I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3106 

To authorize Department major medical facility construction projects for 

fiscal year 2015, to amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain 

improvements in the administration of Department medical facility construction projects, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 16, 2015 

Mr. MILLER of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To authorize Department major medical facility construction 

projects for fiscal year 2015, to amend title 38, United 

States Code, to make certain improvements in the administration of Department medical facility construction 

projects, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Construction Reform 

5 Act of 2015’’. 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 3106 IH

1 SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS CONSTRUC2 TION REFORMS. 

3 (a) PROJECT MANAGEMENT.—Section 8103 of title 

4 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 

5 the following new subsection: 

6 ‘‘(e) In the case of any super construction project (as 

7 such term is defined in section 8104(a)(4)(C)), the Sec8 retary shall enter into an agreement with an appropriate 

9 non-Department Federal entity to provide full project 

10 management services for the super construction project, 

11 including management over the project design, acquisition, 

12 construction, and contract changes. Such agreement shall 

13 provide that the Secretary shall reimburse such Federal 

14 entity for all costs associated with the provision of project 

15 management services under the agreement.’’. 

16 (b) APPLICATION OF INDUSTRY STANDARDS.—Sec17 tion 8103 of title 38, United States Code, as amended by 

18 subsection (a) is further amended by adding at the end 

19 the following new subsection: 

20 ‘‘(f) To the maximum extent practicable, the Sec21 retary shall use industry standards, standard designs, and 

22 best practices in carrying out the construction of medical 

23 facilities.’’. 

24 (c) LIMITATION ON PLANNING AND DESIGN FOR

25 SUPER CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.— 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 3106 IH

1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 8104(a) of title 38, 

2 United States Code, is amended— 

3 (A) by redesignating paragraph (3) as 

4 paragraph (4); 

5 (B) by inserting after paragraph (2) the 

6 following new paragraph (3): 

7 ‘‘(3) The Secretary may not obligate or expend funds 

8 for advance planning or design for any super construction 

9 project, until the date that is 60 days after the date on 

10 which the Secretary submits to the Committee on Vet11 erans’ Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the 

12 Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the 

13 Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representa14 tives notice of such obligation or expenditure.’’; and 

15 (C) in paragraph (4), as redesignated by 

16 paragraph (1) of this subsection, by adding at 

17 the end the following new subparagraph: 

18 ‘‘(C) The term ‘super construction project’ 

19 means a project for the construction, alteration, or 

20 acquisition of a medical facility involving a total ex21 penditure of more than $100,000,000, but such term 

22 does not include an acquisition by exchange.’’. 

23 (2) APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made 

24 by paragraph (1) shall take effect on the date of the 

25 enactment of this Act and shall apply with respect 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 3106 IH

1 to a construction project that is initiated on or after 

2 that date. 

3 (d) CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL OF CERTAIN

4 PROJECTS.— 

5 (1) PROJECTS THAT EXCEED SPECIFIED

6 AMOUNT.—Subsection (c) of section 8104 of title 38, 

7 United States Code, is amended to read as follows: 

8 ‘‘(c) The Secretary may not obligate funds for a 

9 major medical facility project or a super construction 

10 project approved by a law described in subsection (a)(2) 

11 in an amount that would cause the total amount obligated 

12 for that project to exceed the amount specified in the law 

13 for that project (or would add to total obligations exceed14 ing such specified amount) by more than 10 percent unless 

15 the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Committee 

16 on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on 

17 Veterans’ Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations 

18 of the House of Representatives each approve in writing 

19 the obligation of those funds.’’. 

20 (2) USE OF EXTRA AMOUNTS.—Subsection (d) 

21 of such section is amended— 

22 (A) in paragraph (2)(B), in the matter 

23 preceding clause (i), by striking ‘‘Whenever’’ 

24 and inserting ‘‘Before’’; and 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 3106 IH

1 (B) by adding at the end the following new 

2 paragraph: 

3 ‘‘(3) The Secretary may not obligate any funds de4 scribed in paragraph (1) or amounts described in para5 graph (2) before the date that is 30 days after the notifi6 cation submitted under paragraph (1) or paragraph 

7 (2)(B), as the case may be, unless the Committee on Vet8 erans’ Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the 

9 Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the 

10 Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representa11 tives each approve in writing the obligation of those funds 

12 or amounts.’’. 

13 (3) NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS.— 

14 (A) COMMITTEES REQUIRED.—Subsection 

15 (d)(1) of such section is amended by striking 

16 ‘‘each committee’’ and inserting ‘‘the Com17 mittee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Committee 

18 on Appropriations of the Senate and the Com19 mittee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Committee 

20 on Appropriations of the House of Representa21 tives’’. 

22 (B) USE OF AMOUNTS FROM BID SAV23 INGS.—Subsection (d)(2)(B) of such section is 

24 amended by adding at the end the following 

25 new clause: 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 3106 IH

1 ‘‘(iv) With respect to the major construction 

2 project that is the source of the bid savings— 

3 ‘‘(I) the amounts already obligated or 

4 available in the project reserve for such project; 

5 ‘‘(II) the percentage of such project that 

6 has been completed; and 

7 ‘‘(III) the amount of such bid savings that 

8 is already obligated or otherwise being used for 

9 a purpose other than such project.’’. 

