[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 82 (Thursday, May 14, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H3486-H3505]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
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MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND RELATED AGENCIES
APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2027
General Leave
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous materials on H.R. 8469 and that it may include
tabular material on the same.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Texas?
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 1275 and rule
XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House
on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill (H.R.
8469).
The Chair appoints the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Fine) to preside
over the Committee of the Whole.
{time} 1432
In the Committee of the Whole
Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the
Whole House on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill
(H.R. 8469) making appropriations for military construction, the
Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal
year ending September 30, 2027, and for other purposes, with Mr. Fine
in the chair.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The CHAIR. Pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered read the
first time.
General debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not exceed 1
hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority
member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective
designees.
The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Carter) and the gentlewoman from
Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am honored to present the fiscal year 2027 Military
Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies bill to the House
today. This bill supports our troops, their families, and our Nation's
veterans.
I thank the Committee on Appropriations chairman (Mr. Cole) for his
leadership in advancing this bill through the committee, and I
recognize and
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thank the ranking member for the full committee (Ms. DeLauro) and the
ranking member for the subcommittee (Ms. Wasserman Schultz) for their
partnership in bringing us to this point. I especially value my working
relationship with Ms. Wasserman Schultz. We have worked together on
this bill for some time. While we may not agree on everything, we
certainly agree on the importance of caring for those who sacrifice so
much for our country.
This bill is not perfect, and compromises were made on both sides.
Even so, the legislation before us today received unanimous support in
the committee. I greatly appreciate the bipartisan effort of everyone
involved. Those efforts demonstrate that bipartisanship is not only
possible, it can lead to meaningful legislative success.
No matter our ideological differences, we can all agree that the
importance of supporting our troops, their families, and the Nation's
veterans is very important.
For fiscal year 2027, the Military Construction, Veteran Affairs, and
Related Agencies bill provides a discretionary allocation of $157
billion.
I will briefly highlight several key priorities included in the
legislation.
It fully funds veterans' healthcare.
It provides an advanced appropriation for the Toxic Exposures Fund.
It includes $900 million for medical and prosthetic research.
It prioritizes mental health, suicide prevention, and homelessness
programs.
It includes more than $19 billion for military construction.
It invests in barracks improvements, strengthens investment in the
Department of Defense laboratories, supports the demolition of obsolete
infrastructure, and provides nearly $2 billion for military housing.
In closing, this bill honors those who sacrifice for our country and
reaffirms our commitment to the well-being of both servicemembers and
veterans. It supports our troops and cares for veterans and their
families and upholds the promises we made to those of our Nation.
I hope this bill will receive the same strong bipartisan support on
the House floor that it received in committee because it is what our
veterans deserve.
Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 8469, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Chairman, I rise in tentative support of H.R. 8469, the fiscal
year 2027 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
bill.
The past few years, the MILCON-VA bill strayed from our tradition of
being one of the few appropriations bills that traditionally had
bipartisan support.
Our committee has a shared goal of supporting our servicemembers,
veterans, and their families no matter who holds the majority. We are
proud to report that as the bill stands, this is a bipartisan bill--one
that we reported out of full committee 58-0. However, it saddens me to
see that the majority has made in order amendments that stray from the
bipartisan commitment that both Chair Carter and I have maintained.
To be clear, if any of the controversial amendments made in order are
adopted, we will not be able to support this bill, and all the
bipartisan work that we did to get this bill to this stage will all
have been for naught. What a message we could send about our ability to
work together if the House rejects these controversial amendments and
votes to support the MILCON-VA bill--controversial amendments that
really have nothing to do with protecting and preserving the quality of
life of our servicemembers on Active Duty or our veterans--for a
critical bill that supports our servicemembers and those who served our
country honorably.
To be clear, we have already made compromises on this bill. This is
not the bill that I would have written. The bill includes a policy
rider that prohibits the VA from reporting a beneficiary--for example,
that has been deemed mentally incompetent based on medical evidence
and, therefore, is assigned a fiduciary to handle their finances--to
the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. Not only is this
a violation of current law, but it will only put more veterans in
harm's way.
Additionally, I opposed the funding level for the NATO Security
Investment Program, which is $122 million below the request level. Now,
more than ever, we should be reinforcing deterrence with the help of
our European allies who disproportionately fund this program,
especially as the war in Ukraine continues.
I was able to put these concerns aside, as were my Democratic
colleagues on the subcommittee and the full committee, and support this
bill because that is what bipartisanship requires.
As I told the Committee on Rules, Mr. Chairman, sometimes we have to
compromise on what our preferences might be. You never compromise on
principle; but to achieve a greater good, which this bill absolutely
represents, sometimes you swallow hard and you look past some things
not being exactly the way you would have preferred.
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So today we will consider an amendment that bans funding for
diversity, equity, and inclusion at the VA as well because there are
problematic amendments that have been made in order beyond just the
language in the current underlying bill. We are worried that we will
tip the scales from bipartisanship into partisanship.
The Supreme Court's decision to overturn the Voting Rights Act and
swift action taken in southern States to disenfranchise Black voters
proves that we have always needed to lean in on ensuring there is
diversity, equity, and inclusion. We will not allow this attack on
communities of color to continue, and we will strongly oppose this
amendment if it is offered. The amendment does nothing to help veterans
and is divisive, partisan, and unnecessary.
Along these same lines, there is an amendment that attacks Filipino
World War II veterans, veterans that fought for us and with us,
resulting in one of the greatest victories in our history.
I want to be clear here. The Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation
Fund exists to correct what was a racist decision made in 1946 that
banned Filipino veterans from receiving compensation for their service
in World War II. That is why the word ``equity'' exists in the title of
this account.
There is also a messaging amendment on gender-affirming care for
veterans. I hope that is not offered, but regardless of how you feel
about the LGBT community, it is ridiculous to block a veteran from
receiving the healthcare that they have earned.
It is disappointing that we are at this point, and I hope that
throughout the rest of this process we can come together to defeat
these amendments.
I do want to underscore that Judge Carter and I could not possibly
have a better working relationship, and we have worked hand in glove to
reach this point, and I think I can safely speak for both of us that we
hope we can achieve the same outcome we were able to achieve in the
full Appropriations Committee.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman
from Arizona (Mr. Womack).
Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Chair, I thank my friend, Judge Carter, and the
ranking member, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, for giving us an example of
what true bipartisanship looks like. I mean, to get a bill out of
committee on a unanimous vote, as a fellow cardinal, I am a bit
envious. I am not near naive enough to believe that my T-HUD bill is
going to enjoy the same fate, but congratulations to them.
Mr. Chair, I rise in support of this MILCON-VA bill. It is a good day
for the House, Mr. Chairman, and an even better day for the American
people because we are considering the first full year FY27
appropriations bill in the month of May. Good for us.
This is what a return to regular order should look like. This is how
the annual appropriations process is supposed to work. Committee
members from both parties debating, negotiating, and working in good
faith to fund bills on time and responsibly.
We wouldn't be here today without the leadership of our overall
chairman, Tom Cole, and his ranker, Rosa DeLauro. Their dedication
and commitment to re-engineering this process
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is paving the way for the House to pass all 12 full-year funding bills
for fiscal year `26 and to do it on time. I sure hope the Senate is
listening to this debate.
There is some unfinished business, and we will roll up our sleeves,
and we will get this work done.
House appropriators have advanced five full-year funding bills
through committee. This is a credit to the hard work, discipline, and
bipartisanship of our committee.
Mr. Chairman, the bill I speak in support of today, the FY27 MILCON-
VA bill, is a good bill, and I know it is going to go through the
process here on the floor, and I hope the outcome is that we can get it
finished, get it approved, and get it to the Senate. Its passage will
set our military and veterans up for success while also sustaining our
momentum to fulfill Congress' Article I responsibility on time.
Let's get a ``yes'' vote out of this thing. Congratulations to both
of you.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the
distinguished gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the ranking
member of the Appropriations Committee.
Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chair, I thank the ranking member for yielding and
for all of her hard work on this bill. Again, I congratulate
Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz and Judge Carter for the work they have
done on this piece of legislation.
I thank the committee staff, Farouk Ophaso and Tyler Coe for the
minority side, Justin Masucci, Jason Wheelock, and Arianna Delgado for
the majority, for all the good work that they put in here.
We began with a bill that fell short. It did not provide adequate
support for our veterans, but after some tough negotiating by Democrats
on the Appropriations Committee, especially Ranking Member Wasserman
Schultz, our colleagues across the aisle agreed to make some much-
needed improvements.
Through these negotiations, Democrats were able to secure more than
$50 billion in advance funding for the Toxic Exposures Fund, enabling
us to keep our commitments to our veterans when we passed the PACT Act.
We were also able to reach an agreement on the provision to withhold
25 percent of the budget for the Office of the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs until he comes to testify before both the House and Senate
Appropriations Committees, reasserting Congress' power of the purse.
With these improvements, we were able to arrive at an agreement that
passed out of the Appropriations Committee by a vote of 58-0. That is a
testament to the exceptional work of the members of the subcommittee
and the committee, and it demonstrates that when Republicans are
willing to work with us to address our concerns, we are more than happy
to support reasonable proposals that meet the needs of the American
people.
This bill in its current form increases funding for suicide
prevention and treatment programs, rural health and substance use
disorder programs, and women's healthcare, helping to ensure the women
who have served our country can get the care that they need.
It boosts funding for the VA by more than $4 billion and increases
our investments in veterans' medical care by $6.5 billion. These are
important resources that will go a long way to supporting the men and
women who have served our country in uniform.
It is not a perfect bill as it stands, but it is a good bill. It is
the product of good-faith, bipartisan negotiations. It is evidence that
even in an era of division, Congress can still find common ground to
deliver for the American people.
However, several amendments have been offered by Republicans who do
not sit on the Appropriations Committee. They are attempting to inject
hyperpartisan culture-war provisions into the bill and upend the
bipartisan agreement that we made.
Despite hours of painstaking but good-faith negotiations by members
of the committee to find common ground on a bill to deliver for our
veterans, these amendments, which are an exercise in political bomb-
throwing, not serious legislating, would undermine the real work of the
committee, the committee which has done so much to support our Nation's
veterans, our servicemembers.
These are partisan theatrics the American people are tired of. People
want to see the Congress work together to solve their problems, and on
the Appropriations Committee, we did just that.
Last-minute intervention from Members who do not sit on the committee
is counterproductive and only serves to sour the process for the
future.
Why would we agree to anything in committee moving forward if we know
that as soon as it comes to the floor, it will be loaded up with poison
pills designed to punch up a press release rather than serious
provisions meant to solve the problems facing the American people.
I encourage my colleagues to stick to the strong agreement that was
forged on a bipartisan basis by the members of this subcommittee and
the members of the committee and reject a shallow, toxic partisanship
that has infected so much of our politics today.
I thank the chair and ranking member and all of my colleagues on the
committee for their hard work.
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Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman
from Florida (Mr. Scott Franklin).
Mr. SCOTT FRANKLIN of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I thank Judge Carter for
yielding me time.
Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the fiscal year 2027
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act.
As a veteran and member of the Military Construction, Veterans
Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, I understand the importance
of supporting military readiness while ensuring that veterans receive
the care and benefits that they have earned.
This legislation fully funds veterans' healthcare and benefits, while
strengthening mental health services, suicide prevention, and critical
medical research programs relied upon by veterans across the country.
It also invests in military construction projects that improve
readiness, strengthen resiliency, and ensure our servicemembers have
the needed infrastructure to meet growing global threats.
This bill includes several priorities I worked to advance, including
resiliency improvements at the United States Naval Academy to address
recurrent flooding that threatens infrastructure, disrupts operations,
and impacts the training environment for our future naval officers.
It also strengthens research and treatment efforts for veterans
facing Parkinson's disease and ALS; expands access to advanced care,
treatment, and clinical trials; and supports modernization across the
VA system, including cybersecurity protections and emerging
technologies to improve early detection in patient care.
This legislation also protects the Second Amendment rights of
veterans by preventing the VA from sending veterans' information to the
FBI without due process and a judicial determination.
Mr. Chairman, this is a strong bill that supports readiness,
strengthens care for our veterans, protects constitutional liberties,
and keeps the Federal Government focused on its core responsibilities
at a time of growing global threats.
Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from California (Mr. Levin), a distinguished member of the
Appropriations Committee and the Military Construction, Veterans
Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I am so honored to represent the marines and
sailors on Camp Pendleton, some of the most capable, disciplined, and
battle-ready men and women that this Nation has ever produced, so when
this Congress funds the military and our veterans, I take that
responsibility very seriously.
I am proud to be a member of the Military Construction, Veterans
Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee and pleased that we were
collectively able to put our servicemembers and our veterans over
politics. That is how this work is supposed to get done, and this bill,
as it stands,
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is proof that it still can be. My thanks to the chairs and the ranking
members for their hard work.
Before serving on Appropriations, I served on the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs for 6 years. During that time, we passed the Honoring
our PACT Act and established the Toxic Exposure Fund because this
country made a promise to our veterans who were exposed to toxic
chemicals while they served, and that promise doesn't expire regardless
of what is happening here in Washington, D.C.
I am so glad that this bill delivers on that promise with advanced
funding for the Toxic Exposure Fund, and I am so proud of that
bipartisan work as it continues.
This bill also includes $2 million to implement the Commitment to
Veteran Support and Outreach Act, or CVSO Act, a bipartisan bill that I
led that was signed into law as part of the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st
Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act.
Right now, out of 15.8 million veterans in this country, fewer than
half are enrolled in VA healthcare. That is unacceptable.
This funding will establish a grant program to help State and local
governments hire and train more county veteran service officers. Those
are people on the ground who are doing the work of connecting veterans
to the care and benefits that they have earned.
I supported this bill in committee, and I urge my colleagues to
protect this bipartisan compromise and reject any amendments that would
jeopardize it.
While it is not perfect, as the bill stands, I am encouraged that,
even in this moment, when we still come together across the aisle, we
can do big things to serve our military and our veterans.
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman
from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole), the chairman of the Appropriations Committee
for the House of Representatives.
Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I thank my good friend, Judge Carter, for
yielding the time.
Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of our first fiscal year 2027
appropriations bill on the floor, the Military Construction, Veterans
Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
This legislation reflects something that we have long understood from
our founding: America's story has always been shaped by ordinary men
and women who are willing to step forward and answer a call greater
than themselves. A country worthy of sacrifice must also be worthy of
the people who made that sacrifice, and our obligation to those who
wear the uniform does not end when they return home and hang up their
uniforms.
This bill reflects that promise. We are delivering the support,
resources, and readiness that make a real difference. You don't have to
rely on my word. The substance of the funding is clear. We fully fund
veteran healthcare and benefits. We prioritize critical mental health
and suicide prevention efforts. We invest in improvements at VA
facilities, military cemeteries, and monuments.
At the same time, this measure reinforces our base posture from the
ground up by investing in military construction, improving barracks,
and ensuring that our installations are equipped to support readiness
in an increasingly complex environment.
