    [House Report 119-161]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

    119th Congress }                                          { Report
                            HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
      1st Session   }                                         { 119-161

    ======================================================================

                    MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND
                      RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS BILL, 2026

                                    _______

     June 10, 2025.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
                  State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                    _______

          Mr. Carter of Texas, from the Committee on Appropriations,
                            submitted the following

                                  R E P O R T

                                 together with

                                 MINORITY VIEWS

                            [To accompany H.R. 3944]

        The Committee on Appropriations submits the following
    report in explanation of the accompanying bill making
    appropriations for military construction, veterans affairs and
    related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026.

                            INDEX TO BILL AND REPORT

                                                                Page Number

                                                                Bill Report
    Purpose of the Bill........................................
                                                                          2
    Summary of Committee Recommendation........................
                                                                          2
    Title I--Department of Defense
            Military Construction..............................     2
                                                                          3
            NATO Security Investment Program...................     9
                                                                         21
            Department of Defense Base Closure Account.........    10
                                                                         21
            Family Housing Construction and Operation and
                Maintenance....................................    10
                                                                         22
            Department of Defense Family Housing Improvement
                Fund...........................................    12
                                                                         23
            Department of Defense Military Unaccompanied Hsg.
                Improvement Fund...............................    12
                                                                         23
            Administrative Provisions..........................    13
                                                                         23
    Title II--Department of Veterans Affairs
            Veterans Benefits Administration...................    27
                                                                         27
            Veterans Health Administration.....................    31
                                                                         33
            National Cemetery Administration...................    36
                                                                         62
            Departmental Administration........................    37
                                                                         63
            Administrative Provisions..........................    46
                                                                         70
    Title III--Related Agencies
            American Battle Monuments Commission...............    81
                                                                         74
            U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims..........    82
                                                                         75
            Cemeterial Expenses, Army..........................    82
                                                                         75
            Armed Forces Retirement Home.......................    83
                                                                         75
            Administrative Provision...........................    83
                                                                         76
    Title IV--General Provisions...............................    84
                                                                         76

                              Purpose of the Bill

        The Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related
    Agencies Appropriations bill funds the Department of Defense's
    activities related to military construction; family housing
    construction, maintenance, and oversight; and environmental
    remediation at closed military bases. The bill also funds the
    Department of Veterans Affairs, including programs to assist
    veterans, such as disability and pension benefits, education,
    healthcare, and insurance and loan programs. The bill funds
    four related agencies that honor and respect the Nation's
    veterans including the American Battle Monuments Commission;
    Cemeterial Expenses, Army (including Arlington National
    Cemetery); the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims; and
    the Armed Forces Retirement Home.

                      Summary of Committee Recommendation

        The Committee recommends $453,665,619,000 in total budget
    authority for the fiscal year 2026 programs and activities
    funded in the bill.
        The bill includes $301,574,619,000 for mandatory programs
    and $152,091,000,000 for discretionary programs.
        The bill provides $17,989,000,000 for military construction
    and family housing. This is an increase of $480,000,000 above
    the fiscal year 2025 enacted level.
        The bill provides $435,333,099,000 for fiscal year 2026 for
    the Department of Veterans Affairs, which is an increase of
    $67,604,483,000 above the fiscal year 2025 enacted level. Of
    the total, $301,574,619,000 is provided for mandatory benefit
    programs and $133,758,480,000 is provided for discretionary
    programs, which is a 13 percent increase above the fiscal year
    2025 level. Of the total for fiscal year 2026, $131,439,000,000
    for veterans' healthcare was advanced in the fiscal year 2025
    Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2023
    (P.L 119-4).
        For fiscal year 2027, the Committee recommendation includes
    $122,258,000,000 in advance appropriations for the four
    veterans' medical care accounts and $262,103,337,000 in advance
    appropriations for mandatory benefits programs.
        The Committee recommendation provides a total of
    $324,101,000, which is $178,209,000 below the fiscal year 2025
    enacted level for the four Related Agencies: The American
    Battle Monuments Commission, the U.S. Court of Appeals for
    Veterans Claims, Army Cemeterial Expenses (including Arlington
    National Cemetery), and the Armed Forces Retirement Home.
        The Committee notes that the President's Budget Request
    includes several important proposals to reform and reorganize
    the Federal government. The Committee applauds these efforts to
    improve efficiency while reducing waste, fraud and abuse. Such
    reforms are long overdue. The Committee notes that the
    authorizing committees of jurisdiction have not yet had the
    opportunity to consider these reorganizational proposals.
    Accordingly, the Committee's bill and report reflect the
    current organizational structure of the agencies funded herein.
    The Committee looks forward to working with the authorizing
    committees of jurisdictions as they act on the President's
    proposed organization reforms.
        Advertising Contracts for Small Business.--The Committee
    understands that, as the largest advertiser in the United
    States, the Federal government should work to ensure fair
    access to its advertising contracts for small, disadvantaged
    businesses and businesses owned by minorities and women. The
    Committee directs each department and agency to include the
    following information in its fiscal year 2026 budget
    justification: Expenditures for fiscal year 2024 and expected
    expenditures for fiscal year 2026, respectively, for (1) all
    contracts for advertising services; and (2) contracts for the
    advertising services of (I) socially and economically
    disadvantaged small businesses concerns (as defined in section
    8(a)(4) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(a)(4)); and
    (II) women-and minority-owned businesses.

                                    TITLE I

                             DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

                         Military Construction Overview

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................   $17,509,242,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............    17,989,000,000

        Military construction accounts provide funds for new
    construction, construction improvements, planning and design,
    and host nation support. Projects funded by these accounts
    include facilities for operations, training, readiness,
    maintenance, research and development, supply, medical care,
    and force protection as well as unaccompanied housing,
    military-owned family housing, utilities infrastructure, and
    land acquisition.

                              COMMITTEE DIRECTIVES

        In addition to the notification and reporting requirements
    for military construction programs contained in Title 10,
    United States Code, the Committee's recommendations include
    several provisions requiring the Department of Defense to
    report on various aspects of military construction programs and
    to provide notification to the Committee when certain actions
    are taken. The Committee also retains prior approval authority
    for any reprogramming of funds exceeding a specific threshold.
        Reprogramming Guidelines.--The following reprogramming
    guidelines apply for all military construction and family
    housing projects. A project or account (including the sub-
    elements of an account) that has been specifically reduced by
    Congress in acting on the budget request is considered to be a
    Congressional interest item and as such, prior approval is
    required. Accordingly, no reprogramming to an item specifically
    reduced below the threshold by Congress is permitted, except
    that the Department may seek reprogramming for appropriated
    increments.
        The reprogramming criteria that applies to military
    construction projects is 25 percent of the funded amount or
    $6,000,000 and includes new housing construction projects and
    improvements. To provide the Services the flexibility to
    proceed with construction contracts without disruption or
    delay, the costs associated with environmental hazard
    remediation such as asbestos removal, radon abatement, lead-
    based paint removal or abatement, and any other legislated
    environmental hazard remediation may be excluded, if such
    remediation requirements could not be reasonably anticipated at
    the time of the budget submission. Reprogramming is a courtesy
    provided to the Department by the Committee and can be taken
    away if the authority is abused. This exclusion applies to
    projects authorized in this budget year as well as projects
    authorized in prior years for which construction has not been
    completed. Design costs associated with military construction
    and family housing projects may also be excluded from these
    guidelines. In instances where prior approval for a
    reprogramming request for a project or account has been
    received from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses
    of Congress, the adjusted amount approved becomes the new base
    for any future increase or decrease via below-threshold
    reprogramming (provided that the project or account is not a
    Congressional interest item as defined above).
        In addition to these guidelines, the Services are directed
    to adhere to the guidance for military construction
    reprogramming actions and notifications, including the
    pertinent statutory authorities contained in DOD Financial
    Management Regulation 7000.14-R and relevant updates and policy
    memoranda. The Committee further encourages the Office of the
    Director of National Intelligence to use a format similar to
    that used by the Office of the Secretary of Defense to submit
    reprogramming requests.
        Bid Savings.--The Committee directs the Secretary of
    Defense to submit 1002 reports on military construction bid
    savings not later than 180 days after enactment of this Act,
    and biannually thereafter, to the Committees on Appropriations
    of both Houses of Congress.
        Facilities Sustainment, Restoration and Modernization
    (FSRM).--The Department is directed to continue describing on
    form 1390 the backlog of FSRM requirements at installations
    with future construction projects. For troop housing requests,
    form 1391 should describe any FSRM conducted in the past two
    years. Likewise, future requirements for unaccompanied housing
    at the corresponding installation should be included.
    Additionally, the forms should include English equivalent
    measurements for projects presented in metric measurement.
    Rules for funding repairs of facilities under the operation and
    maintenance accounts are described below:
              (1) components of the facility may be repaired by
            replacement. Such replacement can be up to current
            standards or codes;
              (2) interior arrangements and restorations may be
            included as repair;
              (3) additions and new facilities, may be done
            concurrently with repair projects as long as the final
            conjunctively funded project is a complete and usable
            facility; and
              (4) the appropriate Service Secretary shall notify
            the appropriate committees 21 days prior to carrying
            out any repair project with an estimated cost in excess
            of $7,500,000.
        Quarterly Summary of Notifications.--The Committee directs
    the Services and the Office of the Secretary of Defense (on
    behalf of itself and defense agencies) to continue to submit a
    quarterly report listing all notifications that have been
    submitted to the Committees during the preceding three-month
    period.
        Incremental Funding of Projects.--In general, the Committee
    supports full funding for military construction projects if
    they are executable. However, it continues to be the practice
    of the Committee to provide incremental funding for certain
    large projects to enable the Services to more efficiently
    allocate military construction dollars among projects that can
    be executed in the year of appropriation.
        Transfer of Funds to and from the Foreign Currency
    Fluctuations, Construction, Defense Account.--Committee directs
    the Department of Defense to submit a quarterly report to the
    Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress on the
    transfer of funds from military construction and family housing
    accounts to the Foreign Currency Fluctuations, Construction,
    Defense account. The report shall specify the amount
    transferred to the Foreign Currency account from each military
    construction and/or family housing account, and all other
    accounts for which an appropriation is provided in this Act,
    during the preceding fiscal quarter, and the amounts
    transferred from the Foreign Currency account to the above
    accounts during the same period. This report shall be submitted
    no later than 30 days after the close of each fiscal quarter.
    In addition, the Department shall notify the Committees on
    Appropriations of both Houses of Congress within 7 days of
    transferring any amount in excess of $10,000,000 to or from the
    Foreign Currency account.
        Unfunded Priority List (UPL) and Future Years Defense
    Program (FYDP).--The Committee directs the Department of
    Defense and Military Services, active and reserve components as
    well as Combatant Commanders, as required by law, to submit a
    UPL and FYDP to the congressional defense committees for
    military construction projects no later than 10 days and 5
    days, respectively, after the President's budget is submitted
    to Congress.
        Work in Progress or Planned (WIP) Curve.--The Committee
    directs the Services and the Office of the Secretary of Defense
    (on behalf of itself and defense agencies) to submit a WIP
    curve for each project requested in a budget submission above
    $90,000,000 with the form 1391 justification to the
    congressional defense committees. The Committee also directs
    the Secretary of Defense to report to the congressional defense
    committees quarterly, beginning in the second quarter of fiscal
    year 2024 and each quarter thereafter, of projects that remain
    unawarded from the current and prior fiscal years and the
    reasons for delay.

                               ITEMS OF INTEREST

        Additive Manufacturing.--The Committee recognizes that
    recent advancements in additive manufacturing warrant continued
    research into local material sourcing for autonomous
    construction. The Department of Defense's 2021 Additive
    Manufacturing (AM) Strategy emphasizes AM's potential to
    enhance operational readiness by enabling rapid, on-site
    production of components, thereby reducing reliance on extended
    supply chains. Additionally, academic studies have demonstrated
    that AM can decrease labor costs, reduce material waste, and
    create customized complex geometries, which are particularly
    beneficial in challenging construction environments.
        The Committee encourages the Department of Defense to
    further explore and implement these innovative technologies in
    future infrastructure projects. Moreover, the Committee
    recommends prioritizing applications in extreme weather
    environments that require enhanced protection from
    adversaries--such as Guam, where military construction premiums
    are significantly higher due to geographic distance, and
    locations like Alaska and Poland, where severe cold accelerates
    infrastructure deterioration.
        Advanced Nuclear Power for Military Installations Program
    (ANPI).--The Committee recognizes the need to expand energy
    resilience across the Department of Defense and notes the
    potential for the ANPI program to improve installation level
    energy resilience. The Committee encourages the Secretary of
    Defense to work within the Department and with external
    partners to identify potential infrastructure needs for the
    ANPI.
        Barracks and Dormitories.--The Committee remains concerned
    about the inadequate conditions of DOD unaccompanied housing
    and continues to direct the Department to expeditiously address
    the findings of the Government Accountability Office (GAO)
    report entitled, ``Military Barracks: Poor Living Conditions
    Undermine Quality of Life and Readiness'' (GAO-23-105797). The
    Committee directs the Secretary of Defense to report not later
    than 90 days after enactment of this Act of amounts utilized
    across the Department of Defense to address the recommendations
    by GAO in prior fiscal years and amounts required over the
    fiscal year 2026 to fiscal 2030 period for such purposes, and a
    long-term estimate of resources needed to fully address the
    findings in the report and ensure long-term commitment to
    quality barracks and dormitories across the Department of
    Defense.
        Building Materials.--The Committee supports the use by the
    Department of a diversity of building materials, and directs
    the Department to ensure selected building materials are
    mature, cost effective, and advance the performance,
    sustainability, reliability, and resiliency of DoD
    infrastructure. The Committee believes that Federal resources
    are best utilized when all materials can compete on their own
    merits, allowing for the best solutions to address our
    infrastructure challenges. The Committee further notes the need
    for building materials and heating systems to undergo rigorous
    testing, including in extreme temperature and conditions.
        Camp Bull Simons Child Development Center.--The Committee
    is concerned with the lack of affordable and accessible
    childcare for servicemembers stationed at Camp Bull Simons and
    Eglin Air Force Base. The Army and the Air Force stood up a
    task force to review and propose solutions to construct a child
    development center that would meet the needs of affected
    families. The Committee directs the Secretaries of the Army and
    the Air Force to brief the Committee within 30 days of
    enactment of this Act on their funding plans for fiscal year
    2026 with respect to construction of a CDC serving the families
    at these installations and what steps the Services are taking
    to expeditiously provide for a permanent childcare solution for
    families at Eglin Air Force Base and Camp Bull Simons.
        Child Development Centers.--The Committee continues to be
    concerned about the chronic shortage of quality childcare at
    Department of Defense installations. The Committee encourages
    the Department of Defense and the Services to consider
    innovative solutions to improve childcare delivery on military
    installations, including programs similar to other successful
    public-private partnerships at the Department. The Secretary of
    Defense, in conjunction with the Services, shall deliver to the
    Committees on Appropriations a report on new potential
    solutions to the childcare challenges, including an evaluation
    of the feasibility of utilizing public-private partnerships to
    deliver childcare at Department installations, no later than 60
    days after enactment of this Act.
        Demolition of Excess Infrastructure.--The bill includes
    $75,000,000 for unspecified minor military construction for
    demolition across the active and reserve components. The
    Committee is concerned about the amount of excess and obsolete
    infrastructure found on installations. While the Committee
    understands the need to balance demolition with other
    infrastructure needs, excess infrastructure can be costly to
    maintain and divert resources away from current requirements.
        Diego Garcia.--The Committee notes the strategic importance
    of Diego Garcia in current and future conflicts. To better
    understand the Department of Defense's needs to support the
    security and infrastructure of the installation, the Committee
    directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a report, not later
    than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act,
    summarizing the plans for military construction and associated
    infrastructure needs to maximize the effectiveness of an
    enhanced posture in USINDOPACOM. Specifically, this report
    should contain an assessment of how the transfer of sovereignty
    of the Chagos Archipelago from the United Kingdom to Mauritius
    impacts the Department of Defense's military construction plans
    at the base.
        Enhanced Integrated Air and Missile Defense System on
    Guam.--Not later than 120 days after the enactment of this Act,
    the Secretary of Defense shall submit a report to the Committee
    on Appropriations of the deployment of the Enhanced Integrated
    Air Missile Defense System on Guam detailing the impacts on
    public infrastructure in Guam along with a plan to mitigate any
    negative effects. Not later than 30 days after the enactment of
    this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall consult with the
    Committee on the elements to be evaluated as part of the
    report.
        Evan's Law.--The Committee directs the Secretary of Defense
    to report to the congressional defense committees not later
    than 90 days after enactment of this Act on the implementation
    of Evan's Law and the use of funds to retrofit or install fall
    prevention devices in both privatized and military-owned
    housing. The report shall include information on the use of
    funds for such purpose in prior fiscal years and the planned
    use of funds for such purpose in fiscal year 2026, and steps
    already taken and planned for fiscal year 2026 by the
    Department to ensure consistent implementation of Evan's Law
    across both privatized and military-owning housing.
        Guam Military Housing.--The Committee directs the Secretary
    of Defense, in coordination with the Secretaries of the
    military departments, to submit a report to the Committee on
    Appropriations not later than 120 days after the enactment of
    this Act, detailing the cost implications and feasibility of
    transitioning military housing on Guam to a Public-Private
    Partnership model. Not later than 30 days after the enactment
    of this Act, the Secretary is directed to consult with the
    Committee on the elements to be evaluated as part of the
    report.
        Hydro-Vacuum Excavation.--The Committee is aware that,
    according to construction industry reporting, 180,471 unique
    incidents of damage to underground utilities occurred across
    the United States during civilian infrastructure projects in
    2023. The Committee is concerned that such utility strikes
    contribute to project delays, increased costs, and disruptions
    to essential services in communities surrounding construction
    sites, particularly when alternative excavation methods--such
    as hand-digging--are used. The Committee is further concerned
    that utility strikes during military construction projects
    present an additional risk, as resulting service interruptions
    could adversely impact military readiness and operational
    continuity. Therefore, the Committee urges the Department of
    Defense to incorporate hydro-vacuum excavation methods when
    locating underground utilities in advance of military
    construction activities, to reduce the risk of accidental
    strikes and ensure continuity of operations.
        Innovative Construction Methods.--The Committee is aware of
    interest across the Department of Defense, including the U.S.
    Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) in innovative
    construction solutions to address the challenges of operating
    in remote or disaster-prone locations. These challenges include
    limited access to traditional construction materials, long
    logistical timelines, and vulnerability to extreme weather or
    natural disasters.
        The Committee urges the Secretary of Defense to prioritize
    and support efforts by SMDC and other entities at the
    Department to identify, evaluate, and pilot novel construction
    methods, such as modular systems, additive manufacturing, and
    rapid-deployable structures, that can enhance the resilience,
    speed, and sustainability of infrastructure in austere
    environments.
        The Committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a
    briefing to the Committee within 90 days of the enactment of
    this Act outlining current requirements, pilot projects under
    consideration, and potential resourcing gaps.
        Laboratory Infrastructure.--The Committee is concerned that
    aging laboratory infrastructure threatens the ability of
    Services to maintain the advanced technology necessary to keep
    ahead of U.S. adversaries across all domains. Accordingly, the
    Committee provides an additional $105,000,000 for laboratory
    infrastructure projects. The Services are directed to provide a
    spend plan not later than 90 days after enactment of this Act
    regarding the use of these funds.
        Linear Power Generation.--The Committee understands that
    fuel agnostic linear generators can achieve over 50% net system
    efficiency, are compatible with more than 22 fuel types, and
    can house 2 megawatts of power in a standard 20-foot shipping
    container. These systems can shift between different fuel types
    in real-time without depleting fuel tanks or requiring hardware
    changes. The committee encourages the DoD to invest in
    scalable, fuel agnostic linear power generation as a means of
    improving grid resiliency at military installations.
        Mass Timber.--The Committee is aware that the use of cross
    laminated timber and other mass timber products as a building
    material has the potential to reduce costs, limit environmental
    impact, and increase functionality of various military
    structures. The Committee encourages the Department of Defense
    to continue exploring the application of these innovative
    technologies in future planning and design for military
    construction projects.
        Military Construction Needs.--The Committee recognizes
    efforts by the Military Services to explore innovative means by
    which to meet military construction needs. Therefore, the
    Committee directs the Assistant Secretaries for Energy,
    Installations, and Environment of each Military Service to
    submit a report, no later than 120 days after enactment, to
    include the following:
        (a) A feasibility assessment on the potential application
    of Inter-Governmental Support Agreements (IGSA) for Major
    Military Construction Projects under a modified term agreement
    of up to 20 years; and
        (b) An assessment of any further modifications to
    traditional IGSA requirements that may be necessary to support
    the administration and execution of Major Military
    Construction, as advisable.
        Progressive Design Build.--The Committee is encouraged by
    the Department of Defense's ongoing evaluation of Progressive
    Design-Build (PDB) as an alternative project delivery method
    for military construction projects. PDB offers the potential to
    improve cost control, schedule certainty, and collaborative
    planning on complex or large-scale efforts. The Committee
    commends the Department's efforts to explore innovative
    delivery models and encourages the use of PDB where appropriate
    to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness in project
    execution.
        Remote Pacific Locations.--The Committee is aware of the
    strategic importance of remote Pacific locations. While the
    committee applauds the focus on modernizing and strengthening
    our USINDOPACOM infrastructure through the Pacific Deterrence
    Initiative, the committee requests an update on the current
    projects and future need. Specifically, the Committee is
    requesting a classified briefing on military construction needs
    at Wake Island, Midway, Guam, Tinian, the Republic of Marshall
    Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of
    Palau, and other locations in the Pacific Islands. To better
    understand the Department of Defense's needs to support the
    security and infrastructure of these installations, the
    Committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a report,
    not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this
    Act, summarizing the plans for military construction and
    associated infrastructure needs to maximize the effectiveness
    of an enhanced posture in USINDOPACOM.
        Resilient Military Installations.--The Committee supports
    the Department's continued efforts to build lasting and
    resilient military installations. These efforts include using
    methods that update hurricane-resistant building codes for
    bases, barracks, hospitals, and airfields and reviewing the
    effect of severe drought and desertification and how these two
    hazards affect installations and missions. The Committee
    encourages the Department to continue investing in innovative
    infrastructure projects to increase infrastructure resiliency
    and reduce costs.
        Streamlining the Facilities Investment Plan Preparations.--
    The Committee is aware of the Department of the Army's
    Installation Management Command's (IMCOM) interest in
    leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to improve
    infrastructure planning processes. The Committee encourages the
    Department of Defense to explore and implement AI tools to
    streamline data collection, standardize facility condition
    assessments, and enhance the efficiency and accuracy of
    Facilities Investment Plan (FIP) preparations. AI-enabled
    systems can help prioritize projects based on mission impact,
    lifecycle costs, and readiness needs, thereby supporting more
    informed and timely investment decisions.

