I 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4949 
To establish within the Office of the Secretary of Defense an office responsible 
for implementing all recommendations and requirements regarding mili-
tary medical facilities in the National Capital Region, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 25, 2010 
Mrs. DAVIS of California (for herself, Mr. ORTIZ, and Mr. WILSON of South 
Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To establish within the Office of the Secretary of Defense 
an office responsible for implementing all recommenda-
tions and requirements regarding military medical facili-
ties in the National Capital Region, and for other pur-
poses. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘World Class Military Medical Facilities Act’’. 
(b) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find-
ings: 
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(1) The Department of Defense lacks a com-
plete plan for the entirety of facilities at the new 
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in 
Bethesda, Maryland. 
(2) The Department of Defense has not estab-
lished an integrated operating structure, has not 
provided clear and appropriate budget authorities, 
and has not designed either joint military or civilian 
personnel structures to staff the new Walter Reed 
National Military Medical Center. 
(3) There are differing standards and levels of 
construction and funding that could result in a facil-
ity that is not in totality a world class military med-
ical facility. 
(4) The Department of Defense lacks a unified 
construction standard for military construction and 
repairs to military medical facilities. 
(5) In the report referred to in section 8(2), the 
National Capital Region Base Realignment and Clo-
sure Health Systems Advisory Subcommittee of the 
Defense Health Board identified numerous defi-
ciencies in the current plan for the new Walter Reed 
National Military Medical Center. 
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SEC. 2. DISESTABLISHMENT OF JOINT TASK FORCE NA-
TIONAL CAPITAL REGION MEDICAL. 
Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall disestablish the 
organization known as Joint Task Force National Capital 
Region Medical. Upon such disestablishment, all per-
sonnel, property, and functions of the Joint Task Force 
National Capital Region Medical shall be transferred back 
to the military department from which the personnel, 
property, or functions were transferred or to the Office 
of the Secretary of Defense. 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE RESPONSIBLE FOR IM-
PLEMENTING NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION 
MILITARY 
MEDICAL 
FACILITIES 
REC-
OMMENDATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than June 1, 2010, 
the Secretary of Defense shall establish within the Office 
of the Secretary of Defense an office responsible for imple-
menting all recommendations and requirements regarding 
military medical facilities in the National Capital Region 
contained in— 
(1) the report of the Defense Base Closure and 
Realignment Commission transmitted to Congress 
on September 15, 2005, under section 2903(e) of 
the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 
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1990 (part A of title XXIX of Public Law 101–510; 
10 U.S.C. 2687 note); 
(2) section 2714 of the National Defense Au-
thorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 
111–84; 123 Stat. 2656); or 
(3) any other provision of law. 
(b) ORGANIZATION.— 
(1) DIRECTOR.—The director of the office shall 
be the Deputy Secretary of Defense. The responsibil-
ities of the director may not be delegated to another 
individual, office, command, field agency, or field ac-
tivity. 
(2) DEPUTY DIRECTOR.—The deputy director 
of the office shall be the Assistant Secretary of De-
fense for Health Affairs. The responsibilities of the 
deputy director may not be delegated to another in-
dividual, office, command, field agency, or field ac-
tivity. 
(c) RESPONSIBILITIES AND AUTHORITIES.— 
(1) MISSIONS.—The office shall define the med-
ical missions and responsibilities of the Office of the 
Secretary of Defense and the military departments 
in the National Capital Region. 
(2) BUDGET AND OPERATIONAL AUTHORITY.— 
The office shall retain overall budget and operational 
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authority to provide and operate world class military 
medical facilities in the National Capital Region. 
This authority includes the development of budgets, 
prioritization of requirements, and the allocation of 
funds to provide and operate world class military 
medical facilities. 
(3) PERSONNEL.—The office, in consultation 
with the Secretaries of the military departments, 
shall specify personnel authorizations and personnel 
systems required to provide and operate world class 
military medical facilities in the National Capital 
Region. 
SEC. 4. COMPLETION OF NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION 
HEALTH CARE DELIVERY MASTER PLAN. 
Upon the establishment of the office under section 
3, the office shall assume responsibility for the develop-
ment and implementation of the comprehensive master 
plan to provide sufficient world class military medical fa-
cilities and an integrated system of health care delivery 
for the National Capital Region required by section 2714 
of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2010 (Public Law 111–84; 123 Stat. 2656). 
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SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF UNIFIED CONSTRUCTION 
STANDARD FOR MILITARY CONSTRUCTION 
AND REPAIRS TO MILITARY MEDICAL FACILI-
TIES. 
Not later than June 1, 2010, the Secretary of De-
fense shall establish a unified construction standard for 
military construction and repairs for military medical fa-
cilities that provides a single standard of care. This stand-
ard shall also include a size standard for operating rooms 
and patient recovery rooms. 
SEC. 
6. 
AUTHORIZATION 
OF 
APPROPRIATIONS 
FOR 
IMPLEMENTION OF UNIFIED CONSTRUCTION 
STANDARD 
AT 
WALTER 
REED 
NATIONAL 
MILITARY MEDICAL CENTER. 
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary of Defense $400,000,000 to implement at Walter 
Reed National Military Medical Center the unified con-
struction standard for military construction and repairs 
for military medical facilities established under section 5. 
SEC. 7. INDEPENDENT REVIEW PANEL. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF REVIEW PANEL.—The Sec-
retary of Defense shall establish an advisory committee 
to be known as the ‘‘Independent Review Panel for Mili-
tary Medical Care in the National Capital Region’’ to ad-
vise the Secretary regarding whether the proposed design 
and organizational structure for military medical facilities 
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in the National Capital Region will achieve a world class 
military medical facility. 
(b) MEMBERS.— 
(1) CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS.—The advisory 
committee is constituted annually of the following: 
(A) The chairman of the Committee on 
Armed Services of the Senate or the chairman’s 
designee. 
(B) Three other members of the Senate 
designated by the Vice President or the Presi-
dent pro tempore of the Senate, two of whom 
are members of the Committee on Appropria-
tions of the Senate. 
(C) The chairman of the Committee on 
Armed Services of the House of Representatives 
or the chairman’s designee. 
(D) Four other members of the House of 
Representatives designated by the Speaker of 
the House of Representatives, two of whom are 
members of the Committee on Appropriations 
of the House of Representatives. 
(2) OTHER MEMBERS.—The advisory committee 
shall also include six persons designated by the 
President who are not employees or appointed polit-
ical officials of the executive branch. These members 
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