From the Indo-Pacific to the commands here at home, strength and
preparedness are not optional. We also recognize that a strong military
is built not only by those on the front lines but by the loved ones who
support them through every sacrifice. That is why this bill supports
family housing, childcare, and quality-of-life needs for military
families.
Put simply, this legislation strengthens the full foundation of
American security through care for our veterans, capabilities for our
bases, and construction that supports readiness for the future.
Chairman Carter's work reflects the seriousness that these
responsibilities demand and the lasting commitments we owe to those who
serve. Together with Ranking Member Wasserman Schultz, he wrote a bill
that earned unanimous support in our full committee because its
priorities are grounded in supporting the best of our Nation.
The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Smucker). The time of the gentleman has
expired.
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 1 minute to the
gentleman from Oklahoma.
Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding additional
time.
At a time when Americans too often only hear about division and
dysfunction, this strong and bipartisan proposal demonstrates that
support for our veterans, troops, and military families can still unite
this institution around a common purpose. Voting ``yes'' is a statement
that America does not forget those who answered the call to defend her.
Mr. Chair, again, I thank Chairman Carter and Ranking Member
Wasserman Schultz for their leadership on this measure and urge all
Members to join me in supporting the bill's final passage.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Escobar), who represents Fort Bliss and is
a member of the Appropriations Committee and the Military Construction,
Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.
Ms. ESCOBAR. Mr. Chairman, as the proud Representative of the great
military installation of Fort Bliss, Texas, and as a member of the
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee, I thank Chairman Carter and Ranking Member Wasserman
Schultz not just for their work on this bill but for being champions of
bipartisan collaboration. I am so grateful to the both of them for
that.
While this is not a perfect bill, it does make real progress. The
bill advances my provisions supporting reforms and innovation to help
modernize a military construction process that is far too slow and
rigid for today's military.
The needs we have for military construction are far greater than the
resources available, and I am deeply committed to reforming this
process so that we can stretch those dollars even further.
This bill also supports planning for a new headquarters for the 32nd
Army Air and Missile Defense Command at Fort Bliss, whose aging
facilities no longer match its global mission.
On the VA side, I am pleased that this bill includes my own
legislation to ensure oversight of the activation planning of the VA
medical center being built in El Paso, right next to William Beaumont
Army Medical Center. I was proud to help secure the $700 million to
build this great facility, and I am committed to ensuring that it
delivers world-class healthcare for veterans on day one.
While I am disappointed that the bill still contains a partisan
provision that weakens gun background check protections for veterans
that I do not agree with, the final product is still a thoughtful,
bipartisan one, and I support it in its current form. I urge my
colleagues to do the same.
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman
from Missouri (Mr. Alford).
Mr. ALFORD. Mr. Chairman, I thank Judge Carter and Ranking Member
Wasserman Schultz for their leadership on this.
Mr. Chairman, I tell you what. It is a very rare moment to come on
the House floor where we have a committee that has voted unanimously
for a bill, and I compliment our leaders for getting this done. It was
a great moment a couple of weeks ago when that passed out of committee.
I think we were all surprised at ourselves by this unanimous vote.
The Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act is about one thing, and that is keeping our
promises--our promises to our veterans, our servicemembers, and their
families.
{time} 1500
I also want to thank my friends, Chairman Cole and Subcommittee
Chairman Carter, as I have done, and also our ranking member of the
full committee, my good friend Rosa DeLauro for all their hard work. I
was proud to help move this bill forward, and I am even prouder that it
really does deliver real wins for the American
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people and for the great State of Missouri.
We are fully funding veterans healthcare and benefits, and that means
no delays and no excuses. It means access to care, expanded mental
health services, and continued investment in suicide prevention. A lot
of places I go around my district and in Missouri, people want us to
provide these services through the VA, and we are.
We are also strengthening the Community Care program, giving veterans
more flexibility to get the specialized care they need when and where
they need it. For our servicemembers and military families, this bill
invests in what matters most: safe housing, better barracks, childcare
facilities that improve everyday life, and the quality of care that we
have been talking about in this Congress.
Importantly, we are restoring accountability and protecting freedoms.
We are ensuring veterans' Second Amendment rights are not undermined
while stopping taxpayer dollars from going to Communist China.
On the national security front, this bill makes critical investment
in military construction, especially in the Indo-Pacific, so that the
U.S. remains strong and prepared and always ahead of our adversaries.
Mr. Chair, this didn't happen by accident. It took hard work. It took
focus, and it took a commitment, a commitment in our committee not to
put us first but to put the American people first. This is not about
results, not rhetoric. It is results for our veterans, results for our
military families, and results for the security of the United States of
America.
I urge my colleagues to join us in what we did in our committee.
Let's have a unanimous vote in the House today for the Military
Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations
bill. Let's get this done.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I am ready to close, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chair, I am prepared to close, as well,
and I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Chair, I am very proud that we were able to pass this bill out of
the full Appropriations Committee 58-0. I know Judge Carter and I are
equally proud of that. This is legislation that, as you have heard,
does fully fund healthcare for our Nation's veterans. It ensures--and
we worked together on this--that veterans who get healthcare services
through the PACT Act are able to have advanced funding to ensure
continuity, regardless of the actions here in this body, for continued
funding for their healthcare as a result of toxic exposure during their
service, and now we have advanced funding for the Toxic Exposures Fund
as well.
We added $15 million in prevention to make sure that we could have
resiliency for our servicemembers because they are consistently now
subject to the impacts of natural disasters, and it provides additional
investments in child development centers and barracks, which are both
areas of bipartisan concern. We are looking forward to the amendment
process in which we can hopefully continue the bipartisan cooperation.
I want to thank Ranking Member DeLauro and Chairman Cole for their
leadership. They are true leaders that we are fortunate to be able to
work under. I also thank the team of professionals that I rely on:
Farouk Ophaso, Tyler Coe, and Steven Goodall.
I support this bill in its current form, but I have serious concerns,
again, about the controversial amendments that we will be considering
later today and tomorrow.
I want to repeat, if any of those controversial amendments are added
to this bill, it risks losing support from our side of the aisle. I
hope we can come together. We already are together. I hope we can
remain together in the name of bipartisanship and in service to our
veterans and servicemembers to pass this bill with overwhelming
support. We can only do that by keeping divisive, unnecessary,
unrelated provisions out of the bill.
I, again, thank Judge Carter for his partnership and his friendship,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chair, I yield myself the balance of my
time.
In closing, I ask my colleagues to support the fiscal year 2027
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act.
This legislation provides critical funding for military bases,
improves housing for our troops and their families, and makes
investments aimed at improving the quality of life for our
servicemembers.
It also upholds our pledge to our veterans. This bill fully funds
healthcare for veterans and benefits for those who have honorably
served. This bill was drafted on a bipartisan basis with a shared
priority of taking care of those who cared for us.
Today, I ask my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Hurd of Colorado). All time for general debate
has expired.
Pursuant to the rule, the bill shall be considered for amendment
under the 5-minute rule. The bill shall be considered as read.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H. R. 8469
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the
following sums are appropriated, out of any money in the
Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for military
construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related
agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2027, and
for other purposes, namely:
TITLE I
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Military Construction, Army
For acquisition, construction, installation, and equipment
of temporary or permanent public works, military
installations, facilities, and real property for the Army as
currently authorized by law, including personnel in the Army
Corps of Engineers and other personal services necessary for
the purposes of this appropriation, and for construction and
operation of facilities in support of the functions of the
Commander in Chief, $2,131,959,000, to remain available until
September 30, 2031: Provided, That, of this amount, not to
exceed $298,588,000 shall be available for study, planning,
design, architect and engineer services, and host nation
support, as authorized by law, unless the Secretary of the
Army determines that additional obligations are necessary for
such purposes and notifies the Committees on Appropriations
of both Houses of Congress of the determination and the
reasons therefor: Provided further, That of the amount made
available under this heading, $108,000,000 shall be for the
projects and activities, and in the amounts, specified in the
table under the heading ``Military Construction, Army'' in
the report accompanying this Act, in addition to amounts
otherwise available for such purposes.
Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps
For acquisition, construction, installation, and equipment
of temporary or permanent public works, naval installations,
facilities, and real property for the Navy and Marine Corps
as currently authorized by law, including personnel in the
Naval Facilities Engineering Command and other personal
services necessary for the purposes of this appropriation,
$5,508,034,000, to remain available until September 30, 2031:
Provided, That, of this amount, not to exceed $559,783,000
shall be available for study, planning, design, and architect
and engineer services, as authorized by law, unless the
Secretary of the Navy determines that additional obligations
are necessary for such purposes and notifies the Committees
on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of the
determination and the reasons therefor: Provided further,
That of the amount made available under this heading,
$73,000,000 shall be for the projects and activities, and in
the amounts, specified in the table under the heading
``Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps'' in the
report accompanying this Act, in addition to amounts
otherwise available for such purposes.
Military Construction, Air Force
For acquisition, construction, installation, and equipment
of temporary or permanent public works, military
installations, facilities, and real property for the Air
Force as currently authorized by law, including personnel in
the Department of the Air Force when designated by the
Secretary of Defense to direct and supervise Military
Construction projects in accordance with section 2851 of
title 10, United States Code, and other personal services
necessary for the purposes of this appropriation,
$3,712,473,000, to remain available until September 30, 2031:
Provided, That, of this amount, not to exceed $519,223,000
shall be available for study, planning, design, and architect
and engineer services, as authorized by law, unless the
Secretary of the Air Force determines that additional
obligations are necessary for such purposes and notifies the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of
the determination and the reasons therefor: Provided
further, That of the amount made available under this
heading, $141,000,000
[[Page H3491]]
shall be for the projects and activities, and in the amounts,
specified in the table under the heading ``Military
Construction, Air Force'' in the report accompanying this
Act, in addition to amounts otherwise available for such
purposes.
Military Construction, Defense-Wide
(including transfer of funds)
For acquisition, construction, installation, and equipment
of temporary or permanent public works, installations,
facilities, and real property for activities and agencies of
the Department of Defense (other than the military
departments), as currently authorized by law, $3,757,301,000,
to remain available until September 30, 2031: Provided, That
such amounts of this appropriation as may be determined by
the Secretary of Defense may be transferred to such
appropriations of the Department of Defense available for
military construction or family housing as the Secretary may
designate, to be merged with and to be available for the same
purposes, and for the same time period, as the appropriation
or fund to which transferred: Provided further, That, of the
amount, not to exceed $221,001,000 shall be available for
study, planning, design, and architect and engineer services,
as authorized by law, unless the Secretary of Defense
determines that additional obligations are necessary for such
purposes and notifies the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress of the determination and the reasons
therefor: Provided further, That of the amount made
available under this heading, $55,000,000 shall be for the
projects and activities, and in the amounts, specified in the
table under the heading ``Military Construction, Defense-
Wide'' in the report accompanying this Act, in addition to
amounts otherwise available for such purposes.
Military Construction, Army National Guard
For construction, acquisition, expansion, rehabilitation,
and conversion of facilities for the training and
administration of the Army National Guard, and contributions
therefor, as authorized by chapter 1803 of title 10, United
States Code, and Military Construction Authorization Acts,
$198,380,000, to remain available until September 30, 2031:
Provided, That, of the amount, not to exceed $73,646,000
shall be available for study, planning, design, and architect
and engineer services, as authorized by law, unless the
Director of the Army National Guard determines that
additional obligations are necessary for such purposes and
notifies the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress of the determination and the reasons therefor:
Provided further, That of the amount made available under
this heading, $27,500,000 shall be for the projects and
activities, and in the amounts, specified in the table under
the heading ``Military Construction, Army National Guard'' in
the report accompanying this Act, in addition to amounts
otherwise available for such purposes.
Military Construction, Air National Guard
For construction, acquisition, expansion, rehabilitation,
and conversion of facilities for the training and
administration of the Air National Guard, and contributions
therefor, as authorized by chapter 1803 of title 10, United
States Code, and Military Construction Authorization Acts,
$291,264,000, to remain available until September 30, 2031:
Provided, That, of the amount, not to exceed $38,264,000
shall be available for study, planning, design, and architect
and engineer services, as authorized by law, unless the
Director of the Air National Guard determines that additional
obligations are necessary for such purposes and notifies the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of
the determination and the reasons therefor: Provided
further, That of the amount made available under this
heading, $38,500,000 shall be for the projects and
activities, and in the amounts, specified in the table under
the heading ``Military Construction, Air National Guard'' in
the report accompanying this Act, in addition to amounts
otherwise available for such purposes.
Military Construction, Army Reserve
For construction, acquisition, expansion, rehabilitation,
and conversion of facilities for the training and
administration of the Army Reserve as authorized by chapter
1803 of title 10, United States Code, and Military
Construction Authorization Acts, $42,239,000, to remain
available until September 30, 2031: Provided, That, of the
amount, not to exceed $6,013,000 shall be available for
study, planning, design, and architect and engineer services,
as authorized by law, unless the Chief of the Army Reserve
determines that additional obligations are necessary for such
purposes and notifies the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress of the determination and the reasons
therefor: Provided further, That of the amount made
available under this heading, $1,710,000 shall be for the
projects and activities, and in the amounts, specified in the
table under the heading ``Military Construction, Army
Reserve'' in the report accompanying this Act, in addition to
amounts otherwise available for such purposes.
Military Construction, Navy Reserve
For construction, acquisition, expansion, rehabilitation,
and conversion of facilities for the training and
administration of the reserve components of the Navy and
Marine Corps as authorized by chapter 1803 of title 10,
United States Code, and Military Construction Authorization
Acts, $2,255,000, to remain available until September 30,
2031: Provided, That, of the amount, not to exceed
$2,255,000 shall be available for study, planning, design,
and architect and engineer services, as authorized by law,
unless the Secretary of the Navy determines that additional
obligations are necessary for such purposes and notifies the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of
the determination and the reasons therefor.
Military Construction, Air Force Reserve
For construction, acquisition, expansion, rehabilitation,
and conversion of facilities for the training and
administration of the Air Force Reserve as authorized by
chapter 1803 of title 10, United States Code, and Military
Construction Authorization Acts, $60,458,000, to remain
available until September 30, 2031: Provided, That, of the
amount, not to exceed $270,000 shall be available for study,
planning, design, and architect and engineer services, as
authorized by law, unless the Chief of the Air Force Reserve
determines that additional obligations are necessary for such
purposes and notifies the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress of the determination and the reasons
therefor.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Security Investment Program
For the United States share of the cost of the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization Security Investment Program for
the acquisition and construction of military facilities and
installations (including international military headquarters)
and for related expenses for the collective defense of the
North Atlantic Treaty Area as authorized by section 2806 of
title 10, United States Code, and Military Construction
Authorization Acts, $481,832,000, to remain available until
expended.
Department of Defense Base Closure Account
For deposit into the Department of Defense Base Closure
Account, established by section 2906(a) of the Defense Base
Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 (10 U.S.C. 2687 note),
$465,161,000, to remain available until expended.
Family Housing Construction, Army
For expenses of family housing for the Army for
construction, including acquisition, replacement, addition,
expansion, extension, and alteration, as authorized by law,
$228,558,000, to remain available until September 30, 2031.