                          Military Construction, Army

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.....................      $2,236,357,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026..........       2,103,657,000

        The Committee recommends $2,103,657,000 for the Army in
    fiscal year 2026, including an additional $12,000,000 above the
    fiscal year 2025 enacted level for unspecific minor military
    construction. Of the total, $77,300,000 is for the following
    projects in the following amounts:

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     State                            Location                   Project                 Amount
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    AL.....................................  Anniston Army Depot......  Access Control Point.....        $18,000,000
    FL.....................................  Naval Air Station Key      Joint Interagency Task            50,000,000
                                              West.                      Force South Command and
                                                                         Control Facility.
    OK.....................................  Fort Sill................  Automation-Aided                   9,300,000
                                                                         Instruction Building.
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Aberdeen Proving Ground Lab and Test Building.--The
    Committee notes the inclusion of funding for a Lab and Test
    Building at the Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) in the Army's
    fiscal year 2025 to 2029 Future Years Defense Plan and supports
    the use of funds to modernize APG's existing laboratories to
    state-of-the-art facilities, enhancing research and development
    capabilities.
        Army Space and Missile Defense Command.--The Committee is
    aware that the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command
    (SMDC) has expressed interest in innovative construction
    solutions to address the challenges of operating in remote or
    disaster-prone locations. These challenges include limited
    access to traditional construction materials, long logistical
    timelines, and vulnerability to extreme weather or natural
    disasters.
        The Committee urges the Secretary of the Army to prioritize
    and support efforts by SMDC and other relevant components to
    identify, evaluate, and pilot novel construction methods, such
    as modular systems, additive manufacturing, and rapid-
    deployable structures, that can enhance the resilience, speed,
    and sustainability of infrastructure in austere environments.
        The Committee directs the Department to provide a briefing
    to the Committee within 90 days of enactment outlining current
    requirements, pilot projects under consideration, and potential
    resourcing gaps.
        Barracks Conditions at Fort Cavazos.--The Committee remains
    concerned about the condition of barracks at Fort Cavazos and
    notes support for the previously planned investment of
    $627,000,000 for five new barracks over the fiscal year 2025 to
    fiscal year 2029 period at Fort Cavazos. The Secretary of the
    Army is directed to report to the Committee on Appropriations
    not later than 60 days after the enactment of the Act on
    planned investments in barracks at Fort Cavazos over the fiscal
    year 2026 to 2030 period, including investments in new barracks
    and refurbishment and routine maintenance of existing barracks.
    The Secretary shall further perform a condition assessment of
    each existing barracks at Fort Cavazos and include the results
    of those assessments in such report.
        Energy Reliability and Generator Deployment.--The Committee
    remains concerned about the reliability of energy across Army
    installations, particularly in remote or resource-constrained
    locations where interruptions in power may jeopardize mission
    readiness and operational continuity.
        To address these concerns, the Committee directs the
    Department of Defense to support the design, simulation,
    development, and deployment of several modular generator
    systems to military installations within the United States that
    represent a range of operational environments and climatic
    conditions. The Committee encourages the Department to consider
    modular, multi-fuel generator technologies, including linear
    power generators, as part of this effort to enhance energy
    resilience and flexibility across the force.
        Engineer, Research & Development Center (ERDC).--The
    Committee notes the limited and outdated testing infrastructure
    at the Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) of the
    U.S. Army of Engineers and is concerned about the ERDC's
    ability to fulfill its mission to develop advanced airfield and
    pavement research requirements for high heat-resistant
    capability and sustainability. The Committee urges the Army
    Futures Command and ERDC to prioritize the development of a
    dedicated Jet Engine Thrust Simulator facility to conduct this
    critical research in support of operational readiness of the
    Department's advanced missile launch platforms and Vertical/
    Short Take-off and Landing aircraft and ensuring operational
    readiness.
        Directorate of Public Works Facilities.--The Committee
    recognizes the critical role of Directorate of Public Works
    (DPW) in promoting mission readiness and quality of life of
    servicemembers and notes support for advancement of projects
    improving DPW facilities.
        Fort Huachuca Infrastructure Improvements.--The Committee
    notes the need for investment in several important projects at
    Fort Huachuca, including the Fort's fire station and air
    traffic control tower, both of which are in dire need of
    investment to meet mission needs.
        Oahu Wildland Fire Center.--The Committee understands the
    critical role the Army's wildland firefighters in Hawaii play
    in preventing wildfires on Army training lands on Oahu and
    assisting non-military partners during emergencies elsewhere on
    the island. To better understand the condition of the Army's
    existing facilities on Oahu, the Committee directs the
    Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and
    Environment to provide a report, not later than 90 days after
    the date of the enactment of this Act, summarizing the
    infrastructure investment needs to support these efforts.
        Partnerships and Land-Lease Agreements.--The Committee is
    aware of strains on cost and timeline for military construction
    needs of the Department of Defense and recognizes efforts by
    the Services to explore alternative means by which to meet
    military construction needs. Therefore, the Committee directs
    the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Energy, Installations,
    and Environment to submit a report, no later than 120 days
    after enactment, to include the following: (1) a feasibility
    assessment on permitting military installations, such as Fort
    Bliss, to form partnerships for the construction of non-
    military facilities to be operated by the Army, to include
    unclassified office spaces, child development centers, and
    other non-sensitive structures in exchange for land-lease
    agreements to allow use of excess and unused land and
    infrastructure; and (2) a proposed oversight plan to permit the
    Army to conduct robust oversight, to include periodic
    inspections and reporting elements, in such proposed agreement.
        Physical Fitness Centers.--The Committee recognizes the
    critical role fitness centers play towards mission readiness
    and the quality of life of servicemembers. The Committee urges
    the Department of the Army to prioritize planning and design
    efforts to advance projects supporting the morale, wellness,
    recreation and fitness needs of the force.
        Range Operations and Support Facilities.--The Committee
    recognizes the critical role of range operations and support
    facilities to the mission readiness of our servicemembers and
    for incorporating new technology capabilities, including
    unmanned aircraft systems, into training programs. The
    Committee supports design efforts that enhance range operations
    and supporting facilities.
        U.S. Army Soldier Performance Readiness Center.--The
    Committee supports the construction of a prototype U.S. Army
    Soldier Performance Readiness Center (SPRC). The SPRC is
    integral to the advancement of the readiness and lethality of
    U.S. Army soldiers. The prototype design emphasizes increased
    facility throughput and optimized daily human performance
    training sessions. The SPRC is considered a crucial component
    for successfully implementing the Army's Holistic Health and
    Fitness (H2F) program.

                  Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................    $4,159,399,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............     4,104,499,000

        The Committee recommends $4,104,499,000 for the Navy and
    Marine Corps in fiscal year 2026, of which $155,100,000 is for
    the following project in the following amount:

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     State                            Location                   Project                 Amount
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    CA.....................................  Naval Air Weapons Station  Child Development Center.         $8,900,000
                                              China Lake.
    CA.....................................  Naval Air Station Lemoore  F-35 Aircraft Maintenance         17,000,000
                                                                         Hangar.
    FL.....................................  Marine Corps Support       Communications                    45,425,000
                                              Facility Blount Island.    Infrastructure.
    FL.....................................  Naval Air Station          Child Development Center.          4,575,000
                                              Jacksonville.
    GU.....................................  Guam.....................  Defense Access Roads.....         50,000,000
    VA.....................................  Joint Expeditionary Base   EOD Expeditionary Mine            12,000,000
                                              Little Creek--Fort Story.  Countermeasures Facility.
    VA.....................................  Naval Station Norfolk....  Power Upgrades (Pier 14).         15,000,000
    VA.....................................  Naval Weapons Station      Shore Power for Virginia           2,200,000
                                              Yorktown.                  Class Submarines.
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Battle Damage Requirements in Shipyard Infrastructure
    Optimization Program (SIOP).--As the Navy executes its 20-year,
    $21 billion SIOP, it will make infrastructure improvements that
    will last generations and support both peacetime and wartime
    requirements, to include responding to battle damage. The
    Committee directs the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems
    Command and Naval Sea Systems Command to provide a joint report
    within 180 days of the enactment of this Act (1) summarizing
    the ability of existing shipyard infrastructure to support
    wartime battle damage requirements, (2) how SIOP is
    incorporating any shortfalls in meeting battle damage
    requirements into its long-term infrastructure plan at the
    naval public shipyards, and (3) any possible benefits of
    coordinating these efforts with the U.S. Coast Guard's SIOP.
        Biosecurity for Northern Mariana Islands.--The Committee
    recognizes that the planned expansion of military
    infrastructure and operations in the Northern Mariana Islands
    significantly increases the risk of invasive species
    introduction, stemming primarily from the anticipated rise in
    military-related air and maritime traffic. To address this
    critical issue, the Committee directs the Department of the
    Navy to submit a report, not later than 180 days after the date
    of enactment of this Act, summarizing the necessity and
    feasibility of establishing a biosecurity inspection facility
    in the Northern Mariana Islands. Not later than 30 days after
    the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Navy shall
    consult with the Committee on the elements to be evaluated as
    part of the report.
        Drydocks.--The Committee recognizes the critical strategic
    and logistics role public shipyards play in the security of the
    nation. The Committee strongly supports efforts to modernize
    and improve facilities at the Navy's four public shipyards,
    including for the multi-mission dry dock (M2D2), and to address
    the complex maintenance needs of the Navy's current and future
    active fleet. The current modernization plans for Pearl Harbor
    Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (IMF)
    include converting Dry Dock 4 to focus on depot-level
    maintenance for nuclear submarines. To better understand the
    Navy's options for a floating dry dock at Pearl Habor Naval
    Shipyard and IMF to address any infrastructure shortfalls, the
    Committee directs the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for
    Energy, Installations, and Environment to provide a report
    within 180 days of enactment of this Act (1) detailing
    potential locations for mooring a floating drydock, (2) a list
    of the individual major military construction projects needed
    to support a floating drydock, (3) the earliest a floating
    drydock could be brought into service given the timelines
    associated with the required military construction, and (4) how
    a floating drydock would be used to ensure extra capacity for
    potential crisis and conflict in the Indo-Pacific.
        Ground-Based Midcourse Defense Planning and Design.--The
    Committee recognizes the need for an additional Ground-Based
    Midcourse Defense capability, both in total number of ballistic
    missile interceptors and sites from which those interceptors
    can engage ballistic missile threats. The Committee directs the
    Missile Defense Agency to bring planning and design of an
    additional East Coast based Ground-Based Midcourse Defense
    interceptor site to 35 percent complete.
        Infrastructure Needs at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi.--
    The Committee recognizes the unique importance of the Naval
    Aviation Training Enterprise and is alarmed at the number of
    the poor and failing facilities that the Navy identified in its
    November 9, 2023 report to Congress, particularly at Naval Air
    Station Corpus Christi. The Committee urges the Navy to address
    the needs at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, particularly as
    related to construction and other improvements for
    unaccompanied and family housing, child and youth development
    centers, and quality of life projects for servicemembers and
    their families.
        Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Drinking and Wastewater
    Infrastructure.--The Committee is concerned about wastewater
    discharges from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam's aging
    wastewater facility and the condition of the base's drinking
    water systems. To help the Committee fully understand the long-
    term infrastructure needs at the base, the Committee directs
    the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations,
    and Environment, to provide a report within 120 days after
    enactment of this Act summarizing: (1) any actions needed to
    bring Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Infrastructure's
    Installation Development Plan into compliance with Navy
    regulations, (2) staffing needs for planning these military
    construction projects, and (3) efforts to coordinate long-term
    infrastructure needs with major tenants across the joint base.
        Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point.--The Committee notes
    the inclusion of funding for the first increment of the F-35
    Aircraft Sustainment Center at MCAS Cherry Point in the
    Department of Defense's operation plan for military
    construction for fiscal year 2025, and supports anticipated
    future increments for the project. In addition, the Committee
    recognizes the need for additional investments in F-35
    flightline utilities modernization at MCAS Cherry Point.
        Marine Littoral Regiment (MLR) Infrastructure.--The
    Committee is concerned that the MLRs based in the Indo-Pacific
    may lack adequate infrastructure to support its personnel,
    equipment, and communications requirements. The Committee
    directs the Deputy Commandant for Installations and Logistics
    to conduct a study and produce a report within 180 days of
    enactment of this Act outlining the infrastructure requirements
    for MLRs based in the Indo-Pacific region, current shortfalls,
    and recommended investments to include specific projects with
    estimated costs and construction timelines.
        Multi-Mission Drydock #1 Extension.--The Committee
    appreciates the inclusion of funding for the Multi-Mission
    Drydock#1 Extension project at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in the
    Navy's fiscal year 2025 operating plan and supports additional
    increments as outlined in the Navy's fiscal year 2025 to 2029
    Future Years Defense Plan.
        Naval Air Station Whiting Field.--The Committee notes the
    need for additional investment at Naval Air Station Whiting
    Field, including a hangar to house the Advance Helicopter
    Training System and a child development center that meets
    current capacity, configuration and service requirements.
        Naval Innovation Center.--The Committee supports the
    establishment of a Naval Innovation Center at the Naval
    Postgraduate School. The NIC is designed to be a facility that
    promotes collaboration, hands-on experimentation, advanced
    analytics, autonomous technologies, classified work and
    immersive demonstrations. The Committee underscores the
    importance of the Center for delivering solutions relevant to
    both current operations of the fleet and planning for future
    Naval operations.
        NAWS China Lake Infrastructure.--The Committee appreciates
    the Navy prioritizing the rebuilding effort of NAWS China Lake
    after the 2019 earthquakes. Despite progress made on recovery,
    the Committee notes additional infrastructure challenges for
    NAWS China Lake and its largest tenant, Naval Air Warfare
    Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD) beyond those directly related
    to the earthquake. To ensure NAWS China Lake and NAWCWD have
    the resources needed to complete its mission, the Committee
    supports infrastructure upgrades and planning and design for
    military construction projects at NAWS China Lake. The
    Committee also directs the Navy to provide quarterly briefings
    to the Committee on Appropriations on the current challenges
    related to failing infrastructure impacting NAWS China Lake and
    resident naval air warfare divisions and steps the Navy is
    taking to resolve those challenges.
        Naval Aviation Training Enterprise.--The Committee notes
    the importance of the Naval Aviation Training Enterprise and
    encourages the Navy to prioritize infrastructure projects
    within the coastal Naval Aviation Training Enterprise,
    especially those that build, remodel, and restore unaccompanied
    and family housing, child youth development centers, and
    quality of life projects for servicemembers and their families.
        P-8 Poseidon Parking Aprons Naval Air Station
    Jacksonville.--The Committee is concerned about the degradation
    of the P-8 Poseidon parking aprons at Naval Air Station
    Jacksonville and its impact on the operational readiness of the
    aircraft, and directs the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for
    Energy, Installations, and Environment to provide a report
    within 60 days of enactment of this Act detailing the plan to
    recapitalize the P-8 parking apron infrastructure at Naval Air
    Station Jacksonville.
        Port Improvements on Tinian Island.--The Committee notes
    that the Department of the Navy has previously acknowledged the
    critical nature of the Tinian Port Joint Area Development Plan
    in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The
    Committee directs the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for
    Energy, Installations, and Environment to provide a report, not
    later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this
    Act, summarizing (1) the major and minor military construction
    projects under consideration by the Department of the Navy to
    support port operations on the Island of Tinian, (2) design
    options to help maximize U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force
    training capabilities on the Island of Tinian, (3) efforts to
    coordinate the work and develop the requirements with the
    Commonwealth Ports Authority of the Commonwealth of the
    Northern Mariana Islands, and (4) actions the Navy can take to
    accelerate these projects.
        Submarine Storage, Maintenance, and Operations Facility.--
    The Committee notes the inclusion of the Submarine Storage,
    Maintenance, and Operations Facility project in the Navy's
    fiscal year 2025 to 2029 Future Years Defense Plan and supports
    the project.
        Trident Refit Facility Expansion program.--The Committee
    continues to support the Trident Refit Facility Expansion
    program and recognizes the need for continued modernization,
    expansion, and hardening of submarine bases in support of the
    new Columbia Class submarine.
        Unexploded Ordinance on Military Construction in Guam.--The
    Committee continues to recognize the significant environmental,
    planning, and construction activities on Guam and the impact
    unexploded ordinance removal has on these projects. The
    Committee directs the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for
    Installations, Energy, and Environment within 180 days of
    enactment to provide a report on efforts to address this issue
    and to help keep construction projects on-time and on-budget.
        United States Marine Corps Forces, Pacific Headquarters
    Needs Assessment.--The Committee is concerned about the
    condition of the infrastructure at Camp H. M. Smith, which was
    built in 1942 and whose planned major upgrades have been
    repeatedly delayed. The Committee directs the Deputy Commandant
    for Installations and Logistics to provide a report within 180
    days after enactment of this Act summarizing: (1) the Marine
    Corps' current assessment of the condition of Marine Corps
    Forces, Pacific Headquarters' infrastructure and (2) a plan for
    addressing failed or failing infrastructure, to include a
    detailed timeline, estimated cost, and specific projects that
    must be completed to meet Operational Plan requirements.

                        Military Construction, Air Force

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................    $3,347,126,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............     3,169,526,000

        The Committee recommends $3,169,526,000 for the Air Force
    in fiscal year 2026, of which $32,400,000 is for the following
    projects in the following amounts:

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     State                            Location                   Project                 Amount
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    NE.....................................  Offutt Air Force Base....  Survivable Airborne              $29,800,000
                                                                         Operations Center.
    UT.....................................  Hill Air Force Base......  F-35 Canopy Repair                 2,600,000
                                                                         Facility.
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Air Force Infrastructure Hardening.--The Committee remains
    concerned with the hardening of aircraft hangers and shelters
    on Pacific bases and directs the Air Force to update the report
    required by House Report 118-228 on Air Force Instructure
    Hardening. The Committee supports a robust, multifaceted
    approach to hardening infrastructure in the Pacific, including
    military construction of hardened facilities, as appropriate,
    and other procurement options that increase the survivability
    of aircraft and infrastructure.
        B-21 Raider infrastructure.--The Committee continues to
    support the modernization of infrastructure necessary to
    appropriately base the next generation B-21 Raider.
        Ebbing Air National Guard Base.--The Committee recognizes
    the need for continued infrastructure investments at Ebbing Air
    National Guard Base to meet the training needs for the
    Department of Defense and international partners.
        Fire Stations and Runway Upgrades.--The Committee notes
    crucial needs across the Air Force's fire stations and runway
    upgrades and urges the Air Force to prioritize projects to
    address those needs in fiscal year 2026 and in future budget
    requests.
        Long Range Standoff (LRSO) Weapons Facilities.--The
    Committee directs the Secretary of the Air Force to submit a
    plan not later than 90 days after enactment of this Act to
    ensure that no fewer than two domestic locations have the
    ability to operate and maintain the Long Range Stand Off
    missile and its associated warheads when the LRSO weapon
    reaches its initial operating capability.
        Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD).--The Committee was
    encouraged by the Air Force's fiscal year 2025 to 2029 Future
    Years Defense Program (FYDP) expectations for military
    construction related to the GBSD and supports future funding
    outlined in outyear FYDPs. The Committee requests that the
    Secretary of the Air Force continue engaging with Congress on
    its infrastructure needs related to the GBSD and include
    requirements for the program in the Department's base budget.
        Sentinel Workforce Lodging and Care.--The Committee has
    previously expressed concerns about the Sentinel program's
    ability to identify, hire and retain a skilled workforce.
    However, the needs of the workforce and affected communities
    extend beyond the skillsets and timely hiring of workers. The
    Committee is additionally concerned with some of the secondary
    requirements associated with bringing in a large workforce for
    an extended period of time to communities which may not
    currently have the infrastructure to support such an influx.
    Therefore, the Committee encourages the program and project
    managers to identify industry partners who have demonstrated
    experience in lodging and hospitality services for workforce in
    remote locations.
        Solid Waste Management on Tinian.--The Committee is
    concerned that increased waste generation associated with
    expanded U.S. Air Force activities on Tinian, Northern Mariana
    Islands will soon overburden the island's only landfill. The
    Committee directs the Secretary of the Air Force, in
    coordination with the Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands,
    to provide a report no later than 180 days after the enactment
    of this Act, describing the development of a comprehensive
    solid waste management plan, including the possible development
    of a new landfill that can be jointly utilized by both the U.S.
    military and the Municipality of Tinian. The plan shall also
    include (1) site selection and design, (2) projected
    construction and operational costs, (3) permitting and
    regulatory compliance, and (4) design options to help maximize
    U.S. Air Force training capabilities on the Island of Tinian.
        U.S. Space Command Headquarters.--The Committee encourages
    the Secretary of Defense to finalize a permanent location for
    the United States Space Command headquarters and directs the
    Secretary to provide a follow-on implementation plan within 60
    days of enactment of this Act detailing the funding required to
    expedite the establishment of Space Command Headquarters'
    permanent location, including any funds that have been
    obligated or expended in all previous fiscal years and funds
    needed in fiscal year 2026 and future fiscal years for the
    construction, renovation, or improvement of facilities,
    including leases, for Space Command Headquarters.
        U.S. Space Forces Indo-Pacific Headquarters Study.--The
    Committee is concerned that significant infrastructure
    shortfalls on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam could negatively
    impact Space Force's Indo-Pacific's ability to carry out its
    role as the Space Force Component to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command
    and as the Joint Force Space Component Commander. To better
    assess efforts to support this critical and emerging mission,
    the Committee directs the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force
    for Energy, Installations, and Environment to provide a report
    within 180 days after enactment of this Act summarizing: (1)
    the Department's assessment of the current Space Forces Indo-
    Pacific's headquarters, to include operational risks related to
    any command and control and required Sensitive Compartmented
    Information Facility or Special Access Program Facility
    workspace shortfalls, (2) the plan for addressing short-term
    facility requirements in the next five years, to include a
    detailed timeline, estimated cost, and specific projects that
    must be completed to meet near-term operational requirements,
    to include ensuring capacity and resiliency throughout crisis
    or conflict, and (3) the long-term plan for fully meeting
    operational capability facility requirements for Space Forces
    Indo-Pacific.
        Weapons Storage Areas.--The Committee urges the Secretary
    of the Air Force to make appropriate investments, particularly
    with minor military construction funding, in securing existing
    weapons storage areas alongside long-term investments in
    weapons generation facilities. Investments in existing
    facilities is required to enhance efficiency and decrease
    operational risk at the entry points to existing weapons
    storage areas.

                      Military Construction, Defense-Wide

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................    $3,881,383,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............     3,963,383,000

        The Committee recommends $3,963,383,000 for Military
    Construction, Defense-Wide, in fiscal year 2026, of which
    $82,000,000 is for the following projects in the following
    amounts:

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     State                            Location                   Project                 Amount
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    AL.....................................  Anniston Army Depot......  General Purpose Warehouse        $32,000,000
    NC.....................................  Fort Bragg...............  SOF Forward Operating             44,700,000
                                                                         Base Freedom Upgrades.
    NC.....................................  Fort Bragg...............  SOF Joint Intelligence             5,300,000
                                                                         Center.
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        The Committee recommendation also includes not less than
    the fiscal year 2025 enacted level for the pilot program for
    minor military construction projects as established by the
    Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act.
        Energy Resilience and Conservation Investment Program
    (ERCIP).--The Committee directs not less than the fiscal year
    2025 enacted level for ERCIP. The Committee supports the
    Department's efforts to improve energy security, contribute to
    mission assurance, save energy, and reduce energy costs through
    ERCIP. The Committee encourages the Department to continue
    using all available tools and authorities to ensure the timely
    execution of ERCIP projects. Additionally, as the Department
    works to achieve base energy independence, the Committee
    encourages the Department to leverage new energy technologies.
        Ramey Unit School Replacement.--The Committee notes the
    inclusion of funding for the Ramey Unit School Replacement
    project in the Defense-Wide 2025 to 2029 Future Years Defense
    Plan and supports the use of funds for the project.
        Special Operations Command Pacific (SOCPAC) Headquarters
    Needs Assessment.--The Committee is aware that SOCPAC has
    personnel spread across Hawaii due to facility space
    limitations at its primary headquarters at Camp H. M. Smith. To
    better assess possible military construction projects that
    could consolidate these locations, the Committee directs U.S.
    Special Operations Command to provide a report within 180 days
    after enactment of this Act summarizing: (1) the operational
    impacts of having personnel spread across Hawaii, (2) SOCPAC's
    total square foot and operational requirements for operations
    on Oahu, and (3) construction options for overcoming facility
    shortfalls.
        USSOCOM Headquarters.--The Committee is concerned that the
    United States Special Operation Command (USSOCOM) Headquarters
    is experiencing significant age-related infrastructure
    shortfalls that are negatively impacting mission assurance and
    the functional posture of the command. The Committee is aware
    that the Air Force is coordinating with USSOCOM and
    stakeholders to undertake an initial planning charette, and the
    Committee encourages the continued advancement of planning
    towards a new headquarters facility.
        USSOCOM Infrastructure.--The Committee notes the vital role
    in addressing rapidly evolving global threats and executing
    high-priority missions around the world. As operational demands
    on Special Operations Forces continue to grow, so too does the
    need for modern, resilient infrastructure to support training,
    readiness, and force protection. The Committee continues to
    support funding to replace outdated facilities, expand
    capacity, and ensure the specialized environments required for
    mission-specific preparation.

                   Military Construction, Army National Guard

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................      $398,489,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............       358,489,000

        The Committee recommends $358,489,000 for the Army National
    Guard in fiscal year 2026.
        42nd Infantry Division Armory Headquarters.--The Committee
    notes the critical need for the planned renovation and
    modernization of the 42nd Infantry Division Headquarters in
    Troy, New York and understands that the State of New York will
    fully fund the design and contribute $30,000,000 for the cost
    of the project. The Committee urges the Secretary of the Army
    to develop plans to provide the federal cost share for this
    vital project and keep the Committee informed about progress on
    the project.
        Camp Shelby.--The Committee recognizes the role of Camp
    Shelby as a mobilization force generation installation and
    notes the need for additional investment to support rail center
    operations and handling of classified information.
        Lodging Shortfalls.--The Committee continues to be
    concerned about lodging shortfalls at Army National Guard
    training centers that support training and readiness activities
    as well as support training for outside agencies.The Committee
    encourages the Army National Guard to allocate appropriate
    funding towards lodging requirements, particularly for
    installations with new training and readiness requirements.
        Medical Readiness.--The Committee notes the key role the
    Army National Guard plays in medical readiness and supports the
    use of funds provided for projects that support the Guard's
    medical readiness mission.
        Naval Weapons System Training Facility (NWSTF).--The
    Committee notes the need for a multiple-purpose machine gun
    range for use by the Army National Guard that meets the
    requirements of National Guard Regulation 415-5 at NWSTF
    Boardman.

