSA) data; establishing a match with the SSA to obtain 

verification of Social Security numbers; and applying VA pension 

cap for Medicaid-eligible single veterans and surviving spouses 

alone in Medicaid-covered nursing homes. The bill also continues 

to include language permitting this appropriation to reimburse 

such sums as may be earned to the Medical Care Collections Fund 

to help defray the operating expenses of individual medical facilities for nursing home care provided to pensioners. 

READJUSTMENT BENEFITS

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $14,997,136,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 15,344,922,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 15,344,922,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... 347,786,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ – – – 

Fiscal year 2017 advance budget request ......................................... 16,743,904,000 

Fiscal year 2017 Committee recommendation in the bill ............... 16,743,904,000 

This appropriation finances the education and training of veterans and servicemembers through the Post 9-11 GI Bill and the 

All-Volunteer Force Educational Assistance Program. Supplemental 

education benefits are also provided to certain veteran members of 

the Selected Reserve and are funded through transfers from the 

Department of Defense (DOD). In addition, certain disabled veterans are provided with vocational rehabilitation, specially adapted 

housing grants, and grants for automobiles with approved adaptive 


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equipment. This account also finances educational assistance allowances for eligible dependents of veterans who died from service-connected causes or have a total and permanent service-connected disability, as well as dependents of servicemembers who were captured or are missing in action. More than 80 percent of the funds 

in the account support the Post 9-11 GI Bill. For the first time, the bill provides $16,743,904,000 in fiscal year 

2017 advance funding, as authorized in P.L. 113–235. 

VETERANS INSURANCE AND INDEMNITIES

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $63,257,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 77,160,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 77,160,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... 13,903,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ – – – 

Fiscal year 2017 advance budget request ......................................... 91,920,000 

Fiscal year 2017 Committee recommendation in the bill ............... 91,920,000 

The Veterans Insurance and Indemnities appropriation is made 

up of the former appropriations for military and naval insurance, 

applicable to World War I veterans; national service life insurance 

(NSLI), applicable to certain World War II veterans; servicemen’s 

indemnities, applicable to Korean conflict veterans; and veterans 

mortgage life insurance, applicable to individuals who have received a grant for specially adapted housing. For the first time, the bill provides $91,920,000 in fiscal year 

2017 advance funding, as authorized in P.L. 113–235. 

The amount provided will enable the Department to transfer 

funding to the service-disabled veterans insurance fund and transfer additional amounts for payments for policies under the veterans 

mortgage life insurance program. These policies are identified 

under the Veterans Insurance and Indemnity appropriation since 

they provide insurance to service-disabled veterans unable to qualify under basic NSLI. 

VETERANS HOUSING BENEFIT PROGRAM FUND PROGRAM ACCOUNT

Program account 

Limitation on direct loans for specially adapted 

housing loans 

Administrative ex- penses 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................ – – – ($500,000) $160,881,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request est. .............................................. – – – (500,000) 164,558,000 

Committee recommendation est. in the bill .................................... – – – (500,000) 164,558,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ............................................... – – – – – – 3,677,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ............................................ – – – – – – – – – 

The purpose of the home loan guaranty program is to facilitate 

the extension of mortgage credit on favorable terms by private 

lenders to eligible veterans. This appropriation provides for all 

costs, with the exception of the Native American veterans housing 

loan program, of the Department’s direct and guaranteed loans programs. The Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990 requires budgetary 

resources to be available prior to incurring a direct loan obligation 

or a loan guaranty commitment. In addition, the bill requires all 

administrative expenses of a direct or guaranteed loan program to 

be funded through a program account. Loan guaranties are made 

to servicemembers, veterans, reservists, and single surviving 


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spouses for the purchase of homes, condominiums, and manufactured homes and for refinancing loans. The Department guarantees 

part of the total loan, permitting the purchaser to obtain a mortgage with a competitive interest rate, even without a down payment if the lender agrees. The Department requires that a down 

payment be made for a manufactured home. With a Department 

guaranty, the lender is protected against loss, up to the amount of 

the guaranty, if the borrower fails to repay the loan. 

VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION LOANS PROGRAM ACCOUNT

Program account Limitation on direct loans 

Administrative expenses 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................ $10,000 ($2,877,000) $361,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ..................................................... 31,000 (2,952,000) 367,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill 31,000 (2,952,000) 367,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ............................................... 21,000 75,000 6,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ............................................ – – – – – – – – – 

This appropriation covers the subsidy cost of direct loans for vocational rehabilitation of eligible veterans and includes administrative expenses necessary to carry out the direct loan program. Loans 

of up to $1,108 (based on indexed chapter 31 subsistence allowance 

rate) are available to service-connected disabled veterans enrolled 

in vocational rehabilitation programs when the veteran is temporarily in need of additional assistance. Repayment is made in 

monthly installments, without interest, through deductions from 

future payments of compensation, pension, subsistence allowance, 

educational assistance allowance, or retirement pay. Most loans are 

repaid in full in less than one year. The Federal Credit Reform Act 

of 1990 requires budgetary resources to be available prior to incurring a direct loan obligation. 

It is estimated that the Department will make 3,129 loans in fiscal year 2016, with an average amount of $943. 

NATIVE AMERICAN VETERAN HOUSING LOAN PROGRAM

Administrative expenses: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $1,130,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 1,134,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 1,134,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... 4,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ – – – 

The Native American Veteran Housing Loan Program, as authorized by title 38 United States Code, chapter 37, subchapter V, provides the Secretary with authority to make direct housing loans to 

Native American veterans for the purpose of purchasing, constructing, or improving dwellings on trust lands. 

VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (VHA) 

The Department operates the largest Federal medical care delivery system in the country, with 150 hospitals, 107 domiciliary residential rehabilitation treatment programs, 136 nursing homes, 300 

Vet Centers, 80 mobile Vet Centers, and 830 outpatient clinics 

which include independent, satellite, community-based, and rural 


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outreach clinics. Approximately 6,895,000 patients will be treated 

in 2016. 

The VHA is comprised of four accounts: Medical Services, Medical Support and Compliance, Medical Facilities, and Medical and 

Prosthetic Research. For the first three accounts, the Administration has requested total resources for fiscal year 2017 of 

$63,271,000,000 in direct appropriations to fund the three advance 

appropriations of VHA. In addition, VA will receive an estimated 

$2,445,000,000 in Medical Care Collections Fund in fiscal year 

2016. The Committee also provides $606,813,000 for medical and 

prosthetic research. 

MEDICAL SERVICES

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $45,224,716,000 

Fiscal year 2016 enacted level ........................................................... 47,603,202,000 

Fiscal year 2016 additional request .................................................. 1,124,197,000 

Committee 2016 additional recommendation ................................... 969,554,000 

Fiscal year 2017 advance budget request ......................................... 51,673,000,000 

Committee 2017 recommendation in the bill ................................... 51,673,000,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2016 enacted level ................................................... 4,069,798,000 

Fiscal year 2017 budget request ................................................ – – – 

This appropriation provides for medical services of eligible veterans and beneficiaries in Department medical centers, outpatient 

clinic facilities, contract hospitals, State homes, and outpatient programs on a fee basis. Hospital and outpatient care is also provided 

by the private sector for certain dependents and survivors of veterans under the civilian health and medical programs for VA. The bill includes $969,554,000 of the $1,124,197,000 current year 

budget request, which is in addition to the advance appropriation 

that has already been provided. The Committee notes that the current year budget request is unusually large and has worked to provide more than 85 percent of the request. Within the funds provided, the Committee expects the resources to be used for 

unbudgeted costs of Hepatitis C treatment, higher than anticipated 

usage of Caregivers program stipends, and projected utilization of 

homelessness programs. With the recent announcement by the Department of a new interpretation of the 40-mile distance rule and 

the Department’s prediction that the policy change would double 

the number of veterans using the Choice Act option for their health 

care, the demands on the traditional VA health care program will 

drop and the need for the current year budget request is likely to 

decrease. 

The Committee has not included requested bill language to make 

available through September 30, 2018, $1,400,000,000 of the Medical Services appropriation for fiscal year 2017, instead maintaining current policy of providing extended availability on a current 

year rather than advance funding basis. 

Funding identified in the bill is in addition to the anticipated 

$4,829,807,000 for medical services from the Veterans Choice Act 

in fiscal year 2016 or the estimated $2,831,456,000 from the Act in 

fiscal year 2017. 

Changes in funding requirements due to modeling.—The Committee expects VA to continue to include in the sufficiency letter required by section 117(d) of title 38, United States Code, that is due 

to the Congress on July 31 of each year, a description of any 


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changes exceeding $250,000,000 in funding requirements for the 

Medical Services account resulting from the spring recalculation of 

the Enrollee Healthcare Projection Model. 

Allocation of health funding.—The Committee continues to be 

concerned that the process VA uses to allocate the health services 

appropriation through the Veterans Integrated Services Networks 

(VISNs) and from them to the medical centers may shortchange the 

ultimate users because of excessive funding retained at headquarters or at the VISNs. The Committee continues to request a 

report each year no later than thirty days after VA allocates the 

medical services appropriation to the VISNs that identifies: (1) the 

amount of general purpose funding that is allocated to each VISN; 

(2) the amount of funding that is retained by central headquarters 

for specific purposes, with amounts identified for each purpose; and 

(3) the amount of funding that is retained by each VISN before allocating it to the medical centers, identifying separately the 

amounts retained for purposes such as network operations, network initiatives, and emergencies. 

Homeless assistance 

The Committee provides the full fiscal year 2017 budget request 

of $1,393,000,000 for VA homeless assistance programs, in addition 

to $5,496,909,000 for homeless veterans treatment costs. These programs include the Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem, the 

Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans, the Supportive Services 

for Low Income Veterans and Families, and the Department of 

Housing and Urban Development—Department of Veterans Affairs 

Supported Housing (HUD–VASH) programs. 

Female homeless veterans.—The Committee remains committed 

to helping homeless veterans and commends VA for its efforts in 

reducing homelessness among the veteran population. However, 

the Committee is concerned about VA’s efforts to reduce homelessness among female veterans and female veterans with minor children. To that end, the Committee directs VA to compile statistics 

on the number of homeless female veterans and the number of female Veterans with minor children. This report should detail what 

actions VA is taking to deal with this particular population and 

what transition services are being utilized. This report shall be 

submitted to the Committee within 120 days of enactment of this 

Act. 

HUD–VASH program.—The Committee recognizes the important 

contributions the HUD–VASH program has made in reducing the 

number of homeless veterans and commends VA for implementing 

a case management system that keeps veterans housed longer by 

providing the supportive care many of them require. The Committee encourages VA to more creatively and collaboratively work 

with local social service agencies to ensure that HUD–VASH voucher recipients are receiving the most comprehensive services available to them. Many jurisdictions around the country are implementing their own coordinated care initiatives alongside public 

housing programs, and in the interest of maximizing public investment and providing the best, most comprehensive care available, 

VA should seek to partner with local and State governments when 

possible and in the best interest of veterans. 


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Mental health issues 

The Committee provides the full fiscal year 2017 budget request 

of $7,715,357,000 for mental health programs. Of the amounts provided for mental health programs in fiscal year 2016, $143,680,000 

shall be used for suicide prevention outreach. In fiscal year 2017, 

the Committee expects $159,246,000 to be used for this purpose. 

The Department is directed to provide a report to the Committee 

no later than 30 days after enactment of this Act identifying a detailed expenditure plan for all suicide prevention outreach programs. 

Public-private partnership.—The Committee is concerned by the 

alarming number of suicides committed by veterans each day. 

While the Committee appreciates the important work being done 

by the Department to combat suicide and improve mental health 

among veterans, more can and must be done. The Committee recommends the Department actively seek out public-private partnerships, in particular with research universities, teaching hospitals, 

and other partners, to expand upon its existing efforts related to 

suicide prevention, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and substance use disorders. The Secretary shall report to the Committee within 60 days of enactment 

of this Act on the status of creating public-private partnerships related to suicide prevention, PTSD, TBI, and substance use disorders. 

Mental health provider training.—The Committee is concerned 

about the impact of VA’s accreditation process which excludes marriage and family therapists (MFTs) graduating from regionally accredited schools from employment at VA. This limitation causes unnecessary vacancies in mental health provider positions within the 

VHA system at a time when these services are in critical need. 

Therefore, the Committee urges VHA to develop a pilot program focusing on hiring MFTs who (1) hold at least a master’s degree in 

marriage and family therapy, or a related field, from a regionally 

accredited program; (2) are licensed as a MFT in a U.S. jurisdiction 

and possess the highest level of licensure offered by the State in 

which they are licensed; and (3) have passed the Association of 

Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Board Examination in 

Marital and Family Therapy. 

Clinical psychology training.—The Committee understands that 

VHA is in the process of modifying its regulations to permit the 

training and employment of psychologists who are graduates of the 

Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS), 

which now accredits 25 university-based Ph.D. clinical psychology 

programs. The Committee urges VHA to complete this regulatory 

process to help increase the number of mental health clinicians 

available to the VA health care system. 

Clay Hunt SAV Act.—The Committee encourages VA to implement the community-oriented veteran peer support network pilot 

program established by the Clay Hunt SAV Act. The pilot program 

requires no less than five (VISNs) that have a large population of 

veterans to include in their pilot: a community-oriented veteran 

peer support network carried out in partnership with an entity 

that has experience in peer support programs, and a community 

outreach team for each medical center in each selected VISN. The 


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Committee requests a report on these efforts no later than 60 days 

of enactment of this Act. 

Law enforcement partnerships.—The Committee recommends 

that VA initiate a pilot program that would offer targeted training 

to local law enforcement officials in effective methods to assist veterans who are considered an immediate threat to themselves and 

others. The Committee also directs VA to implement a program 

that would designate a VA liaison to work with local law enforcement to ensure that the subsequent needs of these veterans are immediately addressed. 

Relationships with outside voluntary organizations.—The Committee urges VA to establish and bolster existing relationships with 

Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) that are working closely 

with veterans suffering mental health issues. In particular, the 

Committee encourages VA to partner with organizations that work 

with both male and female survivors of sexual assault. 

Magnetic resonance therapy pilot study.—The Committee understands that outside studies indicate that magnetic resonance therapy (MRT) has successfully treated veterans with PTSD and TBI. 

The Committee understands that VA is currently conducting a 

large multi-site trial of MRT for the treatment of depression, and 

encourages VA to use this study to review the effectiveness of MRT 

on PTSD since the study includes veterans with PTSD as well as 

depression. 