Family Housing Operation and Maintenance, Army
For expenses of family housing for the Army for operation
and maintenance, including debt payment, leasing, minor
construction, principal and interest charges, and insurance
premiums, as authorized by law, $388,418,000.
Family Housing Construction, Navy and Marine Corps
For expenses of family housing for the Navy and Marine
Corps for construction, including acquisition, replacement,
addition, expansion, extension, and alteration, as authorized
by law, $177,597,000, to remain available until September 30,
2031.
Family Housing Operation and Maintenance, Navy and Marine Corps
For expenses of family housing for the Navy and Marine
Corps for operation and maintenance, including debt payment,
leasing, minor construction, principal and interest charges,
and insurance premiums, as authorized by law, $384,108,000.
Family Housing Construction, Air Force
For expenses of family housing for the Air Force for
construction, including acquisition, replacement, addition,
expansion, extension, and alteration, as authorized by law,
$274,230,000, to remain available until September 30, 2031.
Family Housing Operation and Maintenance, Air Force
For expenses of family housing for the Air Force for
operation and maintenance, including debt payment, leasing,
minor construction, principal and interest charges, and
insurance premiums, as authorized by law, $369,765,000.
Family Housing Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide
For expenses of family housing for the activities and
agencies of the Department of Defense (other than the
military departments) for operation and maintenance, leasing,
and minor construction, as authorized by law, $52,156,000.
Department of Defense
Family Housing Improvement Fund
For the Department of Defense Family Housing Improvement
Fund, $8,315,000, to remain available until expended, for
family housing initiatives undertaken pursuant to section
2883 of title 10, United States Code, providing alternative
means of acquiring and improving military family housing and
supporting facilities.
Department of Defense
Military Unaccompanied Housing Improvement Fund
For the Department of Defense Military Unaccompanied
Housing Improvement Fund, $497,000, to remain available until
expended, for unaccompanied housing initiatives undertaken
pursuant to section 2883 of title 10, United States Code,
providing alternative means of acquiring and improving
military
[[Page H3492]]
unaccompanied housing and supporting facilities.
Administrative Provisions
Sec. 101. None of the funds made available in this title
shall be expended for payments under a cost-plus-a-fixed-fee
contract for construction, where cost estimates exceed
$25,000, to be performed within the United States, except
Alaska, without the specific approval in writing of the
Secretary of Defense setting forth the reasons therefor.
Sec. 102. Funds made available in this title for
construction shall be available for hire of passenger motor
vehicles.
Sec. 103. Funds made available in this title for
construction may be used for advances to the Federal Highway
Administration, Department of Transportation, for the
construction of access roads as authorized by section 210 of
title 23, United States Code, when projects authorized
therein are certified as important to the national defense by
the Secretary of Defense.
Sec. 104. None of the funds made available in this title
may be used to begin construction of new bases in the United
States for which specific appropriations have not been made.
Sec. 105. None of the funds made available in this title
shall be used for purchase of land or land easements in
excess of 100 percent of the value as determined by the Army
Corps of Engineers or the Naval Facilities Engineering
Command, except: (1) where there is a determination of value
by a Federal court; (2) purchases negotiated by the Attorney
General or the designee of the Attorney General; (3) where
the estimated value is less than $25,000; or (4) as otherwise
determined by the Secretary of Defense to be in the public
interest.
Sec. 106. None of the funds made available in this title
shall be used to: (1) acquire land; (2) provide for site
preparation; or (3) install utilities for any family housing,
except housing for which funds have been made available in
annual Acts making appropriations for military construction.
Sec. 107. None of the funds made available in this title
for minor construction may be used to transfer or relocate
any activity from one base or installation to another,
without prior notification to the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
Sec. 108. None of the funds made available in this title
may be used for the procurement of steel for any construction
project or activity for which American steel producers,
fabricators, and manufacturers have been denied the
opportunity to compete for such steel procurement.
Sec. 109. None of the funds available to the Department of
Defense for military construction or family housing during
the current fiscal year may be used to pay real property
taxes in any foreign nation.
Sec. 110. None of the funds made available in this title
may be used to initiate a new installation overseas without
prior notification to the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress.
Sec. 111. None of the funds made available in this title
may be obligated for architect and engineer contracts
estimated by the Government to exceed $500,000 for projects
to be accomplished in Japan, in any North Atlantic Treaty
Organization member country, or in countries bordering the
Arabian Gulf, unless such contracts are awarded to United
States firms or United States firms in joint venture with
host nation firms.
Sec. 112. None of the funds made available in this title
for military construction in the United States territories
and possessions in the Pacific and on Kwajalein Atoll, or in
countries bordering the Arabian Gulf, may be used to award
any contract estimated by the Government to exceed $1,000,000
to a foreign contractor: Provided, That this section shall
not be applicable to contract awards for which the lowest
responsive and responsible bid of a United States contractor
exceeds the lowest responsive and responsible bid of a
foreign contractor by greater than 20 percent: Provided
further, That this section shall not apply to contract awards
for military construction on Kwajalein Atoll for which the
lowest responsive and responsible bid is submitted by a
Marshallese contractor.
Sec. 113. The Secretary of Defense shall inform the
appropriate committees of both Houses of Congress, including
the Committees on Appropriations, of plans and scope of any
proposed military exercise involving United States personnel
30 days prior to its occurring, if amounts expended for
construction, either temporary or permanent, are anticipated
to exceed $100,000.
Sec. 114. Funds appropriated to the Department of Defense
for construction in prior years shall be available for
construction authorized for each such military department by
the authorizations enacted into law during the current
session of Congress.
Sec. 115. For military construction or family housing
projects that are being completed with funds otherwise
expired or lapsed for obligation, expired or lapsed funds may
be used to pay the cost of associated supervision,
inspection, overhead, engineering and design on those
projects and on subsequent claims, if any.
Sec. 116. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any
funds made available to a military department or defense
agency for the construction of military projects may be
obligated for a military construction project or contract, or
for any portion of such a project or contract, at any time
before the end of the fourth fiscal year after the fiscal
year for which funds for such project were made available, if
the funds obligated for such project: (1) are obligated from
funds available for military construction projects; and (2)
do not exceed the amount appropriated for such project, plus
any amount by which the cost of such project is increased
pursuant to law.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 117. Subject to 30 days prior notification, or 14
days for a notification provided in an electronic medium
pursuant to sections 480 and 2883 of title 10, United States
Code, to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress, such additional amounts as may be determined by the
Secretary of Defense may be transferred to: (1) the
Department of Defense Family Housing Improvement Fund from
amounts appropriated for construction in ``Family Housing''
accounts, to be merged with and to be available for the same
purposes and for the same period of time as amounts
appropriated directly to the Fund; or (2) the Department of
Defense Military Unaccompanied Housing Improvement Fund from
amounts appropriated for construction of military
unaccompanied housing in ``Military Construction'' accounts,
to be merged with and to be available for the same purposes
and for the same period of time as amounts appropriated
directly to the Fund: Provided, That appropriations made
available to the Funds shall be available to cover the costs,
as defined in section 502(5) of the Congressional Budget Act
of 1974, of direct loans or loan guarantees issued by the
Department of Defense pursuant to the provisions of
subchapter IV of chapter 169 of title 10, United States Code,
pertaining to alternative means of acquiring and improving
military family housing, military unaccompanied housing, and
supporting facilities.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 118. In addition to any other transfer authority
available to the Department of Defense, amounts may be
transferred from the Department of Defense Base Closure
Account to the fund established by section 1013(d) of the
Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Development Act of 1966
(42 U.S.C. 3374) to pay for expenses associated with the
Homeowners Assistance Program incurred under 42 U.S.C.
3374(a)(1)(A). Any amounts transferred shall be merged with
and be available for the same purposes and for the same time
period as the fund to which transferred.
Sec. 119. Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
funds made available in this title for operation and
maintenance of family housing shall be the exclusive source
of funds for repair and maintenance of all family housing
units, including general or flag officer quarters: Provided,
That not more than $20,000 per unit may be spent annually for
the maintenance and repair of any general or flag officer
quarters without 30 days prior notification, or 14 days for a
notification provided in an electronic medium pursuant to
sections 480 and 2883 of title 10, United States Code, to the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress,
except that an after-the-fact notification shall be submitted
if the limitation is exceeded solely due to costs associated
with environmental remediation that could not be reasonably
anticipated at the time of the budget submission: Provided
further, That the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) is
to report annually to the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress all operation and maintenance
expenditures for each individual general or flag officer
quarters for the prior fiscal year.
Sec. 120. Amounts contained in the Ford Island Improvement
Account established by subsection (h) of section 2814 of
title 10, United States Code, are appropriated and shall be
available until expended for the purposes specified in
subsection (i)(1) of such section or until transferred
pursuant to subsection (i)(3) of such section.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 121. During the 5-year period after appropriations
available in this Act to the Department of Defense for
military construction and family housing operation and
maintenance and construction have expired for obligation,
upon a determination that such appropriations will not be
necessary for the liquidation of obligations or for making
authorized adjustments to such appropriations for obligations
incurred during the period of availability of such
appropriations, unobligated balances of such appropriations
may be transferred into the appropriation ``Foreign Currency
Fluctuations, Construction, Defense'', to be merged with and
to be available for the same time period and for the same
purposes as the appropriation to which transferred.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 122. Amounts appropriated or otherwise made available
in an account funded under the headings in this title may be
transferred among projects and activities within the account
in accordance with the reprogramming guidelines for military
construction and family housing construction contained in
Department of Defense Financial Management Regulation
7000.14-R, Volume 3, Chapter 7, of April 2021, as in effect
on the date of enactment of this Act.
Sec. 123. None of the funds made available in this title
may be obligated or expended for planning and design and
construction of projects at Arlington National Cemetery.
Sec. 124. For an additional amount for the accounts and in
the amounts specified, to remain available until September
30, 2031:
[[Page H3493]]
``Military Construction, Army'', $150,000,000;
``Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps'',
$150,000,000;
``Military Construction, Air Force'', $150,000,000; and
``Military Construction, Defense Wide'', $50,000,000:
Provided, That such funds may only be obligated to carry
out construction and cost to complete projects identified in
the respective military department's unfunded priority list
for fiscal year 2027 submitted to Congress: Provided
further, That such projects are subject to authorization
prior to obligation and expenditure of funds to carry out
construction: Provided further, That not later than 60 days
after enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the military
department concerned, or their designee, shall submit to the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress an
expenditure plan for funds provided under this section.
Sec. 125. All amounts appropriated to the ``Department of
Defense--Military Construction, Army'', ``Department of
Defense--Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps'',
``Department of Defense--Military Construction, Air Force'',
and ``Department of Defense--Military Construction, Defense-
Wide'' accounts pursuant to the authorization of
appropriations in a National Defense Authorization Act
specified for fiscal year 2027 in the funding table in
section 4601 of that Act shall be immediately available and
allotted to contract for the full scope of authorized
projects.
Sec. 126. Notwithstanding section 116 of this Act, funds
made available in this Act or any available unobligated
balances from prior appropriations Acts may be obligated
before October 1, 2028 for fiscal year 2017, 2018, 2019, and
2020 military construction projects for which project
authorization has not lapsed or for which authorization is
extended for fiscal year 2027 by a National Defense
Authorization Act: Provided, That no amounts may be
obligated pursuant to this section 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.
Sec. 127. For an additional amount for the accounts and in
the amounts specified for design for Military Installation
Resilience, to remain available until September 30, 2031:
``Military Construction, Army'', $5,000,000;
``Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps'',
$5,000,000; and
``Military Construction, Air Force'', $5,000,000:
Provided, That not later than 60 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the military
department concerned, or their designee, shall submit to the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress an
expenditure plan for funds provided under this section.
Sec. 128. For an additional amount for the accounts and in
the amounts specified for design for child development
centers, to remain available until September 30, 2031:
``Military Construction, Army'', $15,000,000;
``Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps'',
$15,000,000; and
``Military Construction, Air Force'', $15,000,000:
Provided, That not later than 60 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the military
department concerned, or their designee, shall submit to the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress an
expenditure plan for funds provided under this section.
Sec. 129. For an additional amount for the accounts and in
the amounts specified for design for barracks, to remain
available until September 30, 2031:
``Military Construction, Army'', $15,000,000;
``Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps'',
$15,000,000; and
``Military Construction, Air Force'', $15,000,000:
Provided, That not later than 60 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the military
department concerned, or their designee, shall submit to the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress an
expenditure plan for funds provided under this section.
Sec. 130. For an additional amount for the accounts and in
the amounts specified for unspecified minor construction for
demolition, to remain available until September 30, 2031:
``Military Construction, Army'', $20,000,000;
``Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps'',
$20,000,000; and
``Military Construction, Air Force'', $20,000,000:
Provided, That not later than 60 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the military
department concerned, or their designee, shall submit to the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress an
expenditure plan for funds provided under this section.
Sec. 131. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to carry out the closure or realignment of the United
States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
TITLE II
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Veterans Benefits Administration
compensation and pensions
(including transfer of funds)
For the payment of compensation benefits to or on behalf of
veterans and a pilot program for disability examinations as
authorized by section 107 and chapters 11, 13, 18, 51, 53,
55, and 61 of title 38, United States Code; pension benefits
to or on behalf of veterans as authorized by chapters 15, 51,
53, 55, and 61 of title 38, United States Code; and burial
benefits, the Reinstated Entitlement Program for Survivors,
emergency and other officers' retirement pay, adjusted-
service credits and certificates, payment of premiums due on
commercial life insurance policies guaranteed under the
provisions of title IV of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
(50 U.S.C. App. 541 et seq.) and for other benefits as
authorized by sections 107, 1312, 1977, and 2106, and
chapters 23, 51, 53, 55, and 61 of title 38, United States
Code, $10,555,052,000, which shall be in addition to funds
previously appropriated under this heading that became
available on October 1, 2026; $283,806,848,000, which shall
become available on October 1, 2027, to remain available
until expended: Provided, That not to exceed $32,324,190 of
the amount made available for fiscal year 2028 under this
heading shall be reimbursed to ``General Operating Expenses,
Veterans Benefits Administration'', and ``Information
Technology Systems'' for necessary expenses in implementing
the provisions of chapters 51, 53, and 55 of title 38, United
States Code, the funding source for which is specifically
provided as the ``Compensation and Pensions'' appropriation:
Provided further, That such sums as may be earned on an
actual qualifying patient basis, shall be reimbursed to
``Medical Care Collections Fund'' to augment the funding of
individual medical facilities for nursing home care provided
to pensioners as authorized.
readjustment benefits
For the payment of readjustment and rehabilitation benefits
to or on behalf of veterans as authorized by chapters 21, 30,
31, 33, 34, 35, 36, 39, 41, 51, 53, 55, and 61 of title 38,
United States Code, $23,565,656,000, which shall become
available on October 1, 2027, to remain available until
expended: Provided, That expenses for rehabilitation program
services and assistance which the Secretary is authorized to
provide under subsection (a) of section 3104 of title 38,
United States Code, other than under paragraphs (1), (2),
(5), and (11) of that subsection, shall be charged to this
account.
veterans insurance and indemnities
For military and naval insurance, national service life
insurance, servicemen's indemnities, service-disabled
veterans insurance, and veterans mortgage life insurance as
authorized by chapters 19 and 21 of title 38, United States
Code, $90,892,830, which shall become available on October 1,
2027, to remain available until expended.
veterans housing benefit program fund
For the cost of direct and guaranteed loans, such sums as
may be necessary to carry out the program, as authorized by
subchapters I through III of chapter 37 of title 38, United
States Code: Provided, That such costs, including the cost
of modifying such loans, shall be as defined in section 502
of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974: Provided further,
That, during fiscal year 2027, within the resources
available, not to exceed $500,000 in gross obligations for
direct loans are authorized for specially adapted housing
loans.