                   Military Construction, Air National Guard

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................      $290,492,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............       210,492,000

        The Committee recommends $210,492,000 for the Air National
    Guard (ANG) in fiscal year 2026.
        The Committee supports the use of funding provided under
    this heading for construction projects, including planning and
    design, that enhance aircraft maintenance capabilities, mission
    effectiveness, mission resilience, and military readiness. The
    Committee further notes the need for additional investments in
    facilities with runways at the end of their service life and
    encourages ANG to prioritize projects in fiscal year 2026 and
    future budget requests at facilities where the runway's service
    lifespan expires in the next four years.
        125th Fighter Wing F-35 Beddown.--The Committee notes
    support for projects required to support the F-35 beddown at
    Jacksonville International Airport, including facilities and
    infrastructure related to the safe storing and maintenance of
    munitions required for the F-35 mission of the 125th Fighter
    Wing.
        Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base.--The Committee
    notes the need for an adequately sized, properly configured,
    environmentally safe, and energy efficient academic training
    center facility for the purpose of conducting flight simulator
    training in support of the 173d Fighter Wing F-35 flight
    training mission.

                      Military Construction, Army Reserve

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................      $295,032,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............       305,032,000

        The Committee recommends $305,032,000 for the Army Reserve
    in fiscal year 2026, of which $50,000,000 is for the following
    projects in the following amounts:

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     State                            Location                   Project                 Amount
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    KY.....................................  Fort Knox................  Aviation Support Facility        $50,000,000
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Patrick Space Force Base Clear Water Rinse System.--The
    Committee notes the inclusion of a clear water rinse system for
    Patrick Space Force Base on the fiscal year 2025 ``Buy List''
    for the National Guard and Reserve Equipment Account (NGREA)
    and supports the build out of the allied support infrastructure
    necessary to operationalize the system.

                      Military Construction, Navy Reserve

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................       $29,829,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............        79,829,000

        The Committee recommends $79,829,000 for the Navy Reserve
    in fiscal year 2026, of which $50,000,000 is for the following
    projects in the following amounts:

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     State                            Location                   Project                 Amount
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    TX.....................................  Naval Air Station Fort     Maintenance Hangar.......        $50,000,000
                                              Worth.
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                    Military Construction, Air Force Reserve

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................       $74,663,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............        37,863,000

        The Committee recommends $37,863,000 for the Air Force
    Reserve in fiscal year 2026, of which $3,200,000 is for the
    following projects in the following amounts:

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     State                            Location                   Project                 Amount
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    GA.....................................  Dobbins Air Reserve Base.  Entry Control Facility...         $3,200,000
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

         North Atlantic Treaty Organization Security Investment Program

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................      $293,494,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............       293,434,000

        The North Atlantic Treaty Organization Security Investment
    Program (NSIP) consists of annual contributions by North
    Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member countries to finance
    the costs of construction needed to support the roles of the
    major NATO commands.

                   Department of Defense Base Closure Account

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................      $489,174,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............       489,174,000

        The Committee recommends $489,174,000 for the Base Closure
    account.
        The Committee continues to be concerned about the extent of
    per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) contamination at
    closed U.S. military installations and the Committee
    recommendation includes not less than $50,000,000 above the
    fiscal year 2026 budget request for PFAS remediation. The
    Committee continues to recognize the Navy's efforts towards the
    demolition and removal of non-historically designated buildings
    and structures under Navy control where the sampling or
    remediation of radiologically contaminated materials have been
    the subject of substantiated allegations of fraud.
        Zeolite for PFAS Remediation.--The Committee recognizes
    that material zeolite is a promising tool for PFAS mitigation.
    As the Department of Defense continues to address PFAS
    contamination on military installations and other affected
    areas, the Committee urges the Services to consider the
    utilization of natural zeolite material in future mitigation
    and cleanup efforts.

                            Family Housing Overview

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................    $2,013,854,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............     2,043,622,000

        Family housing construction accounts provide funds for new
    construction, construction improvements, the Federal
    government's costs for family housing privatization projects,
    and planning and design. The operation and maintenance accounts
    provide funds to pay for maintenance and repair, furnishings,
    management, services, utilities, leasing, interest, mortgage
    insurance, and miscellaneous expenses.
        Housing Oversight.--The Committee provides an additional
    $29,768,000 above the fiscal year 2025 enacted level to expand
    oversight of the entire housing portfolio, including
    government-owned and controlled family housing and privatized
    family and unaccompanied housing. The Committee requests an
    expenditure plan detailing the planned use of these funds
    within 30 days of enactment of this Act, including the
    specific, additional oversight activities these funds above the
    budget request will allow.
        The Committee directs the Services to provide a briefing no
    later than 120 days after enactment of this Act detailing steps
    being taken to improve the conditions of each Service's
    privatized housing portfolio and an update on the efforts to
    expeditiously implement the recommendations issued in GAO's
    report, ``DOD Can Further Strengthen Oversight of Its
    Privatized Housing Program'' (GAO-23-105377), including the
    current backlog of maintenance requests; a summary of all MHPI
    tenant complaints; and an updated performance review of each
    MHPI management company.
        Family Housing and CDC Heating and Air Conditioning.--The
    Committee recognizes the Services' efforts to improve energy
    efficiency through scheduled seasonal deactivation of air
    conditioning and heating systems at its facilities. Certain
    military installations, deactivate these systems in family
    housing units and child development centers (CDC). The
    Committee encourages the Department to examine its energy
    conservation programs, including where family housing units and
    CDCs may be excluded from air conditioning and heating
    restrictions.

                       Family Housing Construction, Army

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................      $276,647,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............       276,647,000

                 Family Housing Operation and Maintenance, Army

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................      $485,611,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............       495,369,000

               Family Housing Construction, Navy and Marine Corps

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................      $245,742,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............       245,742,000

        Family Housing Operation and Maintenance, Navy and Marine Corps

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................      $387,217,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............       397,217,000

                     Family Housing Construction, Air Force

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................      $221,549,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............       221,549,000

              Family Housing Operation and Maintenance, Air Force

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................      $336,250,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............       346,250,000

             Family Housing Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................       $52,156,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............        52,156,000

             Department of Defense Family Housing Improvement Fund

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................        $8,195,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............         8,195,000

     Department of Defense Military Unaccompanied Housing Improvement Fund

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................          $497,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............           497,000

                           Administrative Provisions

        The bill includes a total of 32 administrative provisions,
    28 of which were effective in fiscal year 2025.
        Section 101. Prohibits the use of funds for payments under
    a cost-plus-a-fixed-fee contract for construction where cost
    estimates exceed $25,000. An exception for Alaska is provided.
        Section 102. Permits the use of construction funds for the
    hire of passenger motor vehicles.
        Section 103. Permits funds to be expended on the
    construction of defense access roads under certain
    circumstances.
        Section 104. Prohibits construction of new bases in the
    United States without a specific appropriation.
        Section 105. Limits the use of funds for the purchase of
    land or land easements that exceed 100 percent of value except
    under certain conditions.
        Section 106. Prohibits the use of funds to acquire land,
    prepare sites, or install utilities for family housing except
    housing for which funds have been appropriated.
        Section 107. Limits the use of minor construction funds to
    relocate any activity from one installation to another without
    prior notification.
        Section 108. Prohibits the procurement of steel unless
    American producers, fabricators, and manufacturers have been
    allowed to compete.
        Section 109. Prohibits the use of funds to pay real
    property taxes in foreign nations.
        Section 110. Prohibits the use of funds to initiate a new
    installation overseas without prior notification.
        Section 111. Establishes a preference for United States
    architectural and engineering services where the services are
    in Japan, NATO member countries, or countries bordering the
    Arabian Sea.
        Section 112. Establishes a preference for United States
    contractors for military construction in the United States
    territories and possessions in the Pacific and on Kwajalein
    Atoll, or countries bordering the Arabian Gulf, except bids by
    Marshallese contractors for military construction on Kwajalein
    Atoll.
        Section 113. Requires the Secretary of Defense to give
    prior notice to Congress of military exercises where
    construction costs exceed $100,000.
        Section 114. Allows funds appropriated in prior years to be
    used for new projects authorized during the current session of
    Congress.
        Section 115. Allows the use of expired or lapsed funds to
    pay the cost of associated supervision, inspection, overhead,
    engineering and design on those projects and on subsequent
    claims.
        Section 116. Provides that funds for military construction
    projects are available until the end of the fourth fiscal year
    following the fiscal year in which funds are appropriated,
    subject to certain conditions.
        Section 117. Allows for the transfer of funds from Family
    Housing Construction accounts to the Department of Defense
    Family Housing Improvement Fund and funds from Military
    Construction accounts to the Department of Defense Military
    Unaccompanied Housing Improvement Fund.
        Section 118. Provides transfer authority to the Homeowners
    Assistance Program.
        Section 119. Requires that funds in this title be the sole
    source of all operation and maintenance for flag and general
    officer quarter houses and limits the repair on these quarters
    to $20,000 per unit annually without notification.
        Section 120. Makes funds in the Ford Island Improvement
    Fund available until expended.
        Section 121. Allows the transfer of expired funds to the
    ``Foreign Currency Fluctuations, Construction, Defense''
    account.
        Section 122. Allows the transfer of funds in accordance
    with reprogramming guidelines.
        Section 123. Prohibits the use of funds for projects at
    Arlington National Cemetery.
        Section 124. Provides funds for certain projects identified
    in the respective military department's unfunded priority and
    cost to complete list.
        Section 125. Directs all amounts appropriated to Military
    Construction (all accounts) be immediately available and
    allotted for the full scope of the authorized project.
        Section 126. Extends the eligibility of unobligated funding
    for fiscal year 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 projects that have
    not lapsed.
        Section 127. Defines the congressional defense committees.
        Section 128. Provides additional funds for planning and
    design for construction improvements to laboratory facilities.
        Section 129. Provides funds for planning and design for
    child development centers.
        Section 130. Provides funds for planning and design for
    barracks.
        Section 131. Provides funds for unspecified minor
    construction for demolition.
        Section 132. Prohibits funds from being used to carry out
    the closure or realignment of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay.

                                    TITLE II

                         DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025....................     $367,728,616,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026.........      435,333,099,000

        The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides health
    care for 9,000,000 veteran enrollees; disability compensation
    benefits to an estimated 6,094,440 veterans and 562,448
    survivors; pension benefits for an estimated 136,678 veterans
    and 112,179 survivors; life insurance for more than 5,600,000
    veterans, servicemembers and their families; educational
    assistance for nearly 820,000 students; and interment of more
    than 140,000 veterans and eligible family members in national
    cemeteries. To serve adequately the nation's veterans, VA
    employs more than 450,000 staff, making it one of the largest
    Federal agencies in terms of employment.
        Congressional Oversight of VA's Actions on Abortion.--The
    bill prohibits funding to implement, administer, or otherwise
    carry out the actions in the interim final rule published
    September 9, 2022. The interim final rule clearly violated
    Section 106 of the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992 (P.L. 102-
    585; Title 38 U.S.C. 1710 note).
        Contract Cancellations.--The Committee is concerned that
    the Department cancelled many contracts and purported to
    reprogram funding originally dedicated to these contracts
    without proper analysis on the impacts to the veteran
    community, or without transparency about which contracts were
    ended, or proper notification to Congress. If the Department
    seeks to reprogram previously appropriated funding,
    Congressional approval is required by law. The Committee
    directs the Department to provide a report within 60 days of
    enactment of this Act with a list of the all cancelled
    contracts since January 2025, the original purpose, recipient,
    location, and dollar value of each contract, the date to which
    the contract was originally entered into by the recipient and
    the Department, and a detailed analysis of the decision-making
    process that led to the cancellations.
        Further, if funds were reprogrammed from cancelled
    contracts, the report should list the accounts and purpose for
    which the funds were reprogrammed.
        Foreign Born Veterans.--The Committee supports VA's role in
    the Immigrant Military Members and Veterans Initiative and
    urges VA to take steps to ensure non-citizen veterans are aware
    of their options to naturalize as U.S. citizens and provide
    administrative guidance and assistance with relevant
    applications and paperwork. The Department is encouraged to
    continue coordination with the Department of Homeland Security
    to develop methods that allow the Department to maintain
    contact with immigrant and non-citizen veterans and ensure that
    they can access immigration related assistance and other VA
    assistance and benefits to which they are entitled.
        Oversight on Delays in Obtaining DD214s from National
    Archives.--The Committee is concerned about the prolonged
    delays veterans face in obtaining their DD214 forms from the
    National Archives. DD214 is a critical document for veterans,
    required for accessing benefits, employment opportunities, and
    other essential services. However, the current processing times
    for obtaining this document often exceed several months,
    causing unnecessary hardship and delays in veterans receiving
    the benefits and services they are entitled to. The Committee
    directs the Department to work closely with the National
    Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to identify the root
    causes of these delays, improve the process, and ensure that
    veterans receive their DD214s in a timely manner. The Committee
    requests a brief within 90 days of enactment, identifying
    reasons for the delays in processing DD214 requests, steps
    being taken to streamline the request and delivery process,
    including any improvements to digital record access and
    electronic submission, and efforts to enhance communication
    with veterans during the waiting period to keep them informed
    of the status of their request.
        Supporting Pay Transparency for VA Police Officers.--The
    Secretary shall submit a report within 180 days of enactment of
    this act to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations
    and Committee on Veterans Affairs in the House and Senate on
    the compensation paid to Department police officers inclusive
    of their salaries, availability pay under section 5545a of
    title 5, bonuses to recruit or retain Department police
    officers, and any additional compensation paid to Department
    police officers, including the Chief of Police, Deputy Chief of
    Police, Supervisory Police Officer, Criminal Investigator,
    Police Detective, Police Officer, Training Officer, Physical
    Security Specialist, Security Specialist Assistant, Dispatcher,
    and Administrative Officer.
        Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault Protections for VA
    Beneficiaries and Employees.--The Committee directs the
    Secretary to implement the recommendations laid out in GAO
    Report 20-387.
        Veterans First Contracting Program.--The Committee
    recognizes the tremendous value of the Veterans First
    Contracting Program in assisting in the expansion and growth of
    service-disabled veteran and veteran-owned small businesses.
    The Committee encourages VA to continue to expand and make
    mandatory the training of contracting officers in the
    requirements of the Veterans First Contracting Program, with
    particular attention being paid to conducting the market
    research necessary to ensure that service-disabled veteran and
    veteran-owned small businesses, particularly women and minority
    veteran-led small businesses, are awarded VA contracts when
    appropriate.
        Veterans in the Pacific.--The Committee directs the
    Department to continue efforts to improve and expand access to
    benefits, mental health, preventative and wellness programs,
    and telehealth, among other programs. The Committee requests a
    report not later than 90 days after enactment of this Act on
    the progress made in the prior fiscal year on improving access
    to such benefits and services.

                        Veterans Benefits Administration

                           COMPENSATION AND PENSIONS

                         (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.....................    $177,020,200,000
    Fiscal year 2026 advance appropriation (enacted)....     227,240,071,000
    Committee 2027 advance appropriation recommendation.     241,947,603,000

        This appropriation provides funds for service-connected
    compensation payments to an estimated 6,094,446 veterans and
    562,448 survivors in fiscal year 2026. In addition, pension
    payments will be funded for an estimated 150,678 veterans and
    112,179 survivors.
        The appropriation includes authority to transfer funding
    not to exceed $22,816,000 in fiscal year 2026 to General
    Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) and
    Information Technology Systems. These funds are for the
    administrative expenses of implementing cost-saving provisions
    required by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (P.L.
    101-508), the Veterans' Benefits Act of 1992 (P.L. 102-568),
    and the Veterans' Benefits Improvements Act of 1994 (P.L. 103-
    446). The bill also continues to include language permitting
    this appropriation to reimburse such sums as may be earned to
    the Medical Care Collections Fund to help defray the operating
    expenses of individual medical facilities for nursing home care
    provided to pensioners.
        The Committee recommendation includes $227,240,071,000 for
    fiscal year 2026. For fiscal year 2027, the Committee
    recommendation includes an advance appropriation of
    $241,947,603,000.
        Customer Experience.--The Committee emphasizes the
    importance of implementing proper customer experience
    standards. Continued implementation of these standards includes
    providing significant services directly to the public,
    identifying and surveying target customers, establishing
    effective experience standards and tracking internal
    performance against those standards. The Committee commends
    current efforts to implement improved customer experience among
    agencies and directs all agencies funded by this Act to
    continue developing standards to improve customer experience
    and incorporate the standards into the performance plans
    required under 31 U.S.C. 1115.
        Ensuring VBA Access for Veterans.--The Committee is
    concerned about closure of VBA offices in rural areas. Physical
    VBA offices are crucial in rural areas as veterans have more
    limited broadband access and transportation options. The
    Committee directs VA to report VBA offices at risk of closure
    180 days prior to VBA realignment, including analysis used as
    justification of closure, necessary resources needed to prevent
    closure and the projected realignment of VBA staffers to nearby
    facilities to impacted congressional districts, as well as VA's
    corresponding efforts to ensure continued services for impacted
    veterans in the area.
        Signing of Veteran's Death Certificates.--The Committee is
    concerned that the Veterans Administration is not signing death
    certificates of all veterans who die of natural causes and who
    have as their primary doctor a VA physician in a timely
    fashion. The Committee directs the Department to work in
    consultation with stakeholders to prepare a report and submit
    it to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations within
    90 days of enactment of this Act on the average time the
    Department takes to sign a death certificate for a veterans
    family upon notice of their passing, the average number of
    delays lasting longer than 72-hours over the last 5 years, the
    total number of refusals by VA to sign death certificates and
    the reasoning behind any denial over the last 5 years, and
    solutions to ensure that a speedy signature is done and
    received by the family of our passed veterans.
        Veterans Readiness & Employment Program (VR&E) Wait
    Times.--The Committee is deeply concerned about staff shortages
    and months-long wait times for the VR&E program. The Committee
    requests the Department brief both the House and Senate
    Committees on Appropriations within 180 days of enactment of
    this Act on the 15 Regional Offices with the longest VR&E wait
    times, outlining steps that have been taken to date to reduce
    wait times, and providing policy recommendations to address the
    problem.

                             READJUSTMENT BENEFITS

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................   $13,317,066,000
    Fiscal year 2026 advance appropriation (enacted)......    20,372,030,000
    Committee 2027 advance appropriation recommendation...    20,057,841,000

        This appropriation finances the education and training of
    veterans and servicemembers through the Post-9/11 GI Bill and
    the All-Volunteer Force Educational Assistance Program. In
    addition, certain disabled veterans are provided with
    vocational rehabilitation, specially adapted housing grants,
    and grants for automobiles with approved adaptive equipment.
    This account also finances educational assistance allowances
    for eligible dependents of veterans who died from service-
    connected causes or have a total and permanent service-
    connected disability, as well as dependents of servicemembers
    who were captured or are missing in action.
        The Committee recommendation includes an advance
    appropriation of $20,057,841,000 for fiscal year 2027.
        Biomanufacturing Training.--The Committee encourages the
    Department to engage with an institution of higher education
    with expertise in and simulated Current Good Manufacturing
    Practice facilities for the provision of biomanufacturing
    training to consider the establishment of a program to provide
    targeted, hands-on, industrial biomanufacturing training for
    veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses.
        Financial Hardship and Bankruptcy.--The Committee continues
    to support VA programs that combat the root causes of veteran
    and dependent financial hardship, which is a known contributory
    factor to negative outcomes such as mental health issues,
    substance use disorder, and suicide. The Committee continues to
    be concerned by an inequity in current bankruptcy law that
    results in the inclusion of VA and DoD disability benefits in
    the calculation of a debtor's disposable income, while at the
    same time excluding Social Security disability benefits for
    non-veterans.
        GI Bill Comparison Tool.--The Committee emphasizes the
    importance of providing veterans with the necessary information
    to make informed decisions when selecting institutions of
    higher education. The Committee urges the Department to
    continue to monitor and assess the effectiveness of the GI
    comparison tool, including usage metrics, the frequency that
    caution flags are checked and updated, and technical
    performance.
        Post 9/11 GI Bill Books & Supplies Stipend.--The Committee
    acknowledges the increasing need for technology for education
    as coursework and class materials continue to shift from
    physical to virtual. Additionally, the Committee recognizes
    that the books and supply stipend has not been adjusted for
    inflation in 15 years. The Committee encourages the Secretary
    to evaluate the need to increase the books and supplies stipend
    from the current rate of $1,000 per year to a higher inflation
    adjusted level.
        Skills and Certifications.--The Committee recognizes the
    importance of expanding job opportunities for veterans after
    their discharge and encourages the Department to work with
    other Federal agencies and State licensing bureaus, as
    appropriate, to evaluate the transferability of DoD skills and
    certifications, including mechanical skills and certifications,
    to state certifications to aid in transition to civilian
    employment.
        Technology for Student Veterans.--The Committee understands
    the importance of remote learning technologies, such as
    computers and routers for internet access, were widely used so
    students could continue their studies. House Report 118-122
    directed a report within 180 days of enactment of this Act, on
    the cost, feasibility, and advisability of ensuring student
    veterans have access to the technologies needed to be
    successful in school. The Committee is looking forward to
    receiving this report.
        Transition Coordination.--The Committee encourages the
    Department in consultation with the Departments of Defense and
    Labor, to coordinate efforts and resources to ensure veterans
    have a successful transition to civilian life. This includes
    sharing information on community resources, including
    nonprofits and Veterans Service Organizations, that are
    available to veterans and their families. The Committee also
    urges the Department to explore options for veterans to access
    hands-on job placement services that connect them directly with
    employers, including those offered through successful state and
    local programs.
        Veteran Small Business Education.--The Committee recognizes
    the importance of supporting veterans pursuing entrepreneurship
    opportunities, and supports educating veterans on business
    ownership, especially on how digital tools, including
    artificial intelligence-enabled business software or cloud
    computing service that facilitate business operations,
    processing, payment, or tracking of payroll expenses, human
    resources, or sales and billing functions can provide
    efficiencies and productivity enhancements to improve their
    business success rate by saving time and money. As such, the
    Committee encourages the Department, in consultation with the
    Small Business Administration, to educate veterans on the
    growing digital tools ecosystem to better prepare veterans for
    an increasingly digital business environment.
        Veteran Transition Assistance Grant Program (VTAG).--The
    Committee continues to support VSTAGP program and its goal of
    providing comprehensive employment-based resources, mentorship,
    and professional development to recently separated members of
    the Armed Forces and their spouses. The Committee encourages
    the Department to consider small and mid-sized non-profits,
    that have a strong professional network in their region, when
    reviewing applicants.
        Dependent Education Assistance.--The Committee acknowledges
    the work and dedication of the Veterans Affairs Survivors and
    Dependents Educational Assistance (DEA) program. The Committee
    also recognizes that children of deceased or disabled veterans
    may require additional tutoring or educational training to
    prepare for college due to several unique challenges they face.
    The Committee encourages the Department to explore utilizing
    DEA funding to assist K-12 students in addressing these
    challenges to better tailor their services to meet the specific
    needs of children of deceased or disabled veterans, and
    ensuring these students their academic success and college
    readiness. The Department shall brief the Committee 120 days
    following enactment of this Act on how it could address
    assisting K-12 students.

                       VETERANS INSURANCE AND INDEMNITIES

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................      $147,820,000
    Fiscal year 2026 advance appropriation (enacted)......       131,518,000
    Committee 2027 advance appropriation recommendation...        97,893,000

        The Veterans Insurance and Indemnities appropriation is
    made up of the former appropriations for military and naval
    insurance, applicable to World War I veterans; national service
    life insurance (NSLI), applicable to certain World War II
    veterans; servicemember's indemnities, applicable to Korean
    Conflict veterans; and veterans mortgage life insurance,
    applicable to individuals who have received a grant for
    specially adapted housing.
        For fiscal year 2027, the Committee recommendation includes
    an advance appropriation of $97,893,000.

