H. R. 5371—124
SEC. 245. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made 
available by this Act to the Veterans Health Administration may 
be used in fiscal year 2026 to convert any program which received 
specific purpose funds in fiscal year 2025 to a general purpose 
funded program unless the Secretary of Veterans Affairs submits 
written notification of any such proposal to the Committees on 
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress at least 30 days prior 
to any such action and an approval is issued by the Committees. 
SEC. 246. For funds provided to the Department of Veterans 
Affairs for each of fiscal year 2026 and 2027, section 248 of division 
A of Public Law 114–223 shall apply. 
SEC. 247. (a) None of the funds appropriated or otherwise 
made available by this Act may be used to conduct research com-
mencing on or after July 1, 2025, that uses any canine, feline, 
or non-human primate unless the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
approves such research specifically and in writing pursuant to 
subsection (b). 
(b)(1) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may approve the con-
duct of research commencing on or after July 1, 2025, using canines, 
felines, or non-human primates if the Secretary certifies that—
(A) the scientific objectives of the research can only be 
met by using such canines, felines, or non-human primates 
and cannot be met using other animal models, in vitro models, 
computational models, human clinical studies, or other research 
alternatives; 
(B) such scientific objectives are necessary to advance 
research benefiting veterans and are directly related to an 
illness or injury that is combat-related as defined by 10 U.S.C. 
1413(e); 
(C) the research is consistent with the revised Department 
of Veterans Affairs canine research policy document dated 
December 15, 2017, including any subsequent revisions to such 
document; and 
(D) ethical considerations regarding minimizing the harm 
experienced by canines, felines, or non-human primates are 
included in evaluating the scientific necessity of the research. 
(2) The Secretary may not delegate the authority under this 
subsection. 
(c) If the Secretary approves any new research pursuant to 
subsection (b), not later than 30 days before the commencement 
of such research, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees 
on Appropriations of the Senate and House of Representatives 
a report describing—
(1) the nature of the research to be conducted using canines, 
felines, or non-human primates; 
(2) the date on which the Secretary approved the research; 
(3) the USDA pain category on the approved use; 
(4) the justification for the determination of the Secretary 
that the scientific objectives of such research could only be 
met using canines, felines, or non-human primates, and 
methods used to make such determination; 
(5) the frequency and duration of such research; and 
(6) the protocols in place to ensure the necessity, safety, 
and efficacy of the research, and animal welfare. 
(d) Not later than December 31, 2025, and biannually there-
after, the Secretary shall submit to such Committees a report 
describing—
H. R. 5371—125
(1) any research being conducted by the Department of 
Veterans Affairs using canines, felines, or non-human primates 
as of the date of the submittal of the report; 
(2) the circumstances under which such research was con-
ducted using canines, felines, or non-human primates; 
(3) the justification for using canines, felines, or non-human 
primates to conduct such research; 
(4) the protocols in place to ensure the necessity, safety, 
and efficacy of such research; and 
(5) the development and adoption of alternatives to canines, 
felines, or non-human primate research. 
(e) Not later than December 31, 2025, and annually thereafter, 
the Department of Veterans Affairs must submit to voluntary U.S. 
Department of Agriculture inspections of canine, feline, and non-
human primate research facilities. 
(f) Not later than December 31, 2025, and annually thereafter, 
the Secretary shall submit to such Committees a report describing—
(1) any violations of the Animal Welfare Act, the Public 
Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory 
Animals, or other Department of Veterans Affairs policies 
related to oversight of animal research found during that 
quarter in VA research facilities; 
(2) immediate corrective actions taken; and 
(3) specific actions taken to prevent their recurrence. 
(g) The Department shall implement a plan under which the 
Secretary will eliminate the research conducted using canines, 
felines, or non-human primates by not later than September 20, 
2026. 
SEC. 248. (a) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may use 
amounts appropriated or otherwise made available in this title 
to ensure that the ratio of veterans to full-time employment equiva-
lents within any program of rehabilitation conducted under chapter 
31 of title 38, United States Code, does not exceed 125 veterans 
to one full-time employment equivalent. 
(b) Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on 
the programs of rehabilitation conducted under chapter 31 of title 
38, United States Code, including—
(1) an assessment of the veteran-to-staff ratio for each 
such program; and 
(2) recommendations for such action as the Secretary con-
siders necessary to reduce the veteran-to-staff ratio for each 
such program. 
SEC. 249. Amounts made available for the ‘‘Veterans Health 
Administration, Medical Community Care’’ account in this or any 
other Act for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 may be used for expenses 
that would otherwise be payable from the Veterans Choice Fund 
established by section 802 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and 
Accountability Act, as amended (38 U.S.C. 1701 note). 
SEC. 250. Obligations and expenditures applicable to the ‘‘Med-
ical Services’’ account in fiscal years 2017 through 2019 for aid 
to state homes (as authorized by section 1741 of title 38, United 
States Code) shall remain in the ‘‘Medical Community Care’’ account 
for such fiscal years. 