In addition, for administrative expenses to carry out the
direct and guaranteed loan programs, $266,736,842.
vocational rehabilitation loans program account
For the cost of direct loans, $34,788, as authorized by
chapter 31 of title 38, United States Code: Provided, That
such costs, including the cost of modifying such loans, shall
be as defined in section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act
of 1974: Provided further, That funds made available under
this heading are available to subsidize gross obligations for
the principal amount of direct loans not to exceed
$1,227,041.
In addition, for administrative expenses necessary to carry
out the direct loan program, $507,254, which may be paid to
the appropriation for ``General Operating Expenses, Veterans
Benefits Administration''.
native american veteran housing loan program account
For the cost of direct loans, $2,604,056, as authorized by
subchapter V of chapter 37 of title 38, United States Code:
Provided, That such costs, including the cost of modifying
such loans, shall be as defined in section 502 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974: Provided further, That
funds made available under this heading are available to
subsidize gross obligations for the principal amount of
direct loans not to exceed $75,000,000.
In addition, for administrative expenses to carry out the
direct loan program authorized by subchapter V of chapter 37
of title 38, United States Code, $5,845,241.
general operating expenses, veterans benefits administration
For necessary operating expenses of the Veterans Benefits
Administration, not otherwise provided for, including hire of
passenger motor vehicles, reimbursement of the General
Services Administration for security guard services, and
reimbursement of the Department of Defense for the cost of
overseas employee mail, $3,744,000,000: Provided, That
expenses for services and assistance authorized under
paragraphs (1), (2), (5), and (11) of section 3104(a) of
title 38, United States Code, that the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs determines are necessary to enable entitled veterans:
(1) to the maximum extent feasible, to become employable and
to obtain and maintain suitable employment; or (2) to
[[Page H3494]]
achieve maximum independence in daily living, shall be
charged to this account: Provided further, That, of the
funds made available under this heading, not to exceed 10
percent shall remain available until September 30, 2028.
Veterans Health Administration
medical services
For necessary expenses for furnishing, as authorized by
law, inpatient and outpatient care and treatment to
beneficiaries of the Department of Veterans Affairs and
veterans described in section 1705(a) of title 38, United
States Code, including care and treatment in facilities not
under the jurisdiction of the Department, and including
medical supplies and equipment, bioengineering services, food
services, and salaries and expenses of healthcare employees
hired under title 38, United States Code, assistance and
support services for caregivers as authorized by section
1720G of title 38, United States Code, loan repayments
authorized by section 604 of the Caregivers and Veterans
Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-163; 124
Stat. 1174; 38 U.S.C. 7681 note), monthly assistance
allowances authorized by section 322(d) of title 38, United
States Code, grants authorized by section 521A of title 38,
United States Code, and administrative expenses necessary to
carry out sections 322(d) and 521A of title 38, United States
Code, and hospital care and medical services authorized by
section 1787 of title 38, United States Code; $100,000,000,
which shall be in addition to funds previously appropriated
under this heading that became available on October 1, 2026;
$70,700,000,000, plus reimbursements, which shall become
available on October 1, 2027, and shall remain available
until September 30, 2028: Provided, That, of the amount made
available on October 1, 2027, under this heading,
$2,000,000,000 shall remain available until September 30,
2029: Provided further, That, notwithstanding any other
provision of law, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
establish a priority for the provision of medical treatment
for veterans who have service-connected disabilities, lower
income, or have special needs: Provided further, That,
notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs shall give priority funding for the
provision of basic medical benefits to veterans in enrollment
priority groups 1 through 6: Provided further, That,
notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs may authorize the dispensing of prescription
drugs from Veterans Health Administration facilities to
enrolled veterans with privately written prescriptions based
on requirements established by the Secretary: Provided
further, That the implementation of the program described in
the previous proviso shall incur no additional cost to the
Department of Veterans Affairs: Provided further, That the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that sufficient
amounts appropriated under this heading for medical supplies
and equipment are available for the acquisition of
prosthetics designed specifically for female veterans:
Provided further, That nothing in section 2044(e) of title
38, United States Code, may be construed as limiting amounts
that may be made available under this heading for fiscal
years 2027 and 2028 in this or prior Acts.
medical community care
For necessary expenses for furnishing health care to
individuals pursuant to chapter 17 of title 38, United States
Code, at non-Department facilities, $1,027,000,000, which
shall be in addition to funds previously appropriated under
this heading that became available on October 1, 2026; and in
addition, $42,000,000,000, plus reimbursements, which shall
become available on October 1, 2027, and shall remain
available until September 30, 2028: Provided, That, of the
amount made available on October 1, 2027, under this heading,
$2,000,000,000 shall remain available until September 30,
2028.
medical support and compliance
For necessary expenses in the administration of the
medical, hospital, nursing home, domiciliary, construction,
supply, and research activities, as authorized by law;
administrative expenses in support of capital policy
activities; and administrative and legal expenses of the
Department for collecting and recovering amounts owed the
Department as authorized under chapter 17 of title 38, United
States Code, and the Federal Medical Care Recovery Act (42
U.S.C. 2651 et seq.), $12,000,000,000, plus reimbursements,
which shall become available on October 1, 2027, and shall
remain available until September 30, 2028: Provided, That,
of the amount made available on October 1, 2027, under this
heading, $350,000,000 shall remain available until September
30, 2029: Provided further, That of the $12,000,000,000 that
became available on October 1, 2026, previously appropriated
under this heading in the Continuing Appropriations,
Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and
Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026 (division D of
Public Law 119-37), $1,650,000,000 is hereby rescinded.
medical facilities
For necessary expenses for the maintenance and operation of
hospitals, nursing homes, domiciliary facilities, and other
necessary facilities of the Veterans Health Administration;
for administrative expenses in support of planning, design,
project management, real property acquisition and
disposition, construction, and renovation of any facility
under the jurisdiction or for the use of the Department; for
oversight, engineering, and architectural activities not
charged to project costs; for repairing, altering, improving,
or providing facilities in the several hospitals and homes
under the jurisdiction of the Department, not otherwise
provided for, either by contract or by the hire of temporary
employees and purchase of materials; for leases of
facilities; and for laundry services; $13,540,000,000, plus
reimbursements, which shall become available on October 1,
2027, and shall remain available until September 30, 2028:
Provided, That, of the amount made available on October 1,
2027, under this heading, $500,000,000 shall remain available
until September 30, 2029: Provided further, That of the
$11,700,000,000 that became available on October 1, 2026,
previously appropriated under this heading in the Continuing
Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military
Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026
(division D of Public Law 119-37), $754,323,000 is hereby
rescinded.
medical and prosthetic research
For necessary expenses in carrying out programs of medical
and prosthetic research and development as authorized by
chapter 73 of title 38, United States Code, $900,000,000,
plus reimbursements, shall remain available until September
30, 2028: Provided, That the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall ensure that sufficient amounts appropriated under this
heading are available for prosthetic research specifically
for female veterans, and for toxic exposure research.
National Cemetery Administration
For necessary expenses of the National Cemetery
Administration for operations and maintenance, not otherwise
provided for, including uniforms or allowances therefor;
cemeterial expenses as authorized by law; purchase of one
passenger motor vehicle for use in cemeterial operations;
hire of passenger motor vehicles; and repair, alteration or
improvement of facilities under the jurisdiction of the
National Cemetery Administration, $500,000,000, of which not
to exceed 10 percent shall remain available until September
30, 2028.
Departmental Administration
general administration
(including transfer of funds)
For necessary operating expenses of the Department of
Veterans Affairs, not otherwise provided for, including
administrative expenses in support of Department-wide capital
planning, management and policy activities, uniforms, or
allowances therefor; not to exceed $25,000 for official
reception and representation expenses; hire of passenger
motor vehicles; and reimbursement of the General Services
Administration for security guard services, $425,000,000,
which shall be for the offices and in the amounts specified
under this heading in the report accompanying this Act, of
which not to exceed 10 percent shall remain available until
September 30, 2028: Provided, That funds provided under this
heading may be transferred to ``General Operating Expenses,
Veterans Benefits Administration'': Provided further, That
25 percent of the funds made available under this heading
shall not be available for obligation or expenditure until
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs appears before the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress to
testify on the President's budget request for fiscal year
2027.
board of veterans appeals
For necessary operating expenses of the Board of Veterans
Appeals, $268,000,000, of which not to exceed 10 percent
shall remain available until September 30, 2028.
information technology systems
(including transfer of funds)
For necessary expenses for information technology systems
and telecommunications support, including developmental
information systems and operational information systems; for
pay and associated costs; and for the capital asset
acquisition of information technology systems, including
management and related contractual costs of said
acquisitions, including contractual costs associated with
operations authorized by section 3109 of title 5, United
States Code, $5,454,000,000, plus reimbursements: Provided,
That $1,350,775,000 shall be for pay and associated costs, of
which not to exceed 3 percent shall remain available until
September 30, 2028: Provided further, That $3,543,200,000
shall be for operations and maintenance, of which not to
exceed 35 percent shall remain available until September 30,
2028, and of which $118,900,000 shall remain available until
September 30, 2031, for the purpose of facility activations
related to projects funded by the ``Construction, Major
Projects'', ``Construction, Minor Projects'', ``Medical
Facilities'', ``National Cemetery Administration'', ``General
Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration'', and
``General Administration'' accounts: Provided further, That
$560,025,000 shall be for information technology systems
development, and shall remain available until September 30,
2028: Provided further, That amounts made available for
salaries and expenses, operations and maintenance, and
information technology systems development may be transferred
among the three subaccounts after the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs requests from the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress the authority to make the transfer
and an approval is issued: Provided further, That amounts
made available for the ``Information Technology Systems''
[[Page H3495]]
account for development may be transferred among projects or
to newly defined projects: Provided further, That no project
may be increased or decreased by more than $3,000,000 of cost
prior to submitting a request to the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress to make the
transfer and an approval is issued, or absent a response, a
period of 30 days has elapsed.
veterans electronic health record
For activities related to implementation, preparation,
development, interface, management, rollout, and maintenance
of a Veterans Electronic Health Record system, including
contractual costs associated with operations authorized by
section 3109 of title 5, United States Code, and salaries and
expenses of employees hired under titles 5 and 38, United
States Code, $3,400,000,000, to remain available until
September 30, 2029: Provided, That the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress quarterly reports detailing
obligations, expenditures, and deployment implementation by
facility, including any changes from the deployment plan or
schedule: Provided further, That the funds provided in this
account shall only be available to the Office of the Deputy
Secretary, to be administered by that Office: Provided
further, That 25 percent of the funds made available under
this heading shall not be available until July 1, 2027, and
are contingent upon the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
providing to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses
of Congress a plan by June 1, 2027, containing the following:
(1) an updated life-cycle cost estimate for the EHRM
program based on the Department's acceleration of
deployments;
(2) an updated facility-by-facility deployment schedule for
all facilities to receive the EHRM program;
(3) a certification that all VA facilities using the new
EHR on or before April 1, 2024, have exceeded or met certain
health care performance baseline metrics indicating they have
returned to their service delivery levels in place prior to
the deployment of the new EHR; and
(4) an updated projection of Federal VA staffing levels,
contract support, and other relevant activities required, and
the resources required to fund those activities, to meet the
deployment goal as outlined in (2), including target Federal
and contracted staffing levels at VA Central Office and, each
local VA medical center with a slated deployment in 2027 and
2028, as well as contract support to provide technical and
other change management support to carry out the deployments.
office of inspector general
For necessary expenses of the Office of Inspector General,
to include information technology, in carrying out the
provisions of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. 401
et seq.), $290,000,000, of which not to exceed 10 percent
shall remain available until September 30, 2028.
construction, major projects
For constructing, altering, extending, and improving any of
the facilities, including parking projects, under the
jurisdiction or for the use of the Department of Veterans
Affairs, or for any of the purposes set forth in sections
316, 2404, 2406 and chapter 81 of title 38, United States
Code, not otherwise provided for, including planning,
architectural and engineering services, construction
management services, maintenance or guarantee period services
costs associated with equipment guarantees provided under the
project, services of claims analysts, offsite utility and
storm drainage system construction costs, and site
acquisition, where the estimated cost of a project is more
than the amount set forth in section 8104(a)(3)(A) of title
38, United States Code, or where funds for a project were
made available in a previous major project appropriation,
$660,670,000, of which $304,700,000 shall remain available
until September 30, 2031, and of which $355,970,000 shall
remain available until expended: Provided, That except for
advance planning activities, including needs assessments
which may or may not lead to capital investments, and other
capital asset management related activities, including
portfolio development and management activities, and
planning, cost estimating, and design for major medical
facility projects and major medical facility leases and
investment strategy studies funded through the advance
planning fund and the planning and design activities funded
through the design fund, staffing expenses, and funds
provided for the purchase, security, and maintenance of land
for the National Cemetery Administration and the Veterans
Health Administration through the land acquisition line item,
none of the funds made available under this heading shall be
used for any project that has not been notified to Congress
through the budgetary process or that has not been approved
by the Congress through statute, joint resolution, or in the
explanatory statement accompanying such Act and presented to
the President at the time of enrollment: Provided further,
That funds provided for the Veterans Health Administration
through the land acquisition line item shall be only for
projects included on the five year development plan notified
to Congress through the budgetary process: Provided further,
That such sums as may be necessary shall be available to
reimburse the ``General Administration'' account for payment
of salaries and expenses of all Office of Construction and
Facilities Management employees to support the full range of
capital infrastructure services provided, including minor
construction and leasing services: Provided further, That
funds made available under this heading for fiscal year 2027,
for each approved project shall be obligated: (1) by the
awarding of a construction documents contract by September
30, 2027; and (2) by the awarding of a construction contract
by September 30, 2028: Provided further, That the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs shall promptly submit to the Committees
on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a written report
on any approved major construction project for which
obligations are not incurred within the time limitations
established above: Provided further, That notwithstanding
the requirements of section 8104(a) of title 38, United
States Code, amounts made available under this heading for
seismic program management activities shall be available for
the completion of both new and existing seismic projects of
the Department.
construction, minor projects
For constructing, altering, extending, and improving any of
the facilities, including parking projects, under the
jurisdiction or for the use of the Department of Veterans
Affairs, including planning and assessments of needs which
may lead to capital investments, architectural and
engineering services, maintenance or guarantee period
services costs associated with equipment guarantees provided
under the project, services of claims analysts, offsite
utility and storm drainage system construction costs, and
site acquisition, or for any of the purposes set forth in
sections 316, 2404, 2406 and chapter 81 of title 38, United
States Code, not otherwise provided for, where the estimated
cost of a project is equal to or less than the amount set
forth in section 8104(a)(3)(A) of title 38, United States
Code, $318,000,000, of which $210,000,000 shall remain
available until September 30, 2031, and of which $108,000,000
shall remain available until expended, along with unobligated
balances of previous ``Construction, Minor Projects''
appropriations which are hereby made available for any
project where the estimated cost is equal to or less than the
amount set forth in such section: Provided, That funds made
available under this heading shall be for: (1) repairs to any
of the nonmedical facilities under the jurisdiction or for
the use of the Department which are necessary because of loss
or damage caused by any natural disaster or catastrophe; and
(2) temporary measures necessary to prevent or to minimize
further loss by such causes.
grants for construction of state extended care facilities
For grants to assist States to acquire or construct State
nursing home and domiciliary facilities and to remodel,
modify, or alter existing hospital, nursing home, and
domiciliary facilities in State homes, for furnishing care to
veterans as authorized by sections 8131 through 8137 of title
38, United States Code, $171,000,000, to remain available
until expended.
grants for construction of veterans cemeteries
For grants to assist States and tribal organizations in
establishing, expanding, or improving veterans cemeteries as
authorized by section 2408 of title 38, United States Code,
$60,000,000, to remain available until expended.
Cost of War Toxic Exposures Fund
For investment in the delivery of veterans' health care
associated with exposure to environmental hazards, the
expenses incident to the delivery of veterans' health care
and benefits associated with exposure to environmental
hazards, and medical and other research relating to exposure
to environmental hazards, as authorized by section 324 of
title 38, United States Code, and in addition to the amounts
otherwise available for such purposes in the appropriations
provided in this or prior Acts, including the Fiscal
Responsibility Act of 2023 (Public Law 118-5),
$54,593,000,000, to remain available until expended; and, in
addition, $53,715,000,000, which shall become available on
October 1, 2027, and shall remain available until September
30, 2029.
Administrative Provisions
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 201. Any appropriation for fiscal year 2027 for
``Compensation and Pensions'', ``Readjustment Benefits'', and
``Veterans Insurance and Indemnities'' may be transferred as
necessary to any other of the mentioned appropriations:
Provided, That, before a transfer may take place, the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall request from the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress the
authority to make the transfer and such Committees issue an
approval, or absent a response, a period of 30 days has
elapsed.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 202. Not to exceed 3 percent of amounts made
available for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal
year 2027, in this or any other Act, including prior Acts,
under the ``Medical Services'', ``Medical Community Care'',
``Medical Support and Compliance'', and ``Medical
Facilities'' accounts may be transferred among the accounts:
Provided, That no such account shall be increased by more
than 3 percent, in this or any other Act, by any such
transfer: Provided further, That amounts may be transferred
pursuant to this section only upon written notification from
the Secretary of
[[Page H3496]]
Veterans Affairs to the Committees on Appropriations of both
Houses of Congress of the amount and purpose of the transfer
and subsequent approval from the Committees on Appropriations
of both House of Congress: Provided further, That the
transfer authority provided in this section is in addition to
any other transfer authority provided by law.
Sec. 203. Appropriations available in this title for
salaries and expenses shall be available for services
authorized by section 3109 of title 5, United States Code;
hire of passenger motor vehicles; lease of a facility or land
or both; and uniforms or allowances therefore, as authorized
by sections 5901 through 5902 of title 5, United States Code.
Sec. 204. No appropriations in this title (except the
appropriations for ``Construction, Major Projects'' and
``Construction, Minor Projects'') shall be available for the
purchase of any site for or toward the construction of any
new hospital or home.
Sec. 205. No appropriations in this title shall be
available for healthcare treatment or examination of any
persons (except beneficiaries entitled to such treatment or
examination under the laws providing such benefits to
veterans, and persons receiving such treatment under sections
7901 through 7904 of title 5, United States Code, or the
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance
Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.)), unless reimbursement of the
cost of such treatment or examination is made to the
``Medical Services'' account at such rates as may be fixed by
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 206. Appropriations available in this title for
``Compensation and Pensions'', ``Readjustment Benefits'', and
``Veterans Insurance and Indemnities'' shall be available for
payment of prior year accrued obligations required to be
recorded by law against the corresponding prior year accounts
within the last quarter of fiscal year 2026.
Sec. 207. Appropriations available in this title shall be
available to pay prior year obligations of corresponding
prior year appropriations accounts resulting from sections
3328(a), 3334, and 3712(a) of title 31, United States Code,
except that if such obligations are from trust fund accounts
they shall be payable only from ``Compensation and
Pensions''.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 208. Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
during fiscal year 2027, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall, from the National Service Life Insurance Fund under
section 1920 of title 38, United States Code, the Veterans'
Special Life Insurance Fund under section 1923 of title 38,
United States Code, and the United States Government Life
Insurance Fund under section 1955 of title 38, United States
Code, reimburse the ``General Operating Expenses, Veterans
Benefits Administration'' and ``Information Technology
Systems'' accounts for the cost of administration of the
insurance programs financed through those accounts:
Provided, That reimbursement shall be made only from the
surplus earnings accumulated in such an insurance program
during fiscal year 2027 that are available for dividends in
that program after claims have been paid and actuarially
determined reserves have been set aside: Provided further,
That if the cost of administration of such an insurance
program exceeds the amount of surplus earnings accumulated in
that program, reimbursement shall be made only to the extent
of such surplus earnings: Provided further, That the
Secretary shall determine the cost of administration for
fiscal year 2027 which is properly allocable to the provision
of each such insurance program and to the provision of any
total disability income insurance included in that insurance
program.
Sec. 209. Amounts deducted from enhanced-use lease
proceeds to reimburse an account for expenses incurred by
that account during a prior fiscal year for providing
enhanced-use lease services shall be available until
expended.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 210. Funds available in this title or funds for
salaries and other administrative expenses shall also be
available to reimburse the Office of Resolution Management,
the Office of Employment Discrimination Complaint
Adjudication, and the Alternative Dispute Resolution function
within the Office of Human Resources and Administration for
all services provided at rates which will recover actual
costs but not to exceed $85,691,000 for the Office of
Resolution Management, $8,807,000 for the Office of
Employment Discrimination Complaint Adjudication, and
$4,742,026 for the Alternative Dispute Resolution function
within the Office of Human Resources and Administration:
Provided, That payments may be made in advance for services
to be furnished based on estimated costs: Provided further,
That amounts received shall be credited to the ``General
Administration'' and ``Information Technology Systems''
accounts for use by the office that provided the service.
Sec. 211. No funds of the Department of Veterans Affairs
shall be available for hospital care, nursing home care, or
medical services provided to any person under chapter 17 of
title 38, United States Code, for a non-service-connected
disability described in section 1729(a)(2) of such title,
unless that person has disclosed to the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs, in such form as the Secretary may require, current,
accurate third-party reimbursement information for purposes
of section 1729 of such title: Provided, That the Secretary
may recover, in the same manner as any other debt due the
United States, the reasonable charges for such care or
services from any person who does not make such disclosure as
required: Provided further, That any amounts so recovered
for care or services provided in a prior fiscal year may be
obligated by the Secretary during the fiscal year in which
amounts are received.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 212. Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
proceeds or revenues derived from enhanced-use leasing
activities (including disposal) may be deposited into the
``Construction, Major Projects'' and ``Construction, Minor
Projects'' accounts and be used for construction (including
site acquisition and disposition), alterations, and
improvements of any medical facility under the jurisdiction
or for the use of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Such
sums as realized are in addition to the amount provided for
in ``Construction, Major Projects'' and ``Construction, Minor
Projects''.
Sec. 213. Amounts made available under ``Medical
Services'' are available--
(1) for furnishing recreational facilities, supplies, and
equipment; and
(2) for funeral expenses, burial expenses, and other
expenses incidental to funerals and burials for beneficiaries
receiving care in the Department.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 214. Such sums as may be deposited into the Medical
Care Collections Fund pursuant to section 1729A of title 38,
United States Code, may be transferred to the ``Medical
Services'' and ``Medical Community Care'' accounts to remain
available until expended for the purposes of these accounts.
Sec. 215. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may enter into
agreements with Federally Qualified Health Centers in the
State of Alaska and Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations
which are party to the Alaska Native Health Compact with the
Indian Health Service, to provide healthcare, including
behavioral health and dental care, to veterans in rural
Alaska. The Secretary shall require participating veterans
and facilities to comply with all appropriate rules and
regulations, as established by the Secretary. The term
``rural Alaska'' shall mean those lands which are not within
the boundaries of the municipality of Anchorage or the
Fairbanks North Star Borough.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 216. Such sums as may be deposited into the
Department of Veterans Affairs Capital Asset Fund pursuant to
section 8118 of title 38, United States Code, may be
transferred to the ``Construction, Major Projects'' and
``Construction, Minor Projects'' accounts, to remain
available until expended for the purposes of these accounts.
Sec. 217. 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 report on the financial status of the Department
of Veterans Affairs for the preceding quarter: Provided,
That, at a minimum, the report shall include the direction
contained in the paragraph entitled ``Quarterly reporting'',
under the heading ``General Administration'' in the joint
explanatory statement accompanying Public Law 114-223.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 218. Amounts made available under the ``Medical
Services'', ``Medical Community Care'', ``Medical Support and
Compliance'', ``Medical Facilities'', ``General Operating
Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration'', ``Board of
Veterans Appeals'', ``General Administration'', and
``National Cemetery Administration'' accounts for fiscal year
2027 may be transferred to or from the ``Information
Technology Systems'' account: Provided, That such transfers
may not result in a more than 10 percent aggregate increase
in the total amount made available by this Act for the
``Information Technology Systems'' account: Provided
further, That, before a transfer may take place, the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall request from the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress the
authority to make the transfer and an approval is issued.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 219. Of the amounts appropriated to the Department of
Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2027 for ``Medical
Services'', ``Medical Community Care'', ``Medical Support and
Compliance'', ``Medical Facilities'', ``Construction, Minor
Projects'', and ``Information Technology Systems'', up to
$710,778,000, plus reimbursements, may be transferred to the
Joint Department of Defense--Department of Veterans Affairs
Medical Facility Demonstration Fund, established by section
1704 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2010 (Public Law 111-84; 123 Stat. 2571) and may be used
for operation of the facilities designated as combined
Federal medical facilities as described by section 706 of the
Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417; 122 Stat. 4500): Provided,
That additional funds may be transferred from accounts
designated in this section to the Joint Department of
Defense--Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility
Demonstration Fund upon written notification by the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs to the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress: Provided further, That section 220
of title II of division D of Public Law 119-37, is repealed.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 220. Of the amounts appropriated to the Department of
Veterans Affairs which
[[Page H3497]]
become available on October 1, 2027, for ``Medical
Services'', ``Medical Community Care'', ``Medical Support and
Compliance'', and ``Medical Facilities'', up to $760,767,000,
plus reimbursements, may be transferred to the Joint
Department of Defense--Department of Veterans Affairs Medical
Facility Demonstration Fund, established by section 1704 of
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010
(Public Law 111-84; 123 Stat. 2571) and may be used for
operation of the facilities designated as combined Federal
medical facilities as described by section 706 of the Duncan
Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2009 (Public Law 110-417; 122 Stat. 4500): Provided, That
additional funds may be transferred from accounts designated
in this section to the Joint Department of Defense--
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration
Fund upon written notification by the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 221. Such sums as may be deposited into the Medical
Care Collections Fund pursuant to section 1729A of title 38,
United States Code, for healthcare provided at facilities
designated as combined Federal medical facilities as
described by section 706 of the Duncan Hunter National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law
110-417; 122 Stat. 4500) shall also be available: (1) for
transfer to the Joint Department of Defense--Department of
Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration Fund,
established by section 1704 of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 111-84;
123 Stat. 2571); and (2) for operations of the facilities
designated as combined Federal medical facilities as
described by section 706 of the Duncan Hunter National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law
110-417; 122 Stat. 4500): Provided, That, notwithstanding
section 1704(b)(3) of the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 111-84; 123 Stat. 2573),
amounts transferred to the Joint Department of Defense--
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration
Fund shall remain available until expended.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 222. Of the amounts available in this title for
``Medical Services'', ``Medical Community Care'', ``Medical
Support and Compliance'', and ``Medical Facilities'', a
minimum of $15,000,000 shall be transferred to the DOD-VA
Health Care Sharing Incentive Fund, as authorized by section
8111(d) of title 38, United States Code, to remain available
until expended, for any purpose authorized by section 8111 of
title 38, United States Code.
Sec. 223. None of the funds available to the Department of
Veterans Affairs, in this or any other Act, may be used to
replace the current system by which the Veterans Integrated
Service Networks select and contract for diabetes monitoring
supplies and equipment.
Sec. 224. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall notify
the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress
of all bid savings in a major construction project that total
at least $5,000,000, or 5 percent of the programmed amount of
the project, whichever is less: Provided, That such
notification shall occur within 14 days of a contract
identifying the programmed amount: Provided further, That
the Secretary shall notify the Committees on Appropriations
of both Houses of Congress 14 days prior to the obligation of
such bid savings and shall describe the anticipated use of
such savings.
Sec. 225. None of the funds made available for
``Construction, Major Projects'' may be used for a project in
excess of the scope specified for that project in the
original justification data provided to the Congress as part
of the request for appropriations unless the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs receives approval from the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
Sec. 226. 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 quarterly report containing performance measures
and data from each Veterans Benefits Administration Regional
Office: Provided, That, at a minimum, the report shall
include the direction contained in the section entitled
``Disability claims backlog'', under the heading ``General
Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration'' in the
joint explanatory statement accompanying Public Law 114-223:
Provided further, That the report shall also include
information on the number of appeals pending at the Veterans
Benefits Administration as well as the Board of Veterans
Appeals on a quarterly basis.
Sec. 227. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall provide
written notification to the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress 15 days prior to organizational
changes which result in the transfer of 25 or more full-time
equivalents from one organizational unit of the Department of
Veterans Affairs to another.
Sec. 228. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall provide
on a quarterly basis to the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress notification of any single national
outreach and awareness marketing campaign in which
obligations exceed $1,000,000.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 229. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, upon
determination that such action is necessary to address needs
of the Veterans Health Administration, may transfer to the
``Medical Services'' account not to exceed 3 percent of any
discretionary appropriations made available for fiscal year
2027 in this title (except the appropriation made to the
``General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits
Administration'' account) or not to exceed 3 percent of any
discretionary unobligated balances within the Department of
Veterans Affairs, including not to exceed 3 percent of those
appropriated for fiscal year 2027, that were provided in
advance by appropriations Acts: Provided, That the transfer
authority provided in this section is in addition to any
other transfer authority provided by law: Provided further,
That no amounts may be transferred from amounts that were
designated by Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant
to a concurrent resolution on the budget or the Balanced
Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985: Provided
further, That such authority to transfer may not be used
unless for higher priority items, based on emergent
healthcare requirements, than those for which originally
appropriated and in no case where the item for which funds
are requested has been denied by Congress: Provided further,
That, upon determination that all or part of the funds
transferred from an appropriation are not necessary, such
amounts may be transferred back to that appropriation and
shall be available for the same purposes as originally
appropriated: Provided further, That before a transfer may
take place pursuant to this section, the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs must provide written notification of the
amount and purpose of the transfer and subsequent approval
from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 230. Amounts made available for the Department of
Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2027, under the ``Board of
Veterans Appeals'' and the ``General Operating Expenses,
Veterans Benefits Administration'' accounts may be
transferred between such accounts: Provided, That before a
transfer may take place, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall request from the Committees on Appropriations of both
Houses of Congress the authority to make the transfer and
receive approval of that request.
Sec. 231. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may not
reprogram funds among major construction projects or programs
if such instance of reprogramming will exceed a cumulative
$7,000,000, unless such reprogramming is approved by the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
Sec. 232. (a) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
ensure that the toll-free suicide hotline under section
1720F(h) of title 38, United States Code--
(1) provides to individuals who contact the hotline
immediate assistance from a trained professional; and
(2) adheres to all requirements of the American Association
of Suicidology.
(b)(1) None of the funds made available by this Act may be
used to enforce or otherwise carry out any Executive action
that prohibits the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from
appointing an individual to occupy a vacant civil service
position, or establishing a new civil service position, at
the Department of Veterans Affairs with respect to such a
position relating to the hotline specified in subsection (a).
(2) In this subsection--
(A) the term ``civil service'' has the meaning given such
term in section 2101(1) of title 5, United States Code; and
(B) the term ``Executive action'' includes--
(i) any Executive order, Presidential memorandum, or other
action by the President; and
(ii) any agency policy, order, or other directive.
(c)(1) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct a
study on the effectiveness of the hotline specified in
subsection (a) during the 5-year period beginning on January
1, 2016, based on an analysis of national suicide data and
data collected from such hotline.
(2) At a minimum, the study required by paragraph (1)
shall--
(A) determine the number of veterans who contact the
hotline specified in subsection (a) and who receive follow up
services from the hotline or mental health services from the
Department of Veterans Affairs thereafter;
(B) determine the number of veterans who contact the
hotline who are not referred to, or do not continue
receiving, mental health care who commit suicide; and
(C) determine the number of veterans described in
subparagraph (A) who commit or attempt suicide.
Sec. 233. Effective during the period beginning on October
1, 2018, and ending on January 1, 2028, none of the funds
made available to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs by this
or any other Act may be obligated or expended in
contravention of the ``Veterans Health Administration
Clinical Preventive Services Guidance Statement on the
Veterans Health Administration's Screening for Breast Cancer
Guidance'' published on May 10, 2017, as issued by the
Veterans Health Administration National Center for Health
Promotion and Disease Prevention.
Sec. 234. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
the amounts appropriated or otherwise made available to the
Department of Veterans Affairs for the ``Medical Services''
account may be used to provide--
(1) fertility counseling and treatment using assisted
reproductive technology to a covered veteran or the spouse of
a covered veteran; or
[[Page H3498]]
(2) adoption reimbursement to a covered veteran.
(b) In this section:
(1) The term ``service-connected'' has the meaning given
such term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code.
(2) The term ``covered veteran'' means a veteran, as such
term is defined in section 101 of title 38, United States
Code, who has a service-connected disability that results in
the inability of the veteran to procreate without the use of
fertility treatment.
(3) The term ``assisted reproductive technology'' means
benefits relating to reproductive assistance provided to a
member of the Armed Forces who incurs a serious injury or
illness on active duty pursuant to section 1074(c)(4)(A) of
title 10, United States Code, as described in the memorandum
on the subject of ``Policy for Assisted Reproductive Services
for the Benefit of Seriously or Severely Ill/Injured
(Category II or III) Active Duty Service Members'' issued by
the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs on
April 3, 2012, and the guidance issued to implement such
policy, including any limitations on the amount of such
benefits available to such a member except that--
(A) the time periods regarding embryo cryopreservation and
storage set forth in part III(G) and in part IV(H) of such
memorandum shall not apply; and
(B) such term includes embryo cryopreservation and storage
without limitation on the duration of such cryopreservation
and storage.
(4) The term ``adoption reimbursement'' means reimbursement
for the adoption-related expenses for an adoption that is
finalized after the date of the enactment of this Act under
the same terms as apply under the adoption reimbursement
program of the Department of Defense, as authorized in
Department of Defense Instruction 1341.09, including the
reimbursement limits and requirements set forth in such
instruction.
(c) Amounts made available for the purposes specified in
subsection (a) of this section are subject to the
requirements for funds contained in section 508 of division H
of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115-
141).
Sec. 235. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available by this Act or any other Act for the Department of
Veterans Affairs may be used in a manner that is inconsistent
with: (1) section 842 of the Transportation, Treasury,
Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, the District of
Columbia, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006
(Public Law 109-115; 119 Stat. 2506); or (2) section
8110(a)(5) of title 38, United States Code.
Sec. 236. Section 842 of Public Law 109-115 shall not
apply to conversion of an activity or function of the
Veterans Health Administration, Veterans Benefits
Administration, or National Cemetery Administration to
contractor performance by a business concern that is at least
51 percent owned by one or more Indian Tribes as defined in
section 5304(e) of title 25, United States Code, or one or
more Native Hawaiian Organizations as defined in section
637(a)(15) of title 15, United States Code.
Sec. 237. (a) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in
consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary
of Labor, shall discontinue collecting and using Social
Security account numbers to authenticate individuals in all
information systems of the Department of Veterans Affairs for
all individuals not later than September 30, 2027.
(b) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may collect and use a
Social Security account number to identify an individual, in
accordance with section 552a of title 5, United States Code,
in an information system of the Department of Veterans
Affairs if and only if the use of such number is necessary
to:
(1) obtain or provide information the Secretary requires
from an information system that is not under the jurisdiction
of the Secretary;
(2) comply with a law, regulation, or court order;
(3) perform anti-fraud activities; or
(4) identify a specific individual where no adequate
substitute is available.
(c) The matter in subsections (a) and (b) shall supersede
section 237 of division A of Public Law 119-37.
Sec. 238. For funds provided to the Department of Veterans
Affairs for each of fiscal year 2027 and 2028 for ``Medical
Services'', section 239 of division A of Public Law 114-223
shall apply.
Sec. 239. None of the funds appropriated in this or prior
appropriations Acts or otherwise made available to the
Department of Veterans Affairs may be used to transfer any
amounts from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund
to any other account within the Department of Veterans
Affairs.
Sec. 240. Of the funds provided to the Department of
Veterans Affairs for each of fiscal year 2027 and fiscal year
2028 for ``Medical Services'', funds may be used in each year
to carry out and expand the child care program authorized by
section 205 of Public Law 111-163, notwithstanding subsection
(e) of such section.
Sec. 241. 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. 242. (a) None of the funds appropriated or otherwise
made available by 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. 401 et
seq.), or to prevent or impede the access of the Inspector
General to such records, documents, or other materials, under
any provision of law, except a provision of law that
expressly refers to such Inspector General and expressly
limits the right of access.
(b) A department or agency covered by this section shall
provide its Inspector General access to all records,
documents, and other materials in a timely manner.
(c) Each Inspector General shall ensure compliance with
statutory limitations on disclosure relevant to the
information provided by the establishment over which that
Inspector General has responsibilities under the Inspector
General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. 401 et seq.).
(d) Each Inspector General covered by this section shall
report to the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and
the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives within 5 calendar days of any failure by any
department or agency covered by this section to comply with
this requirement.
Sec. 243. 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. 244. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available by this Act to the Veterans Health Administration
may be used in fiscal year 2027 to convert any program which
received specific purpose funds in fiscal year 2026 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. 245. For funds provided to the Department of Veterans
Affairs for each of fiscal year 2027 and 2028, section 248 of
division A of Public Law 114-223 shall apply.
Sec. 246. (a) None of the funds appropriated or otherwise
made available by this Act may be used to conduct research
commencing on or after July 1, 2025, 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
conduct of research commencing on or after July 1, 2025,
using canines, felines, or non-human primates if the
Secretary certifies that--
(A) the scientific objectives of the research can only be
met by using such canines, felines, or non-human primates and
cannot be met using other animal models, in vitro models,
computational models, human clinical studies, or other
research alternatives;
(B) such scientific objectives are necessary to advance
research benefiting veterans and are directly related to an
illness or injury that is combat-related as defined by 10
U.S.C. 1413(e);
(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; and
(D) ethical considerations regarding minimizing the harm
experienced by canines, felines, or non-human primates are
included in evaluating the scientific necessity of the
research.
(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 USDA pain category on the approved use;
(4) 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, and methods used to make such determination;
(5) the frequency and duration of such research; and
(6) the protocols in place to ensure the necessity, safety,
and efficacy of the research, and animal welfare.
(d) The Secretary shall submit a biannual report to such
Committees 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;
(2) the circumstances under which such research was
conducted using canines, felines, or non-human primates;
(3) the justification for using canines, felines, or non-
human primates to conduct such research;
(4) the protocols in place to ensure the necessity, safety,
and efficacy of such research; and
[[Page H3499]]
(5) the development and adoption of alternatives to
canines, felines, or non-human primate research.
(e) The Department of Veterans Affairs must submit to
voluntary U.S. Department of Agriculture inspections of
canine, feline, and non-human primate research facilities.
(f) The Secretary shall submit an annual report to such
Committees describing--
(1) any violations of the Animal Welfare Act, the Public
Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory
Animals, or other Department of Veterans Affairs policies
related to oversight of animal research found during that
quarter in VA research facilities;
(2) immediate corrective actions taken; and
(3) specific actions taken to prevent their recurrence.
Sec. 247. (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 equivalents 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
considers necessary to reduce the veteran-to-staff ratio for
each such program.
Sec. 248. Amounts made available for the ``Veterans Health
Administration, Medical Community Care'' account in this or
any other Act for fiscal years 2027 and 2028 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. 249. Obligations and expenditures applicable to the
``Medical 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. 250. Of the amounts made available for the Department
of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2027, in this or any
other Act, under the ``Veterans Health Administration--
Medical Services'', ``Veterans Health Administration--Medical
Community Care'', ``Veterans Health Administration--Medical
Support and Compliance'', ``Veterans Health Administration--
Medical Facilities'', and ``Cost of War Toxic Exposures
Fund'' accounts, $1,444,000,000 shall be made available for
gender-specific care and programmatic efforts to deliver care
for women veterans; $700,000,000 shall be made available for
suicide prevention outreach programs; $3,500,000,000 shall be
made available for the Caregivers program; $42,000,000 shall
be made available for the National Center for Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder; $80,000,000 shall be made available for the
Neurology Centers of Excellence; $349,000,000 shall be made
available for rural health care; $3,459,121,000 shall be made
available for veterans' homelessness programs; $6,365,000,000
shall be made available for telehealth for veterans;
$709,573,000 shall be made available for opioid prevention
and treatment programs; and, $31,997,000 shall be made
available for the Intimate Partner Violence Assistance
Program.
Sec. 251. Of the unobligated balances available in fiscal
year 2027 in the ``Recurring Expenses Transformational Fund''
established 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,
$1,450,000,000 shall be available for constructing, altering,
extending, and improving medical facilities of the Veterans
Health Administration, including all supporting activities
and required contingencies, during the period of availability
of the Fund: Provided, That prior to obligation of any of
the funds provided in this section, the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs must provide a plan for the execution of the funds
appropriated in this section 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.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 252. Not later than 30 days after enactment of this
Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress an expenditure plan
for funds made available in this Act and any available
unobligated balances from prior Acts: Provided, That the
budget resource categories supporting the Veterans Health
Administration shall be reported by the subcategories
``Medical Services'', ``Medical Community Care'', ``Medical
Support and Compliance'', and ``Medical and Prosthetic
Research'': Provided further, That not later than 30 days
after the end of each fiscal quarter, the Secretary shall
submit a quarterly report on the status of the funds,
including, at a minimum, an update on obligations by program,
project or activity.
Sec. 253. 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
September 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 pursuant 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.
Sec. 254. None of the funds in this or any other Act may
be used to close Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals,
domiciliaries, or clinics, conduct an environmental
assessment, or to diminish healthcare services at existing
Veterans Health Administration 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.
Sec. 255. 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
Appropriations 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 containment approaches
as set forth in the agreement under section 2(c) of such
Public Law.
Sec. 256. (a) None of the funds appropriated by this Act or
otherwise made available for fiscal year 2027 for the
Department of Veterans Affairs may be obligated, awarded, or
expended to procure or purchase covered information
technology equipment in cases where the manufacturer, bidder,
or offeror, or any subsidiary or parent entity of the
manufacturer, bidder, or offeror, of the equipment is an
entity, or parent company of an entity listed on any of the
following:
(1) the Department of Defense's Chinese Military Company
List;
(2) the Department of the Treasury's Non-SDN Chinese
Military Industrial Complex Companies List;
(3) the Department of Commerce's Denied Persons List,
Entity List, or Military End User List, if the entity is--
(A) an agency or instrumentality of the People's Republic
of China;
(B) an entity headquartered in the People's Republic of
China; or
(C) directly or indirectly owned or controlled by an
agency, instrumentality, or entity described in subparagraph
(A) or (B); or
(4) the Department of Homeland Security's Uyghur Forced
Labor Prevention Act Entity List.
(b) Applicability to Third Parties.--The prohibition in
subsection (a) also applies in cases in which the Secretary
has contracted with a third party for the procurement,
purchase, or expenditure of funds on any of the equipment and
software described in such subsection.
(c) Definition.--For purposes of this section, the term
``covered information technology equipment'' shall mean the
following equipment used in an office environment: computers,
printers, or interoperable videoconferencing equipment used
in or by the Department of Veterans Affairs directly.
``Covered information technology equipment'' shall not refer
to services that use such equipment, including cloud
services.
Sec. 257. During the period beginning on October 1, 2026
and ending on September 30, 2027, none of the funds made
available by this Act may be used to administer, implement,
or enforce the final rule issued by the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs relating to ``Change in Rates VA Pays for Special
Modes of Transportation'' (88 Fed. Reg. 10032) and published
on February 16, 2023.
Sec. 258. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available by this Act may be used to pay award or incentive
fees for contractors whose performance has been judged to be
below satisfactory, behind schedule, over budget, or has
failed to meet the basic requirements of a contract, unless
the Agency determines that any such deviations are due to
unforeseeable events, government-driven scope changes, or are
not significant within the overall scope of the project and/
or program and unless such awards or incentive fees are
consistent with section 16.401(e)(2) of the Federal
Acquisition Regulation.
Sec. 259. The Department is directed to maintain staffing
levels to facilitate the Department's own goals, including
that benefits claims are adjudicated according to the 125 day
goal, and that healthcare appointments and service are
provided in the timeframes required by statute and
regulation.
