H. R. 2617—509 
5 calendar days of any failure by any department or agency covered 
by this section to comply with this requirement. 
SEC. 244. None of the funds made available in this Act may 
be used in a manner that would increase wait times for veterans 
who seek care at medical facilities of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs. 
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 2023 to convert any program which received 
specific purpose funds in fiscal year 2022 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 2023 and 2024, 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 October 1, 2019, 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 October 1, 2019, using 
canines, felines, or non-human primates if the Secretary determines 
that— 
(A) the scientific objectives of the research can only be 
met by using such canines, felines, or non-human primates; 
(B) such scientific objectives are directly related to an ill-
ness or injury that is combat-related; and 
(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. 
(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 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; 
(4) the frequency and duration of such research; and 
(5) the protocols in place to ensure the necessity, safety, 
and efficacy of the research. 
(d) Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, and biannually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit 
to such Committees a report describing— 
(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;
H. R. 2617—510 
(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; and 
(4) the protocols in place to ensure the necessity, safety, 
and efficacy of such research. 
(e) The Department shall implement a plan under which the 
Secretary will eliminate or reduce the research conducted using 
canines, felines, or non-human primates by not later than 5 years 
after the date of enactment of Public Law 116–94. 
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 2023 and 2024 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 2023, in this or any other Act, 
under the ‘‘Veterans Health Administration—Medical Services’’, 
‘‘Veterans Health Administration—Medical Community Care’’, ‘‘Vet-
erans Health Administration—Medical Support and Compliance’’, 
and ‘‘Veterans Health Administration—Medical Facilities’’ accounts, 
$840,446,000 shall be made available for gender-specific care and 
programmatic efforts to deliver care for women veterans. 
SEC. 252. Of the unobligated balances available in fiscal year 
2023 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, the following amounts 
shall be available for the following purposes during the period 
of availability of the Fund: 
(1) $804,510,000, for constructing, altering, extending, and 
improving medical facilities of the Veterans Health Administra-
tion, including all supporting activities and required contin-
gencies; 
(2) $88,490,000, for facilities improvements at existing med-
ical facilities of the Veterans Health Administration; and
H. R. 2617—511 
(3) $75,000,000, for the deployment, upgrade, or installation 
of infrastructure or equipment to support goals established 
in Executive Order 14057: 
Provided, That prior to obligation of any of the funds provided 
in this subsection, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs must provide 
a plan for the execution of the funds appropriated in this subsection 
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: Provided further, That funds 
may be reprogrammed among the three purposes subject to the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs providing a request with the amount 
and purpose of the reprogramming to the Committees on Appropria-
tions of both Houses of Congress and such Committees issuing 
an approval, or absent a response, a period of 30 days has elapsed. 
SEC. 253. Not later than 30 days after the end of each fiscal 
quarter, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the 
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a quar-
terly report on the status of the ‘‘Veterans Medical Care and Health 
Fund’’, established to execute section 8002 of the American Rescue 
Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117–2): Provided, That, at a minimum, 
the report shall include an update on obligations by program, project 
or activity and a plan for expending the remaining funds: Provided 
further, That the Secretary of Veterans Affairs must submit notifica-
tion of any plans to reallocate funds from the current apportionment 
categories of ‘‘Medical Services’’, ‘‘Medical Support and Compliance’’, 
‘‘Medical Facilities’’, ‘‘Medical Community Care’’, or ‘‘Medical and 
Prosthetic Research’’, including the amount and purpose of each 
reallocation 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. 
SEC. 254. Any amounts transferred to the Secretary and 
administered by a corporation referred to in section 7364(b) of 
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. 
(RESCISSIONS OF FUNDS) 
SEC. 255. Of the unobligated balances available to the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs from prior appropriations Acts, the fol-
lowing funds are hereby rescinded from the following accounts 
in the amounts specified: 
‘‘Asset and Infrastructure Review’’, $5,000,000; 
‘‘Departmental 
Administration—Veterans 
Electronic 
Health Record’’, $150,000,000; and 
‘‘Departmental 
Administration—Construction, 
Major 
Projects’’, $76,000,000: 
Provided, That no amounts may be rescinded from amounts that 
were designated by the Congress as an emergency requirement 
pursuant to a concurrent resolution on the budget or the Balanced 
Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.
H. R. 2617—512 
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. 
(RESCISSION OF FUNDS) 
SEC. 257. Of the unobligated balances in the ‘‘Recurring 
Expenses Transformational Fund’’ established in section 243 of 
division J of Public Law 114–113, $90,874,000 is hereby rescinded. 
SEC. 258. 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. 
TITLE III 
RELATED AGENCIES 
AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION 
SALARIES AND EXPENSES 
For necessary expenses, not otherwise provided for, of the 
American Battle Monuments Commission, including the acquisition 
of land or interest in land in foreign countries; purchases and 
repair of uniforms for caretakers of national cemeteries and monu-
ments outside of the United States and its territories and posses-
sions; rent of office and garage space in foreign countries; purchase 
(one-for-one replacement basis only) and hire of passenger motor 
vehicles; not to exceed $15,000 for official reception and representa-
tion expenses; and insurance of official motor vehicles in foreign 
countries, when required by law of such countries, $87,500,000, 
to remain available until expended.