Insomnia.—Insomnia is a common health issue that veterans 

face and is associated with PTSD. The Committee understands 

that new technologies using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) 

have produced promising results in the treatment of insomnia in 

recent clinical trials. The Committee requests VA to report to the 

Committee within 60 days of enactment of this Act about whether 

it uses internet-delivered CBT to treat insomnia, and if not, whether it would be appropriate to conduct a study on the use of this 

technology. 

Access issues 

Veterans Choice Program.—The Committee appreciates VA’s expedited processing of regulations to implement the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014, P.L. 113–146, and the 

establishment of the Veterans Choice Program, which provides a 

new non-VA care option for eligible veterans. Further, the Committee welcomed the recent decision by VA to expand the eligibility 

criteria for the Veterans Choice Program by changing the calculation used to determine the distance between a veteran’s residence 

and the nearest VA medical facility from a straight line distance 

to driving distance. The Committee encourages VA to continue exploring options to open the aperture for the Veterans Choice Program so that more veterans can utilize non-VA care options. Specifically, the Committee requests the Department to consider including travel time and total distance to a VA medical facility that 

can address the veteran’s specific healthcare needs when determining eligibility for the Veterans Choice Program. 

Patient-Centered Community Care Program (PC3).—The Committee believes that the PC3 initiative can provide an effective 

method for improving convenience of care and decreasing costs 

when patients require services not readily available at local VA 


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medical centers. However, the Committee is concerned that PC3 

has been bypassed as a possible source of non-VA care, as most VA 

attention has focused on non-VA care being provided through the 

Choice program. A concerted effort is needed to educate veterans 

and to fully train VA medical center staff, including clinicians, nonVA care staff, and appointment schedulers on PC3. The Committee 

urges a single, clear set of guidance for all medical centers to follow, including mandatory use of the hierarchy of care provided in 

non-VA settings in the following order: other federal facilities, if 

available; affiliates; PC3; and finally direct agreements, but only if 

they offer services that PC3 agreements do not. Many medical centers are still sending most of their non-VA care out through local 

agreements or individual authorizations, instead of using PC3. In 

most of those cases, the standards and requirements are much different—no credentialing; often no requirement for return of medical documentation, and if they do require medical documentation, 

no timeliness standard. In many of these cases VA is paying rates 

higher than PC3 and, in many cases, more than Medicare. When 

PC3 began, the intent was for medical centers to be required to use 

PC3 before local agreements or individual authorizations. Because 

of the low utilization of the PC3 program, the Committee has continuing concern over VA’s ability to effectively manage the cost of 

non-VA care. To better understand the fiscal impact of continued 

reliance on local contracts and fee basis authorizations, the Committee requests a report within 60 days of enactment of this Act 

outlining the general rate structure associated with health care 

claims for PC3, local contracts, and fee basis authorizations, as well 

as the usage of PC3 in fiscal year 2015. 

PC3 data reporting.—The Committee understands that the initial usage data VA has collected on the PC3 program indicates 

some disappointing results. In calendar year 2014, PC3 authorizations for PC3 care totaled 193,000, while non-PC3 contract care authorizations were more than 2,400,000. Several medical centers 

had no PC3 care authorizations at all. In addition, more than 30 

percent of the PC3 authorizations were returned to VA without 

care being provided. The reasons for return are not clear—whether 

the contractor was not able to provide a physician or the veteran 

declined the offered provider. The Committee urges VA to strengthen its data collection efforts so that Congress and the agency will 

have information to judge how the PC3 program is working and 

what changes may need to be made, both in VA headquarters policy and in contractor capacity, to make PC3 a viable source of nonVA care. In addition, the Committee urges VA to develop a publicly 

available reporting system comparable to the VBA Monday Morning Workload reports that displays program outcome data on a 

VISN- or medical center-specific basis. 

Specialty care provider shortages.—The Committee is concerned 

that, in some areas, veterans are being sent to specialists at other 

VA facilities that are long distances from their home, despite the 

presence of the PC3 and Choice programs and the availability of 

local non-VA specialty providers. The Committee requests a report 

not later than 60 days after enactment of this Act describing the 

hierarchy of type of provider that VA uses and any fiscal, programmatic or other factors that influence the type of provider the 

veteran is directed to use by the local VISN and medical center. 


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Care through multi-specialty clinics.—The Committee remains 

concerned about VA’s ability to provide high quality, reliable, accessible, timely and efficient health care to veterans in rural States. 

The Committee strongly encourages VA to pursue multi-specialty 

clinics (MSC), giving special consideration to future MSCs that 

have the possibility of partnering with private medical institutions 

or medical teaching facilities. These partnerships could provide 

benefits to current and future veteran patients by significantly increasing the services delivered to veterans. Furthermore, these affiliations can significantly enhance VHA research and education 

missions. The Committee requests a report within 60 days of enactment of this Act identifying whether VA presently operates any 

multi-specialty clinics and any future plans to establish such clinics. 

Office of Rural Health.—The Committee provides the full fiscal 

year 2017 budget request of $250,000,000 to improve access and 

quality of care for the more than 3,000,000 veterans residing in 

rural and highly rural areas. The Committee directs the Office of 

Rural Health to submit to the Committee within 30 days of enactment of this Act an operating plan for this funding, as well as any 

changes to that operating plan at the start of the fiscal year for 

which the funds are provided. 

Rural transportation.—The Committee encourages VA to propose 

authorizing legislation to permit including considerations of a veteran’s distance from a VA facility as a criterion in addition to the 

number of veterans in a given area in implementing recent statutory changes providing transportation grants to veterans service 

agencies and VSOs. 

Mobile health technologies.—The Committee is encouraged by 

VA’s utilization of mobile, interim and fixed-site medical solutions 

that can reach veterans in both urban and rural areas. The Committee encourages VA to consider incorporating leasing options for 

mobile and telemedicine enabling solutions to support hard-toreach veteran populations and to offset the burden on large VA facilities with long wait times. 

Impact of personnel shortages.—The Committee is concerned 

about the negative effects that personnel shortages and recruitment issues at some VA medical facilities are having on patient 

care. The VA’s inability to hire and maintain required staffing have 

led to delays in opening certain treatment centers at clinics, which 

has in turn forced veterans to go long distances to receive care they 

could be getting locally. To address the inefficiencies and wasted 

resources associated with staff shortages, the Committee urges VA 

to promptly address hiring and recruitment issues to ensure that 

funds are used more effectively. The Committee expects VA to report within 60 days of enactment of this Act whether it collects 

periodic data on the reasons that providers choose to leave the VA 

system, and to establish such a data collection if it does not currently exist. The Committee expects that the report will also describe how VA plans to address and mitigate the principal reasons 

providers leave. The Committee requests an update every six 

months on the number of medical staff who have left the VA system and a summary of the principal reasons explaining their departure. 


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Other health issues 

Prescription drug abuse.—The Committee is pleased with the VA 

Opioid Safety Initiative and the results it is producing in reducing 

the dependence of veterans on prescription opioids. The Committee 

notes the development of the Opioid Safety Initiative Toolkit as a 

useful tool to disseminate across the VA medical system national 

taskforce findings on issues such as drug dosages, interactions and 

adverse events; pain management strategies; and patient counseling. The Committee notes, however, that the opioid prescription 

abuses discovered at the Tomah, Wisconsin VA hospital indicate 

that work remains to be done within VA to ensure that physicians 

are not ignoring guidance on appropriate opioid prescribing practices. The Committee urges VA to increase its efforts in opioid prescription control and directs VA to submit a report no later than 

90 days after enactment of this Act on VA’s ongoing reviews of prescription practices in specific VISNs. 

Hepatitis C virus.—The Committee supports VA’s efforts to control Hepatitis C in the veteran population and understands that 

VA is allocating substantial resources to provide the newly improved Hepatitis C drugs to veterans. The Committee requests a 

report 90 days after enactment of this Act detailing the number of 

veterans currently in the VA medical system who have Hepatitis 

C and are eligible to receive the new medications, the number of 

veterans currently receiving the new medications, the length of 

time this cohort will be taking the drug before being cured of the 

infection, and future year projections for VA hepatitis C caseload 

and treatment cost. 

Locum tenens physicians.—The Committee recognizes that VA facilities across the nation often rely upon assistance from temporarily assigned locum tenens physicians. Further, the Committee 

understands that VA locum tenens professionals enable a flexible 

staffing structure among VA facilities, responsive to the changing 

demands of the VA patient population, and that VA’s locum tenens 

system, in which a physician with a current license in at least one 

state may work in any VA facility, has been a normal and necessary staffing practice of VA for decades. The Committee understands the importance of locum tenens professionals within VA and 

urges VA and the Drug Enforcement Administration to resolve regulatory issues concerning prescription privileges for VA locum 

tenens physicians so that veterans have access to high quality local 

VA health care. 

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy.—The Committee recognizes that one 

of the most important aspects of improving VA is to ensure that 

our nation’s veterans have access to the treatments they need in 

order to stem the unacceptable tide of veteran suicides. The Committee is aware that some private clinical studies have demonstrated that hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has provided significant improvement to patients suffering from PTSD and TBI. 

The Committee takes note that the Israeli Defense Forces have recently approved HBOT in treating PTSD and a variety of other 

brain conditions for its personnel. The Committee urges the Secretary to take steps to approve HBOT as a treatment option if the 

Secretary determines that such an approval would benefit veterans 

with PTSD and TBI. 


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Medical school affiliations with VA health care facilities.—The 

Committee continues to prioritize collaboration between VA and 

medical schools. The Committee acknowledges the improved collaboration, particularly with smaller community-based sites. However, the Committee continues to be concerned by the lack of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic 

Serving Institutions (HSIs) medical school participation and collaboration with the local VA hospitals in areas where HBCU and 

HSI medical schools are located. The Committee directs the Secretary to provide a report on VA’s plan for expansion of HBCU and 

HSI medical school participation with local VA medical facilities. 

The report should be submitted to the Committee no later than 90 

days after the enactment of this Act. 

Pharmacy dispensing process for specialized medicines.—In circumstances where VA is unable to use commercially packaged or 

pre-mixed volumes that can be administered directly to the patient 

without further preparation, the Committee encourages VA to enhance its use of specialized automated pharmacy workflow systems 

that manage the entire intravenous and oral liquid dose preparation and dispensing process. These systems promote safety, reduce 

waste, and improve health system pharmacy productivity. 

Nursing handbook.—The Committee understands that the VHA 

Nursing Handbook is currently under review. The Committee encourages VHA to seek input from internal VA program offices and 

external professional stakeholders, prior to possible regulatory action and submission to the Under Secretary for Health for final approval. The Committee believes all possible outreach efforts should 

be used to communicate the proposed changes, to gather public 

comment, and to collaborate with Congress, stakeholders, VA nursing staff, and external organizations. Finally, the Committee requests that VHA ensure that any changes to handbooks within 

VHA do not conflict with other handbooks already in place within 

VHA. 

Hepatitis B virus (HBV).—The Committee is aware that HBV, if 

left untreated, may lead to advanced liver disease, liver cancer and 

the need for liver transplants, placing a greater financial burden on 

the veterans health care system. The Committee is also aware that 

the rates of viral hepatitis infections among Vietnam era veterans 

and the baby boomer birth cohort is disproportionately high, and 

the testing rate among U.S. veterans is very low, with only 15 percent of veterans having been tested for HBV infection. Among those 

who tested positive, just one-quarter have received antiviral treatment. Therefore, the Committee urges an aggressive and targeted 

outreach program, consistent with CDC’s viral hepatitis testing 

and treatment recommendations, to identify veterans with Hepatitis B and to facilitate and encourage treatment for those identified with the disease. 

Medical waste.—At the request of Congress, VA has previously 

provided information that compared cost estimates between handling the treatment of infectious medical waste on-site versus offsite. VA studies indicated that there are cost savings as well as 

beneficial environment impacts and utility savings associated with 

on-site medical waste treatment. Last year, VA completed a blanket purchase agreement (BPA) that was intended to streamline the 

future purchasing of medical waste sterilization equipment by VA 


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hospitals. The Committee requests VA to provide a report no later 

than 90 days after enactment of this Act describing what steps VA 

has taken or intends to take to use this new BPA to achieve overall 

cost savings at VA hospitals through on-site medical waste treatment equipment. The report should also indicate whether there are 

certain types of facilities that are more likely to achieve cost savings than others from on-site medical waste treatment. 

Alternative treatments.—The Committee urges the Department to 

more strongly consider proven healthcare industry strategies that 

improve the underlying health of the veteran populations and provide alternative treatment options—strategies such as individual 

wellness and prevention programs and non-opiate complementary 

therapies. These healthcare strategies have been widely adopted by 

private healthcare coverage providers to improve the health and 

quality of life of patient populations while reducing short and longterm costs to healthcare systems. 

Wound therapies.—The Committee seeks to ensure that our veterans have access to the most cutting-edge wound therapies in the 

world. As such, the Committee asks VA to report to the Committee 

no later than 60 days after enactment of this Act on the types of 

alternative therapies for wound treatment that are available to veterans through the VA system. 

Non-healing pressure ulcers.—Veterans with spinal cord injuries 

(SCI) often suffer from non-healing, chronic wounds such as pressure ulcers, which are the second most frequent and significant 

complication of SCI. According to a 2011 study published by the 

Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, researchers found that the use of 

autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy appeared to stimulate acceleration of wound healing with SCI. The Committee encourages VA to explore the use of PRP therapy/treatment for veterans who suffer from chronic wounds. 

Exoskeleton technologies.—VA is encouraged to enhance its use of 

exoskeleton technology for the rehabilitation of individuals with 

weakness or paralysis of the lower limbs, such as from spinal cord 

injury, stroke, and TBI, especially those technologies specifically 

designed to provide overground ambulation. 

Interactive patient care.—The Committee understands that a 

number of VA medical centers have employed an interactive patient care model to help empower patients and educate them on the 

care they receive. This system uses in-room televisions, iPads or 

the myHealtheVet patient portal to educate veterans on services, 

medications, patient safety and pain management. The system has 

been shown to increase patient satisfaction and to improve quality 

and safety outcomes. The Committee encourages the expanded use 

of interactive patient care in VA medical centers. 

Sleep disorders.—Sleep disturbances are often a warning sign of 

many physiological ailments commonly faced by military veterans. 