[[Page H3500]]
Sec. 260. Notwithstanding any other law, by no later than
September 30, 2027, the Secretary shall commence construction
of the Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Bakersfield,
California or move services currently being provided at the
current Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Bakersfield,
California to an appropriate, temporary space until such a
time that the new facility can be constructed in accordance
with Lease No.36C10F20L0008.
Sec. 261. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to reduce the staffing, hours of operation, or
services of the Veterans Crisis Line or any other suicide
prevention program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
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 monuments outside of the United States and its
territories and possessions; 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 representation expenses;
and insurance of official motor vehicles in foreign
countries, when required by law of such countries,
$107,925,000, to remain available until expended.
foreign currency fluctuations account
For necessary expenses, not otherwise provided for, of the
American Battle Monuments Commission, such sums as may be
necessary, to remain available until expended, for purposes
authorized by section 2109 of title 36, United States Code.
United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
salaries and expenses
For necessary expenses for the operation of the United
States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims as authorized by
sections 7251 through 7298 of title 38, United States Code,
$50,000,000, of which $3,000,000 shall be available until
September 30, 2027: Provided, That $4,300,000 shall be
available for the purpose of providing financial assistance
as described and in accordance with the process and reporting
procedures set forth under this heading in Public Law 102-
229.
Department of Defense--Civil
Cemeterial Expenses, Army
salaries and expenses
For necessary expenses for maintenance, operation, and
improvement of Arlington National Cemetery and Soldiers' and
Airmen's Home National Cemetery, including the purchase or
lease of passenger motor vehicles for replacement on a one-
for-one basis only, and not to exceed $2,000 for official
reception and representation expenses, $118,000,000, of which
not to exceed $15,000,000 shall remain available until
September 30, 2029. In addition, such sums as may be
necessary for parking maintenance, repairs and replacement,
to be derived from the ``Lease of Department of Defense Real
Property for Defense Agencies'' account.
Armed Forces Retirement Home
trust fund
For expenses necessary for the Armed Forces Retirement Home
to operate and maintain the Armed Forces Retirement Home--
Washington, District of Columbia, and the Armed Forces
Retirement Home--Gulfport, Mississippi, to be paid from funds
available in the Armed Forces Retirement Home Trust Fund,
$77,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2028, of
which $2,000,000 shall remain available until expended for
construction and renovation of the physical plants at the
Armed Forces Retirement Home--Washington, District of
Columbia, and the Armed Forces Retirement Home--Gulfport,
Mississippi: Provided, That of the amounts made available
under this heading from funds available in the Armed Forces
Retirement Home Trust Fund, $27,000,000 shall be paid from
the general fund of the Treasury to the Trust Fund.
Administrative Provision
Sec. 301. Amounts deposited into the special account
established under 10 U.S.C. 7727 are appropriated and shall
be available until expended to support activities at the Army
National Military Cemeteries.
TITLE IV
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Sec. 401. No part of any appropriation contained in this
Act shall remain available for obligation beyond the current
fiscal year unless expressly so provided herein.
Sec. 402. None of the funds made available in this Act may
be used for any program, project, or activity, when it is
made known to the Federal entity or official to which the
funds are made available that the program, project, or
activity is not in compliance with any Federal law relating
to risk assessment, the protection of private property
rights, or unfunded mandates.
Sec. 403. All departments and agencies funded under this
Act are encouraged, within the limits of the existing
statutory authorities and funding, to expand their use of
``E-Commerce'' technologies and procedures in the conduct of
their business practices and public service activities.
Sec. 404. Unless stated otherwise, all reports and
notifications required by this Act shall be submitted to the
Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs,
and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of
the House of Representatives and the Subcommittee on Military
Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies of
the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.
Sec. 405. None of the funds made available in this Act may
be transferred to any department, agency, or instrumentality
of the United States Government except pursuant to a transfer
made by, or transfer authority provided in, this or any other
appropriations Act.
Sec. 406. None of the funds made available in this Act may
be used for a project or program named for an individual
serving as a Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner of
the United States House of Representatives.
Sec. 407. (a) Any agency receiving funds made available in
this Act, shall, subject to subsections (b) and (c), post on
the public Web site of that agency any report required to be
submitted by the Congress in this or any other Act, upon the
determination by the head of the agency that it shall serve
the national interest.
(b) Subsection (a) shall not apply to a report if--
(1) the public posting of the report compromises national
security; or
(2) the report contains confidential or proprietary
information.
(c) The head of the agency posting such report shall do so
only after such report has been made available to the
requesting Committee or Committees of Congress for no less
than 45 days.
Sec. 408. (a) None of the funds made available in this Act
may be used to maintain or establish a computer network
unless such network blocks the viewing, downloading, and
exchanging of pornography.
(b) Nothing in subsection (a) shall limit the use of funds
necessary for any Federal, State, tribal, or local law
enforcement agency or any other entity carrying out criminal
investigations, prosecution, or adjudication activities.
Sec. 409. None of the funds made available in this Act may
be used by an agency of the executive branch to pay for
first-class travel by an employee of the agency in
contravention of sections 301-10.122 through 301-10.124 of
title 41, Code of Federal Regulations.
Sec. 410. None of the funds made available in this Act may
be used to execute a contract for goods or services,
including construction services, where the contractor has not
complied with Executive Order No. 12989.
Sec. 411. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used in contravention of section 101(f)(8) of title 10,
United States Code.
Sec. 412. (a) In General.--None of the funds appropriated
or otherwise made available to the Department of Defense in
this Act may be used to construct, renovate, or expand any
facility in the United States, its territories, or
possessions to house any individual detained at United States
Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for the purposes of
detention or imprisonment in the custody or under the control
of the Department of Defense.
(b) The prohibition in subsection (a) shall not apply to
any modification of facilities at United States Naval
Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
(c) An individual described in this subsection is any
individual who, as of June 24, 2009, is located at United
States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and who--
(1) is not a citizen of the United States or a member of
the Armed Forces of the United States; and
(2) is--
(A) in the custody or under the effective control of the
Department of Defense; or
(B) otherwise under detention at United States Naval
Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Sec. 413. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs under section
5502 of title 38, United States Code, in any case arising out
of the administration by the Secretary of laws and benefits
under such title, to report a person who is deemed mentally
incapacitated, mentally incompetent, or to be experiencing an
extended loss of consciousness as a person who has been
adjudicated as a mental defective under subsection (d)(4) or
(g)(4) of section 922 of title 18, United States Code,
without the order or finding of a judge, magistrate, or other
judicial authority of competent jurisdiction that such person
is a danger to himself or herself or others.
Sec. 414. None of the funds appropriated by this Act may
be used in any way, directly or indirectly, to influence
congressional action on any legislation or appropriation
matter pending before Congress, other than to communicate to
Members of Congress as described in 18 U.S.C. 1913.
Sec. 415. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure
that the policies and requirements described in the
transmittal sheet of the Veterans Health Administration
published on August 8, 2019, titled ``Smoke-Free Policy for
Employees at VA Health Care Facilities (VHA Directive
1085.01)'' remain in effect.
spending reduction account
Sec. 416. $0.
This division may be cited as the ``Military Construction,
Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act,
2027''.
[[Page H3501]]
The Acting CHAIR. All points of order against provisions in the bill
are waived.
No amendment to the bill shall be in order except those printed in
part B of House Report 119-648, amendments en bloc described in section
7 of House Resolution 1275, and pro forma amendments described in
section 8 of that resolution.
Each amendment printed in part B of the report shall be considered
only in the order printed in the report, may be offered only by a
Member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall be
debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided and
controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to
amendment except as provided in section 8 of House Resolution 1275, and
shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question.
It shall be in order at any time for the chair of the Committee on
Appropriations or his designee to offer amendments en bloc consisting
of amendments printed in part B of the report not earlier disposed of.
Amendments en bloc shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for
20 minutes equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking
minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their designees,
shall not be subject to amendment, except as provided by section 8 of
House Resolution 1275, and shall not be subject to a demand for
division of the question.
During consideration of the bill for amendment, the chair and ranking
minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective
designees may offer up to 10 pro forma amendments each at any point for
the purpose of debate.
Amendments En Bloc Offered by Mr. Carter of Texas
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chair, pursuant to House Resolution 1275, I
offer amendments en bloc.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendments en bloc.
Amendments en bloc consisting of amendment Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,
8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27,
28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 47, 48, and 51
printed in part B of House Report 119-648, offered by Mr. Carter of
Texas:
Amendment No. 1 Offered by Mr. Alford of Missouri
Page 27, line 18, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $5,000,000) (reduced by $5,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 2 Offered by Mr. Bean of Florida
Page 36, line 15, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $5,000,000) (reduced by $5,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 3 Offered by Mr. Bean of Florida
Page 40, line 24, after the dollar amount, inserting
``(increased by $5,000,000) (reduced by $5,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 4 Offered by Ms. Boebert of Colorado
Page 36, line 15, after the dollar amount, inserting
``(reduced by $3,500,000)''.
Page 37, line 5, after the dollar amount, inserting
``(increased by $2,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 5 Offered by Ms. Boebert of Colorado
Page 36, line 15, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $2,000,000)''.
Page 35, line 12, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $2,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 6 Offered by Ms. Boebert of Colorado
Page 36, line 15, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $3,500,000)''.
Page 45, line 3, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $2,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 7 Offered by Ms. Boebert of Colorado
Page 36, line 15, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $2,000,000)''.
Page 45, line 9, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $2,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 8 Offered by Ms. Boebert of Colorado
Page 36, line 15, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $3,000,000)''.
Page 40, line 24, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $2,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 9 Offered by Mr. Carson of Indiana
Page 35, line 12, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $94,000,000)''.
Page 37, line 18, after the dollar amount, insert
``(decreased by $100,000,000)''.
Page 37, line 22, after the dollar amount, insert
``(decreased by $100,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 11 Offered by Mr. Crow of Colorado
Page 31, line 13, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $500,000)''.
Page 36, line 15, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $500,000)''.
Amendment No. 12 Offered by Ms. Elfreth of Maryland
Page 3, line 10, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $86,000,000) (reduced by $86,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 13 Offered by Mr. Vicente Gonzalez of Texas
Page 31, line 16, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $1,000,000)(increased by $1,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 14 Offered by Mr. Vicente Gonzalez of Texas
Page 26, line 23, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $1,000,000)(reduced by $1,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 15 Offered by Mr. Vincente Gonzalez of Texas
Page 45, line 9 after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $1,000,000) (increased by $1,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 16 Offered by Mr. Vincente Gonzalez of Texas
Page 31, line 16, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $1,000,000) (increased by $1,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 17 Offered by Mr. Gottheimer of New Jersey
Page 31, line 16, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $285,000,000) (increased by $285,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 18 Offered by Mr. Graves of Missouri
Page 7, line 7, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $63,000,000)(reduced by $63,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 19 Offered by Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia
Page 3, line 10, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $1,000,000) (reduced by $1,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 20 Offered by Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia
Page 3, line 10, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $1,000,000) (reduced by $1,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 21 Offered by Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia
Page 3, line 10, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $1,000,000) (reduced by $1,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 22 Offered by Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia
Page 3, line 10, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $1,000,000) (reduced by $1,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 24 Offered by Mr. Ogles of Tennessee
Page 2, line 15, after the dollar amount, insert (reduced
by $1,000,000)(increased by $1,000,000).
Amendment No. 25 Offered by Mr. Ogles of Tennessee
At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to prepare more than one environmental impact
statement under section 102(2)(C) of the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4331) for a
military construction project bearing the same project number
listed in Block 7 of Department of Defense Form 1391, unless
the preparation of more than one such environmental impact
statement is required under an order of a court of competent
jurisdiction.
Amendment No. 26 Offered by Mr. Ogles of Tennessee
At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act
under the heading ``Medical Community Care'' may be used in
contravention of section 17.4040(a)(2) of title 38, Code of
Federal Regulations.
Amendment No. 27 Offered by Mr. Ogles of Tennessee
At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act
under the heading ``Military Construction, Navy and Marine
Corps'' may be used for architectural and engineering
services or construction design for a facility classified as
Administrative under the Department of Defense Real Property
Categorization System unless such architectural and
engineering services or construction design is for a facility
classified under such categorization system as--
(1) Operation and Training;
(2) Maintenance and Production;
(3) Housing and Community; or
(4) Utility and Ground Improvements.
Amendment No. 28 Offered by Mr. Pappas of New Hampshire
Page 41, line 19, after the first dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $1,000,000) (increased by $1,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 30 Offered by Ms. Pettersen of Colorado
Page 41, line 19, after the first dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $5,000,000)(increased by $5,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 31 Offered by Ms. Randall of Washington
Page 2, line 13, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $12,000,000) (reduced by $12,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 32 Offered by Ms. Randall of Washington
Page 3, line 10, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $5,000,000) (reduced by $5,000,000)''.
[[Page H3502]]
Amendment No. 33 Offered by Ms. Randall of Washington
Page 3, line 10, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $12,000,000) (reduced by $12,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 34 Offered by Ms. Randall of Washington
Page 3, line 10, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $5,000,000) (reduced by $5,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 35 Offered by Ms. Randall of Washington
Page 3, line 10, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $15,000,000)(reduced by $15,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 36 Offered by Ms. Randall of Washington
Page 3, line 10, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $12,000,000)(reduced by $12,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 37 Offered by Ms. Randall of Washington
Page 2, line 13, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $1,000,000) (reduced by $1,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 38 Offered by Ms. Randall of Washington
Page 3, line 10, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $20,000,000) (reduced by $20,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 39 Offered by Ms. Randall of Washington
Page 3, line 10, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $10,000,000) (reduced by $10,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 40 Offered by Ms. Randall of Washington
Page 3, line 10, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $8,000,000) (reduced by $8,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 41 Offered by Ms. Randall of Washington
Page 3, line 10, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $10,000,000)(reduced by $10,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 46 Offered by Ms. Sewell of Alabama
Page 7, line 7, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $15,000,000)(reduced by $15,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 47 Offered by Mr. Stanton of Arizona
Page 36, line 15, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $5,000,000)(reduced by $5,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 48 Offered by Mr. Stanton of Arizona
Page 31, line 16, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $5,000,000)''.
Page 36, line 15, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $5,000,000)''.
Page 75, line 12, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $5,000,000)''.
Amendment No. 51 Offered by Mr. Walkinshaw of Virginia
Page 36, line 15, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $1,000,000) (increased by $1,000,000)''.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1275, the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Carter) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman
Schultz) each will control 10 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chair, I rise in favor of these amendments
en bloc. It includes bipartisan amendments that both sides have agreed
to. These are noncontroversial and raise awareness to a variety of
issues.
I appreciate the ranking member, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, working with
us on these amendments, and I ask for your support and urge its
adoption.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1510
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of these
amendments en bloc. This en bloc contains noncontroversial amendments
that raise awareness on the programs that we all care about. It
includes the need to address a variety of medical care issues at the
VA, addresses the VA construction backlog, constructs more State
extended-care facilities, expedites claims processing, and draws
attention to our defense infrastructure, specifically at public
shipyards.
