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ing, not to exceed $500,000,000 shall be available until
September 30, 2003: Provided further, That of the funds
made available under this heading, not to exceed
$3,000,000,000 shall be available for operations and
maintenance expenses of medical facilities: Provided fur-
ther, That the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct
by contract a program of recovery audits for the fee basis
and other medical services contracts with respect to pay-
ments for hospital care; and, notwithstanding 31 U.S.C.
3302(b), amounts collected, by setoff or otherwise, as the
result of such audits shall be available, without fiscal year
limitation, for the purposes for which funds are appro-
priated under this heading and the purposes of paying a
contractor a percent of the amount collected as a result
of an audit carried out by the contractor: Provided further,
That all amounts so collected under the preceding proviso
with respect to a designated health care region (as that
term is defined in 38 U.S.C. 1729A(d)(2)) shall be allo-
cated, net of payments to the contractor, to that region.
MEDICAL CARE COLLECTIONS FUND
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Amounts deposited during the current fiscal year in
the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Care Collec-
tions Fund under section 1729A of title 38, United States
Code, shall be transferred to ‘‘Medical care’’, to remain
available until expended.
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MEDICAL AND PROSTHETIC RESEARCH
For necessary expenses in carrying out programs of
medical and prosthetic research and development as au-
thorized by 38 U.S.C. chapter 73, to remain available for
obligation until September 30, 2003, $371,000,000, plus
reimbursements.
MEDICAL ADMINISTRATION AND MISCELLANEOUS
OPERATING EXPENSES
For necessary expenses in the administration of the
medical, hospital, nursing home, domiciliary, construction,
supply, and research activities, as authorized by law; ad-
ministrative expenses in support of capital policy activi-
ties, $66,731,000, plus reimbursements: Provided, That
technical and consulting services offered by the Facilities
Management Field Service, including project management
and real property administration (including leases, site ac-
quisition and disposal activities directly supporting
projects), shall be provided to Department of Veterans Af-
fairs components only on a reimbursable basis.
DEPARTMENTAL ADMINISTRATION
GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES
For necessary operating expenses of the Department
of Veterans Affairs, not otherwise provided for, including
administrative expenses in support of Department-wide
capital planning, management and policy activities, uni-
forms or allowances therefor; not to exceed $25,000 for
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official reception and representation expenses; hire of pas-
senger motor vehicles; and reimbursement of the General
Services Administration for security guard services, and
the Department of Defense for the cost of overseas em-
ployee mail, $1,195,728,000: Provided, That expenses for
services and assistance authorized under 38 U.S.C.
3104(a)(1), (2), (5) and (11) that the Secretary deter-
mines are necessary to enable entitled veterans (1) to the
maximum extent feasible, to become employable and to ob-
tain and maintain suitable employment; or (2) to achieve
maximum independence in daily living, shall be charged
to this account: Provided further, That of the funds made
available under this heading, not to exceed $60,000,000
shall be available for obligation until September 30, 2003:
Provided further, That from the funds made available
under this heading, the Veterans Benefits Administration
may purchase up to four passenger motor vehicles for use
in operations of that Administration in Manila, Phil-
ippines: Provided further, That travel expenses for this ac-
count shall not exceed $15,665,000.
NATIONAL CEMETERY ADMINISTRATION
For necessary expenses of the National Cemetery Ad-
ministration for operations and maintenance, not other-
wise provided for, including uniforms or allowances there-
for; cemeterial expenses as authorized by law; purchase
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of one passenger motor vehicle for use in cemeterial oper-
ations; 
and 
hire 
of 
passenger 
motor 
vehicles,
$121,169,000.
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
For necessary expenses of the Office of Inspector
General in carrying out the Inspector General Act of 1978,
as amended, $52,308,000.
CONSTRUCTION, MAJOR PROJECTS
For constructing, altering, extending and improving
any of the facilities under the jurisdiction or for the use
of the Department of Veterans Affairs, or for any of the
purposes set forth in sections 316, 2404, 2406, 8102,
8103, 8106, 8108, 8109, 8110, and 8122 of title 38,
United States Code, including planning, architectural and
engineering services, maintenance or guarantee period
services costs associated with equipment guarantees pro-
vided under the project, services of claims analysts, offsite
utility and storm drainage system construction costs, and
site acquisition, where the estimated cost of a project is
$4,000,000 or more or where funds for a project were
made available in a previous major project appropriation,
$183,180,000, to remain available until expended, of
which not to exceed $20,000,000 shall be for costs associ-
ated with land acquisitions for national cemeteries in the
vicinity of Sacramento, California; Pittsburgh, Pennsyl-
vania; and Detroit, Michigan: Provided, That except for
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advance planning activities, including needs assessments
which may or may not lead to capital investments, and
other capital asset management related activities, such as
portfolio development and management activities, and in-
vestment strategy studies funded through the advance
planning fund and the planning and design activities fund-
ed through the design fund and CARES funds, including
needs assessments which may or may not lead to capital
investments, none of the funds appropriated under this
heading shall be used for any project which has not been
approved by the Congress in the budgetary process: Pro-
vided further, That funds provided in this appropriation
for fiscal year 2002, for each approved project shall be
obligated: (1) by the awarding of a construction docu-
ments contract by September 30, 2002; and (2) by the
awarding of a construction contract by September 30,
2003: Provided further, That the Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs shall promptly report in writing to the Committees
on Appropriations any approved major construction
project for which obligations are not incurred within the
time limitations established under the preceeding proviso:
Provided further, That no funds from any other account
except the ‘‘Parking revolving fund’’, may be obligated for
constructing, altering, extending, or improving a project
which was approved in the budget process and funded in
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this account until one year after substantial completion
and beneficial occupancy by the Department of Veterans
Affairs of the project or any part thereof with respect to
that part only.
FACILITY REHABILITATION FUND
For altering, improving, or rehabilitating facilities
under the jurisdiction of the Department of Veterans Af-
fairs, $300,000,000 to remain available until expended:
Provided, That of the funds made available under this
heading $30,000,000 shall be only for projects authorized
pursuant to section 2(b)(5) of H.R. 811 as passed by the
House of Representatives on March 27, 2001; and
$270,000,000 shall be only for projects achieving the pur-
poses authorized in sections 2(c)(1), (2), and (3) of H.R.
811 as passed by the House of Representatives on March
27, 2001: Provided further, That none of the funds under
this heading may be used for the construction of a new
building unless a credible assessment, approved by the
Secretary, demonstrates new construction would be more
cost-effective than rehabilitating the existing building.
CONSTRUCTION, MINOR PROJECTS
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
and assessments of needs which may lead to capital invest-
ments, architectural and engineering services, mainte-