H. R. 5325—37 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by subsection (a) 
shall take effect on the first day of the first fiscal year that begins 
after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 251. (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall establish a program to conduct inspections of kitchens and 
food service areas at each medical facility of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs. Such inspections shall occur not less frequently 
than annually. The program’s goal is to ensure that the same 
standards for kitchens and food service areas at hospitals in the 
private sector are being met at kitchens and food service areas 
at medical facilities of the Department. 
(b) AGREEMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall seek to enter into 
an agreement with the Joint Commission on Accreditation of 
Hospital Organizations under which the Joint Commission on 
Accreditation of Hospital Organizations conducts the inspec-
tions required under subsection (a). 
(2) ALTERNATE ORGANIZATION.—If the Secretary is unable 
to enter into an agreement described in paragraph (1) with 
the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospital Organiza-
tions on terms acceptable to the Secretary, the Secretary shall 
seek to enter into such an agreement with another appropriate 
organization that— 
(A) is not part of the Federal Government; 
(B) operates as a not-for-profit entity; and 
(C) has expertise and objectivity comparable to that 
of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospital 
Organizations. 
(c) REMEDIATION PLAN.— 
(1) INITIAL FAILURE.—If a kitchen or food service area of 
a medical facility of the Department is determined pursuant 
to an inspection conducted under subsection (a) not to meet 
the standards for kitchens and food service areas in hospitals 
in the private sector, that medical facility fails the inspection 
and the Secretary shall— 
(A) implement a remediation plan for that medical 
facility within 72 hours; and 
(B) Conduct a second inspection under subsection (a) 
at that medical facility within 14 days of the failed inspec-
tion. 
(2) SECOND FAILURE.—If a medical facility of the Depart-
ment fails the second inspection conducted under paragraph 
(1)(B), the Secretary shall close the kitchen or food service 
area at that medical facility that did not meet the standards 
for kitchens and food service areas in hospitals in the private 
sector until full remediation is completed and all kitchens and 
food service areas at that medical facility meet such standards. 
(3) PROVISION OF FOOD.—If a kitchen or food service area 
is closed at a medical facility of the Department pursuant 
to paragraph (2), the Director of the Veterans Integrated 
Service Network in which the medical facility is located shall 
enter into a contract with a vendor approved by the General 
Services Administration to provide food at the medical facility. 
(d) QUARTERLY REPORTS.—Not less frequently than quarterly, 
the Under Secretary of Health shall submit to Congress a report 
on inspections conducted under this section, and their detailed
H. R. 5325—38 
findings and actions taken, during the preceding quarter at medical 
facilities of the Department. 
SEC. 252. (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall establish a program to conduct risk-based inspections for 
mold and mold issues at each medical facility of the Department 
of Veterans Affairs. Such facilities will be rated high, medium, 
or low risk for mold. Such inspections at facilities rated high risk 
shall occur not less frequently than annually, and such inspections 
at facilities rated medium or low risk shall occur not less frequently 
than biennially. 
(b) AGREEMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall seek to enter into 
an agreement with the Joint Commission on Accreditation of 
Hospital Organizations under which the Joint Commission on 
Accreditation of Hospital Organizations conducts the inspec-
tions required under subsection (a). 
(2) ALTERNATE ORGANIZATION.—If the Secretary is unable 
to enter into an agreement described in paragraph (1) with 
the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospital Organiza-
tions on terms acceptable to the Secretary, the Secretary shall 
seek to enter into such an agreement with another appropriate 
organization that— 
(A) is not part of the Federal Government; 
(B) operates as a not-for-profit entity; and 
(C) has expertise and objectivity comparable to that 
of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospital 
Organizations. 
(c) REMEDIATION PLAN.—If a medical facility of the Department 
is determined pursuant to an inspection conducted under subsection 
(a) to have a mold issue, the Secretary shall— 
(1) implement a remediation plan for that medical facility 
within 7 days; and 
(2) Conduct a second inspection under subsection (a) at 
that medical facility within 90 days of the initial inspection. 
(d) QUARTERLY REPORTS.—Not less frequently than quarterly, 
the Under Secretary for Health shall submit to Congress a report 
on inspections conducted under this section, and their detailed 
findings and actions taken, during the preceding quarter at medical 
facilities of the Department. 
SEC. 253. Section 1706(b)(5)(A) of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended, in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘through 2008’’. 
SEC. 254. (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.
H. R. 5325—39 
SEC. 255. (a) None of the funds made available in this Act 
may be used to deny an Inspector General funded under this 
Act timely access to any records, documents, or other materials 
available to the department or agency over which that Inspector 
General has responsibilities under the Inspector General Act of 
1978 (5 U.S.C. App.), or to prevent or impede that Inspector Gen-
eral’s access to such records, documents, or other materials, under 
any provision of law, except a provision of law that expressly 
refers to the Inspector General and expressly limits the Inspector 
General’s right of access. 