             VETERANS HOUSING BENEFIT PROGRAM FUND PROGRAM ACCOUNT

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                  Limitation on
                                                                                 direct loans for    Administrative
                                                               Program Account  specially adapted       Expenses
                                                                                  housing loans
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025..........................            - - -         ($500,000)       $316,742,419
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026...............            - - -          (500,000)        266,736,892
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        The purpose of the home loan guaranty program is to
    facilitate the extension of mortgage credit on favorable terms
    by private lenders to eligible veterans. This appropriation
    provides for all costs, with the exception of the Native
    American Veterans Housing Loan Program, of the Department's
    direct and guaranteed loans programs.
        The Committee recommendation includes $266,736,892 for
    fiscal year 2026 for administrative expenses to carry out the
    Veterans Housing Loan Program.
        VA Home Loan Program.--The Committee has been made aware of
    the Department's decision to abolish the ``Participation Rule''
    which required listing agents to make an offer of compensation
    to buyer brokers and could potentially disadvantage veterans
    utilizing the home loan under current rules. The Committee
    urges the Department to study its current policy of prohibiting
    borrowers from paying fees or commissions to a real estate
    agent and determine whether this policy negatively impacts
    veterans when buying a home. The Department is directed to
    report these findings to the Committee with 120 days of
    enactment of this Act.

                VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION LOANS PROGRAM ACCOUNT

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                  Limitation on      Administrative
                                                               Program Account     direct loans         Expenses
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025..........................          $78,337       ($2,026,000)           $460,698
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026...............           45,428        (1,394,442)            507,254
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        This appropriation covers the subsidy cost of direct loans
    for vocational rehabilitation of eligible veterans and includes
    administrative expenses necessary to carry out the direct loan
    program. Loans of up to $1,530 (based on indexed chapter 31
    subsistence allowance rate) are available to service-connected
    disabled veterans enrolled in vocational rehabilitation
    programs when the veteran is temporarily in need of additional
    assistance.
        The Committee recommendation includes $45,428 for fiscal
    year 2026 for administrative expenses to carry out the
    Vocational Rehabilitation Direct Loan program.

              NATIVE AMERICAN VETERAN HOUSING LOAN PROGRAM ACCOUNT

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................        $5,845,241
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............        11,872,500

        The Native American Veteran Housing Loan Program, as
    authorized by title 38 United States Code, chapter 37,
    subchapter V, provides the Secretary authority to make direct
    housing loans to Native American veterans for the purpose of
    purchasing, constructing, or improving dwellings on trust
    lands, including Hawaiian Home Lands. These loans are available
    to purchase, construct, or improve homes to be occupied as
    veterans' residences.
        The Committee recommendation includes $11,872,500 for
    fiscal year 2026, including $6,865,235 for the cost of direct
    loans providing $75,000,000 in loan authority for the principal
    amount of direct loans pursuant to subchapter V of chapter 37
    of title 38, United States Code and $5,007,265 for
    administrative expenses for the Native American Veteran Housing
    Loan Program.

          GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES, VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.....................      $3,899,000,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026..........       3,876,425,000

        The General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits
    Administration (VBA) account provides funding for VBA to
    administer entitlement programs such as service-connected
    disability compensation, education benefits, and vocational
    rehabilitation services.
        The Committee recommendation includes $3,876,425,000 for
    fiscal year 2026 for General Operating Expenses, VBA. These
    resources will improve VBA's ability to address compensation
    and benefit claims. The bill makes available through September
    30, 2027, up to ten percent of these funds.
        Benefits Usage.--The Committee encourages the Department to
    include veteran benefit usage into its annual suicide
    prevention report, including usage of disability compensation,
    education and employment, home loan and foreclosure assistance
    benefits, as well as participation in housing and food security
    programs. Additional data may enable a better understanding of
    the correlation between benefit use and suicide and allow for
    more effective programs to assist veterans.
        Compensation and Pension Exams.--The Committee understands
    the important role of contractors in providing medical
    disability exams. These exams are necessary for Veterans to
    receive the benefits that they have earned. The Committee urges
    the Department to apply standard timeliness and quality
    performance metrics across contract providers and VHA providers
    to ensure quality exams for all Veterans. Further, VA is
    directed to report to the Committee on the impact on VHA
    healthcare wait times before committing additional VHA
    providers to the delivery of medical disability exams.
        Digitizing Veteran Records.--The Committee commends the
    efforts of VBA, in partnership with the National Archives and
    Records Administration, to address the backlog of veterans'
    records requests by creating digital copies of records that
    currently exist only in hardcopy form at the National Personnel
    Records Center (NPRC). The Committee encourages VBA to continue
    its efforts to create digital copies of veterans' records
    housed at NPRC. The Committee requests the Department update
    the analyses required by House Report 117-391 on resources
    needed to digitize all hard copy-only veteran records at NPRC
    not later than 90 days after enactment of this Act.
        Equitable Relief.--The Committee understands the Department
    is working to implement new systems and protocols to eliminate
    instances of administrative error. However, as the Department
    enacts system-wide reforms, ending equitable relief for
    veterans who were deemed eligible for benefits in error would
    place an unfair burden on veterans and their families. The
    Secretary is encouraged to continue to grant or extend
    equitable relief to eligible veterans initially deemed eligible
    in instances of administrative error. Not later than 120 days
    after the enactment of this Act, the Secretary is directed to
    submit a report containing a statement as to the disposition of
    each case recommended to the Secretary for equitable relief
    under section 503 of title 38, United States Code during the
    preceding calendar year to the House and Senate Committees on
    Appropriations.
        Information for Toxic-Exposed Veterans.--The Committee
    encourages VA to ensure resources and materials provided by VA
    to toxic-exposed veterans be made available in the most
    commonly spoken languages in the United States, as required by
    the Veterans and Family Information Act (P.L. 117-62).
        Mileage Reimbursements Kiosks.--The Committee is concerned
    with the removal of mileage reimbursement kiosks and requests
    the Department to report to the House and Senate Committees on
    Appropriations on the recent removal of mileage reimbursement
    kiosks from several VA facilities, which have been replaced by
    the online Beneficiary Travel Self Service System. The
    Committee urges the Department to reassess removing kiosks.
        Military Sexual Trauma (MST).--The Committee is frustrated
    by the findings of the August 2021 OIG Report titled
    ``Improvements Still Needed in Processing Military Sexual
    Trauma Claims'' which found VBA has failed to ensure all claims
    processors handling MST-related claims have received
    specialized MST training. The Committee urges VBA to prioritize
    specialized MST training for claims processors, and to continue
    to involve MST survivors in the development of specialized
    training.
        Over-The-Counter-Hearing Aids.--The Committee notes that
    over 2.7 million veterans are compensated for hearing loss and
    tinnitus, and noise exposure during military service being a
    major factor. The Committee encourages VA to reassess its
    current model for hearing aids. The lower cost of over the
    counter (OTC) hearing aids has the potential to reduce
    financial strain on VA's budget, freeing up resources to invest
    in other critical areas of veteran care and support.
        Outreach to Veterans.--The Committee supports further
    outreach efforts via States and Indian Tribes to carry out
    programs that improve outreach and assistance to veterans and
    associated parties to ensure individuals are fully informed
    about, and assisted in applying for, any veterans and veterans-
    related benefits and programs. Of the funds provided under this
    heading, $4,000,000 may be used for the purposes authorized
    under 38 U.S.C. 6307.

                      Veterans Health Administration (VHA)

        The Department operates the largest integrated medical care
    delivery system in the United States, providing care at nearly
    1,300 health care facilities, including 171 medical centers and
    more than 1,100 outpatient sites to more than 9,000,000
    veterans enrolled in VA health care program.
        Funding for veterans' health care, VA research, and the
    Veterans Health Administration are provided through five
    discretionary accounts and the mandatory Cost of War Toxic
    Exposure Fund. The discretionary accounts are Medical Services,
    Medical Community Care, Medical Support and Compliance, Medical
    Facilities, and Medical and Prosthetic Research.
        For fiscal year 2026, the Budget requested a total of
    $134,439,000,000 for veterans' medical care, including funding
    for medical care for the treatment of conditions related to
    toxic exposures.
        In fiscal year 2026, VA will collect an estimated
    $4,580,000,000 in the Medical Care Collections Fund.
        The Committee provides $943,000,000 for Medical and
    Prosthetic Research for fiscal year 2026, equal to the
    requested level.
        The Committee provides $122,258,000,000 in advance for
    fiscal year 2027. The discretionary advance appropriations is
    in conjunction with the Toxic Exposures Fund (TEF) mandatory
    funding of $52,676,000,000 in 2026.
        CoPay Costs.--As part of the efforts to ensure that
    services delivered by the Veterans Health Administration remain
    affordable to veterans, the Department is directed to provide
    the Committee an update on trends in the number of veterans
    that are subject to copays under the Veterans Health
    Administration over the last two years, the annual average
    amount of copays paid by veterans subject to a copay for
    healthcare services, and the top ten services subject to a
    copay within 90 days of enactment of this Act.
        Dispute Resolution.--The Committee urges VA to ensure that
    veterans are advised of their rights to contest VA billing
    charges and determinations and of the step-by-step process for
    disputes. VA should ensure this information is available online
    and in publicly accessible areas at each VA medical center, and
    that it is made available in several commonly spoken languages.
        Essential Medical Devices.--The United States'
    manufacturing capacity for essential medical devices is at
    serious risk due to organized efforts by Chinese manufacturers
    to enter the U.S. market in response to inflationary pressures
    faced by U.S.-based manufacturers, distributors, and providers.
    The current shift toward purchasing Chinese-made medical
    devices is drastic and occurring at a pace that will leave U.S.
    hospitals dependent on Chinese supplied devices. The Committee
    urges VA to purchase essential medical devices, like needles
    and syringes, from U.S. manufacturers or allied trading
    partners. The Committee directs the Department to submit a
    report to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations not
    later than 90 days after enactment of this Act on the
    percentage of Chinese made devices for the 96 device medical
    countermeasures published by the Food and Drug Administration
    in 2020. The report should also include specific
    recommendations on how the Department can reduce its dependency
    on Chinese medical devices, increase the domestic supply chain,
    while safeguarding against shortages.
        In-Vitro Diagnostic Testing for Veterans.--The Committee
    recognizes that in-vitro diagnostics, tools used in health care
    to detect diseases, infections, and other medical conditions by
    analyzing specimens taken from the body, provide valuable
    information to health care providers for accurate diagnosis,
    treatment planning, and monitoring of patients' health.
        Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander and United States-
    Affiliated Pacific Islander (NHPIUSAPI) Veterans Health.--The
    Committee continues to support VA Center for NHPIUSAPIs. The
    Committee encourages the Department to partner with
    universities in the Pacific region focusing on issues unique to
    the NHPISAPI community.
        Timeliness of Care at VA Facilities.--The Committee
    recognizes the critical need for quality and timely health care
    for veterans. The Committee directs the Secretary to submit a
    detailed report to the House and Senate Committees on
    Appropriations within 180 days of the enactment of this Act
    regarding the average waiting periods experienced by veterans
    seeking health care services through VA hospitals. This report
    should encompass data collected from various VA healthcare
    facilities nationwide, including to the extent possible non-VHA
    operated clinics, analyzing both the duration veterans wait
    from initial contact to their first appointment and any
    subsequent waits for further medical treatments. The data
    presented in this report should be broken out by state to
    facilitate a clear understanding of regional disparities and
    target improvements effectively.
        Equitable Care for Veterans.--As the Veterans Health
    Administration considers policies that would disregard state
    anesthesia licensure and practice standards, the Committee
    requests the Under Secretary of Health submit to the Committee
    within 180 days of enactment a report on how the Under
    Secretary intends to ensure that veterans who receive hospital
    care and medical services furnished by the Department of
    Veterans Affairs, particularly veterans who are eligible for
    such care and services under the PACT Act (Public Law 117-168)
    and the amendments made by that Act, will not receive a lower
    standard of care than individuals who receive care in non-
    Department facilities located in the same state or
    jurisdiction.

                                MEDICAL SERVICES

    Fiscal year 2025 enacted level......................     $71,000,000,000
    Fiscal year 2026 advance appropriation (enacted)....      75,039,000,000
    Committee 2027 advance appropriation recommendation.      59,858,000,000

        The bill includes $59,858,000,000 for advance fiscal year
    2027 funding for Medical Services. The Committee has included
    bill language to make $2,000,000,000 of the Medical Services
    advance appropriation for fiscal year 2026 available through
    September 30, 2027.
        Allocation of Health Funding.--The Committee continues to
    request a report each year, not later than 30 days after the
    Department allocates the medical services appropriation to the
    VISNs, that identifies: (1) the amount of general purpose
    funding that is allocated to each VISN; (2) the amount of
    funding that is retained by central headquarters for specific
    purposes, with amounts identified for each purpose; and (3) the
    amount of funding that is retained by each VISN before
    allocating it to the medical centers, identifying separately
    the amounts retained for purposes such as network operations,
    network initiatives, and emergencies.
        Changes in Funding Requirements Due to Modeling.--The
    Committee expects the Department to continue to include in the
    sufficiency letter required by section 117(d) of title 38,
    United States Code, which is due to the Congress on July 31 of
    each year, a description of any changes exceeding $250,000,000
    in funding requirements for the Medical Services account
    resulting from the spring recalculation of the Enrollee
    Healthcare Projection Model.
        Support for FAS Veterans.--Since the passage of the
    Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118-42), the
    Department is no longer restricted from providing services to
    veterans residing in the Freely Associated States (FAS),
    including, but not limited to, direct care from VA providers,
    telehealth, and care through contracts with community
    providers, and shipping medications to the FAS. The Committee
    requests a brief within 60 days of enactment of this Act with
    the estimated cost and the plan for implementing this law in
    fiscal year 2026.
        Treatments for Hypertension.--The Committee is concerned by
    the prevalence of hypertension, or high blood pressure, and
    uncontrolled hypertension across the veterans population. In
    light of recent advancements in hypertension treatment, such as
    FDA-approved renal denervation technologies, the Committee is
    interested in understanding the Department's current
    initiatives and resources allocated to addressing hypertension
    and uncontrolled hypertension within the Veteran community. The
    Committee requests a report be submitted to the House and
    Senate the Committees on Appropriations within 180 days of
    enactment of this Act regarding programs and services VA has in
    place to ensure that veterans with hypertension, including
    uncontrolled hypertension, receive comprehensive and timely
    care, including access to specialist consultations and the
    integration of innovative treatments within its healthcare
    facilities nationwide.

                            CANCER AND RARE DISEASES

        Advanced MRI-based Solutions.--The Committee recommends
    that to ensure access to advanced care for all veterans, VA
    Innovation Ecosystem (IE) include in its fiscal year 2026
    portfolio activities expanding VA healthcare system's
    infrastructural reach to enrolled veterans residing in
    geographically underserved areas, including rural and highly
    rural. The Committee would like IE to engage industry with
    community stakeholders to co-develop transformative, highly
    deployable, mobile, and scalable advanced MRI-based solutions
    to identify, stratify, and manage the highly prevalent
    metabolic disease burden in VA population.
        Cancer Screening at Veterans Affairs Medical Centers.--The
    Department is encouraged to ensure its healthcare providers
    screen for the numerous types of cancers that veterans
    experience so they can receive the best possible care.
        Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) Monitoring.--The Committee
    continues to urge the Department to utilize reference data from
    existing medical records of veterans to determine the
    percentage of veterans who have more frequent or unexplained
    symptoms associated with CJD compared to the civilian
    population. This data could be helpful in clarifying the extent
    and specifics of the medical issues suffered by veterans from
    exposure to CJD.
        Dermatological Care for Veterans.--The Committee is
    concerned by recent research studies, including those by the
    National Institutes of Health and the Journal of American
    Academy of Dermatology, regarding the increased risk of skin
    cancers in Veterans. Servicemembers' increased UV radiation
    exposure, lack of sun protective measures, and over two decades
    of deployments to regions in close equatorial proximity have
    placed veterans at higher risk for melanoma and other skin
    cancers. Veterans are also more likely to be diagnosed with
    advanced-stage skin cancers than the civilian population due to
    less frequent skin checks and access to specialized care. The
    committee supports continued access dermatology screening,
    dermatologic preventative care, and trained Mohs micrographic
    surgeons.
        Expanding Lung Cancer Screening for Veterans.--The
    Committee recognizes the importance of early detection and
    timely diagnosis of cancers and encourages the Department to
    review and update its approach to lung cancer screening to
    optimize veterans' access to screenings given the unique risk
    factors and evolving demographics for this patient population.
    As part of this update, the Committee encourages the Department
    to issue a request for information and corresponding public
    docket to receive information and recommendations regarding the
    latest lung cancer research, data, and clinical best practices
    to inform the updates to the Department's lung cancer screening
    guidelines and update lung cancer screening guidelines to
    address those exposed to toxic hazards.
        Improving Early Detection of Esophageal Cancer for
    Veterans.--The Committee recognizes that Veterans are four
    times as likely to develop esophageal cancer, one of the
    deadliest and fastest-growing cancers, and that early detection
    saves lives. Despite technological advancements, the current
    standard of care for surveillance and diagnosis misses many
    cases due to its limited sample collection as well as
    pathologist subjectivity. The Committee urges the Department to
    implement enhanced sampling technology, utilizing a specialized
    brush, and accompanied by computer imaging with artificial
    intelligence, to identify abnormalities missed by the current
    standard of care and as a result identify patients for
    treatment at an earlier stage.
        Low Helium MRI.--The Committee recognizes that our nation's
    helium stockpile is running dangerously low, jeopardizing
    Americans' access to diagnostic MRI exams, potentially leading
    to false or missed readings and diagnosis, in addition to risks
    to other important technologies. The Committee recognizes
    technology advancement in the industry that has led to the
    development of low helium machines (LH-MRI) to enable fast
    imaging for reduced cost to taxpayers with high resolution for
    improved diagnosis. Converting to LH-MRI reduces the amount of
    helium used by MRI machines by 95.5% and removes the need for
    helium refills and top offs over the lifetime of the system.
    The Committee encourages the use of LH-MRI machines to reduce
    our dependency on helium in the medical field for access to and
    diagnosis with MRI.
        Medical Companion Program.--The Committee has heard from
    veterans about barriers to care for undergoing outpatient or
    ambulatory procedures using sedation or anesthesia that require
    a responsible adult available to assist in their care before
    and after the procedure. The Committee encourages the
    Department to support the development of more Medical Companion
    programs across the VHA system.
        Molecular Diagnostics and Precision Oncology.--The
    Committee believes that every veteran with cancer deserves the
    highest quality and most medically advanced diagnosis and
    treatment available, and the Committee commends the
    Department's on-going Precision Oncology Program. The Committee
    continues to support the precision oncology clinical services,
    including molecular diagnostics for Veterans and directs that
    not less than $30,300,000 be utilized for molecular
    diagnostics, the Department to provide a report on its progress
    within 120 days of enactment.
        Reducing Health and Economic Burden of Chronic Liver
    Disease Among Veterans.--The health and economic burden of
    chronic liver disease is growing rapidly among veterans, fueled
    by the prevalence of obesity and related metabolic disorders.
    The Department mandates liver biopsy to confirm diagnosis of
    metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) to
    authorize the use of new drug therapies. The Committee urges
    the Department to evaluate the impacts of therapy, including
    pharmaceutical and/or lifestyle measures, with the use of new,
    clinically validated, FDA-cleared, multiparametric MRI imaging
    solutions to diagnose, monitor, and improve management of
    veterans with MASH, while avoiding the need for biopsy in many
    patients.
        Improvements to VA Support for Veterans With End Stage Lung
    Disease.--The Committee recognizes the work of the VA to
    administer benefits expansion in accordance with the PACT Act
    to improve services available for veterans who were exposed to
    certain toxins during their time in service. The Committee also
    understands that some veterans who suffered from toxic
    exposures may have developed severe lung diseases that, in end
    stage, require highflow oxygen support. Certain high flow
    oxygen support devices for end stage lung disease may only be
    accessible for operation in long-term acute care hospitals.
    Therefore, the Committee directs the Veterans Health
    Administration (VHA) to submit a report, not later than 120
    days after enactment, to include the following: (a) An overview
    of current treatments, community care models, and coverage
    options, to include reimbursement policies, that support long-
    term, high flow oxygen support for veterans with service-
    related end-stage lung disease; (b) Steps the VHA may take to
    facilitate improvements to current treatments, community care
    models, and coverage options, to include reimbursement
    policies, to support long-term, high flow oxygen support for
    veterans with service-related end-stage lung disease; (c) A
    cost assessment to reflect total funds the VA may require to
    support a change in policy to allow long-term acute care
    hospitals to receive continued reimbursement, such that they
    may be able to administer long-term high flow oxygen treatment
    for veterans with service-related end stage lung disease who
    would otherwise require hospice home health services if not for
    their unique oxygen support needs.

                           CAREGIVER SUPPORT PROGRAM

        Caregivers Program.--The Committee provides not less than
    fiscal year 2005 for the caregivers program. The Committee
    continues to require quarterly reporting on obligations for
    this program.
        Caregiver Assistance Eligibility.--The Committee recognizes
    the important role of family caregivers in supporting the
    health and wellness of veterans. The Committee directs VA to
    report to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations
    within 180 days of enactment of this Act on the feasibility,
    including cost estimates, of expanding eligibility for the
    Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers and
    the Program of General Caregiver Support Services to include
    veterans with lower continuous care needs and disability
    ratings.

                             CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE

        Epilepsy Center of Excellence.--The Committee encourages
    the Department to ensure that all veterans with epilepsy are
    comprehensively evaluated at a VHA Epilepsy Center of
    Excellence to identify drug-resistant epilepsy patients who may
    be candidates for FDA-approved non-drug therapies.
        Neurology Centers of Excellence.--The Committee recognizes
    the increasing number of veterans affected by neurologic
    conditions, including but not limited to epilepsy, headache,
    multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease, and therefore
    provides $87,200,000 for the Neurology Centers of Excellence.
    This includes $29,212,000 for the Epilepsy Centers, $32,700,000
    for the Headache Centers, $6,540,000 for the Multiple Sclerosis
    Centers, and $17,440,000 for the Parkinson's Disease, Research,
    Education and Clinical Centers.
        The Neurology Centers of Excellence provide essential
    innovative clinical care, education, and research efforts
    focused on these conditions. The Committee applauds the
    Department for recent investments into the headache, multiple
    sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease centers and acknowledges the
    advancement and expansion the Centers have begun. The Committee
    encourages further investment and collaboration of the Centers
    across disciplines and urges the Department to allocate robust
    funding for the Neurology Centers of Excellence for maintenance
    and expansion. The Committee also directs the Department to
    report back the use and allocation of funds for each Center
    within 120 of enactment of this Act.

                        COLLABORATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS

        Academic Collaborations at Community Based Outpatient
    Clinics (CBOC).--The Committee encourages VA to expand academic
    collaborations with CBOCs, as they provide valuable patient
    care and access to services that can be strengthened by
    collaboration with educational institutions. Through clinical
    traineeships and research fellowships, emerging health
    professionals can gain a better understanding of veterans'
    specific healthcare needs, improve patient outcomes, advance
    specialized research, and increase the talented workforce
    pipeline. VA is encouraged to consider including public
    academic medical centers in CBOC collaborations.
        Increasing Veterans Enrollment in Medicare.--The Committee
    is aware that information gaps exist for some veterans related
    to the differences between hospital care and medical services
    available in VA system versus coverage provided under Medicare.
    The information gaps may have resulted in some veterans
    receiving late-enrollment penalties through the Medicare
    program. The Committee encourages the Veterans Health
    Administration to work with the Centers for Medicare and
    Medicaid Services and the Department of Health and Human
    Services to ensure that veterans have accurate information
    regarding the differences between VA system and Medicare
    coverage, including for prescription drugs.
        Private Sector Non-Profit Partnerships.--The Committee is
    aware of the efforts of private non-profit organizations to
    support veterans and their families in civilian life, lower
    veteran suicides, and make them aware of the benefits they
    earned for their service. The Committee encourages the
    Department to build upon its existing partnerships and seek
    opportunities to establish new ones. The Committee is
    interested in partnerships that seek to offer sustainable
    solutions, improve the quality of civilian life, and seek to
    improve veteran outreach to connect with those who may have
    slipped through the cracks.
        Veterans Access to Long-Term Care.--The Committee is aware
    of the Department's support for extending exemptions to
    providers, including long-term care, operating pursuant to an
    agreement with VA to improve veterans' access to care. The
    Committee is concerned that any additional requirements imposed
    on the Department's community care providers will make it more
    difficult to recruit and retain these vital partners. The
    Committee encourages the Department to work with the Department
    of Labor to seek exemptions for Veterans Affairs Health
    Benefits Providers from its authority, similar to TRICARE
    providers, in order to increase veterans' access to care.
        Whole Family Care Partnerships.--The Committee is aware of
    the efforts of private organizations to support veterans and
    their families and recognizes that they can sometimes provide
    services, such as counseling and wellness programs, for the
    families of veterans that the Department cannot. Recognizing
    that Congress, the Department, and private organizations share
    the same goal of supporting veterans, the Committee directs the
    Department to build upon its existing partnerships and seek
    opportunities to establish new ones. The Committee is
    particularly interested in partnerships related to mental
    health, including the mental health of veterans' families, and
    provides up to $2,500,000 to increase outreach to this in-need
    underserved population.