They are strongly linked to PTSD, anxiety, and depression, which 

can prohibit military veterans from readjusting to civilian life. The 

Committee supports efforts to improve the health and well-being of 

military veterans, and encourages the Department to issue a report 

to the Committee no later than 60 days after enactment of this Act 

detailing the state of sleep health among military veterans. The report should indicate current sleep trends among veterans, their 


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connection with any health concern, and treatments to provide adequate sleep. 

Hospital-acquired infections.—The Committee recognizes that hospital-acquired infections result in up to $4.5 billion in additional 

healthcare expenses annually and that healthcare workers have 

the highest rates of exposure and infection. Healthcare worker and 

patient safety and infection prevention are a growing problem in 

healthcare facilities, as evidenced by the recent CRE superbug outbreak in hospitals throughout the United States. The Committee 

encourages the Department to incorporate for use by healthcare 

workers and patients current commercially available active barrier 

technologies that have been proven to be effective in a patient care 

setting. 

Antibiotic resistance.—The Committee recognizes the importance 

of antibiotic resistance as a public health priority and appreciates 

the work of the Department to implement antimicrobial stewardship programs per VHA Directive 1031. Therefore, within the funds 

provided, the Committee directs VA to fully carry out these stewardship efforts, and to conduct a comprehensive assessment of efforts to implement the Directive, including coordination between facilities and progress in standardizing stewardship approaches 

across the Department. This assessment shall be shared with the 

Committee no later than 180 days after enactment of this Act. 

Infectious diseases screening.—The Committee applauds VHA for 

developing electronic clinical reminders for recommended HIV/AIDs 

and viral hepatitis screening and urges VHA to implement these 

reminders in all appropriate settings. To further improve screening 

rates, the Committee urges VHA to offer support to VISNs to implement recommended screening, including innovative strategies 

like point-of-care testing. 

Blast injury treatment.—The nature of the current military conflict and increasing use of improvised explosive devices has left 

some servicemembers with blast injuries that include spinal cord 

injury and trauma to the reproductive and urinary tracts. The 

Committee is concerned about the care of these injured 

servicemembers after they return home, and notes that there is not 

parity between the DOD and VA treatment of servicemembers with 

these injuries. The Committee directs VA to provide a report to the 

Committee that details the scope and the extent of veterans facing 

infertility issues due to military service during Operation Iraqi 

Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). This report shall be submitted no later 180 days after enactment of this 

Act. 

Chapel regulations.—The Committee understands that national 

guidelines from the VA National Chaplain Service regarding the 

display of religious symbols in VA medical center chapels have resulted in disruptive changes at some VA facilities with chapels that 

were constructed decades ago. VA chapels provide important spiritual and contemplative space for veterans and their families. As 

such, the Committee urges the National Chaplain Service to work 

with local communities when issues on display of religious symbols 

arise to ensure that any changes are minimally disruptive to the 

spiritual needs of veterans. 

Religious tolerance.—The Committee notes that there have been 

several instances in the past few years where VA staff have misVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:56 Apr 25, 2015 Jkt 094208 PO 00000 Frm 00044 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR092.XXX HR092

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interpreted VA guidance that ensures appropriate sensitivity to different religious faiths. Those cases have been resolved through 

court action or mediation. The Committee requests the VA Inspector General to review VA guidance with respect to funeral services, 

chaplain ministries in VA hospitals, and religious holiday celebrations at VA hospitals to determine whether current guidance appropriately protects the religious beliefs of VA employees as well as 

veterans and their family members. The IG should submit its findings to the Committee no later than 180 days after enactment of 

this Act. 

Inpatient rehabilitation programs.—In anticipation of the findings of the Inspector General report due to the Committee in August 2015 about VA’s actions integrating mental health and substance abuse inpatient treatment for patients with co-morbidities, 

the Secretary is directed to report to the Committee by April 1, 

2016 how the Department is working to integrate these services 

and what changes it has made and plans to make to its inpatient 

rehabilitation programs. 

Air cleaning technology.—The Committee requests VA to submit 

a report to the Committee no later than 180 days after enactment 

of this Act detailing the rates of readmission to VA hospitals due 

to surgically related infections during the past 10 years, VA’s current use of air filtration systems in its facilities’ operating rooms, 

and the potential cost and safety benefits of utilizing advanced air 

cleaning technology with an air change rate of at least 500 times 

per hour in its operating rooms. 

Poorly performing medical centers.—The Committee remains concerned that an unacceptable number of VA medical centers continue to perform far below minimally accepted standards for wait 

times and quality of care, and that these problems are often the result of chronic mismanagement and a failed organizational culture 

at the system level. Further, the Committee believes that, in the 

most severe cases, the Department, using its normal operating procedures, has demonstrated an inability to rapidly correct the systemic problems that are driving poor performance. The Committee 

is concerned that the Secretary lacks the tools necessary to effectively turn around failing medical centers. The Committee requests 

that within 60 days of filing of this report, the Secretary report to 

the Committee what crisis management plans, policies, organizational procedures, legal authorities, and resources at the Secretary’s disposal are being utilized in this regard, and identify any 

additional resources or authorities believed necessary to effectively 

renew poorly performing medical centers. 

MEDICAL SUPPORT AND COMPLIANCE

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $5,879,700,000 

Fiscal year 2016 enacted level ........................................................... 6,144,000,000 

Fiscal year 2016 additional request .................................................. 69,961,000 

Committee 2016 additional recommendation ................................... – – – 

Fiscal year 2017 advance budget request ......................................... 6,524,000,000 

Committee 2017 recommendation in the bill ................................... 6,524,000,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2016 enacted level ................................................... 380,000,000 

Fiscal year 2017 advance budget request ................................. – – – 

The Medical Support and Compliance appropriation funds the expenses of management and administration of the Department’s 


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health care system, including financial management, public health 

and environmental hazard, quality and performance management, 

medical inspection, human research oversight, training programs 

and continuing education, security, volunteer operations, and 

human resources. 

The bill does not include the current year budget request of $69,961,000, which would be in addition to the advance appropriation that has already been provided. If additional current funding 

is required, it can be transferred from Medical Services under the 

authority of section 202. 

The Committee has not included requested bill language to make available through September 30, 2018, $100,000,000 of the Medical 

Support and Compliance appropriation for fiscal year 2017, instead 

maintaining current policy of providing extended availability on a 

current year rather than advance funding basis. 

Funding identified in the bill is in addition to the anticipated $201,854,000 for medical support and compliance from the Veterans Choice Act in fiscal year 2016. 

Employee ratios.—The Committee directs the Secretary to provide an annual report on the ratio of administrator-to-frontline 

workers at each VA medical center throughout the country. This 

report shall include an assessment of the most effective ratio as 

well as an explanation of those facilities that fall outside of that 

assessment. 

Grow Our Own Initiative (GOO).—House Report 113–416 included language urging VA to create a pilot program to pipeline 

veteran medics into positions as physician assistants, which VA endorsed. However, the Committee is concerned that the GOO initiative lacks adequate coordination with HBCUs. In its work to expand the GOO initiative, the Committee directs VA to collaborate 

closely with HBCUs to channel a diverse group of Armed Forces 

medics and Navy Corpsmen, particularly veteran medics who already have met the qualifications for health provider admissions, 

into physician assistant training programs. The Committee directs 

VA to report to the Committee within 180 days of enactment on the 

progress of expanding GOO and its coordination with HBCUs. 

MEDICAL FACILITIES

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $4,739,000,000 

Fiscal year 2016 enacted level ........................................................... 4,915,000,000 

Fiscal year 2016 additional request .................................................. 105,132,000 

Committee 2016 additional recommendation ................................... – – – 

Fiscal year 2017 advance budget request ......................................... 5,074,000,000 

Committee 2017 recommendation in the bill ................................... 5,074,000,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2016 enacted level ................................................... 159,000,000 

Fiscal year 2017 advance budget request ................................. – – – 

The Medical Facilities appropriation provides funds for the operation and maintenance of the VA health care system’s capital infrastructure. Included under this heading are provisions for costs associated with utilities, engineering, capital planning, leases, laundry, groundskeeping, garbage, housekeeping, facility repair, and 

property disposition and acquisition. 

The bill does not include the current year budget request of 

$105,132,000, which would be in addition to the advance appropriation that has already been provided. If additional current funding 


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is required, it can be transferred from Medical Services under the 

authority of section 202. 

The Committee has not included requested bill language to make 

available through September 30, 2018, $250,000,000 of the advance 

Medical Facilities appropriation for fiscal year 2017, instead maintaining current policy of providing extended availability on a current year rather than advance funding basis. 

Funding identified in the bill is in addition to the anticipated 

$755,000,000 for medical facilities from the Veterans Choice Act in 

fiscal year 2016. 

Scope change process.—The Committee requests clarification regarding the process used by the VA to make scope changes to 

planned projects with respect to evaluating costs and benefits. The 

Committee is concerned that recent scope changes to the Rochester, 

NY Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) to not include the 

Ambulatory Surgery Suite may lead to the eventual construction of 

two separate facilities at a substantially higher cost while inconveniencing local veterans. The Committee believes that VA must 

improve its long term planning for facility construction to avoid 

costly mistakes and unnecessarily increasing travel times for patients. The Committee is concerned that this is another example of 

VA’s lack of control over design, cost, and ability to deliver planned 

projects on time. The Committee requests a report on the status of 

the Rochester, NY CBOC no later than 60 days after enactment of 

this Act. 

MEDICAL AND PROSTHETIC RESEARCH

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $588,922,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 621,813,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 621,813,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... 32,891,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ – – – 

This appropriation provides for medical, rehabilitative, and 

health services research. The bill makes this account funding available through September 30, 2017. Medical research is an important 

aspect of the Department’s programs, providing complete medical 

and hospital services for veterans. The prosthetic research program 

is also essential in the development and testing of prosthetic, orthopedic, and sensory aids for the purpose of improving the care and 

rehabilitation of eligible disabled veterans, including amputees, 

paraplegics, and the blind. The health services research program 

provides unique opportunities to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the health care delivery system. Budgetary resources from 

a number of areas, including appropriations from the medical care 

accounts, reimbursements from DOD, grants from the National Institutes of Health, private proprietary sources, and voluntary organizations, provide support for the Department’s researchers. Estimated 2016 research resources beyond the research account are 

$1,210,000,000. 

Advanced prosthetics.—The Committee encourages VA to fund 

research at the intersection of bioengineering, neuroscience, and rehabilitation to support neural interfaces to peripheral nerves and 

advanced prosthetics that deliver more functionality to amputees. 


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Prosthetics for females.—The Committee feels that a proportionate amount of prosthetics research should be focused on prosthetics meant for females. The Committee is disappointed in reports of VA providers sanding down prosthetics that were made for 

men in order to fit female patients, and requests that VA ensure 

the availability of prosthetic equipment proportionate to the 

amount of female veterans in need. 

Service dogs.—The Committee is aware that canine therapy for 

treatment of PTSD and TBI symptoms is an emerging alternative 

therapy to pharmaceutical treatments. While still experimental, canine therapy has demonstrated effectiveness in treating PTSD and 

other psychological disorders, from hospitalized psychiatric patients 

to children with developmental disorders, patients with substance 

abuse problems, and victims of trauma. The Committee notes that 

canine therapy is a promising area for further research as a complementary or alternative treatment for the signature wounds of 

the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Committee continues to encourage VA to expand its research on canine therapy to validate its 

therapeutic effectiveness in the treatment of PTSD and TBI. 

Respiratory disease.—The Committee notes studies documenting 

an unexpected number of OEF and OIF veterans exhibiting unexplained respiratory diseases. The Committee encourages VA to 

partner with VSOs and concerned medical organizations to develop 

a research plan to address these conditions. Noting the growing 

burden of chronic obstructive lung disease and lung cancer among 

veteran populations, the Committee also encourages VA to expand 

its research portfolio to address these conditions. 

Assistive technology.—The Committee encourages VA to develop 

a comprehensive user-oriented methodology to assess, design, build, 

and test assistive technology with a focus on tailored solutions 

rather than a one-size fits all approach to product development. In 

this work, the Committee encourages VA to work with research institutions with a multi-disciplinary approach that includes rehabilitation specialists, industrial designers, computer engineers, clinical 

specialists, and disability-specific support organizations. 

Applied research in emerging technology.—The Committee recognizes VA medical centers’ efforts in implementing continuum of 

care concepts focused on quality patient outcomes. As such, the 

Committee believes VA medical centers have the unique ability to 

serve as a site for rehabilitation and training supporting integration of wounded veterans into the community. The Committee encourages VA medical centers to continue to conduct applied research in emerging prosthetics, physical performance, biomechanics, sports medicine, and transcranial direct current stimulation research for patient populations. The applied research 

should leverage emerging technology simulation environments providing the opportunity for tele-rehabilitation and training. 

Colorectal cancer.—Colorectal cancer is treatable if detected 

early, yet it is the second leading cause of cancer death in America. 

VA has made screening patients for colorectal cancer a priority. 

The National Cancer Institute estimates the annual cost of 

colorectal cancer will be almost $20 billion by 2020. Medicare and 

VA will be responsible for much of that cost. The Committee encourages VA to support additional research and development in the 


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field, including investigation of a less costly blood test for colorectal 

cancer. 

Long-term effects of exposure to toxic chemicals.—The Committee 

understands that wounds from exposure to toxic chemicals can 

have lifelong and generational effects, the impacts of which are still 

being determined. The Committee recognizes that the generational 

effects of toxic exposure have not been studied enough to determine 

what conditions children and grandchildren of exposed veterans 

face on a daily basis. The Committee urges VA to explore options 

for addressing this problem. 

Access to research findings.—The Committee is pleased that VA 

has developed a public access policy to make publicly available the 

research findings that are financed through VA and that its research is now being posted on the National Institutes of Health 

PubMed Central site. The Committee requests a report 90 days 

after enactment of this Act describing articles that were posted in 

fiscal year 2015 and an estimate of how many will be posted in fiscal year 2016. 

Alzheimer’s disease.—The Committee is aware of recent research 

that suggests TBI and PTSD may increase the chances of Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias. Furthermore, the Committee 

is concerned by VA estimates that the number of veterans with dementia will reach 218,000 by fiscal year 2017, a more than five-fold 

increase in the last decade. Therefore, the Committee encourages 

VA to conduct additional, peer-reviewed research on Alzheimer’s 

disease. The Committee urges VA, to the maximum extent possible, 

to target its research activities to the milestones issued in the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease and coordinate its efforts with the National Institutes of Health. 