(b) A department or agency covered by this section shall provide 
its Inspector General with access to all such records, documents, 
and other materials in a timely manner. 
(c) Each Inspector General shall ensure compliance with statu-
tory limitations on disclosure relevant to the information provided 
by the establishment over which that Inspector General has respon-
sibilities under the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.). 
(d) Each Inspector General covered by this section shall report 
to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representa-
tives and the Senate within 5 calendar days any failures to comply 
with this requirement. 
SEC. 256. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made 
available in this title may be used by the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to enter into an agreement related to resolving a dispute 
or claim with an individual that would restrict in any way the 
individual from speaking to members of Congress or their staff 
on any topic not otherwise prohibited from disclosure by Federal 
law or required by Executive Order to be kept secret in the interest 
of national defense or the conduct of foreign affairs. 
SEC. 257. Appropriations made available in this Act under 
the heading ‘‘Medical Services’’ shall be available to carry out sec-
tions 322(d) and 521A of title 38, United States Code, to include 
the payment of the administrative expenses necessary to carry 
out such sections. Of the amount appropriated for fiscal year 2017, 
up to $2,000,000 shall be available for the payment of monthly 
assistance allowances to veterans pursuant to 38 U.S.C. 322(d) 
and up to $8,000,000 shall be available for the payment of grants 
pursuant to 38 U.S.C. 521A. Of the amounts appropriated in 
advance for fiscal year 2018, up to $2,000,000 shall be available 
for the payment of monthly assistance allowances to veterans pursu-
ant to 38 U.S.C. 322(d) and up to $8,000,000 shall be available 
for the payment of grants pursuant to 38 U.S.C. 521A. 
SEC. 258. (a) In fiscal year 2017 and each fiscal year hereafter, 
beginning with the fiscal year 2018 budget request submitted to 
Congress pursuant to section 1105(a) of title 31, United States 
Code, the budget justification documents submitted for the 
‘‘Construction, Major Projects’’ account of the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs shall include, at a minimum, the information required 
under subsection (b). 
(b) The budget justification documents submitted pursuant to 
subsection (a) shall include, for each project— 
(1) the estimated total cost of the project; 
(2) the funding provided for each fiscal year prior to the 
budget year; 
(3) the amount requested for the budget year; 
(4) the estimated funding required for the project for each 
of the 4 fiscal years succeeding the budget year; and
H. R. 5325—40 
(5) such additional information as is enumerated under 
the heading relating to the ‘‘Construction, Major Projects’’ 
account of the Department of Veterans Affairs in the joint 
explanatory statement accompanying this Act. 
(c) Not later than 45 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the 
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a pro-
posed budget justification template that complies with the require-
ments of this section. 
SEC. 259. (a) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may carry 
out the following major medical facility projects, with each project 
to be carried out in an amount not to exceed the amount specified 
for that project: 
(1) Seismic corrections to buildings, including retrofitting 
and replacement of high-risk buildings, in San Francisco, Cali-
fornia, in an amount not to exceed $180,480,000. 
(2) Seismic corrections to facilities, including facilities to 
support homeless veterans, at the medical center in West Los 
Angeles, California, in an amount not to exceed $105,500,000. 
(3) Seismic corrections to the mental health and community 
living center in Long Beach, California, in an amount not 
to exceed $287,100,000. 
(4) Construction of an outpatient clinic, administrative 
space, cemetery, and columbarium in Alameda, California, in 
an amount not to exceed $87,332,000. 
(5) Realignment of medical facilities in Livermore, Cali-
fornia, in an amount not to exceed $194,430,000. 
(6) Construction of a medical center in Louisville, Kentucky, 
in an amount not to exceed $150,000,000. 
(7) Construction of a replacement community living center 
in Perry Point, Maryland, in an amount not to exceed 
$92,700,000. 
(8) Seismic corrections and other renovations to several 
buildings and construction of a specialty care building in Amer-
ican Lake, Washington, in an amount not to exceed $16,260,000. 
(b) There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2016 or the year in which funds 
are appropriated for the Construction, Major Projects, account, 
$1,113,802,000 for the projects authorized in subsection (a). 
(c) The projects authorized in subsection (a) may only be carried 
out using— 
(1) funds appropriated for fiscal year 2016 pursuant to 
the authorization of appropriations in subsection (b); 
(2) funds available for Construction, Major Projects, for 
a fiscal year before fiscal year 2016 that remain available 
for obligation; 
(3) funds available for Construction, Major Projects, for 
a fiscal year after fiscal year 2016 that remain available for 
obligation; 
(4) funds appropriated for Construction, Major Projects, 
for fiscal year 2016 for a category of activity not specific to 
a project; 
(5) funds appropriated for Construction, Major Projects, 
for a fiscal year before fiscal year 2016 for a category of activity 
not specific to a project; and