                                  DENTAL CARE

        Dental Care.--The Committee directs that not less than
    fiscal year 2025 enacted amounts be used to provide dental care
    for veterans.
        Dental Vans.--The Committee notes that many veterans
    residing in rural areas must travel long distances to access
    quality dental and oral care. Within 180 days of enactment of
    this Act, the Committee requests the Department brief the
    Committee on the feasibility of deploying mobile dental
    cleaning vans, in partnership with any appropriate federal
    agencies, academic institutions, public, or private
    organizations, to provide pop-up dental cleaning services
    across rural, remote locations to reach veteran populations.
        Veterans Oral Health.--The Committee understands that
    veterans may experience a large oral disease burden, and
    therefore an integrated and whole-person approach is needed to
    prevent and manage oral disease in this population, which may
    also enable cost savings in VA Health Care at large. The
    Committee looks forward to receiving the report on the
    Department's assessment of its oral healthcare program and its
    ability to meet current and future needs as required by House
    Report 118-122.

                                 DIABETES CARE

        Reducing Diabetes-Related Amputations in Veterans.--The
    Committee is encouraged by advancements in wound care
    technologies aimed at addressing diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs),
    which present a significant health risk and are the leading
    cause of lower-extremity amputation in veterans. The Committee
    directs the Department to explore methods that can be used for
    wounds such as diabetic ulcers, venous ulcers, burns, and
    pressure wounds and can lead to improved outcomes while
    reducing long-term costs. The Committee requests that VA
    provide a report within 90 days of enactment of this Act on its
    findings and potential cost savings.
        Reducing Type 2 Diabetes in Veterans.--The Committee
    commends the Department for actively engaging with industry
    partners in a study using telehealth to provide individualized
    ketogenic nutrition programs and medical support to reduce the
    incidence of diabetes in VA patients. The Committee applauds
    the effectiveness of the study at reducing patient dependence
    on diabetes medication and the clinical improvements achieved
    by Veterans engaged individualized ketogenic nutrition
    programs. The Committee is aware of existing plans within the
    Department to expand ketogenic diabetes telehealth services
    beyond the pilot study to address the healthcare needs of
    Veterans living with Type 2 diabetes. The Committee encourages
    the Department to sustain and expand industry partnerships and
    programs focused on ketogenic diabetes telehealth services to
    support the health and quality of life of our Nation's
    Veterans.
        Reducing Veteran Insulin-related Adverse Events.--The
    Committee encourages the Department to explore establishing a
    pilot program to improve glycemic management in VA medical
    centers. The pilot should target reductions in severe hyper-
    and hypoglycemia in hospitalized patients and consider existing
    commercial technologies that are FDA-cleared and proven to
    reduce patient length of stay and readmissions, integrate with
    existing electronic health record systems, and reduce
    administrative burden on hospital staff.

                     EMERGING AND NOTABLE HEALTHCARE ISSUES

        Dialysis.--Over 18,000 veterans receive dialysis through
    the National Dialysis Services Contract. The Committee
    appreciates the Department's commitment to ensure care is not
    disrupted or diminished for the veterans who receive treatment.
    The Committee looks forward to working with the Department to
    utilize a value-based dialysis payment model.
        Diagnosing and Treating Sleep Disorders.--The Committee
    encourages the Department to require sleep disorder diagnosis
    and treatment related study within the current Continuing
    Medical Education (CME) requirements of VA physician workforce
    to ensure that veterans seeking treatment for sleep disorders
    are appropriately diagnosed and treated to prevent compounding
    mental health disorders as well as to lower the high risk of
    cardiovascular disease which is affiliated with sleep
    disorders.
        Fall Prevention.--The Committee appreciates the work the
    Administration has done to address and reduce fall risks in
    older veterans. The Committee encourages the Administration to
    expand its work on fall prevention.
        Needle Stick Injuries.--The Committee remains interested in
    the Department's efforts to reduce or eliminate needlestick
    injury among caregivers and staff at VA facilities. The
    Committee encourages VA to use the most-up-to-date needle
    destruction technology.
        Nuclear Medicine Quality Improvements.--The Committee notes
    that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has confirmed
    nuclear medicine extravasations can result in radiation-safety-
    significant doses to patients and is engaged in rulemaking to
    require medical event reporting of extravasations. The
    Committee encourages VA nuclear medicine facilities to monitor
    injection quality, image extravasations, conduct dosimetry, and
    notify patients when large extravasations occur.
        Supporting Elderly Veterans Through Geriatric Patient
    Aligned Care Teams.--The Committee understands that there are
    currently more than 11 million aging veterans across the United
    States, making Geriatric Veterans the largest current
    demographic of those who have served. The Committee urges the
    Department to expand the Geriatrics Patient Aligned Care Team
    model to all medical centers and community-based outpatient
    clinics deemed feasible and needed.
        Veterans Transportation.--The Committee supports the
    Department's programs that provide veterans with transportation
    to VA medical facilities and make it easier for veterans to
    receive medical care and encourages VA to explore options to
    strengthen and sustain the Volunteer Transportation Network,
    such as increased funding to recruit and retain drivers and
    provide vehicle maintenance.

                            HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGIES

        Bioelectronic Medicine for Veterans.--The Committee
    recognizes that Bioelectronic Medicine has the potential to
    harness the body's electrical signaling to advance treatments
    that save lives and lower medical expenditures. Accelerating
    studies, additional data collection, and the development and
    adoption of novel applications for Bioelectronic Medicine
    combined with machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI)
    can address challenging and expensive diseases by personalizing
    treatments and improving therapy delivery. The Committee
    encourages the Department to ensure that combined Bioelectronic
    Medicine and AI technologies are available to veterans.
        Digital Quality Measures.--Health care quality measures
    currently rely on manual collection, exchange, management, and
    analysis that adds significant cost to VA health care.
    Digitizing health care quality measures will lower health care
    costs, decrease provider burden, increase transparency, and
    improve patient outcomes. The Department is encouraged to
    explore testing digital reporting methods for quality measures
    and consult with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
        Medical Image Exchange.--The Committee applauds VA
    facilities in 17 of 18 VISNs that have deployed a modern
    software platform that supports bi-directional exchange of
    medical images, diagnostic reports, and other clinical data
    between VA facilities, community providers, and federal
    partners. The Committee encourages the Department to expand
    this software's connections to Indian and tribal health clinics
    and work with the Department of Defense to expedite connections
    with military treatment facilities.
        PhAIMIS.--The Committee recognizes the opportunity that IT
    modernization provides to realize cost savings and efficiency.
    Further, the Committee appreciates efforts by the Department to
    modernize supply chains to achieve these goals. The Committee
    encourages the Department to consider utilizing the Pharmacy
    Artificial Intelligence Managed Inventory System'' (PhAIMIS)
    program and modernize the Supply Chain Master Catalog,
    utilizing commercial solutions and competition to maximize the
    benefit to Veterans and taxpayers.

                          HOMELESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

        The Committee provides $3,459,000,000 for VA homeless
    assistance programs. An estimated $12,007,323,000 is provided
    for homeless veterans treatment costs.
        Programs to assist homeless veterans include the Homeless
    Providers Grant and Per Diem (GPD), Health Care for Homeless
    Veterans (HCHV), the Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans,
    the Supportive Services for Low Income Veterans and Families
    (SSVF), Veterans Justice Outreach Homeless Prevention (VJO),
    Compensated Work Therapy, and the Department of Housing and
    Urban Development-Department of Veterans Affairs Supported
    Housing (HUD-VASH) programs.
        Cost of Care for Veterans' Homes.--The Committee is
    concerned with the current reimbursement rate for state and
    non-profit run Veterans' Homes. The Committee recognizes that
    the costs associated with Veterans' Homes are substantial due
    to the high acuity level of the veteran population served, and
    that current VHA rates are inconsistent with the current cost
    of care. The Committee requests a report, not later than 90
    days following enactment of this Act, outlining how current
    reimbursement rates are calculated, how VHA makes locality
    adjustments, how the VHA works to reduce the cost of
    prescription drugs for veterans in homes, and recommended
    legislative changes for Congress to consider.
        Healthcare for Homeless Veterans.--The Committee notes the
    benefits of the Homeless Patient Aligned Care Team (HPACT)
    program and encourages VA to expand this program to additional
    sites, including rural areas, and to consider additional
    services to improve the program. The Committee urges the
    Department to explore options to expand this program to
    additional sites, including cost estimates, with its fiscal
    year 2027 budget request.
        Homeless Veterans in the Southwest.--The Committee
    continues to direct VA to work with the Department of Housing
    and Urban Development to develop strategies and recommendations
    for addressing veteran homelessness including the Southwest and
    to take into account undercounted veterans when awarding HUD-
    VASH vouchers. The Committee appreciates VA's efforts to
    implement strategies to decrease veteran homelessness in the
    Southwest.
        HUD-VASH Case Management.--The Committee recognizes the
    value and impact of the HUD-VA Supportive Housing (VASH)
    program, which serves veterans experiencing homelessness and
    pairs each HUD affordable housing voucher designated for
    veterans with intensive case management from VA to assist with
    benefits and income, mental healthcare, recovery services, and
    permanent housing stability. Case management services are
    critically important to the function of the program, and public
    housing authorities rely on VA Medical Centers' referrals to
    house veterans. Existing requirements mandate that a veteran
    must receive VA case management services to receive a HUD-VASH
    voucher. The inadequacy of staff for case management has
    contributed to the ongoing underutilization of HUD-VASH
    vouchers. The Committee recommends an increase in staffing for
    case management services to continue to improve the rate of
    lease referrals and to account for increased staffing costs and
    recent expansions in eligibility.
        Legal Assistance for the Supportive Services for Veteran
    Families Program.--The Committee continues to encourage the
    Supportive Services for Veteran Families [SSVF] program to work
    with grantees to expand their legal service offerings,
    particularly in rural areas where access to private legal
    assistance can be limited.
        Recovery-Oriented Care.--The health and well-being of the
    Nation's men and women who have served in uniform is the
    highest priority for the Department. Mental health care at VA
    comprises an unparalleled system of comprehensive treatments
    and services to meet the needs of each Veteran and the family
    members who are involved in the Veteran's care. The Committee
    notes these services support veteran resilience, identify and
    treat mental health conditions at their earliest onset, address
    acute mental health crises, and deliver recovery-oriented
    treatment.
        SSVF-HVRP Coordination.--The Committee urges the Department
    to coordinate with the Department of Labor to maximize the
    impact of the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF)
    program and the Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program
    (HVRP). The Departments are encouraged to provide grants to
    eligible entities with capabilities for delivering services
    under both programs.
        Tiny Homes.--The Committee notes the success of the tiny
    home village model by multiple veterans service organizations
    (VSOs) and encourages VA, in coordination with the Department
    of Housing and Urban Development to support this work and
    facilitate the creation of additional villages of tiny homes
    villages within VA's existing Grant and Per-Diem (GPD) program.
        Veterans At-Risk of Homelessness Data.--The Committee notes
    that homelessness data may currently undercount women veterans
    with children. The Committee encourages the Department to work
    with the Department of Housing and Urban Development's
    Continuums of Care to include data on veterans at-risk of
    homelessness within Section 5: Veterans Experiencing
    Homelessness of the Annual Homelessness Assessment Report
    (AHAR) to Congress.

                  INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

        Intimate Partner Violence Program (IPV).--The Committee
    continues to support the Department's efforts to expand its IPV
    program, which provides a holistic approach that involves
    understanding, recognizing and responding to the effects of all
    types of trauma, with the ultimate goals to end violence,
    prevent further violence, and promote healthy relationships.

                             MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS

        The Committee provides $16,380,187,000 for mental health
    programs. Of the total, $3,161,426,000 is for suicide
    prevention and treatment programs, including $698,000,000 for
    suicide prevention outreach $311,683,000 for the Veterans
    Crisis Line, and $1,500,000 for the expansion of Mental Health
    Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs.
        The Committee continues to direct the Department to focus
    on efforts to address parking lot suicides and connect veterans
    to care.
        The Department is directed to provide a report to the
    Committee, not later than 90 days after enactment of this Act,
    identifying a detailed expenditure plan for all suicide
    outreach and treatment programs and how VA is meeting the
    Committee's directives.
        Agritherapy.--The Committee supports efforts to train
    veterans in agricultural vocations, while also tending to
    behavioral and mental health needs with behavioral healthcare
    services and treatments from licensed providers. The Committee
    urges the Department to consider including agritherapy as a
    Complementary and Alternative Medicine therapy.
        Depression and Precision Medicine.--The Committee
    recognizes that depression is one of the most common conditions
    associated with military service and combat service. Further,
    the risk of suicide increases with this diagnosis and each time
    a veteran tries and fails a medication. The Committee is
    encouraged by ongoing VA-sponsored genetic testing research to
    aid in depression treatment selection; however, veterans still
    have less access than Medicare beneficiaries to precision
    medicine tools. The Committee urges the Department to ensure
    the procurement of pharmacogenomic tests for use in the
    treatment of depression if they have been shown to improve
    health outcomes of veterans in clinical trials.
        Faith Based Digital Applications Impact on Mental Health.--
    The Committee understands that recent data has shown that the
    use of digital, faith-based applications can have a measurable
    impact on mental health and wellness. The Committee urges the
    Department to review the effectiveness of such applications and
    requests a report on findings within 180 days of enactment of
    this Act.
        Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.--The Committee urges the
    Department to research the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen
    therapy (HBOT) as a treatment for post-traumatic stress
    disorder and traumatic brain injury and should permit case-by-
    case referrals for veterans to receive HBOT in the community.
        Mental Health Treatment.--The Committee commends the
    Department of Veterans Affairs for its innovative
    implementation of immersive technology to improve Veterans'
    health care experiences. Immersive technology is currently
    being used in over 200 VA Medical Centers and Facilities across
    all 50 states, American Samoa, Guam, and Puerto Rico. Immersive
    technologies have proven effective in treating Veterans with
    difficult-to-treat post-traumatic stress disorder, depression,
    stress, and anxiety. The Committee encourages the Department to
    consider how the use of immersive technology can be used to
    expand veterans' access to these critical healthcare services.
        Military Sexual Assault.--The Committee recommends that all
    veterans seeking treatment services are screened for sexual
    assault using an evidence-based screening tool to successfully
    treat those who have experienced assault.
        Patient Confidentiality.--The Committee recognizes that VA
    provides mental health services for posttraumatic stress
    disorder (PTSD), psychological effects of military sexual
    trauma (MST), depression, grief, anxiety, and other needs. It
    is essential that mental health clinicians employed or
    contracted by VA who are facing return-to-office directives be
    provided appropriate spaces to work and provide care to
    patients where confidentiality will not be breached.
        Peer Support.--The Committee recognizes the critical role
    that peer support services play in helping veterans manage
    mental health challenges, navigate the transition to civilian
    life, and build community connections. The Committee urges the
    Department to continue expanding access to peer support
    programs across VA and to ensure that veterans are aware of the
    full range of available services. The Committee directs the
    Department to provide a report to the House and Senate
    Committees on Appropriations within 180 days of enactment of
    this Act outlining existing peer support tools and programs,
    including but not limited to Peer Specialist initiatives,
    Veteran Peer Support Networks, and VA-sponsored peer mentoring
    efforts. The report should also identify any gaps in peer
    support services and make recommendations for improving
    outreach, effectiveness, and veteran engagement.
        Veterans Crisis Line (VCL).--The Committee is concerned
    about the continued functionality, accessibility, and
    performance of the VCL. The Committee recognizes the critical
    role of VCL personnel, and the importance of uninterrupted
    crisis support for veterans. The Committee directs the
    Department to submit a report to the Committees on
    Appropriations of both Houses of Congress no later than 90 days
    after enactment of this Act. The report shall include: (1) VCL
    staffing levels and service capacity; (2) performance metrics
    over the same period, including call answer rates, average wait
    times, and referrals to suicide prevention coordinators; (3)
    any contingency plans developed or implemented to maintain
    continuous crisis line functionality and workforce stability;
    and (4) steps taken to ensure alternative access to support or
    follow-up care for veterans who may have been unable to connect
    with VCL during or after this period.

                    MILITARY TOXIC EXPOSURE RESEARCH PROGRAM

        The bill provides resources for research on military
    environmental exposures. The Committee supports efforts to
    improve diagnosis and treatment of conditions resulting from
    toxic exposures and appreciates the work of the Health Outcomes
    Military Exposures (HOME) program, the Office of Research and
    Development, and other VA program offices to increase attention
    to this issue.
        The Committee encourages the Department to continue
    research on the effects of and treatments for veterans exposed
    to toxins, such as Agent Orange, open burn pits, PFAS,
    radiation, and asbestos, during the course of their active-duty
    service. The Committee also urges the Department to utilize
    reference data from existing medical records to determine how
    veterans who served in areas where toxins were dispersed may
    have more frequent or unexplained diseases compared to the
    civilian population.
        Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence.--The
    Committee provides $15,165,000 and continues to support the
    Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence on
    diagnoses, mitigation, and treatment of conditions related to
    airborne hazards and burn pits.
        Colorectal Cancer Screening.--Colorectal cancer is the
    fourth most common cancer diagnosis among our nation's
    veterans. The Committee recognizes that early detection with
    screening is the most effective tool available to help prevent
    thousands of cancer deaths and that detecting cancers in
    earlier stages when they are most treatable saves lives, as
    well as providing cost savings for the patient and the system.
    The Committee urges the Department to review its policy related
    to colorectal cancer screening and take action to align it with
    the nationally recognized guideline recommendations from the
    United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), National
    Comprehensive Care Network, and the American Cancer Society and
    explore additional research on the prevalence of colorectal
    cancer in those exposed to burn pits and other environmental
    hazards.
        Glioblastoma and Toxic Exposure.--The Committee recognizes
    the urgency of improving research, early detection, and
    treatment options for glioblastoma, a rare but aggressive brain
    cancer that has increasingly affected our nation's veterans,
    with growing evidence suggesting a link to toxic exposures such
    as burn pits and other environmental hazards. The Committee
    urges the Department to prioritize research on the incidence of
    glioblastoma among veterans, particularly Vietnam War veterans
    and those with known exposure to environmental toxins, and to
    evaluate whether existing screening and care adequately reflect
    the needs of this population. The Committee also encourages the
    Department to explore partnerships with academic and medical
    institutions to advance understanding of risk factors and
    improve outcomes for veterans diagnosed with glioblastoma.

                    OPIOID PREVENTION AND TREATMENT PROGRAM

        The bill includes $232,000,000 for opioid treatment and
    prevention efforts. Of the total, $254,487,000 is provided for
    activities authorized by the Comprehensive Addiction and
    Recovery Act of 2016 (P.L. 114-198).
        Nonaddictive Opioid Alternatives.--According to the
    National Institute on Drug Abuse, a significant number of
    veterans take a large amount of prescription drugs, often due
    to high rates of chronic pain and mental health conditions
    stemming from their military service. This can lead to over-
    prescribing of medications like opioids, potentially causing
    addiction and other health complications. The Committee
    encourages VA to assess policies and procedures and to work
    with Congress on efforts to facilitate coverage of non-
    addictive alternatives to opioids for pain treatment and
    management. The Committee supports efforts by VA to educate
    veterans and physicians in VA health system on FDA-approved,
    non-addictive alternatives to opioids for pain management.
        Therapeutic Massage Services.--The Committee recognizes the
    growing body of evidence supporting therapeutic massage as an
    effective, non-opioid alternative for managing chronic pain and
    post-traumatic stress disorder among veterans. The Committee
    encourages the Department to expand access to certified
    therapeutic massage services within the Community Care Network,
    and to report on outcomes related to opioid prescription rates,
    emergency room visits, and veteran satisfaction. The Committee
    further urges VA to collaborate with external stakeholders and
    VSOs to promote education and awareness of non-pharmacologic
    pain management options for veterans.

                             PHARMACEUTICAL ISSUES

        Novel Program for Optimizing Pain Management.--The
    Committee recognizes the balance between supporting access to
    care for veterans with pain and the veteran's risk of
    developing dependency for prescription pain medication. The
    Committee supports the implementation of a process improvement
    initiative that will reduce the risk of tolerance, dependence,
    misuse, addiction, and diversion of prescription pain
    medication by establishing more precise and effective
    prescribing guidelines to ensure veterans receive appropriate
    care. The Committee expects VA to deploy an innovative clinical
    decision support tool to evaluate and interpret the acute and
    chronic pain management needs for military veterans, their
    dependents, and/or employees of VA. The Committee supports the
    use of a novel care model that is available to those receiving
    treatment through traditional VHA hospitals/clinics and those
    utilizing Care in the Community.
        Prescription Drug Quality.--The availability of safe and
    effective prescription drugs has significant implications for
    the health of veterans, the workload of VHA personnel, and
    federal spending. The U.S. experiences over three drug recalls
    a day, and production of most drugs and active pharmaceutical
    ingredients (API) has shifted to China and India. VHA is one of
    the largest purchasers of pharmaceuticals in the U.S. but has
    no way to distinguish between higher- and lower-quality
    pharmaceutical manufacturers. Currently, the Uniformed Services
    University of the Health Sciences' (USUHS) Center for Health
    Services Research (CHSR) is piloting a system to evaluate the
    quality of drug products for essential medicines and develop a
    scoring tool for potential use in Department of Defense
    procurement. The Committee encourages the Department to explore
    a potential partnership with USUHS and work to develop a
    strategy for the use of drug quality scoring in VA procurement.
    The Committee directs the Department to report to the House and
    Senate Committees on Appropriations not later than 180 days
    after enactment of this Act and annually thereafter on the
    progress of this effort.

                      POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER CARE

        National Center for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.--
    Recognizing the importance of VA's National Center for PTSD in
    promoting better prevention, diagnoses and treatment of PTSD,
    the Committee provides $42,000,000 for the Center.
        New Treatments for PTSD.--The Committee is aware of
    privately funded research regarding potential new treatments
    for PTSD, including psychedelic-assisted-therapy and encourages
    the Department to monitor these efforts and review the results
    of existing and future clinical trials.
        Service Dogs for Veterans' Mental Health.--The Committee is
    aware of the positive impact service dogs have on military
    veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
    and those who have experienced military sexual trauma (MST).
    The Committee encourages the Department to establish a pilot
    program to provide grants to nonprofit organizations for the
    purpose of assisting such organizations in carrying out
    programs to provide service dogs to eligible veterans. The
    duties of such service dog programs shall be to plan, design,
    establish, or operate one or more programs that provide service
    dogs to eligible veterans. Within 180 days of enactment of this
    Act, the Department shall update the Committee on the
    feasibility of a program, including design, cost, and potential
    partnerships that could provide service dogs to eligible
    veterans.
        Women Veterans Network.--The Committee continues to support
    the role of Women Veterans Network (WoVeN), a national peer
    support network for women veterans managed by the National
    Center for PTSD-Women's Health Sciences Division.

                                  RURAL HEALTH

        Office of Rural Health (ORH).--The bill includes
    $342,000,000 for rural health to improve access and quality of
    care for the more than 3,000,000 enrolled veterans residing in
    rural and highly rural areas.
        Office of Rural Health Operating Plan.--The Committee
    directs the Office of Rural Health to submit not later than 60
    days after enactment of this Act an operating plan for fiscal
    year 2026 funding, as well as for the fiscal year 2027 funding
    provided in advance by this Act.
        Rural Access Network for Growth Enhancement (RANGE).--The
    RANGE Program provides case management and treatment services
    to mentally ill veterans in rural areas. The bill includes
    sufficient funding to maintain three new centers of the RANGE
    Program, as authorized by the Sgt. Ketchum Rural Veterans
    Mental Health Act of 2021 (P.L. 117-21).
        Rural and Tribal Healthcare Access.--The Committee
    recognizes the shortage of healthcare providers in rural
    communities and tribal lands, where approximately 4.4 million
    veterans face significant barriers to accessing care. The
    Northern Arizona VA Health Care System (NAVAHCS) provides
    timely access to healthcare services for Native American and
    other rural veterans through a program that encompasses mobile
    medical clinics, telehealth technologies, and clinical staffing
    services. The Committee supports the NAVAHCS model and
    encourages the Department to expand this model to ten VA
    Medical Centers. The Department shall submit a report to House
    and Senate Committees on Appropriations on these expansion
    efforts within 120 days after the date of enactment of this
    Act.
        Transportation Challenges.--The Committee encourages the
    Office of Rural Health to use $10,000,000 for the continued
    partnership between the Veterans Transportation Program and the
    Office of Rural Health to continue providing transportation to
    VA appointments for veterans who live in rural areas.