10 (e) QUARTERLY REPORT ON SUPER CONSTRUCTION

11 PROJECTS.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—At the end of subchapter I 

13 of chapter 81 of title 38, United States Code, insert 

14 the following new section: 

15 ‘‘§ 8120. Quarterly report on super construction 

16 projects 

17 ‘‘(a) QUARTERLY REPORTS REQUIRED.—Not later 

18 than 30 days after the last day of each fiscal quarter the 

19 Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Af20 fairs of the Senate and House of Representatives on the 

21 super construction projects carried out by the Secretary 

22 during such quarter. Each such report shall include, for 

23 each such project— 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 3106 IH

1 ‘‘(1) the budgetary and scheduling status of the 

2 project, as of the last day of the quarter covered by 

3 the report; and 

4 ‘‘(2) the actual cost and schedule variances of 

5 the project, as of such day, compared to the planned 

6 cost and schedules for the project. 

7 ‘‘(b) SUPER CONSTRUCTION PROJECT DEFINED.—In 

8 this section, the term ‘super construction project’ has the 

9 meaning given such term in section 8103(a)(4)(C) of this 

10 title.’’. 

11 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec12 tions at the beginning of the chapter is amended by 

13 adding at the end of the items relating to such sub14 chapter the following new item: 

‘‘8120. Quarterly report on super construction projects.’’. 

15 (f) ACCELERATED MASTER PLANNING FOR EACH

16 MEDICAL FACILITY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS

17 AFFAIRS.— 

18 (1) EXISTING FACILITIES.—Not later than De19 cember 31, 2016, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

20 shall complete a master plan described in paragraph 

21 (3) for each medical facility of the Department of 

22 Veterans Affairs. 

23 (2) NEW FACILITIES.—For each medical facility 

24 of the Department for which construction is com25 pleted after the date of the enactment of this Act, 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
8 

•HR 3106 IH

1 the Secretary shall complete a master plan described 

2 in paragraph (3) for the facility by not later than 

3 the earlier of the following dates: 

4 (A) The date on which activation is com5 pleted. 

6 (B) The date of the formal dedication of 

7 the facility. 

8 (3) MASTER PLAN DESCRIBED.—A master plan 

9 described in this paragraph is, with respect to a 

10 medical facility of the Department, a plan to inform 

11 investment decisions and funding requests over a 10- 

12 year period for construction projects at such medical 

13 facility— 

14 (A) to meet the health care needs of a 

15 changing veteran population through a com16 bination of health care from the Department 

17 and other community resources; and 

18 (B) to maximize the best use of the land 

19 and structures comprising such medical facility. 

20 SEC. 3. MODIFICATION OF AUTHORIZATION OF FISCAL 

21 YEAR 2008 MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY 

22 PROJECT AT DEPARTMENT MEDICAL CENTER 

23 IN TAMPA, FLORIDA. 

24 In chapter 3 of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 

25 2008 (Public Law 110–252; 122 Stat. 2326), in the matVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:12 Jul 21, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3106.IH H3106

smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
9 

•HR 3106 IH

1 ter under the heading ‘‘Department of Veterans Affairs– 

2 Departmental Administration–Construction, Major 

3 Projects’’, after ‘‘Five Year Capital Plan’’ insert the fol4 lowing: ‘‘and for constructing a new bed tower at the De5 partment of Veterans Affairs medical center in Tampa, 

6 Florida, in lieu of providing bed tower upgrades at such 

7 medical center’’. 

8 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF FISCAL YEAR 2015 MAJOR MED9 ICAL FACILITY PROJECTS. 

10 (a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary of Veterans Af11 fairs may carry out the following major medical facility 

12 projects in fiscal year 2015, with each project to be carried 

13 out in an amount not to exceed the amount specified for 

14 that project: 

15 (1) Construction of a community living center, 

16 outpatient clinic, renovated domiciliary, and renova17 tion of existing buildings in Canandaigua, New 

18 York, in an amount not to exceed $158,980,000. 

19 (2) Seismic corrections to the mental health 

20 and community living center in Long Beach, Cali21 fornia, in an amount not to exceed $126,100,000. 

22 (3) Seismic correction of 12 buildings in West 

23 Los Angeles, California, in an amount not to exceed 

24 $70,500,000. 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
10 

•HR 3106 IH

1 (4) Construction of a spinal cord injury build2 ing and seismic corrections in San Diego, California, 

3 in an amount not to exceed $205,840,000. 

4 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

5 authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans 

6 Affairs for fiscal year 2015 or the year in which funds 

7 are appropriated for the Construction, Major Projects, ac8 count, a total of $561,420,000 for the projects authorized 

9 in subsection (a). 

Æ 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS