[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 55 (Thursday, March 29, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4176-S4177]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. FEINSTEIN:
  S. 1043. A bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to 
submit a report to Congress on proposed changes to the use of the West 
Los Angeles Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California; 
to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation 
to ensure that the land on the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs, West 
LA VA, campus is protected for the use of America's Veterans.
  The bill would: require the VA Secretary to provide the Congressional 
Appropriations and Veterans Committees a comprehensive report regarding 
the master plan for the West LA VA facility and connected property.
  The VA was required under Public Law 105-368 to develop a master plan 
for the West LA VA property.
  If the VA has failed to developed the plan, the legislation requires 
it to complete a master plan prior to implementing any action based on 
the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) initiative.
  The VA would be prohibited from issuing any enhanced-use lease 
agreements for the West LA VA property until the master plan is 
completed and submitted to Congress.
  Prevent the VA Secretary from implementing any portion of the master 
plan until 120 days after the submission of the plan to the 
Appropriations and Veterans Committees.
  In addition, the Secretary would be expressly prohibited from 
pursuing development initiatives regarding the West LA VA property not 
relating to direct Veterans services unless explicitly authorized by 
Congress through legislation.
  Direct Veterans services are defined in this legislation as any 
services ``directly related'' to maintaining the health, welfare, and 
support of Veterans.
  Last year, the Senate approved similar language in the FY07 MILCON/VA 
Appropriations bill that required the VA to provide the Appropriations 
Committees a report on the master plan for the West LA VA Medical 
Center and connected land.
  The fiscal year 2007 MILCON/VA Appropriations Act passed the Senate 
on November 18, 2006.
  Unfortunately, all but 2 of the 11 Appropriations bills--including 
MILCON/VA--were ultimately packaged together in a Continuing Resolution 
for fiscal year 2007, and the language was never considered by the full 
Congress.
  The bill I am introducing today is absolutely essential in light of a 
number of unacceptable actions that have previously been taken by the 
VA that, in my view, violate the spirit, if not the letter, of the law.
  Last month, I joined with my colleagues Senator Barbara Boxer and 
Congressman Henry Waxman in writing a letter to VA Secretary James 
Nicholson strongly objecting to recent decisions by the VA relating to 
the West LA VA facility and land.
  Over the past year alone, the VA has permitted the construction of a 
facility for the Fox Entertainment Group on the West LA VA property, 
and has approved a lease agreement with Enterprise Car Rental to 
operate on the campus.
  In addition, the VA has allowed the Westside Shepherd of the Hill 
Church to rent a building on the property in which to hold its Sunday 
services and provided additional housing space for the University of 
California-Los Angeles (UCLA).
  The VA reportedly has also considered lease projects such as movie 
productions, a drive-in theather, a circus event, and a golf course.
  This must be put to a stop and the legislation I introduce today 
would do just that.
  For too long, commercial interests have trumped the needs of our 
Veterans.
  These 400 acres of land were donated to the government in 1888 
specifically for Veterans and should remain that way--just as then-VA 
Secretary Anthony Principi promised during a visit to Los Angeles in 
February 2002.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of this legislation be printed 
in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1043

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. REPORT ON USE OF LANDS AT WEST LOS ANGELES 
                   DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTER, 
                   CALIFORNIA.

       (a) Finding.--Congress finds that section 707 of the 
     Veterans Programs Enhancement Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-
     368; 112 Stat. 3351) required the Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs to submit to Congress a report on the master plan of 
     the Department of Veterans Affairs, or a plan for the 
     development of such a master plan, relating to the use of 
     Department lands at the West Los Angeles Department of 
     Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California.
       (b) Report.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit 
     to Congress a report on the master plan of the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs relating to the use of Department lands at 
     the West Los Angeles Department of Veterans Affairs Medical 
     Center, California.
       (c) Report Elements.--The report under subsection (b) shall 
     set forth the following:
       (1) The master plan referred to in that subsection, if such 
     a plan currently exists.
       (2) A current assessment of the master plan.

[[Page S4177]]

       (3) Any proposal of the Department for a veterans park on 
     the lands referred to in subsection (b), and an assessment of 
     each such proposal.
       (4) Any proposal to use a portion of the lands referred to 
     in subsection (b) as dedicated green space, and an assessment 
     of each such proposal.
       (d) Alternative Report Element.--
       (1) Plan for development of master plan.--If the master 
     plan referred to in subsection (b) does not exist as of the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall set 
     forth in the report under that subsection, in lieu of the 
     matters specified in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection 
     (c), a plan for the development of a master plan for the use 
     of the lands referred to in subsection (b) during each period 
     as follows:
       (A) The 25-year period beginning on the date of the 
     enactment of this Act.
       (B) The 50-year period beginning on the date of the 
     enactment of this Act.
       (2) Completion of master plan.--The master plan referred to 
     in paragraph (1) shall be completed before both of the 
     following:
       (A) The adoption of the plan under the Capital Asset 
     Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) initiative for the 
     lands referred to in subsection (b).
       (B) The issuance of any enhanced use lease with respect to 
     any portion of such lands.
       (3) Coordination with cares.--The master plan referred to 
     in paragraph (1) and the plan under the Capital Asset 
     Realignment for Enhanced Services initiative for the lands 
     referred to in subsection (b) shall be consistent.
       (e) Limitations on Implementation.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary may not implement any 
     portion of the master plan referred to in subsection (b) or 
     the plan referred to in subsection (d), as applicable, until 
     120 days after the date of the receipt by the appropriate 
     congressional committees of the report referred to in such 
     subsection.
       (2) Actions other than direct veterans services.--In the 
     case of any portion of the master plan referred to in 
     subsection (b) or the plan referred to in subsection (d), as 
     applicable, that does not relate to direct veterans services, 
     the Secretary may not carry out such portion of such plan 
     except pursuant to provisions of law enacted after the date 
     of the receipt by the appropriate congressional committees of 
     the report referred to in such subsection.
       (f) Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
     construed to prevent the Secretary from providing, with 
     respect to the lands referred to in subsection (b), routine 
     maintenance, facility upkeep, tasks connected to capital 
     improvements, and activities related to the construction of a 
     State veterans home.
       (g) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
     ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
       (A) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the Senate; and
       (B) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
       (2) Direct veterans services.--The term ``direct veterans 
     services'' means services directly related to maintaining the 
     health, welfare, and support of veterans.
                                 ______