Diabetes.—The Committee recognizes the growth of diabetes as 

an epidemic in our country and the burden it places on our nation’s 

veterans. The Committee is pleased with the efforts of VA in securing 300,000 veterans to participate in the Million Veteran Program. 

The program is one of the largest databases of genetic, military exposure, lifestyle, and health information, and the research findings 

provide ways of preventing and treating a number of diseases impacting veterans, including diabetes. The Committee urges VA to 

continue its efforts to reach the goal of one million participants. 

Also, the Committee urges the VA Office of Research and Development to provide more information about the diabetes-specific research projects currently being funded. 

MEDICAL CARE COLLECTIONS FUND

The Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Care Collections 

Fund (MCCF) was established by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 

(Public Law 105–33). The Department deposits first-party and 

pharmacy co-payments, third-party insurance payments and enhanced-use collections, long-term care co-payments, Compensated 

Work Therapy Program collections, Compensation and Pension Living Expenses Program collections, and Parking Program fees into 

the MCCF. The Department uses these funds for medical care and 

services to veterans. The estimate of fees that will be collected in 

fiscal year 2016 is $2,445,000,000. 

Third party billing.—Congress remains concerned over potential 

discrepancies in the VA’s billing process. Procedures to provide for 


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correct billing and prompt collection must improve at the VA. 

Therefore, the Department shall submit to Congress no later than 

180 days after the end of any fiscal year a report identifying the 

amount of third party health billings that were owed to the VA in 

the previous fiscal year and the amount collected. The report shall 

include billings and collections data for both large claims (greater 

than $1,000) and small claims (equal to or less than $1,000). In addition, the report shall include current efforts underway to increase 

VA’s efficiency, accuracy and collection process, as well as what 

management practices are in place to provide proper oversight of 

the billing process so as to eliminate unnecessary and duplicative 

functions. 

NATIONAL CEMETERY ADMINISTRATION (NCA) 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $256,800,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 266,220,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 266,220,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... 9,420,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ – – – 

The NCA was established in accordance with Public Law 93–43, 

the National Cemeteries Act of 1973. It has a fourfold mission: to 

provide for the interment of, in any national cemetery with available grave space, the remains of eligible deceased servicemembers 

and discharged veterans, together with their spouses and certain 

dependents, and to permanently maintain their graves; to provide 

headstones for, and to mark graves of eligible persons in national, 

State, tribal, and private cemeteries; to administer the grant program for aid to States and tribal governments in establishing, expanding, or improving State and tribal government veterans’ cemeteries; and to administer the Presidential Memorial Certificate Program. This appropriation will provide for the operation and maintenance of 134 operational national cemeteries, two rural National 

Veterans Burial Grounds, and 33 other cemeterial installations. 

The bill includes language making up to $26,600,000 of the total 

available until September 30, 2017. 

Rural areas.—The Committee continues to be concerned by the 

NCA’s response to Committee direction to develop a strategic plan 

for access to national cemeteries in rural areas. The conference report for the fiscal year 2015 appropriation instructed the Department to report why its strategic plan lacked all eight elements 

mandated by Congress and why it has ignored the recommendation 

of the Government Accountability Office on using census tract data 

to calculate veteran population served. The Committee expects the 

Department to respond to these issues within 30 days of this report 

being filed. 


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DEPARTMENTAL ADMINISTRATION

GENERAL ADMINISTRATION

(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $321,591,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 346,659,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 336,659,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... 15,068,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ (10,000,000) 

The General Administration account provides funds for the Office 

of the Secretary, six Assistant Secretaries, and three independent 

staff offices. The Committee has included bill language to make 

available through September 30, 2017, up to $10,100,000 of these 

funds and to permit the transfer of funds in this account to the 

General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration account. 

MyVA program.—The Committee realizes that the Secretary is 

dedicated to his initiative called ‘‘MyVA’’ that focuses on customer 

service from the veteran’s perspective. The Committee has some 

concerns with the funding of the new program. The budget includes 

$3,500,000 to establish the MyVA program office. But, in addition, 

the budget request taps the operating divisions of VA for 

$76,300,000 and 204 FTE for activities to support planned customer data integration and Department-wide reorganization. This 

‘‘tap’’ on ongoing VA activities seems excessive, especially given the 

paucity of information about what the MyVA office will do. The 

Committee expects a quarterly report detailing the activities of the 

MyVA office and its detailed employees, specifically addressing the 

possible reconfiguration of offices at the regional and State levels 

and the cost of such reconfiguration. 

Leadership at the Board of Veterans Appeals.—The Committee 

fails to understand why the Board of Veterans Appeals has not had 

a chairman for the past four years and why no candidate has been 

identified. The Committee urges the Secretary to work with the 

White House and identify a candidate for the vacant chairman of 

the Board position without delay. With the coming surge in appeals 

of disability claims, the Board needs full strength in its leadership 

positions to guide development of the Board’s master plan to handle the influx. 

VA budget office communication.—The Committee has traditionally channeled most of its inquiries and requests for information 

and assistance through VA budget office. The Committee reiterates 

its longstanding position that, while the Committee reserves the 

right to call upon all VA offices, the primary communication between the Committee and VA should normally be through the 

budget office. Responses to Committee inquiries, regardless of 

whether they concern funding or policy, are to be transmitted without delay by other offices within VA, unless otherwise requested by 

the Committee. In addition, to facilitate the work of the Committee, it expects that the Department will make available to all 

personal and committee staff of Members of the Committee the 

same direct contact with the budget office. The Committee also expects that a staff member of VA budget office will be present at 

every meeting held between the chairman and ranking member of 


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the Full Committee and Subcommittee and the Secretary or other 

senior VA officials. 

Quarterly full-time equivalents (FTE) reports.—The Committee 

continues to request that VA provide, on a quarterly basis, the 

total current FTE by appropriation account and, in the case of General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration, by 

program. The Committee feels it needs to have current staffing information throughout the year in order to monitor the use of salaries and expenses resources. 

Additional budgetary information.—The Committee continues its 

request that items described in the fiscal year 2015 House report 

113–416 continue to be included in the budget justifications submitted each year. These items include: displaying a current year 

estimate for all accounts and for the budget year and the advance 

year; providing a reimbursable FTE summary chart for the General 

Administration account; providing an FTE by grade and regional/ 

central office totals chart for the Information Technology Systems 

account; and providing the appeals caseload information requested 

for the Board of Veterans Appeals. The Committee would also like 

a quarterly report identifying the total amount the Department obligates for outreach and awareness marketing campaigns, with a 

description of each campaign supported. 

Staff relocations within VA.—The bill continues the administrative provision requiring written notification 15 days prior to organizational changes which result in the transfer of 25 or more fulltime equivalent staff from one organizational unit of the Department to another. 

Small business outreach efforts.—The Committee encourages VA 

to provide increased outreach efforts to small businesses located in 

parts of the country that have experienced severe job losses and, 

in particular, those areas of the country that have been designated 

as Promise Zones. 

Equitable relief.—The Committee understands that VA is working to implement new systems and protocols to eliminate instances 

of administrative error. However, the Committee recognizes that as 

VA enacts system-wide reforms, ending equitable relief for veterans 

who were deemed eligible for benefits in error would place an unfair burden on veterans and their families. The Committee urges 

the Secretary to continue to grant or extend equitable relief to veterans initially deemed eligible in instances of administrative error. 

No later than April 1 of each year, the Secretary shall submit to 

the Committee a report containing a statement as to the disposition of each case recommended to the Secretary for equitable relief 

under 38 U.S.C 503 during the preceding calendar year. 

Tribal nation representation.—Despite VA efforts to address the 

burdens across Indian Country to access earned care and benefits, 

challenges continue to exist. The Committee is concerned that the 

current framework for recognizing organizations and appointed 

VSO representatives has required tribal communities to rely on 

non-tribal third parties to advocate on behalf of tribal veterans. 

The Committee encourages the Secretary to consider utilizing existing authority to recognize Tribal Nations and their representatives 

to directly prepare, present, and prosecute claims under the laws 

administered by the Secretary. 


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Strike force response.—The Committee is aware that the Secretary occasionally transfers leaders from other VA facilities to 

temporarily take charge to address acute problems in certain failing facilities. These leaders observe problem areas, develop corrective actions, and reorganize personnel and institutional assets to 

achieve them. The Committee urges the Secretary to regularize 

this process by having a cadre of experienced, high-performing 

managers designated for short-notice assignment to VA institutions 

that the Secretary or Inspector General identifies as low-performing. These managers should be used before a facility has longterm performance problems or an established record of failing to 

provide veteran services. The Committee requests a report within 

60 days of the filing of this report outlining the number of senior 

managers who have been identified for future strike teams for both 

VHA and VBA facilities/offices. 

BOARD OF VETERANS APPEALS (BVA) 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $99,294,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 107,884,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 107,884,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... 8,590,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ – – – 

The bill makes up to $10,788,000 of this funding available 

through September 30, 2017. 

The BVA is the component of VA responsible for making final decisions on behalf of the Secretary for the thousands of claims for 

veterans benefits that are presented to BVA for appellate review. 

The majority of the BVA’s workload derives from the benefit claims 

initiated at the VBA regional offices. The appellate process has 

multiple steps, most of which occur at the local regional office level. 

If a veteran is not satisfied with a regional office determination, he 

or she may appeal to BVA for a final agency decision. BVA adjudicates appeals covering all areas of veterans benefits, but most of 

the workload concerns appeals for veterans’ disability compensation 

or pension benefits. Appeals received by BVA are projected to increase from 49,611 in 2012 to 81,640 cases in 2016. 

Reporting on the appeals backlog.—The Committee directs the 

Board to report on the status of the appeals backlog, on a quarterly 

basis, starting within 120 days of enactment of this Act. The report 

should include a definition of the backlog, the total number of appeals pending, and the total number of appeals in backlog, and 

should identify time-specific metrics related to reduction of the 

backlog. 

In addition, the Board should provide a report within 90 days of 

enactment of this Act identifying what policy, organizational and 

structural changes are necessary to eliminate the backlog and outlining the resources necessary to accomplish that task. 


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GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES, VETERANS BENEFITS

ADMINISTRATION

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $2,534,254,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 2,697,734,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 2,697,734,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... 163,480,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ – – – 

The General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) account provides funding for VBA to administer entitlement programs such as service-connected disability compensation, 

education benefits, and vocational rehabilitation services. 

The bill makes available through September 30, 2017, up to $134,800,000 of these funds. 

The Committee provides the full request for the General Operating Expenses, VBA account. Despite the funding constraints 

faced by the Committee, the Committee believes that one of its top 

priorities must be to support the activities in this request—hiring 

770 additional FTE to increase the workforce for appeals claims 

processors, fiduciary field examiners, and non-rating claims processors. These staff are needed to handle the increasing workloads 

in appeals, non-rating claims, and fiduciary field examinations that 

result from VBA’s increase in processed claims, as it further reduces the disability claims backlog. The bill also supports the full 

request of $26,300,000 for the centralized mail initiative to consolidate inbound paper mail from the regional offices to a centralized 

intake site and the $140,800,000 request for the Veterans Claim 

Intake Program (VCIP) to scan paper claims and convert them into 

digital format. The Committee provides the full request 

($36,800,000 from VBA and $253,000,000 from IT) for the Veterans 

Benefits Management System (VBMS), the paperless claims processing system. VBMS allows VBA to centrally manage the claims 

workload at the national level and direct cases electronically across 

its network of regional offices to match claims demand with available processing capacity. The Committee urges VA to allocate the 

maximum funding available for VCIP because of its importance in 

speeding the claims decision process. 

Claims backlog.—The Committee believes VA should have no 

higher priority than to reach its goal by the end of 2015 of no pending disability claim being more than 125 days old, while continuing 

to process all other claims to avoid recurrence of any backlog. 

While the Committee supports VBA’s use of technology to improve 

performance, the Committee is somewhat skeptical that the new 

VBMS procedures will ensure timely processing of the backlog by 

the end of 2015. For the last five years, the Committee has fully 

funded the President’s budget request for additional FTEs and increased IT funding, yet the claims backlog remains. The Committee 

is concerned that VBA is not planning to mitigate a predictable influx of new claims from DOD downsizing. Therefore, in addition to 

maintaining the current reporting requirements as listed in House 

Report 113–416, the Department is instructed to provide a report 

no later than 6 months after enactment of this Act outlining future 

staffing requests based on anticipated separation numbers as provided by DOD. While this report is for the use of the Appropriations Committee, it may be made available by the VA Office of 


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Congressional and Legislative Affairs to any Member of the House 

of Representatives upon request. In addition, VA is requested to 

display in the annual budget justification documents for each year 

the amount of funding allocated for staff overtime for claims processing, both voluntary and mandatory. 

Claims processing deficiencies.—Because the backlog at the Oakland VA regional office was among the worst in the nation, the 

VBA is requested to submit no later than 30 days after enactment 

of this Act a report outlining for calendar years 2014 and 2015 the 

number of claims received and processed at the Oakland regional 

office and the accuracy scores for those claims; the average time to 

complete a claim; the employee scores on speed and quality of rating; the amount of employee training that was conducted; the 

amount of overtime that was used; and the number of claims that 

were brokered to another regional office. Lastly, the report should 

outline the lessons learned and new protocols used from working 

with higher efficiency regional offices where Oakland’s claims were 

brokered. 

Appeals claims processing.—The Committee has provided the full 

request to hire 200 additional FTE for processing appeals claims in 

the regional offices. It is essential that the growing backlog in veteran appeals claims be addressed by VA. VA has neglected the appeals of veteran claims in its effort to reduce the disability claims 

backlog and has lost sight of the appeals process. VA should 

produce an annual report on its actions to lower the backlog in appeals. 

Appeals decision team.—The Appeals Decision Team was created 

in 2011 to improve processing times for appeals in the VBA regional offices. One recommendation of the team was the pilot in the 

Houston, Texas regional office, which decreased processing time 

from 1,445 days to 293 days. Despite congressional encouragement, 

VBA has not disseminated the best practices identified in the 

Houston pilot to other regional offices or expanded the pilot project. 

The Committee directs VBA to report to the Committee no later 

than 30 days after filing of this report the reason why the Houston 

pilot best practices, which resulted in such a dramatic decrease in 

processing time, have not been put in place in other regional offices. In addition, the report should include a description of other 

activities and recommendations of the Appeals Decision Team in 

the last two years and the actions taken in response to those recommendations by VBA. 