I encourage my colleagues to support these amendments en bloc, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the
gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Randall).
Ms. RANDALL. Mr. Chair, I strongly support this bipartisan package of
amendments which include 11 key priorities for military families in my
district.
Our military's readiness relies on the people and facilities that
keep it running every day.
My district is home to Naval Base Kitsap, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard,
the Tacoma Narrows Reserve Center, and constituents stationed at Joint
Base Lewis-McChord.
I have seen the challenges at these installations firsthand. Workers
are stuck in traffic trying to get to the shipyard during shift
changes. Military families, like so many others, are struggling to
access affordable childcare. Aging water infrastructure continues to
strain naval installations. Veterans in rural communities are driving
hours across my district just to reach specialty care appointments.
My amendments take practical steps to address these problems. They
will help strengthen electrical grid resilience in our public
shipyards, improve industrial safety infrastructure, modernize aging
water and wastewater systems, and improve transportation access around
naval installations.
This package also invests in military families through expanded
childcare capacity, workforce support spaces, and employment resources
for military spouses.
Importantly, one of my amendments would require an assessment of
transportation barriers.
The Acting CHAIR. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 30 seconds to
the gentlewoman from Washington.
Ms. RANDALL. Mr. Chair, importantly, one of my amendments would
require an assessment of transportation barriers facing veterans in
rural and highly rural communities seeking specialty care.
These are practical investments. These strengthen readiness. They
support families, and they will improve the lives of people who serve
this country every single day.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan package.
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman
from Maryland (Ms. Elfreth).
Ms. ELFRETH. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of amendment No. 12
included in this en bloc package and thank the committee for their hard
work.
For over 180 years, the United States Naval Academy has educated and
trained our Nation's finest sailors, marines, and even some Members of
Congress.
But the academy faces a very real and ongoing challenge of stormwater
flooding impacting the readiness of America's midshipmen.
In 2024 alone, there were 85 days of flooding on the yard. My
amendment highlights the key part of the academy's installation
resilience plan by raising Congress' bipartisan support for the Lejeune
cistern, a stormwater management system, to address this flooding and
ensure midshipmen continue to receive the highest quality,
uninterrupted education needed to serve our Nation.
I am thankful for my cosponsor, Congressman Deluzio, and Naval
Academy alums Ellzey and LaLota who have also expressed support for
this amendment.
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman
from New Hampshire (Ms. Goodlander).
Ms. GOODLANDER. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of this bipartisan
package of amendments, which includes an amendment I am proud to be
leading alongside my colleague from New Hampshire, Congressman Pappas.
This amendment does an important thing for New Hampshire's veterans.
We are home to more than 80,000 veterans in the Granite State.
We are the only State in the 48 continental States that doesn't have
a full-service VA medical center. This gap has got to be addressed, and
this amendment takes important steps to that end, to make sure that
every veteran who has put their lives on the line for our country gets
the healthcare they need, when they need it, and where they need it.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan amendment.
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
[[Page H3503]]
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman
from Virginia (Mr. Walkinshaw).
Mr. WALKINSHAW. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of the bipartisan
amendments en bloc, which includes my amendment to address air quality
for our veterans and the Federal employees who care for them.
The bipartisan package makes progress on important veteran healthcare
priorities as well as funding for the Toxic Exposures Fund, but our
work is far from finished.
When it comes to ensuring that our Federal Government is leading by
example and tackling one of the most enduring and largely unaddressed
national priorities in the post-COVID world, we must upgrade our
building standards to ensure we have the highest possible air quality.
My amendment emphasizes the importance of ensuring the MILCON-VA
facilities meet indoor air quality ventilation and HVAC performance
standards and the need for strengthened oversight and GAO review of
indoor air quality conditions in these buildings.
Our civilians, doctors, patients, and nurses at VA facilities and our
warfighters deserve the peace of mind and confidence that the air they
are breathing is safe.
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my
time.
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CARSON. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of my amendment No. 9
to H.R. 8469, the Fiscal Year 2027 Military Construction, Veterans
Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
When Americans serve our country, we have a responsibility to support
them when they come home. That means giving the Department of Veterans
Affairs the tools it needs to treat veterans today and find better ways
to help them recover tomorrow.
My amendment is straightforward. It increases funding for the VA's
Medical and Prosthetic Research Program to $994 million. As drafted,
the underlying bill cuts $45 million from veteran-focus medical
research. I believe that is the wrong direction at a time when research
costs are rising, veterans' needs remain urgent, and medical
breakthroughs depend on sustained investment.
VA research supports veterans who are living with traumatic brain
injury, PTSD, toxic exposure, cancer, chronic disease, limb loss, and
other conditions tied to their service. These are not abstract issues.
They directly impact whether veterans can work, care for themselves and
their families, regain independence, and live with dignity.
This work is already making a difference. The VA is the largest
integrated health care system in the country, which gives its
researchers a unique window into veterans' long-term health needs. That
matters because many service-related conditions affect veterans over
many years and require sustained, longitudinal study, VA researchers
have used that experience to expand lung cancer screening to hundreds
of thousands of veterans, advance precision medicine, and develop
prosthetic technologies that help veterans regain mobility and
independence.
This research does not stop at the walls of the VA. Breakthroughs
that begin with veterans can improve care for the entire country. VA
researchers are using artificial intelligence and advanced imaging to
detect disease earlier, testing new treatments for spinal cord injuries
and bone regeneration, and advancing robotic and sensor-enabled
prosthetics that help veterans with limb loss regain mobility,
independence, and dignity. That is why sustained investment in VA
research is not just sound science, it is how we turn our commitment to
veterans into better care, better recovery, and better medicine for all
Americans.
This is exactly the kind of work we should be strengthening, not
cutting. This amendment is a modest, responsible step to reverse the
funding cut in the bill and keep VA medical research moving forward.
I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and help uphold our
commitment to America's veterans.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendments en bloc offered
by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Carter).
The en bloc amendments were agreed to.
Amendment No. 10 Offered by Mr. Correa
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 10
printed in part B of House Report 119-648.
Mr. CORREA. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 35, line 12, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $45,000,000) (reduced by $45,000,000)''.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1275, the gentleman
from California (Mr. Correa) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
Mr. CORREA. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of my and General
Jack Bergman's amendment No. 10 to restore funding for medical and
prosthetic research at the Department of Veterans Affairs, which is
being cut in this bill by $45 million.
As all of you know, 3 weeks ago President Trump signed an executive
order to expedite psychedelic therapies research for depression and
substance abuse disorder specifically for veterans.
The President's executive order also called for $50 million in
matching funds for research as well in this area. As all of you know,
Texas is also leading the way by also having allocated recently $50
million for psychedelic research.
Sadly, again, this bill cuts $45 million in funding from last year's
funding level and is even $22 million less than what President Trump
has requested this year.
I am grateful for General Jack Bergman for supporting me and working
with me on this amendment.
Mr. Chair, this amendment is basically about taking care of those who
have answered the call of duty to defend our country, those individuals
who come back from combat with invisible wounds that still have not
healed.
On a daily basis, 20 to 40 veterans take their lives, commit suicide,
because of PTSD. As all of you may not know, psilocybin and other
psychedelic treatments actually work and do cure veterans.
Last week, when I was back home, I heard a story. Two Orange
firefighters took their own lives--two Orange County firefighters in
their thirties, who were veterans, one of whom was waiting to receive
psychedelic treatment in Mexico because it is not available in the
United States.
{time} 1520
Many veterans have taken this treatment and have essentially been
cured of PTSD.
Mr. Chair, I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support
this amendment. This is about treating our veterans, their invisible
wounds, and making sure we reduce that 20 to 40 suicides that we have
per day in this country of veterans who are suffering from those wounds
that they brought back from the battlefield.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and to
restore funding for critical medical research for our Nation's heroes.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Correa).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 23 offered by Mr. Mast
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 23
printed in part B of House Report 119-628.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
At the end of the bill (before the short title) insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available to the Department of Veterans Affairs in this Act
may be used to enforce Veterans Health Directive 1315 as it
relates to--
(1) the policy stating that ``VHA providers are prohibited
from completing forms or registering Veterans for
participation in a State-approved marijuana program'';
(2) the directive for the ``Deputy Under Secretary for
Health for Operations and Management'' to ensure that
``medical facility Directors are aware that it is VHA policy
for providers to assess Veteran use of marijuana but
providers are prohibited from recommending, making referrals
to or completing paperwork for Veteran participation in State
marijuana programs''; and
(3) the directive for the ``VA Medical Facility Director''
to ensure that ``VA facility staff are aware of the
following'' ``[t]he prohibition on recommending, making
referrals to or completing forms and registering Veterans for
participation in State-approved marijuana programs''.
[[Page H3504]]
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the gentleman
from Florida (Mr. Mast) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my amendment, which is
pretty simple. It prohibits funds from being used to enforce veterans
health directive 1315.
Why is that? Why would we want to prohibit funds from doing this?
Just to make this clear, it doesn't change Federal law. It doesn't
require the VA to prescribe any cannabis treatment or any other
treatment like that. It simply says that the Department of Veterans
Affairs should not prohibit doctors from discussing or helping veterans
navigate legal State-approved cannabis programs if that is something
that the veteran is considering.
Now, whether anybody likes it or not, whether they smoke it, they
roll it, they chew it, or they sniff it, whatever, anything they do
with cannabis or don't do with cannabis, these are programs that exist
in a lot of States.
If former members of the military have doctors that they are seeing
inside of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and if there is a
treatment option that they want to be considered for, they want to know
if it is right for them, if it is not right for them, if it doesn't fit
in good with other prescriptions that they have, you name it, Mr.
Chair, if they want to discuss it, then they have to be able to discuss
it with their doctor. The most important person for them to discuss it
with is their doctor.
If they are getting their primary care from the VA and they can't
have that discussion, then that is a problem. Whether the doctor says
it is good or bad, that is up to the doctor to decide, but they have to
be able to have that conversation.
I tell people often that I was injured in Afghanistan. I lost two
legs and a finger there. When I woke up in the hospital, I woke up on
antidepressants, antiinflammatories, heavy sleep sedatives, a host of
narcotic pain killers from a Dilaudid drip, to oral morphines, to
epidurals, you name it, Mr. Chair, and I weaned myself off of those
things very quickly.
That is not the case for all of my brothers and sisters. A lot of
these narcotics that people are on and get placed on, especially after
injuries, are serious and very difficult to get off of and leave long-
term, lasting effects on them.
There has to be an ability, again, for people inside the system to
have that conversation with their doctor about whether that is right,
that path of what I woke up on, having really no say-so about it, or
something else is right for them, because they read something about it,
saw something about it, heard something from one of their friends, you
name it, Mr. Chair, they have to have that conversation with their
doctor.
Again, I encourage support for amendment No. 23, prohibit funds from
being used to enforce veterans health directive 1315 so that why?
So that veterans can speak to their doctor about whether cannabis is
or is not a good medical treatment program for them. Just let them have
the option to talk.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. TITUS. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment, although
I am not opposed to it.
The CHAIR pro tempore. Without objection, the gentlewoman from Nevada
is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Ms. TITUS. Mr. Chair, I thank Mr. Mast for his eloquent defense of
this amendment.
Mr. Chair, I, too, rise in support of the veterans equal access
amendment. Forty States, three territories, and the District of
Columbia allow medical use of cannabis products, but not something for
our veterans who live and work in those places.
For the nearly 200,000 veterans who call Nevada home, this
commonsense amendment would allow healthcare professionals at the VA to
just discuss cannabis for medical purposes with their patients. This
includes providing information on the State's legal program, answering
questions that the veteran may have about information that he has
picked up out on the hustings.
It would also assist them in filling out any forms that might be
required by the State to qualify for medical marijuana assistance.
Cannabis has proven to help with a wide variety of medical issues
that veterans face, including pain management, PTSD, and opioid
addiction. Instead of self-medicating and going outside the VA system,
a veteran should be able to speak with a doctor honestly about what
their options are.
Our veterans deserve the best healthcare they can get and should not
be left behind because the Federal Government lags behind the States.
They need to hear their options and make their choices.
Mr. Chair, I urge all my colleagues to vote in favor of this
amendment because it will be a meaningful step in the right direction
for our veterans and for cannabis reform.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio.
Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of this amendment,
and I thank my friend, Representative Mast, and my friend,
Representative Titus, for their leadership on this issue and for their
continued advocacy on behalf of our Nation's veterans.
This amendment is about ensuring veterans are not denied access to
treatment options that may improve their quality of life.
Mr. Chair, do you want them getting advice from doctors or
budtenders?
It is a simple question.
As President Trump's administration continues examining broader
reforms to Federal cannabis policy, Congress has a responsibility to
ensure veterans are not left behind in that process.
Many of our servicemembers come home carrying invisible wounds that
last long after the battlefield, chronic pain, PTSD, traumatic brain
injuries, depression, and other service-connected conditions that can
profoundly affect the quality of their lives.
For some veterans, traditional treatments have not worked. Others are
searching for alternatives that may help manage pain, improve daily
functioning, or reduce reliance on highly addictive opioids.
Across much of the country, patients are able to have open and honest
conversations with their doctors about whether medical cannabis may
help treat serious medical conditions. Yet veterans receiving care
through the VA still face Federal barriers that prevent VA physicians
from fully engaging in those same conversations and recommendations
with their patients.
I think that is fundamentally wrong.
Regardless of where someone stands on broader cannabis policy, we
should all agree that veterans deserve access to informed medical
guidance and treatment decisions driven by science, evidence, and
patient care, not outdated Federal restrictions.
That is especially important as President Trump's administration and
Federal health agencies continue taking steps to expand legitimate
cannabis research and better understand both its risk and potential
therapeutic benefits. If we are serious about evidence-based medicine
and improving outcomes for veterans, then we should not be standing in
the way of research, dialogue, or responsible treatment options.
Frankly, the current system is not working. We have veterans living
in States with legal medical cannabis programs, veterans seeking relief
from serious service-connected conditions, and VA physicians whose
hands remain tied by outdated Federal policy. That disconnect serves no
one, least of all the men and women who served this country.
Mr. Chair, I urge strong support for this amendment.
Ms. TITUS. Mr. Chair, I have no further speakers.
In closing, I just want to thank Mr. Mast and Mr. Joyce for their
leadership on this issue. Our veterans sacrifice everything for our
country. We don't leave them behind on the field, and we shouldn't
leave them behind when they come home. One way that we can serve them
is providing this option when it comes to medical care.
They need to have an honest conversation with their doctors to
understand what their options are and how they can best recover from
the pains that continue after they have come home.
Mr. Chair, I proudly support this amendment. I urge all my colleagues
[[Page H3505]]
to vote in favor it, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
{time} 1530
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast).
The amendment was agreed to.
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chair, I move that the Committee do now
rise.
The motion was agreed to.
Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr.
Carter of Texas) having assumed the chair, Mr. Hurd of Colorado, Acting
Chair of the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union,
reported that that Committee, having had under consideration the bill
(H.R. 8365) to provide for conditions on the appointment of monitors by
courts, and for other purposes, had come to no resolution thereon.
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