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Fiscal Year 2019

Military Construction 

Appropriations Act

Summary of the SenateAppropriations Committee’s Military 

Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 

2019

As of June 15th, 2018

Bill Status

Passed in 

Committee

Passed in 

Chamber Agreement Final Passage Signed into Law

House 

May 8, 2018



June 8, 2018

Senate 

June 7, 2018
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Executive Summary

This guide provides only a short summary and analysis of the many provisions in the bill. To 

obtain a complete understanding of any particular provision, users are encouraged to review the 

actual legislative language. The bill and accompanying report are available on the NGB-LL web 

page at www.nationalguard.mil/ll. 

Summary: 

On Thursday, June 7, 2018 the Senate Appropriations Committee passed its version of the FY19

Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill. In total, the legislation provides 

$225.6 billion in budget authority for fiscal year 2019.

The bill includes $329.2 million for construction or alteration of National Guard facilities in 14 

states. Of this amount, $190.1 million is provided for Army National Guard military construction and 

$139.1 million for Air National Guard military construction – both $10 million above requested

levels. 

Section 124 appropriates additional funding for the Army National Guard ($22 million) and Air 

National Guard ($11 million) for projects on the Services Unfunded Priority lists. Section 125 

rescinds $10 million from the Army National Guard, Military Construction account from prior 

appropriation acts. 

Army National Guard

(All Dollars in Thousands)

Army 

National 

Guard

FY19

President’s 

Budget 

Request

HAC-M

Mark

Delta 

from 

FY19

Request

SAC-M

Mark

Delta 

From 

FY19

Request

Final 

Bill

Delta 

From 

FY19

Request

Total $180,122 $180,122 - $190,122 $10,000

Minor 

Construction $18,100 $18,100 - $28,100 $10,000

Planning & 

Design $16,622 $16,622 - $16,622 -

Sec. 124 - - - $22,000 $22,000

Sec. 125 - $11,000 $11,000 -$10,000 -$10,000

Air National Guard

(All Dollars in Thousands)

Air 

National 

Guard

FY19

President’s 

Budget 

Request

HAC-M

Mark

Delta 

from 

FY19

Request

SAC-M

Mark

Delta 

From 

FY19

Request

Final 

Bill

Delta 

From 

FY19

Request

Total $129,126 $129,126 - $139,126 $10,000

Minor 

Construction $23,626 $23,626 - $33,626 $10,000

Planning & 

Design $18,500 $18,500 - $18,500 -

Sec. 124 - - - $11,000 $11,000

Sec. 125 - $62,000 $62,000 - -
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Senate Provisions of Interest

Sec. 104 – None of the funds made available in this title may be used to begin construction of new bases in 

the United States for which specific appropriations have not been made.

Sec. 107 – None of the funds made available in this title for minor construction may be used to transfer or 

relocate any activity from one base or installation to another, without prior notification to the Committees on 

Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.

Sec. 113 – The Secretary of Defense shall inform the appropriate committees of both Houses of Congress, 

including the Committees on Appropriations, of plans and scope of any proposed military exercise involving 

United States personnel 30 days prior to its occurring, if amounts expended for construction, either 

temporary or permanent, are anticipated to exceed $100,000.

Sec. 124 - For an additional amount for the accounts and in the amounts specified, to remain available until 

September 30, 2023: ‘‘Military Construction, Army’’, $77,600,000; ‘‘Military Construction, Navy and Marine 

Corps’’, $244,400,000, of which $10,000,000 is for planning and design; ‘‘Military Construction, Air Force’’, 

$118,516,000, of which $22,316,000 is for planning and design; ‘‘Military Construction, Army National 

Guard’’, $22,000,000; ‘‘Military Construction, Air National Guard’’, $11,100,000, for planning and 

design; ‘‘Military Construction, Army Reserve’’, $10,000,000; and ‘‘Military Construction, Air Force Reserve’’, 

$14,400,000, of which $5,000,000 is for planning and design: Provided, That such funds may only be 

obligated to carry out construction projects identified in the respective military department’s unfunded priority 

list for fiscal year 2019 submitted to Congress: Provided further, That such projects are subject to 

authorization prior to obligation and expenditure of funds to carry out construction: Provided further, That not 

later than 30 days after enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the military department concerned, or his or 

her designee, shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress an expenditure 

plan for funds provided under this section.

Sec. 125 – Of the unobligated balances available to the Department of Defense from prior appropriation 

Acts, the following funds are hereby rescinded from the following accounts in the amounts specified: ‘‘Military 

Construction, Air Force’’, $31,158,000; ‘‘Military Construction, Army National Guard’’, $10,000,000; and 

‘‘Family Housing Construction, Navy and Marine Corps’’, $2,138,000: Provided, That no amounts may be 

rescinded from amounts that were designated by the Congress for Overseas Contingency Operations/Global 

War on Terrorism or as an emergency requirement pursuant to a concurrent resolution on the budget or the 

Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended.

Sec. 126 – For the purposes of this Act, the term ‘‘congressional defense committees’’ means the 

Committees on Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the Senate, the Subcommittee on 

Military Construction and Veterans Affairs of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, and the 

Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs of the Committee on Appropriations of the 

House of Representatives.