Military sexual assault claims.—The Committee understands 

VBA is developing and implementing new training initiatives and 

procedures for PTSD claims related to military sexual trauma 

(MST). The Committee is pleased with the increased focus on this 

area and encourages VA to continue to build on strides that have 

been made, to include intensive training and identifying specialized 

claims employees for MST-related claims. VA should continue 

tracking key data sets including: a) the number of MST-related 

claims submitted in the previous fiscal year; b) of the submitted 

claims, the number and percentage of claims submitted by each 

sex; c) the number of the approved claims, and the number and 

percentage, listed by sex, of claims assigned to each rating percentage; d) of the denied claims, the three most common reasons given 

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als; e) the number of denials that were based on the failure of the 

veterans to report for a medical examination; f) the number of 

claims that are pending at the end of the fiscal year (including 

claims on appeal); g) the average days to complete MST claims; and 

h) a description of the training the Secretary provides to employees 

of VBA specifically with respect to covered claims, including the 

frequency, length, and content of such training. The Committee 

also directs VA to conduct veteran outreach initiatives and publicize benefits veterans may be entitled to as a result of MST. The 

Committee looks forward to receiving a report describing this data 

no later than 90 days after enactment of this Act. 

Transitioning from the Armed Services.—The Committee is concerned about the difficulties men and women face transitioning 

from the Armed Services to the civilian sector. The transition can 

be difficult, even though a recent survey revealed that nearly 90 

percent of transitioning personnel believe they possess marketable 

general skills such as problem solving, leadership, ethics, and time 

management and most believe they possess specific marketable 

skills, such as information technology, health care, mechanical, and 

aviation. One of the major challenges transitioning veterans face in 

securing suitable employment in the civilian sector is the difficulty 

in translating to employers the value of the skills they learned in 

the military. In particular, the Committee urges VA to refine and 

upgrade its Military Skills Translator tool to better reflect the 

transferable skills of transitioning military veterans. Additionally, 

the Committee instructs VA to increase public awareness of and 

ensure access to the Military Skills Translator tool for civilian employers. 

National security concerns and benefits.—The Committee appreciates the need to safeguard information concerning classified military activities. However, it has come to the Committee’s attention 

that some veterans have been challenged to access the benefits that 

they have earned through service because of national security concerns. The Committee encourages the Secretary to work collaboratively with the Secretary of Defense to identify a process to ease 

the procedure for veterans to obtain benefits and care from the Department without compromising national security. 

Enhancing state and local partnerships.—The Committee strongly supports VBA’s collaboration with accredited VSOs, County 

VSOs, and State Veterans Affairs agencies. The Committee directs 

VBA to continue to prioritize flexible partnerships designed to expand the number of fully developed benefit claims submitted electronically through the eBenefits portal, and supports VBA’s implementation of the Digits-2-Digits direct data exchange initiative. As 

VA continues its efforts to streamline, standardize and modernize 

the claims process, the Committee encourages VBA to support similar partnerships that leverage VSOs’ capacity to assist claimants in 

preparing and submitting the newly-prescribed standard forms for 

initiating and filing claims and appeals. Additionally, in order to 

help improve the quality of VBA’s disability compensation claim decisions, the Committee urges VBA to take steps to enable Quality 

Review Teams (QRTs) to partner with accredited VSOs to assist in 

processing reviews before claims are finalized and in identifying 

specific types of common errors to better track error trends. Finally, the Committee encourages VBA to ensure that any future 


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upgrades to local data systems allow QRTs to pause the claims 

process when such errors are detected. 

Filipino veterans.—The American Recovery and Reinvestment 

Act (P.L. 111–5) established a benefit for Filipino veterans who 

aided American troops in World War II. In the fiscal year 2014 appropriations act, the Committee directed VA to consider all forms 

of evidence of service and not just those originally considered. The 

Committee looks forward to VA execution of this directive and requests a report no later than 90 days after enactment of this Act 

detailing the total number of claims, the number adjudicated, and 

the number appealed or awaiting appeal. 

Independent living program.—The Independent Living program 

provides services to maximize independence in daily living for veterans who are too severely disabled to pursue employment. It allows eligible veterans to live independently and participate in family and community life. The program has been highly successful. It 

began as a pilot program for 500 disabled veterans in 1980. In 

2010, the program was extended and the cap increased to allow up 

to 2,700 veterans to enroll in the program. The Committee urges 

the Department of Veterans Affairs to propose legislation eliminating the cap on the Independent Living Program. 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS (IT)

(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $3,903,344,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 4,133,363,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 4,038,363,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... 135,019,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ (95,000,000) 

The IT account supports information technology services such as 

systems development and performance, operations and maintenance, information protection, and customer support. The program 

permits the effective and efficient delivery of veterans’ healthcare 

services and benefits programs. 

Within the account total, the Committee allocates in bill language $1,115,757,000 for pay and associated costs, which is the 

same as the budget request; $2,417,863,000 for operations and 

maintenance, which is $95,000,000 below the request but 

$101,854,000 above fiscal year 2015; and $504,743,000 for development, modernization, and enhancement, which is the same as the 

request. The bill makes available up to $34,800,000 of pay and associated costs and up to $167,900,000 of operations and maintenance funds until September 30, 2017. All development, modernization, and enhancement funds are available until September 30, 

2017. 

Funding identified in the bill is in addition to the anticipated 

$173,400,000 for information technology from the Veterans Choice 

Act in fiscal year 2016. 

Although funding constraints require the Committee to provide 

a funding level below the request, the level provided includes a 

$135,019,000, or a 3.5 percent, increase over fiscal year 2015, 

which will permit investment in high priority areas. The Committee identifies in particular as high priorities: $253,000,000 for 

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peals modernization effort; $15,000,000 for Section 508 compliance 

efforts; $182,600,000 for VistA Evolution, the modernization of the 

electronic health record (EHR); and $50,000,000 for interoperability 

and Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record (VLER) health. 

An administrative provision limits the funding for the electronic 

health record provided by the Veterans Health Administration to 

$159,596,000—$5,000,000 from the Medical Services account and 

$154,596,000 from the Medical Support and Compliance account. 

The Committee continues to feel it is critical to closely track VA’s 

development of its electronic health record. In the aftermath of the 

DOD and VA decision not to pursue a single integrated health 

record, it becomes doubly important to ensure that the two health 

records are designed in a way that permits interoperability between the two in order that computable data from one record can 

be viewed and used by clinicians with a different electronic record 

system. In the fiscal year 2013, 2014 and 2015 bills, Congress included bill language requiring VA to provide information on the 

cost, timeline, performance benchmarks, and interoperability capacity of the VistA Evolution system before release of 75 percent 

of the funding provided. The Committee believes it remains important to track the implementation of the VA system, particularly as 

the Department of Defense finalizes its choice of contractor to develop a new system. Accordingly, the Committee includes fiscal 

year 2016 bill language limiting expenditure of IT development 

funds for VistA Evolution to 25 percent of funds provided until the 

Secretary submits to the Committees on Appropriations of both 

Houses of Congress, and such Committees approve, a report that 

describes: (1) the status of and any changes to the VistA Evolution 

program plan (Plan), the revised VistA 4 product roadmap (Roadmap), and the VistA 4 Incremental Life Cycle Cost Estimate; (2) 

any changes to the scope or functionality of projects within the 

VistA Evolution program as established in the Plan; (3) actual program costs incurred to date; (4) progress in meeting the schedule 

milestones that have been established in the Plan; (5) a Project 

Management Accountability System (PMAS) Dashboard Progress 

report that identifies each VistA Evolution project being tracked 

through PMAS, what functionality it is intended to provide, and 

what evaluation scores it has received throughout development; (6) 

the definition being used for interoperability between the electronic 

health record systems of the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs, the metrics to measure the extent of 

interoperability, the milestones and timeline associated with 

achieving interoperability, and the baseline measurements associated with interoperability; (7) progress toward developing and implementing all components and levels of interoperability, including 

semantic interoperability; (8) the change management tools in 

place to facilitate the implementation of VistA Evolution and interoperability; and (9) any changes in the governance structure for the 

VistA Evolution program and its chain of decisionmaking authority. 

The Committee wishes to emphasize that the Joint Legacy Viewer, which permits DOD and VA users to see the electronic health 

record of the other Department, does not constitute interoperability, except as an intermediate stage to achieve semantic interoperability. 


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The Committee does not intend to delay the progress of developing the health record, but believes continuing oversight is necessary to ensure that the health record will have the capabilities 

and interoperability that the Committee believes are critical to patient care, as promised by VA leadership and in VA documents. 

The Committee notes that oversight entities have registered concern about the VA electronic health record. The Government Accountability Office has listed the VA electronic health record in its 

2015 High Risk Report, saying that ‘‘the quality of care may be adversely affected if important clinical information is not promptly 

communicated’’ and that the ‘‘lack of interoperability limits VA clinicians’ ability to readily access information from DOD records, potentially impeding their ability to make the most informed decision 

on treatment options’’. 

The Committee continues to include bill language prohibiting obligation or expenditure of funds for information technology systems 

development, modernization and enhancement until VA submits to 

the Committees a certification of the amounts. In addition, the 

Committee continues bill language permitting the transfer of funding among the three subaccounts upon approval of the Committees. 

The bill contains language which allows for the reprogramming of 

funds among development, modernization and enhancement 

projects upon prior notification to, and approval by, the Committees. The bill continues to include language indicating that funds 

for development, modernization and enhancement are available 

only for the projects and in the amounts specified in the report accompanying the bill. 

The chart below reflects the Administration’s budget request for 

development projects and includes the Committee recommendation 

for each. This chart will serve as the Department’s approved list 

of development projects, and all requested changes are subject to 

the reprogramming guidelines as outlined in the accompanying Act. 


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The Committee expects the Office of Information Technology to 

continue to provide an IT expenditure report to the Committees on 

a monthly basis. This report shall include a comparison to the 

project costs included in the development, modernization, and enhancement project funding chart included in the House report, and 

provide an explanation for any differences in excess of $1,000,000. 

Technology to modernize processing of appeals.—The Committee 

is very concerned about the lack of capacity at the Board of Veterans Appeals to handle the incoming surge of claims appeals resulting from progress in reducing the disability claims backlog. The 

Committee is very supportive of information technology solutions 

that would help the Board to manage the surge in claims appeals, 

but is concerned that the $19,100,000 requested for the IT solution 

is not well supported. The Committee requests that VA provide an 

integrated master plan no later than 90 days after enactment of 

this Act for the appeals systems modernization, including the plan 

to replace the Veterans Appeals Control and Locator System and 

to ensure interoperability with the Veterans Benefits Management 

System. 

Common DOD–VA data standards.—When the Secretaries of the 

Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs announced in February 2013 that the two Departments would move forward in modernizing their respective electronic health records (EHR) instead of 

developing a single, integrated system, they provided assurances 

that the systems would be interoperable. In order for interoperability between the Departments to be successful there must be a 

common standard, and while the Committee is aware that the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology 

(ONC) is making progress towards developing national standards, 

such standards currently do not exist for certain health domains. 

In light of this lack of standards, the fiscal year 2014 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) directed the Departments to use 

the Health Data Dictionary (HDD), a tool that promotes interoperability by aiding interpretation of disparate terminologies across 

EHR systems when no national standard exists. The Committee 

understands that if an ONC-approved data standard exists, that is 

used by both departments. The default is the DOD HDD for VA 

and DOD if no other source is available. Accordingly, the Committee encourages VA to continue its efforts to use the same standard as DOD as it expands the number of common domains and 

looks forward to the ONC completing national data standards for 

health IT. 

Support of cloud computing.—The Committee supports the Administration’s initiative to transform the government IT portfolio 

through cloud computing, giving agencies the ability to purchase IT 

services in a utility-based model, paying for only the IT services 

consumed. The expedited transition to cloud computing could offer 

significant savings and more agility for Federal agencies. The Committee requests VA to provide a report to the Committee not later 

than 90 days after the enactment of this Act on the status of expanding the adoption of cloud computing within VA. The report 

should include an update on the use of commercial cloud computing 

services, current plans for the expansion of cloud computing to leverage the utility-based model, security impacts of transitioning to 

cloud computing, any factors delaying or inhibiting the expansion 


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of cloud computing usage, and the cost savings achieved in fiscal 

year 2015 by the utilization of commercial cloud computing services. 

Wireless technology.—In recognizing the importance of advancing 

technology and the role it plays in patient care, the Committee is 

cognizant of the technologies that have the potential to wirelessly 

transmit patient vitals from the point of care directly to a patient’s 

electronic medical record. The Committee is pleased that VA already uses secure cloud technology in transmitting data to and 

from its electronic health record and is expanding existing interfaces for continuous and routine vital signs monitoring. 

OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL (OIG)

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $126,411,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 126,766,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 131,766,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... 5,355,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ 5,000,000 

The OIG was established by the Inspector General Act of 1978 

and is responsible for the audit, investigation, and inspection of all 

VA programs and operations. The overall operational objective is to 

focus available resources on areas which would help improve services to veterans and their beneficiaries, assist managers of Department programs to operate economically in accomplishing program 

goals, and to prevent and deter recurring and potential fraud, 

waste, and inefficiencies. 

The bill makes up to $12,600,000 of this funding available until 

September 30, 2017. 

Transparency.—The Committee is concerned by recent accounts 

alleging a lack of independence displayed by the OIG. Even the appearance of hiding evidence or shielding VA from public criticism 

undermines OIG credibility and brings its independence into question. The Committee acknowledges the recent policy change announced by the OIG to shift decision-making authority for closing 

reports to senior staff. While this is a positive change, the OIG 

must demonstrate that this policy shift will result in a fully transparent accounting of OIG investigations. The Committee directs 

the OIG to develop a standard for closing reports that is consistent 

with the OIG’s legal responsibility to keep Congress fully and timely informed. 

CONSTRUCTION, MAJOR PROJECTS

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $561,800,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 1,143,800,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 561,800,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... – – – 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ (582,000,000) 

The Construction, Major Projects appropriation provides for constructing, altering, extending, and improving any of the facilities 

under the jurisdiction or for the use of the Department of Veterans 

Affairs, including planning, architectural and engineering services, 

assessments, and site acquisition where the estimated cost of a 

project is $10,000,000 or more. 


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The Committee recommendation makes all but $34,000,000 of 

these funds available for a five-year period. 

Recognizing that the funding amount provided by the Committee 

is different than the administration request, the Committee makes 

clear its intention that the funding provided be used for the 

projects requested in the budget for new hospital construction and 

seismic corrections. The Department is directed to provide for approval of the Appropriations Committees of both Houses of Congress a proposed spending plan for the Major Construction account 

within 30 days of enactment of this Act. 