                          SUBSTANCE-USE DISORDER CARE

        The bill includes $232,881,000 for Substance-Use Disorder
    (SUD) efforts to ensure veterans can receive timely SUD
    specialty services.
        Medication-Assisted Treatments.--The Committee encourages
    VA to expand clinical education among its primary care
    practitioners on use of long-acting injectable medications
    (LAIs) that are FDA-approved for the treatment of alcohol use
    disorder, opioid use disorder, and serious mental illnesses, as
    clinically indicated.
        Substance Abuse Education and Outreach.--The Committee
    recognizes the ongoing work of the Department to reduce
    substance use disorder among veterans. The Committee supports
    new and innovative solutions, including internet-based
    substance abuse education programs, to intervene early with at-
    risk veterans and supports programs that provide veterans and
    their families with the tools they need to meet these
    challenges. The Committee encourages VA to increase education
    among its primary care practitioners on the diagnosis and
    treatment of alcohol use disorders with Food and Drug
    Administration-approved medication-assisted treatment and
    counseling, as clinically indicated.
        Tobacco Harm Reduction.--The Committee is concerned that
    smoking rates among U.S. military veterans is significantly
    higher than among the civilian population. The Committee is
    aware of the Department's smoking cessation program but is
    concerned that there is no publicly available information
    regarding the success of the program. The Committee is also
    aware that if the success rate of the tobacco cessation program
    reflects that of the civilian population, then over 90% of
    veteran participants are likely to continue using combustible
    cigarettes. The Committee encourages the Department to
    coordinate with the Food and Drug Administration to incorporate
    into the Department's smoking cessation program.

                               SUICIDE PREVENTION

        The bill includes $698,000,000 for suicide prevention
    outreach programs.
        Brandon Act.--The Committee encourages the Department to
    further implement the Brandon Act which empowers service
    members to get the help they need confidentially.
        Collaboration on Gun Safety and Storage.--The Committee is
    aware of the Administration's new national strategy, ``Reducing
    Military and Veteran Suicide: Advancing a Comprehensive, Cross-
    Sector, Evidence-Informed Approach'', and commends the
    Strategy's focus on improving Lethal Means Safety education and
    training for veterans, including firearms safety. The Committee
    continues to support collaboration across public and private
    sectors to end the national tragedy of suicide and encourages
    VA medical centers to focus particular efforts on collaboration
    with state and local law enforcement and health officials in
    states that have adopted gun safety laws to adopt programs and
    protocols on firearms safety and storage regarding veterans who
    may be struggling with suicidal thoughts.
        Firearm Lockbox Program.--The Committee supports VA's
    efforts to address veteran suicide prevention, and the firearm
    lockbox program is a critical element. As VA implements this
    program, the Committee is concerned that funding limitations
    may impact the scope and reach of this initiative within the
    broader National Strategy for Preventing Veteran Suicide. The
    Committee encourages VA to ensure that access to firearms
    storage resources for Veterans is included in training for
    employees of the Veterans Crisis Line.
        Guard and Reserve Components.--In House Report 118-122, the
    Committee noted that since 2020 the National Veteran Suicide
    Prevention Annual Reports have not included information
    regarding former members of the Guard and Reserve Components
    who were not activated for military service. The Committee
    encouraged the Department to continue to collaborate with the
    Department of Defense to monitor and to ensure appropriate
    measures are available to reduce suicide in this population.
    Within 180 days after the date of the enactment of this act,
    the Committee directs the Department to provide a report on
    efforts to reduce and monitor suicides amongst this military
    population.
        InTransition Program.--The Committee recognizes service
    members are most vulnerable to dying from suicide in the first
    three months following separation from military service. The
    Committee is concerned that the Defense Health Agency's
    transition assistance programs are not connecting with over 70%
    of its automatically enrolled service members. The Committee
    believes that by moving away from a rigid one-size-fits-all
    approach and embracing a data-driven, personalized, and multi-
    channel model, the InTransition program can maximize
    engagement, improve mental health outcomes, and ensure
    resources are allocated efficiently.
        Lethal Means Safety Training.--To prevent suicide among
    Veterans, VA has implemented mandatory lethal means safety
    training for clinical health care providers in VHA facilities,
    but the training remains optional for other VA employees, and
    for all community care providers and family caregivers. To
    ensure that every employee who regularly interacts with
    Veterans is prepared to have a conversation that could save a
    Veteran's life, the Committee continues to urge VA to implement
    mandatory lethal means safety training for all VHA and VBA
    employees who regularly interact with Veterans.
        Public-Private Upstream Veteran Suicide Prevention
    Initiative.--The Committee supports funding of community-based
    organizations that serve as part of a public-private
    partnership with the Department to address upstream prevention
    needs of veterans. To better support veterans, the Committee
    encourages the Department to fund community based, non-profit
    organizations that serve in a statewide capacity, and have and
    coordinate an extensive network of public and private sector
    partners to increase access to critical services for veterans
    with the goal of preventing suicide; increasing access to care
    and services; and improving well-being outcomes for veterans.
        Predictive Modeling and Analytics for Veterans Suicide
    Prevention.--The Committee remains supportive of VA's efforts
    to continue to address the growing number of Veteran suicides
    but recognizes that there is a significant need to improve
    early suicide indicators and detection using artificial
    intelligence and machine learning technologies that improve
    operational efficiency and effectiveness throughout veteran
    service delivery. To improve veteran service delivery, the
    Committee encourages the Department to evaluate the use of
    omnichannel technologies to improve identification of at-risk
    veterans. The Department may consider using all government
    service delivery channels with omnichannel capabilities and
    real-time analytics to ensure that interactions with a veteran
    can be used to gain appropriate insights that help the
    Department better identify veterans at-risk in real time and
    allow for the proper use of resources and decisive actions to
    be taken.
        Suicide Prevention Coordinators.--The Committees recognize
    the importance of suicide prevention coordinators and
    encourages the Department to fully staff these positions and
    improve veterans' access to these coordinators.
        Study on Leading Causes of Veteran Suicides.--The Committee
    directs the Comptroller General of the United States (GAO) to
    conduct a study on the leading causes of suicides among
    veterans and submit the completed report to the Committee
    within one year of the enactment of this bill.
        Suicide Prevention Reporting.--The Committee directs the
    Department to incorporate full veteran benefit usage in its
    annual suicide prevention report to demonstrate the
    relationship between VA benefits and veterans who die by
    suicide. The report shall contain detailed usage of benefits
    the same way VA reports on veteran interactions with VHA.
    Additionally, the Committee directs VA to provide annual
    utilization reports on community grants for suicide prevention.
        Veteran Resiliency, Suicide Prevention and Response.--The
    Committee notes that death by suicide in our veteran population
    remains an alarming crisis. Tragically, 18 to 24 Veterans die
    by suicide daily. The Department's data demonstrates that
    veterans suicide rates have increased over the last 20 years.
    The Committee directs VA to modernize current suicide
    prevention models to better ensure they are reaching at risk
    veterans.

                         TELEHEALTH AND CONNECTED CARE

        The bill includes resources for telehealth and connected
    care, which includes home telehealth, home telehealth
    prosthetics, and clinic-based telehealth.
        The Committee directs the Department to continue to expand
    telehealth availability, including the facilitation of public
    private partnerships, to include additional mental health,
    primary care, and rehabilitation services as a means to deliver
    care in rural and underserved communities.
        The Department is encouraged to leverage newly gained
    telehealth capacity to address backlogs for disability exams
    and healthcare appointments when appropriate. The Committee
    further directs VA to continue to implement plans to improve
    veteran and provider satisfaction, increase awareness of the
    telehealth program, and enhance adoption of telehealth by
    veterans and providers.
        VA Telehealth Benefits.--VA Telehealth Services are
    transforming how veterans access high-quality VA care by making
    it easier for veterans to connect with health specialists from
    across the country. Not later than 180 days after the enactment
    of this Act, the Secretary shall submit a report to the House
    and Senate Committees on Appropriations on the wait times for
    VA telehealth services and the active public-private
    partnerships that enable and enhance telehealth access to
    Veterans. The report shall include an update on obligations of
    public-private partnerships (P3s) included in the Mission Act
    of 2018.
        Veteran Access to Telehealth.--The Committee urges the
    Department to continue efforts to improve and expand access to
    telehealth services. The Committee requests a report not later
    than 120 days of enactment of this Act on the estimated number
    of veterans who lack access to telehealth services according to
    the best available data, including the number of Veterans who
    lack necessary access to the internet.

                                  WHOLE HEALTH

        The Committee supports the Whole Health model of care and
    the expansion of Whole Health to all VA facilities.
        Adaptive Sports.--The Committee provides not less than
    fiscal year 2025 enacted levels for National Veterans Sports
    Programs, including resources for adaptive sports programs. The
    Committee recognizes the significant improvements that adaptive
    sports and recreational therapy have on veterans' mental and
    physical health. It applauds the efforts of community providers
    of these grants, especially in rural areas, who have been able
    to utilize this key program in successfully reintegrating
    veterans back into their communities. The Committee is aware
    that community providers of adaptive sports grants spend
    considerable time and effort in planning and implementing their
    veteran service programs. The Committee encourages the Adaptive
    Sports Grants Office to recognize that recruitment and planning
    activities are not administrative in nature and should not be
    considered as such in future grant solicitations.
        Continued Support and Expansion of Whole Health.--Since FY
    2021, the Committee has consistently praised the Veterans
    Administration (VA) Whole Health System, citing its ability to
    provide efficient and effective patient-centered, integrative
    care to veterans, especially those who are struggling with
    opioid use disorder and chronic pain. The Committee recognizes
    that Veterans who engage in Whole Health services experience
    significantly greater reductions in opioid use compared to
    those receiving conventional care alone. The Committee
    encourages continued investment in the expansion and
    integration of Whole Health services across the VA system as a
    proactive, evidence-based strategy to address pain management,
    reduce reliance on prescription opioids, and enhance long-term
    Veteran health outcomes.
        Creative Arts Therapies.--The Committee continues to
    acknowledge the effective use of creative arts therapies and
    arts and humanities partnerships in treating veterans with
    traumatic brain injuries and psychological health conditions.
        Prescription Produce.--The Committee is concerned with food
    insecurity among the veteran population and requests the Office
    of Nutrition & Food Services work with clinicians to determine
    the feasibility of delivery and coverage work streams to
    facilitate integration of a local produce prescription service
    delivery. Within one year of the enactment of this Act, the
    Department shall update the Committee on this effort.

                           WOMEN VETERANS HEALTH CARE

        The recommendation includes a total of $1,323,444,000 to
    support care for women, the Office of Women's Health and
    programmatic efforts, including the childcare initiative.
    Within this amount, VA is encouraged to continue hiring women
    primary care providers and increase the number of peer support
    specialists for women veterans.
        Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines.--The Committee commends
    VA's decision to offer breast cancer screening and mammography
    to eligible women veterans beginning at age 40. However, the
    Department should be prepared to offer screening to eligible
    younger women veterans, especially women at higher risk for
    breast cancer, should a physician determine medical necessity,
    or risk factors warrant, screening before age 40. The Committee
    supports this effort to ensure that women veterans have access
    to and receive adequate and timely care and requests an update
    on the Department's implementation of this policy no later than
    60 days after enactment of this Act.
        Care for Women.--The Committee recognizes that women are
    now the fastest growing cohort within the veteran community.
    The increased number of women using VHA services necessitates a
    greater investment of resources to provide and expand VA's
    services to women veterans and ensure women veterans' health
    needs, which often differ from men, are met. The Committee
    supports continued efforts to identify and address the unique
    issues experienced by women veterans. VA is encouraged to
    continue redesigning its women's healthcare delivery system and
    improving its facilities to ensure women receive equitable,
    timely, and high-quality healthcare.
        Copper Intrauterine Devices.--The Committee encourages the
    Department VA to study the impacts of intrauterine devices
    (IUDs), especially copper IUDs, on women Veterans receiving VA
    reproductive health services. The study should focus on
    physical and non-physical side effects, such as anxiety,
    depression, fatigue, headaches, insomnia, and potential copper
    toxicity. The Committee urges the Department to evaluate these
    effects, analyze clinical data and patient outcomes, and submit
    a report to House and Senate Committees on Appropriations on
    findings no later than 120 of enactment of this Act.
        Ensuring Access to Quality Care.--The Committee recognizes
    the Deborah Sampson Act is the most comprehensive legislation
    for women veterans in a decade that helps address barriers that
    women veterans may face when accessing VA care and benefits.
    The Committee encourages VA to continue to ensure women
    veterans have access to high quality, well-coordinated care and
    robust services as required by the law.
        Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes for Women Veterans.--
    The Committee directs the Department to provide a report within
    180 days of enactment of this Act regarding the incidence of
    birth defects, miscarriage, stillbirth, and maternal morbidity
    and mortality that can be related to military service and
    provide recommendations to raise awareness and improve maternal
    and infant health outcomes. The Committee encourages the VHA to
    publicly disseminate the information found in this report to
    aid in awareness and prevention measures to improve maternal
    and infant health outcomes.
        Maternity Healthcare and Coordination Programs.--The
    Committee is pleased that the Department established maternity
    healthcare and coordination programs to coordinate prenatal and
    postpartum care provided in the community which have been
    successful in ensuring that veterans can receive high-quality,
    appropriate care and robust support during and after pregnancy.
    The Committee supports these programs and encourages the
    Department to continue to ensure veterans have access to high-
    quality, well-coordinated care, and robust services and directs
    the Department to continue to implement the Protecting Moms Who
    Served Act (P.L. 117-69).
        Women's Health Research and Innovation.--The Committee is
    aware of a new joint collaborative to improve women's health
    research for service members and veterans that will develop a
    roadmap to close pressing research gaps specific to women who
    served in the military. Of the areas of research that will
    benefit women veterans, the Committee notes that 80 percent of
    patients diagnosed with an autoimmune disease are women. The
    Committee encourages VA to engage with experts who are
    researching autoimmune diseases in women veterans, including
    myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and Gulf War
    Illness. The Department requests a detailed report within 180
    days of enactment of this Act on how the Department is
    addressing and prioritizing research gaps and how it will
    engage with nationally recognized experts on diseases that
    impact women veterans.

                         WORKFORCE AND STAFFING ISSUES

        Expanding Recruitment.--The Committee recognizes the
    challenge the Department has in the recruitment and retention
    of clinicians. To help the Department better keep pace with
    other providers and continue to train its workforce to improve
    their service to veterans, the Committee urges the Department
    to explore potential options to enhance recruitment and
    retention, such as expanding benefits to relocate to
    underserved VA medical facilities and expanding reimbursement
    to clinicians for Continuing Professional Education, regardless
    of individual specialty or board certification.
        Expedited Hiring Authority.--The Committee strongly
    encourages the Department to focus hiring efforts on converting
    clinical trainees to full VA employment immediately upon
    completion of their residencies through the utilization of the
    expedited hiring authority granted to VA by Title 38.
        Staffing Report.--The Committee looks forward to the annual
    comprehensive report required by the Joint Explanatory
    Statement accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act,
    2022 (P.L. 117-103) on the Department's plan to address
    critical workforce issues.
        Staffing at Richard A. Pittman Community-Based Outpatient
    Clinic.--The Committee celebrates the recent opening of the
    Richard A. Pittman Community-Based Outpatient Clinic in San
    Joaquin County, California. The Committee recognizes the
    crucial role this clinic has in expanding primary care and
    specialty health care services to veterans across California's
    Central Valley. The Committee urges the Department to continue
    meeting staffing requirements to ensure clinic operations are
    not interrupted.
        Sterile Processing Medical Supply Technician
    Certification.--The Committee is aware that the Veterans Health
    Administration recently updated its training and certification
    requirements for certain Sterile Processing Services (SPS)
    staff, bringing them more in line with those of leading
    civilians healthcare organizations. The Committee is concerned
    that only those serving as a VA medical facility's SPS Chief,
    SPS Assistant Chief, and SPS supervisory positions must meet
    those updated requirements. The Committee encourages the
    Department to train and certify all SPS staff, especially those
    doing the day-to-day work of sterilization.
        VA/HHS Collaboration on Health Workforce Shortages.--The
    Committee understands that one of the biggest hurdles in
    retaining health care professionals within VA health care
    system is the agency's ability to compete with market pay
    rates. The Committee highlights the VA COMPETES Act, which
    became law as a part of the Elizabeth Dole Act in 2025 and
    allows the Secretary of VA to waive pay caps for physicians.
    The Committee urges the Department to assess how pay caps are
    contributing to physician shortages for key services and how
    adjusting pay caps may alleviate these shortages.
        VHA Physician Salaries.--The Committee understands that one
    of the biggest hurdles in retaining health care professionals
    within the VA health care system is the agency's ability to
    compete with market pay rates. The Committee highlights the VA
    COMPETES Act, which became law as a part of the Elizabeth Dole
    Act in 2025 and allows the Secretary to waive pay caps for
    physicians. The Committee urges the Department to assess how
    pay caps are contributing to physician shortages for key
    services and how adjusting pay caps may alleviate these
    shortages.

                             MEDICAL COMMUNITY CARE

    Fiscal year 2025 enacted level........................   $20,382,000,000
    Fiscal year 2026 advance appropriation (enacted)......    34,000,000,000
    Committee 2027 advance appropriation recommendation...    38,700,000,000

        The Committee recommendation includes an advance
    appropriation of $38,700,000,000 for fiscal year 2026 for
    Medical Community Care, of which $2,000,000,000 is available
    until September 30, 2028.
        Dystonia.--The Committee continues to note the connection
    between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and dystonia. The
    Committee requests a report within 90 days of enactment of this
    Act on efforts to pursue collaborative opportunities with the
    dystonia stakeholder community and related federal agencies.
        Ground Ambulance Providers.--The Committee is concerned
    that the Department is inadvertently disadvantaging veterans in
    connection to reimbursement for ground ambulance services.
    Specifically, under the Community Care Program, ground
    ambulance providers are required to notify VA and seek approval
    for payment within 72-hours. By contrast, veterans have a 30-
    day window to notify VA of their receipt of emergency treatment
    in a non-VA facility. This results in ground ambulance provider
    claims being denied and the burden falls upon the veterans to
    seek reimbursement. The Committee directs the Department to
    provide a briefing within 90 days of enactment of this Act
    regarding how the Department and its respective VISNs could
    reduce the financial burden on veterans by reducing the number
    of ground ambulance service claims that are denied for failure
    to meet the 72-hour notification requirement but ultimately
    comply with VA's coverage rules.
        Long-Term Care for Veterans with Severe Traumatic Brain
    Injury (TBI).--The Committee continues to note the increasing
    prevalence of deployment-related traumatic brain injuries. This
    increase continues to demonstrate the longstanding need for
    providing adequate long-term specialty care for Veterans
    suffering from severe TBIs. The Committee is encouraged by the
    Department's progress in using agreements with non-VA providers
    to ensure all Veterans receive such long-term specialty care in
    their communities and encourages the Department to continue
    entering into such agreements, to educate case managers on all
    tools available to provide veterans with long-term specialty
    care outside the VA system.

                         MEDICAL SUPPORT AND COMPLIANCE

    Fiscal year 2025 enacted level........................   $11,800,000,000
    Fiscal year 2026 advance appropriation (enacted)......    12,700,000,000
    Committee 2027 advance appropriation recommendation...    12,000,000,000

        The Committee recommendation includes an advance
    appropriation of $12,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2027 for
    Medical Support and Compliance, of which $350,000,000 shall
    remain available through September 30, 2028.
        Identity Governance and Administration (IGA).--The
    Committee recognizes that the current IGA pilot has failed to
    earn authority to operate, therefore the Committee encourages
    the Department explore alternative commercial IGA programs,
    interoperable with CISA's CDM architecture with hybrid cloud
    features.

                               MEDICAL FACILITIES

    Fiscal year 2025 enacted level........................    $9,549,485,000
    Fiscal year 2026 advance appropriation (enacted)......     9,700,000,000
    Committee 2027 advance appropriation recommendation...    11,700,000,000

        The Committee recommendation includes an advance
    appropriation of $11,700,000,000, for fiscal year 2027 for
    Medical Facilities, of which $500,000,000 shall remain
    available until September 30, 2027.
        Community-Based Outpatient Clinic in Bakersfield,
    California.--The Committee remains disappointed that the new
    Bakersfield CBOC remains unbuilt more than a decade after
    Congress authorized this facility in fiscal year 2010 through
    Public Law 111-82. The Committee directs the Secretary to
    expeditiously execute Lease No. 36C10F20L0008 and, unless
    prevented by an order issued by a federal or state court,
    commence construction of the CBOC by no later than September
    30, 2026, as provided in the lease. Furthermore, the Committee
    directs the Secretary to provide monthly reports to the House
    and Senate Committees on Appropriations on the CBOC's progress
    until completion and activation. The Committee also directs the
    Secretary to examine any lessons learned, determine what
    additional actions can be taken by VA to complete this project,
    and provide a briefing to the Committee focused on what
    legislative remedies to the current situation exist and what
    legislative actions are needed to ensure this situation never
    happens again.
        Food Pantry Program.--The Committee recognizes the success
    of the Department's food pantry program in easing veteran
    access to quality food and reducing stigma around veteran food
    insecurity. The Committee understands the Department
    collaborates with nonprofit organizations to identify potential
    VA medical centers with the need and capacity for enrolling in
    this program and encourages VA to ensure that at least one VA
    medical center in a dense urban area offers food on-site. The
    Committee directs VA to identify the additional funds necessary
    to scale up the food pantry program.
        Lactation Spaces at VA Facilities.--The Committee
    recognizes the obstacles female veterans face when trying to
    nurse their children in VA facilities. The Committee requests
    VA ensures that each medical center contains a lactation space.
        Medical Center Services.--The Committee reminds the
    Department to ensure it consults with a wide variety of
    stakeholders regarding any changes to services, hours, and
    staffing prior to making changes and to ensure veterans are not
    negatively affected.
        Personal Protective Equipment.--The Committee encourages
    the Department to prioritize the purchase of domestically
    manufactured personal protective equipment in VA facilities.
        Spend Plan.--The Committee expects the Department to
    provide, not later than 30 days after enactment of this Act, an
    expenditure plan detailing the planned use of the funds
    provided. The Committee understands that some of the projects
    planned for fiscal year 2026 may not be ready within that
    timeframe, requiring an adjustment to the spending plan. The
    Committee requests a quarterly update of the plan if the
    funding for any single project changes by more than $3,000,000
    during that time period.
        VA Healthcare System Patient Communication Platform
    Expansion.--The Committee is concerned about gaps in patient
    communication and health education across the Department's
    healthcare system, which can hinder veterans' access to timely,
    relevant health information. The Committee encourages support
    for the expansion and implementation of a comprehensive digital
    communication platform at all VA facilities. This initiative
    will deploy cloud-based content management systems deliver
    veteran-specific health education, promote VA healthcare
    initiatives, and improve patient engagement in real time.
        Veterans Integrated Service Network Distribution.--The
    Committee is interested in learning how the Veterans Integrated
    Services Network (VISN) (1) determines patient service
    catchment areas (2) assesses where to build new VA medical
    centers, and (3) plans the distribution of VA medical centers
    and outpatient clinics compared to the number of veterans in
    each area. The Committee requests an update within 180 days of
    enactment, that details the criteria used to determine how
    various types of medical facilities including VAMCs and CBOCs
    are distributed, and the distribution of VA medical facilities
    given the number of veterans in each location.
        Zero Water Laboratory Diagnostic Systems.--The Committee
    remains concerned about cost savings for VA hospital
    laboratories, and the need to increase water conservation
    efforts as the U.S. continues to experience record-breaking
    national disasters. The Committee supports the adaptation of
    laboratory modernization by implementing little to no water
    laboratory systems utilizing dry chemistry solutions for VA
    Medical Centers and Community Based OutpatienClinics where
    feasible.
        Enhanced Transparency Requirements for Contractors of High-
    Cost VA Hospital Projects.--The Committee is concerned about
    the oversight and execution of select, high-cost construction
    projects of VA Medical Facilities and VA Health Facilities, and
    the impacts that lack of adequate contractor performance have
    had on veteran patient experience at such facilities due to
    construction or utility failures. The Committee therefore
    directs the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of
    Construction and Facilities Management (OCFM) to compile and
    submit to the Committee, not later than 120 days after
    enactment, a standardized requirement for an Enhanced
    Transparency and Community Engagement Plan, which shall apply
    to major VA construction projects with a total cost of or
    exceeding $500 million, and all contractors who support
    construction elements of such projects shall comply with.
        Timely Construction of VA Medical Facilities.--The
    Committee recognizes the critical importance of timely
    completion of Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities
    to ensure that veterans have access to the highest quality of
    care possible. The Committee is aware that rising construction
    costs have the potential to affect project delivery nationwide
    and delay urgently needed infrastructure improvements.
    Notwithstanding these rising costs, the Committee strongly
    urges the Department to prioritize the expeditious construction
    of all previously appropriated VA medical facility projects.
    Accordingly, the Committee directs the Department to submit a
    report to the Committees on Appropriations of the House and
    Senate not later than 90 days after the enactment of this Act.
    The report shall include a detailed cost comparison between the
    original budget and current projections, an explanation of cost
    increases, and a summary of cost containment strategies
    implemented to mitigate further escalation and ensure
    responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.
        Audie Murphy Veterans Hospital Reconstruction.--The
    Committee is aware that the Department of Veterans Affairs has
    completed a feasibility study and has initiated an
    Environmental Impact Statement to evaluate options for
    replacing the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital in San
    Antonio, Texas. The Committee continues to encourage the
    Department to advance these efforts and to expedite planning
    and development. Given the hospital's age, significant
    infrastructure limitations, and the increasing demand for
    services in one of the nation's largest veteran and active-duty
    military populations, construction of a new, state-of-the-art
    medical facility in San Antonio is critical. The Committee
    directs the Department to submit a report to the House and
    Senate Committees on Appropriations not later than 90 days
    after enactment of this Act detailing: (1) the status and
    findings of the completed or ongoing feasibility study; (2) the
    anticipated timeline for site selection; and (3) any
    anticipated resource requirements necessary to support
    replacement of the existing hospital.

