[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 129 (Wednesday, September 9, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6535-S6536]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself and Mrs. Boxer):
  S. 2013. A bill to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to 
enter into certain leases at the Department of Veterans Affairs West 
Los Angeles Campus in Los Angeles, California, and for other purposes; 
to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation 
to facilitate additional housing and services for Southern California's 
veterans. It would allow the Department of Veterans Affairs to leverage 
the resources of local governments and non-profits to build supportive 
housing for veterans at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center Campus. 
My colleague Senator Barbara Boxer is a cosponsor of this bill. 
Congressman Ted Lieu is introducing companion legislation in the House 
of Representatives.
  The Department of Veterans Affairs, Mayor of Los Angeles and Los 
Angeles County Board of Supervisors all support this legislation.
  Los Angeles has the largest concentration of homeless veterans in the 
United States, currently estimated to be 4,300. These are brave men and 
women who served our nation with honor, and I believe it is our duty to 
ensure they have access to housing and the clinical services of the 
Greater Los Angeles VA Health System.
  This legislation would provide two authorities to the department. 
First, it would allow the West Los Angeles VA to use enhanced-use 
leases to engage in public-private partnerships to provide supportive 
housing for veterans. Enhanced-use leases allow the department to 
leverage private or local funding and partners to construct new housing 
on the campus. For example, California passed a bond measure in 2014 
that provides $600 million in funding for the construction of 
supportive veteran housing. I want to note that this enhanced-use 
leasing authority is the same authority that the department has for 
every other VA campus in the nation.
  Second, my bill would allow the West Los Angeles campus to enter into 
out-leases to provide critical services to veterans housed on the 
campus, ranging from education to recreation. Services must be provided 
to create a healthy and sustainable community for veterans. Veterans 
housed on the campus will need access to mental health care options, 
job training, and physical recreation. These services can be provided 
by community partners leasing property on the campus, such as the 
University of California--Los Angeles.
  I would like to make you aware of the long history of the West Los 
Angeles VA campus. This campus is approximately 400 acres and is 
located at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Interstate 405. 
The land was deeded to the Federal government by former Senator John P. 
Jones, for use exclusively as a ``soldier's home.'' The beautiful 
campus has numerous historic buildings, including a church.
  In 2007, I included language in an appropriations bill to prohibit 
the ability of the Department of Veterans Affairs to lease or sale any 
property on the West Los Angeles Campus, due to reports of 
mismanagement and inappropriate leasing of VA property to commercial 
entities. In several cases, these commercial entities had nothing to do 
with serving veterans.
  After the ban was signed into law, questionable practices continued 
through land-sharing agreements. This led to the American Civil 
Liberties Union, ACLU, of Southern California filing a lawsuit against 
the department in 2011 over its mismanagement of the campus.
  In a large part due to our new Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Robert 
A. McDonald, the department reached a settlement with the ACLU earlier 
this year to return the campus to its original purpose to serve 
veterans. The ACLU and the department are working to create a new 
Master Plan for the campus that includes community input, which I 
expect will include a focus on ending veteran homelessness in Los 
Angeles. My legislation will provide the department with the tools it 
needs to get veterans off the streets and ensure the West Los Angeles 
campus truly serves the veterans of Los Angeles.
  This legislation contains important oversight provisions to ensure 
the management mistakes of the past are not repeated.
  First, it maintains a restriction put in place in 2007 that prohibits 
any part of the West Los Angeles campus from being sold, transferred, 
or otherwise disposed of.
  Second, it requires the VA to report to Congress 45 days before 
entering into any lease, and to provide an annual evaluation of all 
land-use and leases on the campus.
  Third, it requires regular audits by the Office of the Inspector 
General, OIG, and restricts the VA from entering into any new leases if 
the OIG finds any violation of Federal law or policy, or gross 
mismanagement of the campus. The VA would have to certify to Congress 
that it addressed any issues found by the OIG before entering into new 
leases on the campus.
  Finally, the legislation requires all land-use, including leases, to 
be consistent with the new Master Plan that is agreed upon for the 
campus. It also requires all leases to principally benefit veterans.

[[Page S6536]]

  I believe these oversight provisions will ensure that the historic 
mismanagement of the West Los Angeles campus will not recur.
  Let me conclude by saying that Congress must meet its responsibility 
to care for the veterans who have fought for our Nation's freedom and 
security. It would be a shame to leave private resources untapped in a 
city where 4,300 veterans are currently homeless. I hope all of my 
colleagues will support enacting this legislation as quickly as 
possible.
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