The Committee is seriously disturbed by recent findings of gross 

facility construction mismanagement with the VA Aurora, Colorado 

hospital project, in particular, the cost overruns that are now estimated at $930,000,000. The Committee expects a detailed explanation from the administration within 30 days from the filing of 

this appropriations report about: (1) whether there is justification 

to continue the project, as opposed to re-scoping the project, renovating the existing hospital, or pausing to recompete the project; 

(2) how the administration proposes to finance further costs for the 

hospital in a deficit-neutral way; (3) what personnel actions have 

been taken against those responsible for the project’s mismanagement; and (4) what program oversight and management controls 

have been installed for current and future VA construction projects. 

To enhance the Committee’s capacity to conduct oversight on 

VA’s facility construction efforts, several administrative provisions 

are added or strengthened in the bill: (1) no funding greater than 

$5,000,000 may be reprogrammed between construction projects 

unless approved by the Committees on Appropriations of both 

House of Congress; (2) any change to the scope of a construction 

project is not permitted without the approval of the Committees; 

and (3) VA must report any bid savings of $5,000,000 or more on 

projects as soon as they are identified. 

Alternative financing.—The Committee is concerned about meeting the need for access to high quality veterans health care facilities, including in rural areas where access to clinics and hospitals 

is more limited. The Committee directs VA to work collaboratively 

with the Office of Management and Budget, the United States General Services Administration, and the Government Accountability 

Office, together with the appropriate Congressional committees, to 

explore the feasibility of employing new funding mechanisms to 

meet the need for such facilities, including but not limited to private development lease-back arrangements and VA-certified private hospitals, and to provide a report on their conclusions to the 

Committee within 30 days of enactment of this Act. The report will 

include any additional legislative authorities needed for a new VA 

hospital funding paradigm. 

CONSTRUCTION, MINOR PROJECTS

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $495,200,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 406,200,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 406,200,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... (89,000,000) 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ – – – 

The Construction, Minor Projects appropriation provides for constructing, altering, extending, and improving any of the facilities 


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under the jurisdiction or for the use of the Department, including 

planning, assessment of needs, architectural and engineering services, and site acquisition, where the estimated cost of a project is 

less than $10,000,000. 

As with the Major Construction account, the Committee recommendation makes these funds available for a five-year period. 

Funding identified in the bill is in addition to the anticipated $128,000,000 for minor construction from the Veterans Choice Act 

in fiscal year 2016. 

GRANTS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF STATE EXTENDED CARE FACILITIES

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $90,000,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 80,000,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 80,000,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... (10,000,000) 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ – – – 

This appropriation provides grants to assist States to construct 

State home facilities, for furnishing domiciliary or nursing home 

care to veterans, and to expand, remodel, or alter existing buildings 

for furnishing domiciliary, nursing home, or hospital care to veterans in State homes. A grant may not exceed 65 percent of the 

total cost of the project. The bill makes this funding available until 

expended. 

GRANTS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF VETERANS CEMETERIES

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $46,000,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 45,000,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 45,000,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... (1,000,000) 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ – – – 

This program provides grants to assist States and tribal governments with the establishment, expansion, and improvement of veterans cemeteries which are operated and permanently maintained 

by the States and tribal governments. Grants under this program 

fund up to 100 percent of construction costs and the initial equipment expenses when the cemetery is established. The States and 

tribal governments remain responsible for providing the land and 

for paying all costs related to the operation and maintenance of the 

State cemeteries, including the costs for subsequent equipment 

purchases. The bill makes this funding available until expended. 

Public-private partnerships.—In order to provide a burial option 

to those veterans who may not have reasonable access to a national 

cemetery or State cemetery, the Committee encourages VA to 

prioritize funding under the State veterans cemetery grant program for the establishment of veterans cemeteries in rural and 

highly rural areas. Additionally, States and local governments are 

encouraged to utilize public-private partnerships that are currently 

available to help defray the cost of operation and maintenance of 

a State veterans’ cemetery. 

Construction of State extended care facilities.—The Committee 

urges VA to calculate the maximum bed numbers per state and 

county necessary to support the peak veteran population and to develop contingency plans that can be implemented to address additional spikes and declines over the next ten years. 


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ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS

The bill includes 41 administrative provisions, 33 of which were 

included in the fiscal year 2015 bill and eight of which are new or 

revised. 

(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

The bill includes section 201 allowing for the transfer of funds 

among three mandatory appropriations. The Administration proposal to modify this provision is not adopted. 

(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

The bill includes section 202 allowing the Department to transfer 

funding among the three medical appropriations accounts in fiscal 

year 2016. The Administration proposal to modify this provision is 

not adopted. 

The bill includes section 203 allowing for salaries and expenses 

funds to be used for hire of passenger vehicles, lease of facilities 

or land, and purchase of uniforms. 

The bill includes section 204 providing that only funding in ‘‘Construction, Major Projects’’ and ‘‘Construction, Minor Projects’’ can 

be used for the purchase of any site for any new hospital or home 

or to construct any new hospital or home. 

The bill includes section 205 requiring the Department to be reimbursed for medical services it provides to any person not defined 

as a beneficiary to ensure the Department is receiving payment for 

all medical services provided. 

The bill includes section 206 allowing for the use of funds appropriated in fiscal year 2016 for ‘‘Compensation and Pensions’’, ‘‘Readjustment Benefits’’, and ‘‘Veterans Insurance and Indemnities’’ 

for payment of accrued obligations recorded in the last quarter of 

fiscal year 2015. 

The bill includes section 207 allowing for the use of fiscal year 

2016 funds to pay prior year obligations resulting from implementation of sections 3328(a), 3334, and 3712(a) of title 31, United 

States Code. 

(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

The bill includes section 208 allowing the Department to use surplus earnings from the national service life insurance, U.S. Government life insurance, and veterans special life insurance program to 

administer these programs. 

The bill includes section 209 allowing the Department to obligate 

enhanced-use lease proceeds for administrative expenses that were 

incurred in a prior fiscal year during the year funds are received. 

(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

The bill includes section 210 limiting the amount of reimbursement the Office of Resolution Management and the Office of Employment Discrimination Complaint Adjudication can charge other 

offices and accounts of the Department for services provided. 

The bill includes section 211 prohibiting the Secretary from approving new leases of real property with estimated annual rental 

cost of more than $1,000,000 unless the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress approve the lease within 15 days 


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of receipt. The Administration proposal to modify this provision is 

not adopted. 

The bill includes section 212 requiring the Department to collect 

current and accurate third-party reimbursement information for 

the purposes of third-party insurance collections. If persons receiving care or medical services do not disclose this information, the 

Department is allowed to bill them reasonable charges for services 

provided. 

(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

The bill includes section 213 allowing the Department to use enhanced-use lease funds for construction and alteration of medical 

facilities. 

The bill includes section 214 allowing the Department to use the 

Medical Services appropriation for expenses related to the broader 

mission of medical care to veterans. 

(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

The bill includes section 215 allowing the Department to transfer 

Medical Care Collections to the ‘‘Medical Services’’ appropriation to 

be used for veterans medical care and makes those funds available 

until expended. 

The bill includes section 216 allowing veterans who reside in 

Alaska to obtain medical services from medical facilities supported 

by the Indian Health Service or tribal organizations, and provides 

for reimbursement for those services from VA. 

(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

The bill includes section 217 allowing the Department to transfer 

the proceeds received from the transfer of real property deposited 

into the Department of Veterans Affairs Capital Asset Fund to the 

major and minor construction appropriations accounts and makes 

those funds available until expended. 

The bill includes section 218 providing that no funds may be 

used to prohibit Directors of the VISNs from conducting outreach 

or marketing programs. The Administration proposed to delete this 

provision. 

The bill includes section 219 requiring the Secretary to submit 

quarterly reports to the Committees on Appropriations of both 

Houses of Congress on the financial status of the Veterans Health 

Administration. The Administration proposed to delete this provision. 

(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

The bill includes section 220 permitting the Secretary to transfer 

amounts made available in certain accounts to or from the Information Technology Systems account, provided that such transfer do 

not result in a more than 10 percent aggregate increase for the Information Technology Systems account and that both Committees 

approve such transfer. 

The bill includes section 221 limiting the amount of funding 

made available under the Medical Facilities account for non-recurring maintenance that may be obligated during the last two 


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months of the fiscal year. The Administration proposal to delete 

this provision is not adopted. 

(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

The bill includes section 222 permitting the transfer of 

$266,303,000 appropriated for medical accounts, minor construction, and information technology systems to the Joint Department 

of Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration Fund for the operation of facilities designated as combined Federal medical facilities. 

(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

The bill includes section 223 permitting the transfer of 

$265,675,000 of fiscal year 2017 advance funding appropriated for 

medical accounts to the Joint Department of Defense-Department 

of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration Fund for the 

operation of facilities designated as combined Federal medical facilities. 

(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

The bill includes section 224 permitting the transfer of funds deposited in the Medical Care Collections Fund to the Joint Medical 

Facility Demonstration Fund for facilities designated as combined 

Federal medical facilities. 

(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

The bill includes section 225 directing that a minimum of 

$15,000,000 shall be transferred from the three medical care appropriations to the Department of Defense/Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Sharing Incentive Fund, to be available until expended. 

(INCLUDING RESCISSIONS OF FUNDS)

The bill includes section 226 rescinding and reappropriating fiscal year 2016 funding—$1,400,000,000 from ‘‘Medical Services’’, 

$100,000,000 from ‘‘Medical Support and Compliance’’, and 

$250,000,000 from ‘‘Medical Facilities’’. 

The bill includes section 227 requiring the Secretary to notify the 

Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of all bid 

savings when identified in Major Construction projects that total at 

least $5,000,000 or 5 percent of the programmed amount of the 

project. The Administration proposal to delete this provision is not 

adopted. 

The bill includes section 228 prohibiting the original scope of 

work for a Major Construction project from being increased above 

the scope specified for that project in the original justification data 

provided to the Congress unless approved by the Committees. The 

budget request proposed to delete this provision. 

The bill includes section 229 requiring quarterly reports on VA 

regional office performance on disability claims processing. The 

budget request proposed to delete this provision. 

The bill includes section 230 requiring VA to submit a reprogramming request if the funding allocation for a program that 


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is not calculated through the actuarial model changes by more than 

$25,000,000. The budget request proposed to delete this provision. 

The bill includes section 231 identifying the maximum funding 

that may be obligated for VHA VistA Evolution and electronic 

health record interoperability activities. The budget request proposed to delete this provision. 

The bill includes section 232 requiring advance written notification to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress 15 days prior to organizational changes which result in the 

transfer of 25 or more full-time equivalent staff from one organizational unit to another. The budget request proposed to delete this 

provision. 

(RESCISSION OF FUNDS)

The bill includes section 233 reducing $101,000,000 from VA discretionary accounts to implement the limit on performance bonuses 

that was passed by the House of Representatives in H.R. 294. 

The bill includes section 234 requiring the Secretary to provide 

on a quarterly basis to the Committees on Appropriations of both 

Houses of Congress notification of any single national outreach and 

awareness marketing campaign in which obligations exceed 

$2,000,000. The budget request proposed to delete this provision. 

The bill includes section 235 that prohibits funding to be used to 

replace the current system by which the VISNs select and contract 

for diabetes monitoring supplies and equipment. The budget request proposed to delete this provision. 

(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

The bill includes section 236 permitting the transfer to ‘‘Medical 

Services’’ from any discretionary program except ‘‘General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration’’ upon approval 

of both Appropriations Committees. This provision is intended to 

give VA flexibility as it administers the changes to its traditional 

health care program and the new Choice Act. The budget request 

to modify this provision is not adopted. 

The bill includes section 237 permitting the transfer of funds between the ‘‘Board of Veterans Appeals’’ and ‘‘General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration’’ upon approval of both 

Appropriations Committees. The budget request to modify this provision is not adopted. 

(RESCISSION OF FUNDS)

The bill includes section 238 rescinding $15,000,000 of unobligated balances within the ‘‘DOD–VA Health Care Sharing Incentive Fund’’. 

The bill includes section 239 prohibiting the reprogramming of 

funds exceeding $5,000,000 among major construction projects unless both Appropriations Committees approve the request. 

(INCLUDING RESCISSIONS OF FUNDS)

The bill includes sections 240 and 241 which rescind Medical 

Care advance funding and reduce funding in current year-funded 

accounts to incorporate assumed absorption of the proposed 1.3 

percent payraise. The Department has authority to use whatever 


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appropriated funds are available to support the payraise if it chooses to do so. 

TITLE III 

RELATED AGENCIES 

AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION

SALARIES AND EXPENSES

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $74,100,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 75,100,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 75,100,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... 1,000,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ – – – 

The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) is responsible for the administration, operation and maintenance of cemetery and war memorials to commemorate the achievements and 

sacrifices of the American Armed Forces where they have served 

since April 6, 1917. In performing these functions, the Commission 

maintains 25 permanent American military cemetery memorials 

and 26 monuments, memorials, and markers. 

The Committee includes additional funds to support the interpretive program and nonrecurring maintenance needs. Language is included allowing up to $7,500 to be used for official reception and 

representation expenses. 

The Committee is concerned that ABMC has significant needs for 

nonrecurring maintenance, as it also pursues developing necessary 

interpretive programs and building visitors’ centers to ‘‘tell the 

story’’ of our heroes to a new generation. The Committee is highly 

supportive of ABMC’s goals and interested in ABMC’s multi-year 

plan for meeting its requirements. However, ABMC’s estimates for 

construction and major maintenance have been grossly inadequate 

for past projects, and cost overruns have made management of 

ABMC’s priorities challenging. Therefore, the Committee directs 

that ABMC’s budget justification materials include a multi-year 

plan for construction, development, and operation and maintenance. The submitted plan should be current, and should include 

a description of multi-year facilities and infrastructure projects and 

the expected costs and timeline for such projects, prioritization of 

the projects, and an estimate of sustainment and operating costs 

once construction is complete. 

FOREIGN CURRENCY FLUCTUATIONS ACCOUNT

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $1,900,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request est. ................................................ 2,000,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill est. ..................................... 2,000,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... 100,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ – – – 

The Commission’s Foreign Currency Fluctuations Account is authorized pursuant to 36 U.S.C. 2109 to pay the costs of salaries and 

expenses that exceed the amount appropriated because of fluctuations in currency exchange rates of foreign countries occurring after 

a budget request for the Commission is submitted to Congress. The 

account may not be used for any other purpose. 