               Bridging Rental Assistance for Veteran Empowerment

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................            $- - -
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............       970,000,000

        The Committee supports the Department's effort to end
    veteran homelessness and provides $970,000,000 for the Bridging
    Rental Assistance for Veteran Empowerment (BRAVE). The
    Committee recognizes legislative authority is required before
    this initiative can get underway. The Committee directs monthly
    updates as BRAVE moves towards implementation. Updates shall
    include, but are not limited to, a spend plan on how resources
    will be utilized, status of obtaining needed authorities, scope
    and operations of the program, personnel needs to execute BRAVE
    and anticipated roll out schedule.

                        MEDICAL AND PROSTHETIC RESEARCH

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................      $943,000,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............       943,000,000

        The Committee recommendation includes $950,000,000 for
    Medical and Prosthetic Research, available through September
    30, 2026. The Committee appreciates the Department's plans to
    focus on critical research areas that include environmental
    exposures, traumatic brain injury, cancer and precision
    oncology, and mental health.
        In addition to this appropriation, resources from other
    sources, including appropriations from the medical care
    accounts, reimbursements from DOD, grants from the National
    Institutes of Health, private sources, and voluntary
    organizations, support the Department's researchers. The total
    amount estimated available for fiscal year 2026 is
    $1,400,000,000.
        Advanced Platform Technology (APT) Center.--The Committee
    recognizes the Department for progress being made to provide
    veterans with new assistive and restorative technologies that
    address sensory, motor, or cognitive deficits, as well as limb
    loss. The APT Center has effectively utilized a partnership
    model to leverage local and national research expertise to
    drive progress in diverse areas including artificial lung
    development, wound healing, and neural connected sensory
    prosthesis. The Committee continues to support the APT Center's
    efforts.
        Endometriosis.--The Committee directs the Department to
    ensure its research program adequately addresses the unique
    needs and concerns of veterans with endometriosis. The
    Committee encourages VA to prioritize endometriosis research to
    expand basic, clinical, and translational research into the
    mechanics of endometriosis, identify early diagnostic markets,
    and develop new treatment methods.
        Gulf War Illness Studies.--The Committee recommends the
    Department continue to conduct epidemiological studies
    regarding the prevalence of Gulf War Illness, morbidity, and
    mortality in Persian Gulf War veterans and the development of
    effective treatments, preventions, and cures. The Department is
    encouraged to make the findings of all research conducted by or
    for the Executive Branch publicly available as soon as possible
    and continue to publish disease-specific mortality data related
    specifically to Persian Gulf War veterans.
        Herbicide-Related Toxic Exposure Research.--To understand
    the residual effects of Agent Orange, dioxins, and other
    herbicide-related toxic exposures, the Committee urges the
    Department to utilize reference data from existing medical
    records of veterans who served in Vietnam, Thailand, Guam, the
    Northern Mariana Islands, America Samoa, and other geographic
    areas where these toxic substances were dispersed to determine
    the percentage who have frequent or unexplained diseases
    compared to the civilian population.
        Limb Loss.--The Committee commends the Department's work
    with veterans living with limb loss, particularly its support
    of programs that engage amputees to become certified peer
    visitors for other veterans. However, the Committee continues
    to note that veterans fall through the cracks, as highlighted
    in the House Veterans Affairs Committee hearing ``Life After
    Limb Loss: Examining VA Amputee Prosthetics Care, due to a lack
    of specific resources provided for care coordination''. The
    Committee supports the Department expanding their efforts to
    reach all veteran amputees across the country and to strengthen
    its current program by providing enhanced care coordination
    services.
        Metastatic Cancer Research.--The Committee supports the
    Department's work to achieve therapeutic advances that extend
    the life of metastatic cancer survivors, including through
    clinical trials that treat patients with diverse types of
    cancer, demographics, and genetics, and recognizes more studies
    are required to develop a comprehensive understanding of this
    complex process. The 2018 Department of Defense report to
    Congress on the Metastatic Cancer Task Force noted there are
    few active duty servicemembers with metastatic cancer because
    they are medically retired prior to metastasis, while the
    Department's FY25 budget justification notes that there were
    more than 51,000 new cases of metastasis among veterans in
    2017. The Committee directs the Department to conduct a study
    assessing the correlation between service in the military,
    including types of service and exposure to different toxins or
    environments, and veterans' likelihood of a metastatic cancer
    diagnosis, and directs the Department to continue to increase
    veterans' participation. The Committee requests that the Fiscal
    Year 2027 budget justification include an update on its
    progress on the issue.
        National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE).--The
    Committee recognizes the high-quality mental health care and
    neurological research being conducted at the NICoE and urges
    the Department to expand its work with NICoE to strengthen VA's
    research capacity. The Committee continues to encourage the
    Department to pursue new collaborative initiatives with NICoE,
    consider public academic medical centers as partners in such
    efforts, and assist DOD-wide efforts to optimize research to
    implement solutions and deliver better health outcomes for
    veterans.
        PFAS Research and Testing.--The Committee encourages the
    Department to employ the most accurate per-and polyfluoroalkyl
    substances (PFAS) testing methods to ensure comprehensive and
    reliable results in its scientific assessment of the
    relationship between PFAS exposure during military service and
    kidney cancer among veterans. As PFAS comprises over 12,000
    chemicals and scientific understanding of their health impact
    is growing, advanced blood testing methods including additional
    analytes, more in line with the CDC NHANES 18 analyte panel,
    would enable the Department to detect a broader range of PFAS
    compounds that veterans encountered during service, providing
    more comprehensive data to evaluate. Further, current clinical
    guidelines from the National Academies of Science, Engineering,
    and Medicine have identified 9 PFAS compounds that impact human
    health. Blood testing methods that include these 9 PFAS
    analytes must be the minimum standard for VA to detect PFAS
    compounds that veterans encountered during service and evaluate
    establishing kidney cancer as a presumptive condition.
        Research Using Animals.--The Department is directed to
    include in any report to Congress describing animal research
    approved under section 247 in division A of the Consolidated
    Appropriations Act, 2024 (P.L. 118-42), submitted after the
    date of filing of this report, details on the specific
    alternatives to animals that were considered, why those
    alternatives were not chosen, and an explanation for why these
    animal subjects were the only viable option for this research.
    The Committee looks forward to the Department fully
    implementing its plan to curtail the research conducted using
    canines, felines, or non-human primates by 2026 and directs the
    Department to not approve any new animal research that would
    not be complete before 2026.
        Vietnam Veterans Liver Fluke Cancer.--The Committee urges
    the Secretary to prioritize efforts to determine whether
    cholangiocarcinoma diagnoses among Vietnam-era veterans are
    connected to service-related exposure to liver fluke parasites.
    The Committee recognizes that emerging research suggests a
    potential link between liver fluke infection and the later
    development of cholangiocarcinoma. The Committee directs the
    Department to report to the House and Senate Committees on
    Appropriations within 180 days of enactment of this Act on
    steps taken to review existing evidence, update claims
    adjudication guidance if necessary, and enhance outreach to
    potentially impacted Vietnam-era veterans.

                         Medical Care Collections Fund

        The Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Care Collections
    Fund (MCCF) was established by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997
    (P.L. 105-33). The Department deposits first-party and pharmacy
    co-payments, third-party insurance payments and enhanced-use
    collections, long-term care co-payments, Compensated Work
    Therapy Program collections, Compensation and Pension Living
    Expenses Program collections, and Parking Program fees into the
    MCCF. The Department uses these funds for medical care and
    services to veterans. The estimate of fees that will be
    collected in fiscal year 2026 is $4,580,000,000.

                        National Cemetery Administration

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................      $480,000,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............       497,000,000

        The Committee recommends $497,000,000 for fiscal year 2026.
    NCA should prioritize maintaining the current level of services
    at existing cemeteries and activating new cemeteries to
    increase burial access. In addition, the bill includes language
    making ten percent of the total available until September 30,
    2027.
        Assessing the National Cemetery Administration's Population
    Data Collection Methodology.--The Committee is concerned that
    the National Cemetery Administration (NCA) may not be fully
    leveraging all available data sources to effectively target
    underserved veteran populations for cemetery services. To
    ensure underserved veteran populations have access to cemetery
    services, the Committee encourages NCA to explore utilizing
    U.S. Census Bureau data into its methodologies for estimating
    and tracking served and unserved veteran populations, as
    suggested in Government Accountability Office (GAO) Report GAO-
    19-121. The Committee requests an update not later than 180
    days of the enactment of this Act on prospective new
    methodologies for collecting veteran population data. The
    update should include an examination of the utility and
    feasibility of incorporating U.S. Census Bureau data to either
    replace or supplement the NCA's current county-based
    methodology and include calculated percentages of confidence
    levels for all methodologies.
        Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery Veterans Day Community
    Remembrance.--The Committee reaffirms its unwavering commitment
    to honoring the service and sacrifice of America's veterans by
    strongly supporting the upkeep and dignified maintenance of our
    national cemeteries. These sacred grounds must be preserved not
    only as final resting places but as enduring symbols of
    gratitude where families and communities can reflect on the
    legacy of those who served. The Committee recognizes the
    importance of maintaining national traditions that honor
    veterans, including the annual Veterans Day commemoration at
    Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, a vital event that
    reinforces our nation's promise to never forget.
        Identifying Unknown Remains of Veterans.--For eight
    decades, unidentified remains of veterans have been interred at
    the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP). Efforts
    to identify these remains have been ongoing, including the
    collection of DNA family reference samples. Advancements in
    forensic genetic genealogy (FGG) analysis enable the
    identification of previously unidentified human remains, even
    those dating back centuries. The Committee recognizes that the
    National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) at the
    Department of Justice, formally authorized by the Help Find the
    Missing Act (P.L. 117-327), has successfully identified
    hundreds of previously unidentified sets of human remains by
    leveraging FGG DNA testing technology in partnership with
    accredited private laboratories. The Committee provides
    $1,500,000 to partner with a private laboratory to utilize FGG
    sequencing technology to identify the remains of fallen
    soldiers buried at NMCP. The Committee further directs the
    Department to produce an annual report to Congress that tracks
    the samples analyzed, the types of DNA technology deployed, and
    the time elapsed to produce an identification.

                          Departmental Administration

                             GENERAL ADMINISTRATION

                         (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................      $475,000,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............       450,000,000

        The General Administration account provides funds for the
    Office of the Secretary, the General Counsel, six Assistant
    Secretaries, and two Department-level staff offices.
        The Committee recommendation includes $450,000,000 for
    General Administration.
        The Committee has included bill language to make available
    through September 30, 2027, up to ten percent of these funds
    and to permit the transfer of funds in this account to the
    General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration
    account.
        Additional Budgetary Information.--The Committee continues
    its request that items described in previous House reports
    continue to be included in the budget justifications submitted
    each year. Further, the Committee directs the Department to
    include in its budget justification materials a table for each
    account that shows a five-year funding history for requested
    and enacted levels.
        Data Governance Analytics.--The Committee continues to
    support the work carried out by the Department's Office of
    Enterprise Integration for the continuous improvement of
    veterans' access and outcomes throughout their lifetimes, as
    outlined in VA Data Strategy. VA, as a learning enterprise,
    should manage, integrate, and consolidate its various data
    sources to ensure its data of highest quality and is used to
    support operational decision making. As such, the Committee
    encourages OEI to further coordinate enterprise-wide efforts to
    manage VA data as a strategic asset, in order to enhance
    veterans' insights and to strengthen VA's delivery of services
    and benefits to veterans, their families, survivors, and
    caregivers.
        Delays With Board of Veterans Appeals.--The Committee is
    concerned about ongoing delays veterans and their families
    experience before the Board of Veterans Appeals, often causing
    years-long wait times for final adjudication and resolution of
    claims. Within the funds provided, the Committee urges VA to
    prioritize hiring the staff necessary to allow the efficient
    process of the Board's current inventory of cases.
        Modernization of Financial and Acquisition Systems.--The
    Committee is concerned that the Department's current approach
    to modernizing its financial and acquisition systems through
    the Financial Management and Business Transformation (FMBT)
    program has thus far yielded little progress and encourages
    evaluation of a new approach. Therefore, the Committee directs
    the Department to provide a report of the House and Senate
    Committees on Appropriations within 90 days of enactment of
    this Act that includes an analysis to determine if a viable
    path forward exists to procure and deploy a flexible,
    modernized acquisition system, independent of the financial
    system modernization efforts and ensure that any effort to move
    in this direction includes an analysis of alternatives and the
    evaluation of secure FedRAMP authorized technologies.
        Quarterly Financial Information Reports.--The bill includes
    an administrative provision that extends the requirement for
    submission of the quarterly financial information required in
    the fiscal year 2017 bill and conference report.
        Staff Relocations Within VA.--The bill continues the
    administrative provision requiring written notification 15 days
    prior to organizational changes that result in the transfer of
    25 or more full-time equivalent staff from one organizational
    unit of the Department to another.

                           BOARD OF VETERANS APPEALS

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................      $287,000,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............       287,000,000

        The Committee recommendation includes $287,000,000 for the
    Board of Veterans Appeals. Ten percent of this funding is
    available through September 30, 2027.
        VA Board of Appeals Backlog.--Congress has provided funding
    increases to enable the Department to hire the staff, acquire
    the technology, and change work processes necessary to
    significantly reduce the appeals backlog. The Committee is
    concerned that despite these investments, the Board of
    Veterans' Appeals has not adequately addressed the backlog of
    veterans waiting for a decision and that the inventory of
    pending appeals cannot be depleted with the Board of Veterans'
    Appeals' current policies and procedures. The Committee directs
    the Department to prioritize the processing of appeals and to
    submit a plan not later than 90 days after the enactment of
    this Act detailing a strategy to clear the backlog of cases
    within 36 months.

                         INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS

                         (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................    $6,401,000,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............     5,882,000,000

        The Committee recommendation includes $5,882,000,000 for
    Information Technology Systems. Within the account total, the
    Committee allocates $1,350,000,000 for pay and associated
    costs; $4,413,000,000 for operations and maintenance; and
    $118,900,000 for activations.
        The bill makes available three percent of pay and
    associated costs and five percent of operations and maintenance
    funds until September 30, 2027. All development funds are
    available until September 30, 2027.
        The Committee continues to include bill language permitting
    the transfer of funding among the three subaccounts upon
    approval of the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
    Congress.
        The bill also continues language allowing for the
    reprogramming of funds among development projects upon approval
    by the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
        The Committee continues to include bill language limiting
    the funds available for information technology systems
    development to the projects and in the amounts specified in the
    report. The bill limits the amount of funds that can be
    transferred into the IT account to ten percent of the total of
    either the source or destination account. The bill contains
    language that permits the reprogramming of funds among
    development projects upon prior notification to, and approval
    by, the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
    Congress.
        The Committee expects the Office of Information and
    Technology (OIT) to continue to provide an IT expenditure
    report to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
    Congress on a monthly basis. This report should include a
    comparison to the project costs included in the development
    funding chart above and provide an explanation for any
    differences in excess of $3,000,000.
        Benefits Technology Platform.--The Committee recognizes the
    importance of simplifying and accelerating the security of the
    important benefits veterans have earned. To improve this
    process, the Committee directs the Secretary to adopt a
    technology platform that assists veterans in the challenges
    faced when navigating available benefits. Of the funds provided
    under this heading, up to $4,000,000 may be used to partner
    with an outside vendor to implement a software solution that
    leverages artificial intelligence and automation to assist
    veterans in navigating the benefits lifecycle, including
    application, appeals, and service connection processes.
        Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) Commercial
    Pilot Program.--The Committee understands the current IGA pilot
    has failed to earn authority to operate. The Committee
    recommends the Department explore alternative commercial IGA
    pilot programs, interoperable with CISA's CDM architecture with
    hybrid cloud features.
        IT Asset Management.--The Committee is aware of
    improvements made by the Office of Information Technology to
    the Department's IT software and hardware asset management
    practices and systems, which are producing significant annual
    cost savings, ensuring more accurate baseline inventories of
    assets owned, and improving the Department's ability to measure
    the total cost of ownership of IT assets and applications. The
    Committee encourages the Department to continue replicating
    this success across all software and hardware portfolios, and
    to ensure all software and hardware assets are accurately
    reflected in the system throughout their full lifecycles, from
    the time of acquisition through final disposal.

                       VETERANS ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................    $1,322,000,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............     2,515,893,000

        The bill includes $2,515,893,000 for Veterans Electronic
    Health Record. This increase reflects additional deployments
    and focus on current site optimization, sustaining
    infrastructure, and supporting 19 live sites. It also assumes
    costs for activities related to the development and rollout of
    VA's Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) initiative,
    the associated contractual costs, and the salaries and expenses
    of employees hired under titles 5 and 38, United States Code.
        This account is intended to be the single source of funding
    within VA for the electronic health record effort. No authority
    is provided for funds from other VA accounts to be transferred
    into this account nor for funds from this account to be
    transferred out to other accounts.
        The bill continues language requiring the Secretary to
    submit a quarterly report to the Committees on Appropriations
    of both Houses of Congress detailing obligations, expenditures,
    and deployment strategy by facility. The Department is directed
    to continue quarterly briefings on performance milestones,
    costs, and changes to implementation and management plans, and
    to provide an accurate up-to-date deployment schedule prior to
    each quarterly briefing. Additionally, the Committee directs
    the Department to provide updates on plans and efforts to
    integrate community care providers into the new EHR system.
    Such updates should be submitted concurrently with the
    quarterly reports.
        In addition, bill language is included that makes 25
    percent of the total funding available contingent upon the
    Secretary providing notice to and receiving approval from the
    Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of any
    changes to the deployment schedule, as well as an updated plan
    outlining benchmarks and measurable metrics for deployment and
    an updated plan for addressing all required infrastructure
    upgrades. The Committee also urges the Department to notify the
    Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress if
    there are any staffing challenges in go-live preparation and
    implementation at VA medical centers.
        The Committee repeats the fiscal year 2019 directive for
    GAO to perform quarterly performance reviews of the electronic
    health record deployment. It is expected that this quarterly
    report will provide the Committees and VA with timely
    information to properly oversee this effort and address
    important issues.
        VistA as a Service.--As the Veterans Health Administration
    continues transitioning from the legacy Veterans Health
    Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA)
    Electronic Health Record (EHR) System to the Oracle Health/
    Cerner Millennium EHR solution, the Department must continue to
    sustain, maintain, and evolve the existing VistA
    infrastructure. Assuming no further delays, the full deployment
    of the new EHR system is not expected until 2031, leaving
    patient care, services and many Veterans Integrated Service
    Networks (VISNs) on the later end of the implementation
    schedule reliant on the legacy VistA EHR several more years.
        Maintaining the legacy EHR while deployment of the new
    system is ongoing has proven to be labor intensive, requiring
    significant manpower and financial investment in a tight
    budgetary environment. The Committee believes the Department
    can reduce manpower, costs, and streamline maintenance efforts
    by leveraging a model similar to that used by Department of
    Defense in its EHR modernization program. DoD is efficiently
    utilizing private sector system integrators to maintain and
    sustain the legacy system as a service while deployment of the
    new system is undertaken. In doing so, the Department would
    also be able to divert much needed, experienced Office of
    Information and Technology (OI&T) staff to the Federal EHR
    deployment of the new system. The Committee urges the
    Department to assess the feasibility of adopting and
    implementing a ``VistA as a Service'' model for the maintenance
    and sustainment of the legacy EHRM system.
        Contractor Accountability.--The Committee expects the
    Department to hold its contractors accountable. The Department
    is expected to work closely with Oracle Cerner to resolve
    usability problems and dramatically improve training to ensure
    that when deployments restart the new system can be adopted
    easily by clinicians and healthcare staff.

                          OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................      $296,000,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............       295,000,000

        The Committee recommendation includes $295,000,000 for
    fiscal year 2026 for the Office of the Inspector General. The
    bill makes up to ten percent of this funding available until
    September 30, 2027.
        The Committee continues to request robust oversight of the
    Electronic Health Record Modernization initiative and medical
    community care claims.

                          CONSTRUCTION, MAJOR PROJECTS

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.....................        $961,000,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026..........       1,750,000,000

        The Committee recommendation includes $1,750,000,000 for
    Construction, Major Projects for fiscal year 2026 which shall
    remain available until September 30, 2030. The Committee
    supports the Department's efforts for projects in St. Louis, MO
    and Riverside, CA. While supportive, the Committee requests
    further information on plans to utilize resources to support
    homeless affordable housing in West Los Angeles and New
    Hampshire.
        As required by language that is in permanent law, all major
    construction projects costing more than $100,000,000 must be
    managed by a non-VA government entity, such as the Army Corps
    of Engineers. While the Committee no longer duplicates this
    language, the Committee intends to continue its oversight of
    the quality of the outside entity management and expects to
    receive quarterly briefings on each of the large construction
    projects.
        Construction Reports.--The Committee continues to request
    the Department provide quarterly briefings on the progress and
    cost of each facility managed by an outside entity. Several
    additional bill language provisions are included to enhance the
    Committee's capacity to conduct oversight of VA's facility
    construction efforts including: (1) no funding greater than
    $7,000,000 may be reprogrammed between construction projects
    unless approved by the Committees on Appropriations of both
    Houses of Congress; (2) any change to the scope of a
    construction project is prohibited without the approval of the
    Committees; and (3) VA must report any bid savings of
    $5,000,000 or more on projects as soon as they are identified.
        The Committee does not provide transfer authority between
    twelve VA appropriations and for funds to be transferred to
    major or minor construction to be made available for five
    years.
        To enhance the Committee's capacity to conduct oversight on
    VA's facility construction efforts, several administrative
    provisions are continued in the bill: (1) No funding amount
    greater than $7,000,000 may be reprogrammed between
    construction projects unless approved by the Committees on
    Appropriations of both Houses of Congress; (2) any change to
    the scope of a construction project is not permitted without
    the approval of the Committees; and (3) VA must report any bid
    savings of $5,000,000 or more on projects as soon as they are
    identified.

                          CONSTRUCTION, MINOR PROJECTS

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................      $692,000,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............       232,000,000

        The Committee recommendation includes $232,000,000 for
    Construction, Minor Project for fiscal year 2026, of which
    $200,000,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2030,
    and $32,000,000 shall remain available until expended.
        Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System's Master Plan.--The
    Committee continues to encourage the Department to engage with
    the Principal Developer Team responsible for the Greater Los
    Angles Health Care System's Master Plan and support the
    operationalization of the Master Plan.