Sec. 128 – Notwithstanding any other provision of law, none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made 

available by this or any other Act may be used to consolidate or relocate any element of a United States Air 

Force Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineer (RED HORSE) outside of 

the United States until the Secretary of the Air Force (1) completes an analysis and comparison of the cost 

and infrastructure investment required to consolidate or relocate a RED HORSE squadron outside of the 

United States versus within the United States; (2) provides to the Committees on Appropriations of both 

Houses of Congress (‘‘the Committees’’) a report detailing the findings of the cost analysis; and (3) certifies 

in writing to the Committees that the preferred site for the consolidation or relocation yields the greatest 

savings for the Air Force: Provided, That the term ‘‘United States’’ in this section does not include any 

territory or possession of the United States.
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Senate Report Language of Interest 

Federal, State and Local Intelligence Collaboration — The Committee remains supportive of collaborative 

intelligence fusion centers that utilize National Guard facilities. These centers allow Federal, state, local, and 

tribal law enforcement officials to collaborate and share intelligence and threat information, and co-locating 

them with National Guard facilities offers opportunities for cost savings. The Committee urges the 

Department, the services, and the National Guard Bureau to prioritize needed workplace replacement 

projects, including Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility [SCIF] projects to conduct state and 

Federal intelligence analysis, in the fiscal year 2020 and future budget submissions.

Army National Guard Readiness Center Investment — The Committee remains concerned that the 

Department of the Army has not adequately prioritized funding to implement the ‘‘Affordable Readiness’’ 

strategy recommended by the 2014 Army National Guard Readiness Center Transformation Master Plan 

[RCTMP]. While the committee understands that the Army must balance these additional costs with existing 

infrastructure demands, the Committee also notes that the fiscal year 2019 Military Construction request for 

the Army National Guard was a 14 percent decrease from the fiscal year 2018 request, representing its 

smallest portion of the Army military construction budget since 2008. Except for the fiscal year 2015 budget 

request, the funding level is at its lowest in the post-2001 era. The Committee urges the Army to provide 

additional funding for the Army National Guard in its future years defense program in order to expedite 

execution of the RCTMP.

Canadian Forces Base Gagetown — The Committee is aware that many National Guard veterans engaged 

in training activities at Canadian Forces Base [CFB] Gagetown in the 1950s and 1960s. The Committee is 

also aware that Veterans Affairs Canada approved one-time, lump sum payments to eligible veterans 

exposed to Agent Orange and other defoliants who served at CFB Gagetown, and that American veterans 

who served there between June 20 and June 24, 1964, are currently eligible for an Agent Orange Registry 

Health Exam from the Veterans Health Administration. The Committee urges the Department to establish 

and maintain a health registry for American veterans who were stationed or underwent training at CFB 

Gagetown between 1956 and 2006 and who have subsequently experienced health problems which may be 

attributed to Agent Orange or other defoliants. The Committee further urges the Department to commission 

an independent study tasked with investigating the linkage between service at CFB Gagetown and the 

development of health problems and disease associated with exposure to Agent Orange.

Rescissions — The Committee recommends an administrative provision rescinding prior year unobligated 

funds due primarily to project bid savings and the slow execution of projects.

Army National Guard Project List

(All Dollars in Thousands)

State

ARNG Military Construction

Project Description

President’s 

Budget 

Request

HAC-M 

Mark

SAC-M

Mark

Final 

Bill

AK Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson $27,000 $27,000 $27,000

IL Marseilles Automated Record Fire Range $5,000 $5,000 $5,000

MT Malta National Guard Readiness Center $15,000 $15,000 $15,000

NV North Las Vegas National Guard Readiness 

Center $32,000 $32,000 $32,000

NH Pembroke National Guard Readiness Center $12,000 $12,000 $12,000

ND Fargo National Guard Readiness Center $32,000 $32,000 $32,000

OH

Camp Ravenna Automated Multipurpose 

Machine Gun Range $7,400 $7,400 $7,400

SD Rapid City National Guard Readiness Center $15,000 $15,000 $15,000
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Air National Guard Project List

(All Dollars in Thousands)

State

ANG Military Construction Project 

Description

President’s 

Budget 

Request

HAC-M

Mark 

SAC-M

Mark

Final 

Bill

CA Channel Islands ANGS – C-130J Flight 

Simulator Facility $8,000 $8,000 $8,000

HI Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam – Addition to 

F-22 LO/CRF B3408 $17,000 $17,000 $17,000

IL Greater Peoria Regional Airport – New Fire 

Crash/Rescue Station $9,000 $9,000 $9,000

LA New Orleans NORTHCOM – Construct Alert 

Apron $15,000 $15,000 $15,000

NY Francis S. Gabreski Airport – Security 

Forces/ Comm. Training Facility $20,000 $20,000 $20,000

PA Fort Indiantown Gap – Replace Operations 

Training/Dining Hall $8,000 $8,000 $8,000

VA Joint Base Langley-Eustis Construct Cyber 

Ops Facility $10,000 $10,000 $10,000