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The Committee recommendation includes bill language as proposed which makes ‘‘such sums as may be necessary’’ available to 

the Commission to cover unanticipated foreign currency fluctuations, currently estimated at $2,000,000. 

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR VETERANS CLAIMS

SALARIES AND EXPENSES

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $31,386,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 32,141,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 32,141,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... 755,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ – – – 

The Veterans’ Judicial Review Act established the U.S. Court of 

Appeals for Veterans Claims. The Court reviews appeals from 

claimants seeking review of a benefit denial. The Court has the authority to overturn findings of fact, regulations, and interpretations 

of law. 

The recommended funding level for the Court includes funding 

for nine judges, although the Court is permanently authorized to 

have only seven. The authority for two of the nine judges is temporary and does not allow for replacement. The Committee recommendation includes funding for all nine judges and their staff in 

the event that the authority is extended, with the understanding 

that if the authority is not extended, the funding associated with 

the two unauthorized judge positions, including staff, will be eliminated. 

The Committee notes that the Court has historically experienced 

an increase in appeals a year after the Board of Veterans’ Appeals 

(BVA) has an increase in claims, which has been the case in fiscal 

year 2015. This expectation of an increase in claims is part of the 

rationale for funding the full slate of nine judges, and fully funding 

the Court’s other information technology and staffing requests as 

presented in the budget request. The Committee directs the Court 

to continue to monitor BVA’s claims workload and to anticipate the 

resulting requirements on the Court so that future Court budget 

requests can accommodate caseloads in order to avoid a backlog. 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE—CIVIL CEMETERIAL EXPENSES, ARMY

SALARIES AND EXPENSES

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $65,800,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 70,800,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 70,800,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... 5,000,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ – – – 

The Secretary of the Army is responsible for the administration, 

operation and maintenance of Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) 

and the Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery. In addition to its principal function as a national cemetery, ANC is one 

of the most visited sites in the Washington, D.C. area. ANC hosts 

approximately 3,000 non-funeral ceremonies and up to 4,000,000 

visitors annually. 


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The Committee appreciates that this year the budget proposal for 

ANC is properly requested within the Cemeterial Expenses, Army 

account. The Committee directs that future budget requests for all 

ANC requirements be included in this account. Further, the Committee directs that budget justification materials include an updated Capital Investment Strategy for ANC and the Soldiers’ and 

Airmen’s Home National Cemetery. The submitted plan should be 

current, and should include a description of multi-year facilities 

and infrastructure projects and the expected costs and timeline for 

such projects, prioritization of the projects, and an estimate of 

sustainment and operating costs after completion. 

Arlington National Cemetery—The bill provides an additional $30,000,000 within title I to enable relocation of roads and utilities 

to improve traffic flow, access to Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, 

and increase the amount of land available for burials and interments at ANC. The project uses the Defense Access Roads (DAR) 

authority granted to the Secretary of Defense, which allows for 

transfers of funds to the Federal Highway Administration. The 

Army requested this project as part of the Army unfunded requirements list for fiscal year 2016. The Committee notes that this DAR 

project at the requested funding level is a one-time exception to the 

prohibition on using any title I funding for ANC. Further, the Committee directs that all funding associated with ANC expansion be 

requested in this account and not in military construction accounts. 

If the necessary land exchange for road relocation does not occur, 

the funds will be rescinded. Additionally, the Committee requires, 

at a minimum, quarterly reports on the status of the project. The 

Committee notes that providing the DAR funding so that roads can 

be properly realigned is a necessary precursor to the southern expansion of Arlington National Cemetery that is slated to begin in 

2017 and the construction of the Pentagon Memorial 9/11 Visitors 

Education Center. 

New National Cemetery.—The Committee continues to support 

the efforts of the ANC Advisory Commission on their effort to identify solutions for the time when ANC reaches capacity, presently 

projected for the mid-2050s. With the influx of veterans returned 

from conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan alone, it is clear a new national cemetery of the same stature as ANC will be necessary. The 

Committee recommends the ANC Advisory Commission develop 

metrics to determine whether the Department of the Army should 

establish a new national cemetery, giving full consideration to West 

Coast sites, comparable to that of ANC. The Committee requests 

that the ANC Advisory Commission develop those metrics in consultation with the Committee. 

ARMED FORCES RETIREMENT HOME TRUST FUND

OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $62,400,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 63,300,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 63,300,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... 900,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ – – – 

The Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH) consists of two retirement communities: one in Washington, D.C. and the other in 


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Gulfport, Mississippi. The Washington, D.C. facility was established in 1851 as a soldiers’ home for elderly and disabled veterans. 

The original home for Navy officers, sailors, and Marines was established in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1811, and was relocated 

to Gulfport, Mississippi almost a century and a half later. 

The Committee provides authority for the AFRH to use funds 

from a Trust Fund. The Trust Fund, which is replenished from a 

variety of sources, including fines and forfeitures and Active Duty 

Withholding, is diminishing. Annual outlays have exceeded revenue 

since 2011, and revenue continues to decline, due primarily to a 

large drop in fines and forfeitures. The Committee appreciates the 

proactive approach that the AFRH is taking to keep the Trust 

Fund solvent so that the AFRH can continue to properly care for 

its residents into perpetuity. The Committee expects the AFRH to 

regularly report on the status of efforts to stabilize the Trust Fund, 

including efforts to lease property for redevelopment at the Washington, D.C. facility. 

CAPITAL PROGRAM

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ........................................................... $1,000,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ....................................................... 1,000,000 

Committee recommendation in the bill ............................................ 1,000,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level ................................................... – – – 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request ................................................ – – – 

The Committee recommendation provides authority to expend 

$1,000,000 from the Armed Forces Retirement Home Trust Fund 

for construction and renovations. 

ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS

The bill includes one provision that was in effect in fiscal year 

2015 and one new provision. The administrative provisions included in the bill are as follows: 

The bill includes section 301 permitting Arlington National Cemetery to provide funds to Arlington County to relocate a water 

main. 

The bill includes section 302 permitting funds from concessions 

at Army National Military Cemeteries to be used to support activities at the Cemeteries. 

TITLE IV 

OVERSEAS CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level (title IV) ........................................... $221,000,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request (title IV) ........................................ – – – 

Committee recommendation in the bill (title IV) ............................. 532,000,000 

Comparison with: 

Fiscal year 2015 enacted level (title IV) .................................... 311,000,000 

Fiscal year 2016 budget request (title IV) ................................ 532,000,000 

MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, NAVY AND MARINE CORPS

The Committee recommendation includes a new title IV, Overseas Contingency Operations. Title IV provides $244,004,000 for 

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tral Command and European Command Areas of Responsibility 

that were requested in title I, Military Construction, in the budget 

submission for fiscal year 2016. The Committee agrees that the 

projects transferred to title IV are necessary to support the war on 

terrorism and should be designated as overseas contingency operations functions. 

MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, AIR FORCE

The Committee recommendation includes a new title IV, Overseas Contingency Operations. Title IV provides $75,000,000 for Air 

Force military construction projects in the Central Command and 

Africa Command Areas of Responsibility that were requested in 

title I, Military Construction, in the budget submission for fiscal 

year 2016. The Committee agrees that the projects transferred to 

title IV are necessary to support the war on terrorism and should 

be designated as overseas contingency operations functions. 

MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, DEFENSE-WIDE

The Committee recommendation includes a new title IV, Overseas Contingency Operations. Title IV provides $212,996,000 for 

one Missile Defense Agency project and one Defense Logistics 

project in the European Command and Africa Command Areas of 

Responsibility that was requested in title I, Military Construction, 

in the budget submission for fiscal year 2016. The Committee 

agrees that the projects transferred to title IV are necessary to support the war on terrorism and should be designated as overseas 

contingency operations functions. 

TITLE V 

GENERAL PROVISIONS 

The bill includes 12 provisions that are effective in fiscal year 

2015 and a new provision as follows: 

The bill includes section 501 prohibiting the obligation of funds 

beyond the current fiscal year unless expressly so provided. 

The bill includes section 502 prohibiting the use of funds for programs, projects or activities not in compliance with Federal law relating to risk assessment, the protection of private property rights, 

or unfunded mandates. 

The bill includes section 503 encouraging all departments and 

agencies funded in this Act to expand the use of ‘‘E-Commerce’’ 

technologies and procedures. 

The bill includes section 504 specifying the Congressional committees that are to receive all reports and notifications. 

The bill includes section 505 prohibiting the transfer of funds to 

any instrumentality of the United States Government without authority from an appropriations Act. 

The bill includes section 506 prohibiting any funds in this Act to 

be used for a project or program named for an individual serving 

as a Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner of the United 

States House of Representatives. 

The bill includes section 507 requiring all reports submitted to 

the Congress to be posted on official websites of the submitting 

agency. 


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The bill includes section 508 prohibiting the use of funds to establish or maintain a computer network unless such network 

blocks the viewing, downloading, and exchanging of pornography, 

except for law enforcement investigation, prosecution or adjudication activities. 

The bill includes section 509 prohibiting the use of funds for payment of first-class travel by an employee of the executive branch. 

The bill includes section 510 prohibiting the use of funds in this 

Act for any contract where the contractor has not complied with EVerify requirements. 

The bill includes section 511 prohibiting the use of funds in this 

Act by the Department of Defense or the Department of Veterans 

Affairs for the purchase or lease of a new vehicle except in accordance with Presidential Memorandum—Federal Fleet Performance, 

dated May 24, 2011. 

The bill includes section 512 prohibiting the use of funds in this 

Act for the renovation, expansion, or construction of any facility in 

the continental United States for the purpose of housing any individual who has been detained at the United States Naval Station, 

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. 

The bill includes a new provision, section 513, establishing a 

‘‘Spending Reduction Account’’ in the bill. 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES REPORT REQUIREMENTS

The following items are included in accordance with various requirements of the Rules of the House of Representatives. 

STATEMENT OF GENERAL PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, the following is a statement of general performance goals and objectives for which this measure authorizes funding: 

The Committee on Appropriations considers program performance, including a program’s success in developing and attaining 

outcome-related goals and objectives, in developing funding recommendations. 

RESCISSIONS

Pursuant to clause 3(f)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, the following table lists the rescissions in the 

accompanying bill: 


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DEPARTMENT/ACTIVITY

AMOUNTS RECOMMENDED FOR RESCISSION

Department of Defense, Military Construction, Army (Sec. 125) ... 96,000,000 

Department of Defense, Military Construction, Air Force (Sec. 

126) .................................................................................................. 52,600,000 

Department of Defense, Defense-Wide (Sec. 127) ............................ 134,000,000 

42 USC 3374 (Sec. 128) ...................................................................... 103,918,000 

Department of Veterans Affairs, Medical Services (Sec. 226) * ...... 1,400,000,000 

Department of Veterans Affairs, Medical Support and Compliance (Sec. 226) * .............................................................................. 100,000,000 

Department of Veterans Affairs, Medical Facilities (Sec. 226) * .... 250,000,000 

Department of Veterans Affairs, all FY 2016 discretionary funding (Sec. 233) ................................................................................... 101,000,000 

Department of Veterans Affairs, Medical Services (Sec. 240) ........ 197,923,000 

Department of Veterans Affairs, Medical Support and Compliance (Sec. 240) ................................................................................. 42,272,000 

Department of Veterans Affairs, Medical Facilities (Sec. 240) ....... 15,353,000 

DOD–VA Health Care Sharing Incentive Fund (Sec. 238) ............. 15,000,000 

* Reappropriated in the bill. 

TRANSFER OF FUNDS

Pursuant to clause 3(f)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, the following statements are submitted describing the transfer of funds provided in the accompanying bill. 

Language is included to allow for the transfer of funds from 

Family Housing, Construction accounts to the Department of Defense Family Housing Improvement Fund and funds from Military 

Construction accounts to the Department of Defense Military Unaccompanied Housing Improvement Fund. 

Language is included to provide transfer authority from the 

BRAC account to the Homeowners Assistance Program. 

Language is included to allow the transfer of expired funds to the 

‘‘Foreign Currency Fluctuations, Construction, Defense’’ account. Language is included to transfer not to exceed $15,562,000 in fis- cal year 2016 and $16,021,000 in fiscal year 2017 from Compensation and Pensions to General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration and Information Technology Systems. These 

funds are for the administrative costs of implementing cost-savings 

proposals required by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 

1990 and the Veterans’ Benefits Act of 1992. Language is also included transferring funds to the medical care collections fund to 

augment funding of medical facilities for nursing home care provided to pensioners. 

Language is included to permit the transfer of funds from General Administration to General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration. 

Language is included to permit the transfer of funds between Information Technology Systems development projects and among the 

three sub-accounts identified in bill language subject to the approval of the Committee. 

Language is included to provide authority for the Department of 

Veterans Affairs for any funds appropriated in 2016 for Compensation and Pensions, Readjustment Benefits, and Veterans Insurance 

and Indemnities to be transferred among those three accounts. 

Language is included to transfer funds among the Medical Services, Medical Support and Compliance, and Medical Facilities accounts. 


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Language is included to permit the funds from three life insurance funds to be transferred to General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration and Information Technology Systems for the costs of administering such programs. 

Language is included to permit up to $47,100,000 to be transferred to General Administration and Information Technology Systems from any funds appropriated in fiscal year 2016 to reimburse 

the Office of Resolution Management and the Office of Employment 

Discrimination Complaint Adjudication for services provided. 

Language is included to transfer certain funds derived from enhanced-use leasing activities to the Construction, Major Projects 

and Construction, Minor Projects accounts. 

Language is included to transfer funds from the Medical Care 

Collections Fund to the Medical Services account. 

Language is included to allow the transfer of funds from the Capital Asset Fund to the Construction, Major Projects and Construction, Minor Projects accounts. 

Language is included to allow the transfer of funds from various 

accounts to the Information Technology Systems account in an aggregate amount not to exceed ten percent of the account appropriation, subject to approval by the Committee. 

Language is included to allow the transfer of funds in fiscal years 

2016 and 2017 provided for the Department of Veterans Affairs to 

the Joint Department of Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs 

Medical Facility Demonstration Fund. 

Language is included permitting funds deposited to the Medical 

Care Collections Fund for health care provided at a combined Federal medical facility to be transferred to the Joint Department of 

Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration Fund. 

Language is included under the Department of Veterans Affairs 

that would transfer no less than $15,000,000 for the DOD/VA 

Health Care Sharing Incentive Fund as authorized by section 

8111(d) of title 38, United States Code. 