SEC. 251. Of the amounts made available for the Department 
of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2026, in this or any other Act, 
under the ‘‘Veterans Health Administration—Medical Services’’,
H. R. 5371—126
‘‘Veterans Health Administration—Medical Community Care’’, ‘‘Vet-
erans Health Administration—Medical Support and Compliance’’, 
‘‘Veterans Health Administration—Medical Facilities’’, and ‘‘Cost 
of War Toxic Exposures Fund’’ accounts, $1,429,181,000 shall be 
made available for gender-specific care and programmatic efforts 
to deliver care for women veterans; $698,000,000 shall be made 
available for suicide prevention outreach programs; $3,500,000,000 
shall be made available for the Caregivers program; $42,000,000 
shall be made available for the National Center for Post-Traumatic 
Stress Disorder; $80,000,000 shall be made available for the Neu-
rology Centers of Excellence; $342,455,000 shall be made available 
for rural health care; $3,459,121,000 shall be made available for 
veterans’ homelessness programs; $6,356,000,000 shall be made 
available for telehealth for veterans; $709,573,000 shall be made 
available for opioid prevention and treatment programs; and, 
$31,997,000 shall be made available for the Intimate Partner 
Violence Assistance Program. 
SEC. 252. Of the unobligated balances available in fiscal year 
2026 in the ‘‘Recurring Expenses Transformational Fund’’ estab-
lished in section 243 of division J of Public Law 114–113, and 
in addition to any funds otherwise made available for such purposes 
in this, prior, or subsequent fiscal years, $900,000,000 shall be 
available for constructing, altering, extending, and improving med-
ical facilities of the Veterans Health Administration, including all 
supporting activities and required contingencies, during the period 
of availability of the Fund: Provided, That prior to obligation of 
any of the funds provided in this section, the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs must provide a plan for the execution of the funds appro-
priated in this section to the Committees on Appropriations of 
both Houses of Congress and such Committees issue an approval, 
or absent a response, a period of 30 days has elapsed. 
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS) 
SEC. 253. Of the $75,039,000,000 that became available on 
October 1, 2025, previously appropriated under the heading ‘‘Vet-
erans Health Administration—Medical Services’’ in the Full-Year 
Continuing Appropriations Act, 2025 (division A of Public Law 
119–4), $2,030,000,000 shall be transferred to ‘‘Veterans Health 
Administration—Medical Facilities’’. 
SEC. 254. Not later than 30 days after enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations 
of both Houses of Congress an expenditure plan for funds made 
available in this Act and any available unobligated balances from 
prior Acts, including the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (Public 
Law 118–5), for the Cost of War Toxic Exposures Fund: Provided, 
That the budget resource categories supporting the Veterans Health 
Administration shall be reported by the subcategories ‘‘Medical 
Services’’, ‘‘Medical Community Care’’, ‘‘Medical Support and 
Compliance’’, and ‘‘Medical and Prosthetic Research’’: Provided fur-
ther, That not later than 30 days after the end of each fiscal 
quarter, the Secretary shall submit a quarterly report on the status 
of the funds, including, at a minimum, an update on obligations 
by program, project or activity. 
SEC. 255. Any amounts transferred to the Secretary and 
administered by a corporation referred to in section 7364(b) of
H. R. 5371—127
title 38, United States Code, between October 1, 2017 and Sep-
tember 30, 2018 for purposes of carrying out an order placed with 
the Department of Veterans Affairs pursuant to section 1535 of 
title 31, United States Code, that are available for obligation pursu-
ant to section 7364(b)(1) of title 38, United States Code, are to 
remain available for the liquidation of valid obligations incurred 
by such corporation during the period of performance of such order, 
provided that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs determines that 
such amounts need to remain available for such liquidation. 
SEC. 256. None of the funds in this or any other Act may 
be used to close Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals, domicil-
iaries, or clinics, conduct an environmental assessment, or to 
diminish healthcare services at existing Veterans Health Adminis-
tration medical facilities as part of a planned realignment of services 
until the Secretary provides to the Committees on Appropriations 
of both Houses of Congress a report including an analysis of how 
any such planned realignment of services will impact access to 
care for veterans living in rural or highly rural areas, including 
travel distances and transportation costs to access a Department 
medical facility and availability of local specialty and primary care. 
SEC. 257. Unobligated balances available under the headings 
‘‘Construction, Major Projects’’ and ‘‘Construction, Minor Projects’’ 
may be obligated by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for a facility 
pursuant to section 2(e)(1) of the Communities Helping Invest 
through Property and Improvements Needed for Veterans Act of 
2016 (Public Law 114–294; 38 U.S.C. 8103 note), as amended, 
to provide additional funds or to fund an escalation clause under 
such section of such Act: Provided, That before such unobligated 
balances are obligated pursuant to this section, the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall request from the Committees on Appropria-
tions of both Houses of Congress the authority to obligate such 
unobligated balances and such Committees issue an approval, or 
absent a response, a period of 30 days has elapsed: Provided further, 
That the request to obligate such unobligated balances must provide 
Congress notice that the entity described in section 2(a)(2) of Public 
Law 114–294, as amended, has exhausted available cost contain-
ment approaches as set forth in the agreement under section 2(c) 
of such Public Law. 
SEC. 258. (a) None of the funds appropriated by this Act or 
otherwise made available for fiscal year 2026 for the Department 
of Veterans Affairs may be obligated, awarded, or expended to 
procure or purchase covered information technology equipment in 
cases where the manufacturer, bidder, or offeror, or any subsidiary 
or parent entity of the manufacturer, bidder, or offeror, of the 
equipment is an entity, or parent company of an entity listed 
on any of the following: 
(1) the Department of Defense’s Chinese Military Company 
List; 
(2) the Department of the Treasury’s Non-SDN Chinese 
Military Industrial Complex Companies List; 
(3) the Department of Commerce’s Denied Persons List, 
Entity List, or Military End User List, if the entity is—
(A) an agency or instrumentality of the People’s 
Republic of China; 
(B) an entity headquartered in the People’s Republic 
of China; or