Language is included that permits the transfer from all discretionary accounts except General Operating Expenses, Veterans 

Benefits Administration, to Medical Services, subject to approval by 

the Committee. 

Language is included that permits transfer of funds between 

General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration 

and the Board of Veterans Appeals, subject to approval by the 

Committee. 

DISCLOSURE OF EARMARKS AND CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED

SPENDING ITEMS

Neither the bill nor the report contains any Congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in 

clause 9 of rule XXI. 

CHANGES IN APPLICATION OF EXISTING LAW

Pursuant to clause 3(f)(1)(A) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the following statements are submitted 

describing the effect of provisions in the accompanying bill that directly or indirectly change the application of existing law. 


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Language is included in various parts of the bill to continue ongoing activities that require annual authorization or additional legislation, which to date have not been enacted. 

Language is included in various parts of the bill to place limitations on the use of funds in the bill or change existing limitations 

and which might, under some circumstances, be construed as 

changing the application of existing law. 

Language is included in various parts of the bill to allow the Secretary of Defense to exceed certain limitations upon notification to 

the Committee. 

Language is included in various parts of the bill to allow funding 

to be used for official reception and representation expenses. 

Language is included in various parts of the bill to enable various appropriations to remain available for more than one year for 

some programs for which the basic authority legislation does not 

presently authorize such extended availability. 

Language is included in various parts of the bill to permit the 

transfer of funds to other accounts. 

Language is included under Title I to prohibit payments for costplus-a-fixed-fee contracts under certain circumstances. 

Language is included in various parts of the bill to allow funds 

to be used for the hire of passenger motor vehicles. 

Language is included under Title I to allow advances to the Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation under 

certain circumstances. 

Language is included under Title I to prohibit the use of funds 

to begin construction of new bases without specific appropriations. 

Language is included under Title I to prohibit the use of funds 

for purchase of land or land easements under certain circumstances. 

Language is included under Title I to prohibit the use of funds 

for land acquisition, site preparation, and utility installation for 

family housing unless funds have been made available in annual 

appropriations Acts. 

Language is included under Title I to prohibit the use of minor 

construction funds to transfer an activity between installations 

without prior notification. 

Language is included under Title I to prohibit the use of funds 

for the procurement of steel for any activity if American steel producers have been denied the opportunity to compete for such steel 

procurements. 

Language is included under Title I to prohibit the use of funds 

to pay real property taxes in any foreign nation. 

Language is included under Title I to prohibit the use of funds 

to initiate a new installation overseas without prior notification. 

Language is included under Title I to limit the use of funds for 

architect and engineer contracts under certain circumstances. 

Language is included under Title I to limit the use of funds for 

awarding contracts to foreign contractors under certain circumstances. 

Language is included under Title I to require the Department of 

Defense to notify the appropriate committees of Congress of any 

proposed military exercises under certain circumstances. 

Language is included under Title I to allow prior year construction funding to be available for currently authorized projects. 


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Language is included under Title I to allow payment for the cost 

associated with supervision, inspection, overhead, engineering and 

design on family housing or military construction projects that are 

being completed with expired or lapsed funds. 

Language is included under Title I to allow funds to be expended 

on military construction projects for four fiscal years after enactment under certain circumstances. 

Language is included under Title I to allow construction funds to 

be transferred to Housing Improvement Funds. 

Language is included under Title I to allow for the transfer of 

BRAC funds to the Homeowners Assistance Program. 

Language is included under Title I to limit funds for the operation and maintenance of family housing to those provided in this 

appropriation and to limit amounts expended on repairs of general 

and flag officer quarters under certain circumstances. 

Language is included under Title I to allow funds in the Ford Island Improvement Account to be available until expended for certain purposes. 

Language is included under Title I to allow for the transfer of expired funding to the Foreign Currency Fluctuation Account under 

certain circumstances. 

Language is included under Title I limiting movement of an 

Army unit with a testing mission. 

Language is included under Title I to prohibit funds to be used 

for projects at Arlington Cemetery. 

Language is included under Title I that rescinds funds from prior 

year appropriations Acts. 

Language is included under Title I defining the congressional defense committees. 

Language is included in Title I prohibiting funds to close or realign Lajes Air Force Base, and prohibits funds to construct an intelligence facility at a separate location, unless DoD certifies that 

Lajes does not meet operations requirements for certain intelligence activities. 

Language is included under Title I providing additional funds for 

Defense Access Roads. 

Language is included under Title II to require that the Secretary 

of Veterans Affairs establish a priority for treatment of veterans 

who are service-connected disabled, lower income, or have special 

needs. 

Language is included under Title II to require that the Secretary 

of Veterans Affairs give priority funding of basic medical benefits 

to priority groups 1 through 6. 

Language is included under Title II to allow the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to dispense prescription drugs from VHA facilities to 

enrolled veterans with privately written prescriptions. 

Language is included under Title II providing for the reimbursement to the Department of Defense for the costs of overseas employee mail. 

Language is included under Title II to require approval of a 

transfer between development, modernization, and enhancement 

projects in the Information Technology Systems account. 

Language is included under Title II establishing time limitations 

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struction funds, limiting the use of funds, and allowing the use of 

funds for program costs. 

Language is included under Title II to allow Minor Construction 

funds to be used to repair non-medical facilities damaged by natural disaster or catastrophe. 

Language is included under Title II permitting transfers between 

mandatory and discretionary accounts, limiting and providing for 

the use of certain funds, funding administrative expenses associated with life insurance programs from excess program revenues, 

allowing reimbursement from enhanced-use leases and for certain 

services, requiring approval of new lease agreements, requiring notification of construction bid savings, limiting reprogramming 

amount major construction projects, restricting changes in the 

scope of major construction projects, requiring disclosure of insurance and income information, allowing a recovery audit collection 

program, allowing veterans in the State of Alaska to use Indian 

Health Service facilities under certain conditions, allowing medical 

services funds for recreational and funeral expenses, limiting the 

obligation of non-recurring maintenance funds during the last two 

months of the fiscal year, requiring notification of organizational 

changes that transfer 25 or more employees from one VA organizational unit to another, and requiring approval of a reprogramming 

prior to any major reallocation of medical services initiatives funding. 

Language is included under the Court of Appeals for Veterans 

Claims, Salaries and Expenses, to permit the use of funds for a pro 

bono program. 

Language is included under Cemeterial Expenses, Army, Salaries 

and Expenses, to permit the use of funds for parking maintenance 

and repairs. 

Language is included under Title III to permit the use of funds 

to relocate a water main. 

Language is included under Title III to allow for the use of concession fees. 

Language is included under Title V to limit the use of funds for 

Federal entities when they are not in compliance with Federal law 

relating to risk assessment, the protection of private property 

rights, or unfunded mandates. 

Language is included under Title V to limit the use of funds for 

publicity or propaganda designed to support or defeat legislation 

pending before Congress. 

Language is included under Title V to prohibit the use of funds 

for a project or program named for a serving Member of the United 

States Congress. 

Language is included under Title V prohibiting funds from being 

used to maintain or establish a computer network unless such network blocks the viewing, downloading, and exchanging of pornography. 

Language is included under Title V prohibiting funds from being 

used to pay for first class travel in violation of federal regulations. 

Language is included under Title V prohibiting funds from being 

used to execute a contract for goods or services where a contractor 

has not complied with Executive Order 12989. 

Language is included under Title V prohibiting funds from being 

used by the Department of Defense or the Department of Veterans 


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Affairs for the purchase or lease of a new vehicle except in accordance with Presidential Memorandum—Federal Fleet Performance, 

dated May 24, 2011. 

APPROPRIATIONS NOT AUTHORIZED BY LAW

Pursuant to clause 3(f)(1)(B) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the following table lists the appropriations in the accompanying bill which are not authorized by law for 

the period concerned: 


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PROGRAM DUPLICATION

No provision of this bill establishes or reauthorizes a program of 

the Federal Government known to be duplicative of another Federal program, a program that was included in any report from the 

Government Accountability Office to Congress pursuant to section 

21 of Public Law 111–139, or a program related to a program identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. 

DIRECTED RULE MAKING

The bill does not direct any rule making. 


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COMPLIANCE WITH RULE XIII, CL. 3(e) (RAMSEYER RULE) 

In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by the bill, 

as reported, are shown as follows (existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets and existing law in which no 

change is proposed is shown in roman): 

SECTION 223 OF THE CONSOLIDATED AND FURTHER 

CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2015 

(Public Law 113–235, title II of division I) 

ø(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS) 

øSEC. 223. Of the amounts appropriated to the Department of 

Veterans Affairs which become available on October 1, 2015, for 

‘‘Medical Services’’, ‘‘Medical Support and Compliance’’, and ‘‘Medical Facilities’’, up to $245,398,000, plus reimbursements, may be 

transferred to the Joint Department of Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration Fund, established by 

section 1704 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 

Year 2010 (Public Law 111–84; 123 Stat. 3571) and may be used 

for operation of the facilities designated as combined Federal medical facilities as described by section 706 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 

110–417; 122 Stat. 4500): Provided, That additional funds may be 

transferred from accounts designated in this section to the Joint 

Department of Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs Medical 

Facility Demonstration Fund upon written notification by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to the Committees on Appropriations of 

both Houses of Congress.¿ 

COMPARISON WITH THE BUDGET RESOLUTION

Pursuant to clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives and section 308(a)(1)(A) of the Congressional 

Budget Act of 1974, the following table compares the levels of new 

budget authority provided in the bill with the appropriate allocation under section 302(b) of the Budget Act. 

[In millions of dollars] 

302(b) Allocation This Bill 

Budget 

authority Outlays Budget authority Outlays 

Mandatory .................................................................................................. 94,766 94,521 94,537 1 94,292 

Discretionary .............................................................................................. 76,589 78,246 76,589 78,245 

General Purpose ............................................................................... 76,057 78,244 76,057 78,243 

Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO)/Global War on Terrorism 

(GWOT) ......................................................................................... 532 2 532 2 

1 Includes outlays from prior-year authority. 

n.a. : not applicable 

FIVE-YEAR PROJECTION OF OUTLAYS

Pursuant to clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives and section 308(a)(1)(B) of the Congressional 

Budget Act of 1974, the following table contains five-year projecVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:56 Apr 25, 2015 Jkt 094208 PO 00000 Frm 00084 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR092.XXX HR092

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tions prepared by the Congressional Budget Office of outlays associated with the budget authority provided in the accompanying bill: 

[In millions of dollars] 

non-OCO OCO/GWOT 

Projection of outlays associated with the recommendation: 

2016 ........................................................................................................................................ 2 102,794 2 

2017 ........................................................................................................................................ 5,179 101 

2018 ........................................................................................................................................ 3,217 203 

2019 ........................................................................................................................................ 1,847 163 

2020 and future years ........................................................................................................... 1,185 47 

2 Excludes outlays from prior-year budget authority. 

ASSISTANCE TO STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

Pursuant to clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives and section 308(a)(1)(C) of the Congressional 

Budget Act of 1974, the amount of financial assistance to State and 

local governments is as follows: 

Millions 

Budget Authority ................................................................................... 161 

Fiscal Year 2016 outlays resulting therefrom ..................................... 11 

STATE LIST

The following is a complete listing, by title, State and country, 

of the Committee’s recommendations for military construction and 

family housing projects: 


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MINORITY VIEWS 

The Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies appropriations bill has a long history of finding bipartisan 

common ground as members work together to fund the construction 

of military facilities and strive to improve the quality of life and 

care afforded to our veterans and military families. 

The Majority’s FY 2016 Budget Resolution locks in sequester levels, uses gimmicks to boost defense funding, and forces an allocation that results in slashing $1.2 billion below the budget request 

for military construction and $1.4 billion below the request for the 

Department of Veterans Affairs. 

The VA’s major construction account faces a cut of $582 million— 

a 51% reduction. Furthermore, the bill directs that the remaining 

funding may be used only for replacement, safety, and security 

projects. This language eliminates all National Cemetery Projects 

for FY 2016 and puts several other projects in jeopardy. 

The Majority claims they reduced the construction account because the half-built Veterans’ Affairs Denver Hospital project is 

drastically over-budget and riddled with mistakes. We certainly 

agree that the VA needs to be held accountable for the poor job in 

managing the Denver Hospital project; however, no funds for the 

Denver Hospital were allocated in the MilCon/VA bill. Additionally, 

we are not aware of any similar issues with the projects funded in 

this bill, including replacement, clinic construction, seismic improvements, or cemetery construction. And so, we believe the Majority’s budget caps and resulting inadequate allocation—not the 

problems in Denver—led to cutting construction in half. We are 

concerned that if this reduction stands, it will further contribute to 

the gaps in access, utilization, and safety that were already identified in the VA’s annual Strategic Capital Investment Program 

(SCIP) process. The bill provides $7.2 billion for Military Construction, an in- crease of $593 million above 2015, but still $1.2 billion below the 

President’s request. In an effort to find a way around the overall 

Defense budget cap, the bill shifts $532 million to the Overseas 

Contingency Operations (OCO) funding stream, where the funding 

will not count against the cap. The President’s FY 2016 budget request did not call for additional funds in the OCO account, making 

the Majority’s funding shift purely a gimmick to boost defense 

spending. 

We are pleased with several aspects of the bill. For example, the 

bill maintains tough but fair reporting requirements for VISTA 

Modernization, which closely tracks the VA’s development of its 

electronic health record. The bill continues to prioritize the elimination of the veterans’ claims backlog by fully funding the FY 2016 

requests—$18.3 million for the centralized mail initiative which 

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ized intake site as well as $140.8 million for the Veterans Claim 

Intake Program (VCIP) to scan paper claims and convert them into 

digital format. In addition, the bill includes steps to keep the Board 

of Veterans Appeals ahead of the curve by requiring enhanced reporting on the appeals backlog. We believe that these are all positive steps to making the VA function better. Furthermore, Chairman Dent has avoided including contentious legislative riders. 

While the House bill is only the first step in a long process, we 

are concerned about the severe impact of reductions and one-time 

OCO budget gimmicks. As we pointed out during full committee 

markup, FY 2017 VA advance funding is going to consume $4.6 billion of the nondefense discretionary cap; budget problems will only 

get worse until we find a bipartisan agreement to undo sequestration levels. The problems in MilCon/VA funding must be addressed 

as we move through the process. 

NITA M. LOWEY. 

SANFORD D. BISHOP, Jr. 

Æ 


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