           GRANTS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF STATE EXTENDED CARE FACILITIES

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................      $171,000,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............       171,000,000

        The Committee recommendation includes $171,000,000 for
    fiscal year 2026 for Grants for Construction of State Extended
    Care Facilities. A grant may not exceed 65 percent of the total
    cost of the project. The bill makes this funding available
    until expended.
        Cost of Care for Veterans' Homes.--The Committee is
    concerned with the current reimbursement rate for state and
    non-profit run Veterans' Homes. The Committee recognizes that
    the costs associated with Veterans' Homes are substantial due
    to the high acuity level of the veteran population served, and
    that current VHA rates are inconsistent with the current cost
    of care. The Committee directs VHA to submit a report, no later
    than 90 days following the adoption of this bill, outlining how
    current reimbursement rates are calculated, how VHA makes
    locality adjustments, how the VHA works to reduce the cost of
    prescription drugs for veterans in homes, and recommended
    legislative changes for Congress to consider.
        Duplicative State Veterans Home Surveys.--The Committee
    recognizes that State Veterans Homes undergo annual inspection
    surveys from the Department of Veterans Affairs and that many
    undergo an additional and separate, yet nearly identical,
    survey from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. This
    practice is disruptive to the veterans and financially
    inefficient. The Committee encourages VA, in coordination with
    CMS, to review this practice and provide a report on whether or
    not this process could be streamlined by conducting only one
    survey.
        Grants for Construction of State Extended Care Facilities
    Backlog.--The Committee recognizes the Department of Veterans
    Affairs is experiencing a nearly $2 billion backlog in
    identified priority grant projects, and that an increase in
    resources is required to ensure that State Veterans Homes can
    continue to serve their vital role for low-income veterans and
    those wishing to spend their final years housed and cared for
    among fellow veterans. The Committee directs the Secretary of
    Veterans Affairs to brief the Committee no later than August
    31, 2025, on the criteria used to prioritize backlogged
    projects and existing procedural challenges that could impede
    the execution of funds required to clear the backlog.

                 GRANTS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF VETERANS CEMETERIES

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................       $60,000,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............        60,000,000

        The Committee recommendation includes $60,000,000 for
    Grants for Construction of Veterans Cemeteries. The bill makes
    this funding available until expended.

                        COST OF WAR TOXIC EXPOSURES FUND

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.....................     $28,800,000,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026..........      52,676,000,000

        The bill provides $52,676,000,000 for the Cost of War Toxic
    Exposures Fund (TEF) veterans medical care related to toxic
    exposures.
        Congressional Commitment to the PACT Act.--The enactment of
    the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act
    (PACT Act) resulted in the largest expansion of veterans
    benefits in a generation, providing healthcare and benefits for
    veterans who were exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange and other
    toxic substances during their military service. The PACT Act
    created the Cost of War Toxic Exposures Fund (TEF) which
    provides mandatory funding for the delivery of health care and
    benefits for impacted veterans. The Committee remains committed
    to providing full funding to the Department in order to ensure
    successful implementation the PACT Act.
        PACT Act Incremental Costs.--The Committee directs the
    Department to include in its fiscal year 2027 and all future
    budget justification materials a detailed description of the
    incremental costs for implementation of the PACT Act for all
    requested funds on an account-by-account basis.
        Advance Funding for Veterans Medical Care From the Cost of
    War Toxic Exposures Fund.--For 15 years, the Committee has
    fulfilled its commitment to fully fund veterans medical care in
    full and to the best of the Committee's ability, one full year
    in advance. Three years ago, the PACT Act established the Cost
    of War Toxic Exposures Fund (TEF) as a dedicated source of
    additional funding to address the increased demand on services
    at and provided by VA as a result of the promises made in that
    law, including but not limited to increases in the necessary
    resources for veterans medical care. Consistent with the
    Committee's historical commitment to fully fund veterans
    medical care in advance and the promises made in the PACT Act,
    the bill includes advance appropriations of $51,742,000,000 for
    fiscal year 2027 in the TEF, which is intended to be allocated
    consistent with the budget request for Medical Services,
    Medical Community Care, and Medical Support and Compliance.

                           Administrative Provisions

        The bill includes 61 administrative provisions. The
    administrative provisions included in the bill are as follows:
        Section 201. Allows for the transfer of funds among three
    mandatory appropriations. The Administration proposal to modify
    this provision is not adopted.
        Section 202. Allows the Department to transfer funding
    among the four medical appropriations accounts in fiscal year
    2026. The Administration proposal to modify this provision is
    not adopted.
        Section 203. Allows for salaries and expenses funds to be
    used for hire of passenger vehicles, lease of facilities or
    land, and purchase of uniforms.
        Section 204. Provides that only funding in ``Construction,
    Major Projects'' and ``Construction, Minor Projects'' can be
    used for the purchase of any site for any new hospital or home
    or to construct any new hospital or home.
        Section 205. Requires the Department to be reimbursed for
    medical services it provides to any person not defined as a
    beneficiary to ensure the Department is receiving payment for
    all medical services provided.
        Section 206. Allows for the use of funds appropriated in
    fiscal year 2026 for ``Compensation and Pensions'',
    ``Readjustment Benefits'', and ``Veterans Insurance and
    Indemnities'' for payment of accrued obligations recorded in
    the last quarter of fiscal year 2025.
        Section 207. Allows for the use of fiscal year 2026 funds
    to pay prior year obligations resulting from implementation of
    sections 3328(a), 3334, and 3712(a) of title 31, United States
    Code.
        Section 208. Allows the Department to use surplus earnings
    from the national service life insurance, U.S. Government life
    insurance, and veterans' special life insurance program to
    administer these programs.
        Section 209. Allows enhanced-use lease proceeds deducted
    for administrative expenses that were incurred in a prior
    fiscal year to be available until expended.
        Section 210. Limits the amount of reimbursement 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 can charge other offices and
    accounts of the Department for services provided.
        Section 211. Requires the Department to collect current and
    accurate third-party reimbursement information for the purposes
    of third-party insurance collections. If persons receiving care
    or medical services do not disclose this information, the
    Department is allowed to bill them reasonable charges for
    services provided.
        Section 212. Allows the Department to use enhanced-use
    lease funds for construction and alteration of medical
    facilities.
        Section 213. Allows the Department to use the Medical
    Services appropriation for expenses related to the broader
    mission of medical care to veterans.
        Section 214. Allows the Department to transfer Medical Care
    Collections to the ``Medical Services'' and ``Medical Community
    Care'' accounts to be used for veterans medical care and makes
    those funds available until expended.
        Section 215. Allows veterans who reside in Alaska to obtain
    medical services from medical facilities supported by the
    Indian Health Service or tribal organizations, and provides for
    reimbursement for those services from VA.
        Section 216. Allows the Department to transfer the proceeds
    received from the transfer of real property deposited into the
    VA Capital Asset Fund to the Major and Minor Construction
    appropriations accounts and makes those funds available until
    expended.
        Section 217. Requires the Secretary to submit quarterly
    reports to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
    Congress on the financial status of the Department of Veterans
    Affairs.
        Section 218. Prohibits the Department from increasing total
    resources of the Information Technology appropriation by more
    than ten percent by transferring funding from the other VA
    accounts and requires the Department to receive approval from
    the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress
    before such transfer. The Administration proposal to modify
    this provision is not adopted.
        Section 219. Provides up to $739,918,000 of fiscal year
    2026 funds for transfer to the Joint DOD-VA Medical Facility
    Demonstration Fund. Additional funding may be transferred from
    these accounts upon written notification to the Committees on
    Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
        Section 220. Permits the transfer of $664,625,000 of fiscal
    year 2026 funding appropriated for medical accounts to the
    Joint DOD-VA Medical Facility Demonstration Fund for the
    operation of facilities designated as combined Federal medical
    facilities.
        Section 221. Permits the transfer of funds deposited in the
    Medical Care Collections Fund to the Joint DOD-VA Medical
    Facility Demonstration Fund for facilities designated as
    combined Federal medical facilities.
        Section 222. Directs that a minimum of $15,000,000 shall be
    transferred from the four medical care appropriations to the
    Department of Defense/Department of Veterans Affairs Health
    Care Sharing Incentive Fund, to be available until expended.
        Section 223. Requires the Secretary to notify the
    Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of all
    bid savings when identified in Major Construction projects that
    total at least $5,000,000 or five percent of the programmed
    amount of the project.
        Section 224. Prohibits the original scope of work for a
    Major Construction project from being increased above the scope
    specified for that project in the original justification data
    provided to Congress unless approved by the Committees on
    Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
        Section 225. Requires a quarterly report from each VBA
    regional office on pending disability claims, both initial and
    supplemental; error rates; the number of claims processing
    personnel; corrective actions taken; training programs; and
    review team audit results. In addition, the bill requires
    quarterly reporting on pending appeals at VBA, as well as BVA.
    The Administration proposal to delete this provision is not
    adopted.
        Section 226. Requires advance 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 equivalent staff from one organizational
    unit to another. The Administration proposal to delete this
    provision is not adopted.
        Section 227. Requires the Secretary to 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.
        Section 228. Permits the transfer to ``Medical Services''
    from any discretionary program except ``General Operating
    Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration'' upon approval of
    the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
    This provision is intended to give VA flexibility as it
    administers the changes to its traditional healthcare program
    and the MISSION Act.
        Section 229. Permits the transfer of funds between the
    ``Board of Veterans Appeals'' and ``General Operating Expenses,
    Veterans Benefits Administration'' upon approval of the
    Appropriations Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
    Congress.
        Section 230. Prohibits the reprogramming of funds exceeding
    $7,000,000 among the Major Construction projects unless the
    Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress approve
    the request.
        Section 231. Requires the Secretary to ensure that the
    toll-free suicide hotline provides immediate assistance from a
    trained professional and adheres to all requirements of the
    American Association of Suicidology.
        Section 232. Requires the Department to use the mammography
    screening guidelines announced by the Secretary on May 10,
    2017, through January 1, 2026.
        Section 233. Allows the use of Medical Services funding for
    assisted reproductive technology treatment and adoption
    reimbursement for veterans and their spouses.
        Section 234. Prohibits any funds from being used in a
    manner that is inconsistent with statutory limitations on
    outsourcing.
        Section 235. Pertains to exceptions for Indian- or Native
    Hawaiian-owned businesses contracting with the Department.
        Section 236. Directs the elimination over a series of years
    of the use of Social Security numbers in VA programs.
        Section 237. References the provision in the Continuing
    Appropriations and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and
    Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017, and Zika Response
    and Preparedness Act (P.L. 114-223) pertaining to certification
    of marriage and family therapists.
        Section 238. Prohibits funds from being used to transfer
    funding from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund to
    any other VA account.
        Section 239. Permits funding to be used in fiscal years
    2025 and 2026 to carry out and expand the childcare pilot
    program authorized by section 205 of the Caregivers and
    Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-163).
        Section 240. Prohibits the Department from using funds to
    enter into an agreement to resolve a dispute or claim with an
    individual that would restrict the individual from speaking to
    Members of Congress or their staff on any topic, except those
    required to be kept secret in the interest of national defense
    or the conduct of foreign affairs.
        Section 241. References language in the Continuing
    Appropriations and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and
    Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017, and Zika Response
    and Preparedness Act (P.L. 114-223) requiring certain data to
    be included in budget justifications for major construction
    projects.
        Section 242. Prohibits the use of funds to deny the
    Inspector General timely access to information unless a
    provision of law expressly refers to the Inspector General and
    expressly limits such access.
        Section 243. Prohibits funding from being used in a manner
    that would increase wait times for veterans at medical
    facilities.
        Section 244. Prohibits the use of funds in fiscal year 2026
    to convert any program that received specific purpose funds in
    fiscal year 2026 to a general purpose-funded program without
    the approval of the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses
    of Congress at least 30 days prior to any such action. The
    Administration request to delete this provision is not adopted.
        Section 245. Language regarding verification of service for
    coastwise merchant seamen.
        Section 246. Language regarding the use of canines,
    felines, and non-human primates in VA research.
        Section 247. Includes language regarding staffing ratios.
        Section 248. Allows fiscal year 2026 and 2027 ``Medical
    Community Care'' funds to be used to cover obligations that
    would have otherwise been paid by the Veterans Choice Fund.
        Section 249. Allowing obligations and expenditures
    applicable to the ``Medical Services'' account in fiscal years
    2017 through 2019 for aid to state homes to remain in the
    ``Medical Community Care'' account for such fiscal years.
        Section 250. Specifies an amount from the four medical care
    accounts for gender-specific care for women.
        Section 251. Language regarding a community-based
    outpatient clinic in Bakersfield, California.
        Section 252. Requires quarterly reports on the status of
    the ``Veterans Medical Care and Health Fund,'' established to
    execute section 8002 of the American Rescue Plan (P.L. 117-2).
        Section 253. Establishes a timeline for construction in
    accordance with a lease.
        Section 254. Language regarding the use of unobligated
    balances to support construction projects in the CHIP-IN
    program.
        Section 255. Prohibits federal funding for abortions except
    in cases of incest, rape, or life of the mother and prohibiting
    federal funding to implement the Department of Veterans
    Affairs' Interim Final Rule on abortion.
        Section 256. Prohibits federal funding for hormone
    therapies or surgeries for gender-affirming care.
        Section 257. Language prohibiting federal funding for
    administering, implementing, or enforcing the final rule issued
    by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs related to special modes
    of transportation (88 Fed. Reg. 10032).
        Section 258. Prohibits federal funds for carrying out the
    Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Veterans Health
    Administration Health Care Personnel (VHA Directive 11903).
        Section 259. Includes language in the eligibility for
    certain healthcare.
        Section 260. Prohibits the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to
    use federal funding to report a person who is deemed mentally
    incapacitated, mentally incompetent, or to be experiencing an
    extended loss of consciousness who has been adjudicated as a
    mental defective, without the order or finding a judge,
    magistrate, or other judicial authority that a person is in
    danger to himself or herself or others.
        Section 261. Includes a rescission of funds.

                                   TITLE III

                                RELATED AGENCIES

                      American Battle Monuments Commission

                             SALARIES AND EXPENSES

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................      $158,630,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............       106,000,000

        The recommendation includes $106,000,000 for Salaries and
    Expenses of the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC).
        Identifying Improperly Buried Servicemembers.--The
    Committee recommendation includes $500,000 for ABMC to award a
    contract for the purpose of researching and identifying
    American-Jewish servicemembers buried at American military
    cemeteries who were buried under markers incorrectly
    representing their religion and heritage. The research should
    also include identifying surviving next of kin of these
    servicemembers. The ABMC should prioritize making an award to
    an organization with a demonstrated capability and expertise in
    conducting such research and identification activities. The
    Committee requests a report within 180 days of enactment of
    this Act on progress towards identifying incorrect markers for
    American-Jewish servicemembers, timeline for completion, and
    expected future funding requirements.
        ABMC Mission.--The Committee requests that ABMC submit to
    the Committee on Appropriations a report not later than 90 days
    after enactment of the Act on the role of remembrance
    activities including facilitating flower orders for families of
    the fallen in its mission and the reason for any changes to
    that role and in its mission over time.

                     FOREIGN CURRENCY FLUCTUATIONS ACCOUNT

        The recommendation includes such sums as necessary for the
    Foreign Currency Fluctuations Account (FCFA). The Foreign
    Currency Fluctuations account addresses exchange rate
    imbalances between the U.S. Dollar, the European Euro, and
    other foreign currencies. If exchange rates change at time of
    expenditure, funds from FCFA are transferred to Salaries and
    Expenses.

               United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims

                             SALARIES AND EXPENSES

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................       $47,200,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............        49,000,000

        The recommendation includes $49,000,000 for Salaries and
    Expenses for the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans
    Claims.

                          Department of Defense--Civil

                           Cemeterial Expenses, Army

                             SALARIES AND EXPENSES

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................       $98,800,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............       115,000,000

        The recommendation includes $115,000,000 for Salaries and
    Expenses for Arlington National Cemetery.
        Virtual Tours.--The Committee appreciates the on-going
    efforts of Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) to improve the
    interactive tools available to visitors and understands ANC is
    currently working to create a three-dimensional virtual tour to
    improve the visitor experience.

                          Armed Forces Retirement Home

                                   TRUST FUND

        The recommendation includes a total of $70,520,000 for the
    Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH) Trust Fund, including
    $1,000,000 for capital projects and $25,000,000 from the
    general fund of the Treasury.

                           OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................       $43,060,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............        44,520,000

        The Committee makes these operation and maintenance funds
    available until September 30, 2027 to provide AFRH greater
    ability to respond to emergency situations and ensure stable
    operations.

                                CAPITAL PROGRAM

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................        $8,940,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............         1,000,000

        Capital Maintenance Spending Plan.--The Committee directs
    AFRH to provide, not later than 30 days after enactment of this
    Act, an expenditure plan detailing the planned use of the funds
    provided for construction and renovation. The Committee
    continues to direct AFRH to prioritize completing projects that
    are currently underway.

                               MAJOR CONSTRUCTION

    Appropriation, fiscal year 2025.......................       $31,000,000
    Committee recommendation, fiscal year 2026............             - - -

        The Committee reminds Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRM)
    to provide quarterly reports on the status of construction
    projects, including obligations of funds, anticipated
    timelines, and any changes to the overall cost of the project.
    Public Law 119-4 included $31,000,000 to complete the Sheridan
    Building renovation project.

                            ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISION

        The bill includes section 301 permitting funds from
    concessions at Army National Military Cemeteries to be used to
    support activities at the Cemeteries.

                                    TITLE IV

                               GENERAL PROVISIONS

        Section 401. The bill includes language prohibiting the
    obligation of funds beyond the current fiscal year unless
    expressly so provided.
        Section 402. The bill includes language prohibiting the use
    of funds for programs, projects, or activities not in
    compliance with Federal law relating to risk assessment, the
    protection of private property rights, or unfunded mandates.
        Section 403. The bill includes language encouraging all
    departments and agencies funded in this Act to expand the use
    of ``E-Commerce'' technologies and procedures.
        Section 404. The bill includes language specifying the
    Congressional committees that are to receive all reports and
    notifications.
        Section 405. The bill includes language prohibiting the
    transfer of funds to any instrumentality of the United States
    Government without authority from an appropriations Act.
        Section 406. The bill includes language prohibiting any
    funds in this Act to 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.
        Section 407. The bill includes language requiring all
    reports submitted to Congress to be posted on official websites
    of the submitting agency.
        Section 408. The bill includes language prohibiting the use
    of funds to establish or maintain a computer network unless
    such network blocks the viewing, downloading, and exchanging of
    pornography, except for law enforcement investigation,
    prosecution, or adjudication activities.
        Section 409. The bill includes language prohibiting the use
    of funds for payment of first-class travel by an employee of
    the executive branch.
        Section 410. The bill includes language prohibiting the use
    of funds in this Act for any contract where the contractor has
    not complied with E-Verify requirements.
        Section 411. The bill includes language prohibiting the use
    of funds in this Act to construct facilities on military
    installations that do not meet resiliency standards.
        Section 412. The bill includes language prohibiting the use
    of funds in this Act for the renovation, expansion, or
    construction of any facility in the continental United States
    for the purposes of housing any individual who has been
    detained at the United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay,
    Cuba.
        Section 413. The bill includes language prohibiting the use
    of funds to support or defeat legislation pending before
    Congress.
        Section 414. The bill includes language requiring a study
    on the prevalence and mortality of certain cancers of
    individuals who served active-duty aircrew in the Armed Forces.
        Section 415. The bill includes language to assist in
    identifying the remains of fallen soldiers at the National
    Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
        Section 416. The bill includes language prohibiting the
    Department of Veterans Affairs from purchasing computers,
    printers, software, or hardware needed for an office
    environment from the People's Republic of China or entities
    that contribute to the defense industry of the Chinese
    Communist Party.
        Section 417. The bill includes language related to freedom
    of speech.
        Section 418. The bill includes language regarding smoke-
    free policies for employees at VA Health Care Facilities (VHA
    Directive 1085.01).
        Section 419. The bill includes language related to the
    Veterans Crisis Line.
        Section 420. The bill includes language establishing a
    ``Spending Reduction Account.''

                House of Representatives Reporting Requirements

        The following items are included in accordance with various
    requirements of the Rules of the House of Representatives:

             STATEMENT OF GENERAL PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

        Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
    House of Representatives, the following is a statement of
    general performance goals and objectives for which this measure
    authorizes funding:
        The Committee on Appropriations considers program
    performance, including a program's success in developing and
    attaining outcome-related goals and objectives, in developing
    funding recommendations.

                              RESCISSION OF FUNDS

        Pursuant to clause 3(f)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
    House of Representatives, the following statements are
    submitted describing the rescissions in the accompanying bill:

                                  RESCISSIONS

        Pursuant to clause 3(f)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
    House of Representatives, the following lists the rescissions
    included in the accompanying bill:

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      Program or Activity                        Amount
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Department of Veterans Affairs
        Veterans Health Administration....................   $15,889,000,000
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

                               TRANSFERS OF FUNDS

        Pursuant to clause 3(f)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
    House of Representatives, the following list includes the
    transfers included in the accompanying bill:

                         TITLE I--DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

        Language is included under Title I to allow for the
    transfer of funds from Family Housing, Construction accounts to
    the Department of Defense Family Housing Improvement Fund and
    funds from Military Construction accounts to the Department of
    Defense Military Unaccompanied Housing Improvement Fund.
        Language is included under Title I to provide transfer
    authority from the BRAC account to the Homeowners Assistance
    Program.
        Language is included under Title I to allow the transfer of
    expired funds to the ``Foreign Currency Fluctuations,
    Construction, Defense'' account.

                    TITLE II--DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

        Language is included under Title II to transfer not to
    exceed $29,454,647,000 in fiscal year 2026 from Compensation
    and Pensions to General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits
    Administration and Information Technology Systems. These funds
    are for the administrative costs of implementing cost-savings
    proposals required by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of
    1990 and the Veterans' Benefits Act of 1992. Language is also
    included transferring funds to the Medical Care Collections
    Fund to augment funding of medical facilities for nursing home
    care provided to pensioners.
        Language is included under Title II to permit the transfer
    of funds from General Administration to General Operating
    Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration.
        Language is included under Title II to permit the transfer
    of funds between Information Technology Systems development
    projects and among the three subaccounts identified in bill
    language subject to the approval of the Committee.
        Language is included under Title II to provide authority
    for the Department of Veterans Affairs for any funds
    appropriated in 2026 for Compensation and Pensions,
    Readjustment Benefits, and Veterans Insurance and Indemnities
    to be transferred among those three accounts.
        Language is included under Title II to transfer funds among
    the Medical Services, Medical Community Care, Medical Support
    and Compliance, and Medical Facilities accounts, subject to
    approval by the Committee.
        Language is included under Title II to permit the funds
    from three life insurance funds to be transferred to General
    Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration and
    Information Technology Systems for the costs of administering
    such programs.
        Language is included under Title II to permit funding up to
    be transferred to General Administration and Information
    Technology Systems from any funds appropriated in fiscal year
    2026 to reimburse three headquarters offices for services
    provided.
        Language is included under Title II to transfer certain
    funds derived from enhanced-use leasing activities to the
    Construction, Major Projects and Construction, Minor Projects
    accounts.
        Language is included under Title II to allow the transfer
    of funds from the Medical Care Collections Fund to the Medical
    Services and Medical Community Care accounts.
        Language is included under Title II to allow the transfer
    of funds from the Capital Asset Fund to the Construction, Major
    Projects and Construction, Minor Projects accounts.
        Language is included under Title II to allow the transfer
    of funds from various accounts to the Information Technology
    Systems account in an aggregate amount not to exceed ten
    percent of the account appropriation, subject to approval by
    the Committee.
        Language is included under Title II to allow the transfer
    of funds provided for the Department of Veterans Affairs in
    fiscal year 2026 to the Joint Department of Defense-Department
    of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration Fund.
        Language is included under Title II allowing fiscal year
    2026 medical care funding to be transferred to the Joint
    Department of Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs Medical
    Facility Demonstration fund.
        Language is included under Title II permitting funds
    deposited to the Medical Care Collections Fund for healthcare
    provided at a combined Federal medical facility to be
    transferred to the Joint Department of Defense-Department of
    Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration Fund.
        Language is included under Title II to the Department of
    Veterans Affairs that would transfer no less than $15,000,000
    for the DOD-VA Health Care Sharing Incentive Fund as authorized
    by section 8111(d) of title 38, United States Code.
        Language is included under Title II that permits the
    transfer from all discretionary accounts except General
    Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration, to
    Medical Services, subject to approval by the Committee.
        Language is included under Title II that permits transfer
    of funds between General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits
    Administration and the Board of Veterans Appeals, subject to
    approval by the Committee.

                               TRANSFER OF FUNDS

        Pursuant to clause 3(f)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
    House of Representatives, the following statements are
    submitted describing the transfer of funds provided in the
    accompanying bill.

       DISCLOSURE OF EARMARKS AND CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING ITEMS

        The following table is submitted in compliance with clause
    9 of rule XXI, and lists the congressional earmarks (as defined
    in paragraph (e) of clause 9) contained in the bill or in this
    report. Neither the bill nor the report contain any limited tax
    benefits or limited tariff benefits as defined in paragraphs
    (f) or (g) of clause 9 of rule XXI.

                                                  MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND RELATED AGENCIES
                                                                   [Community Project Funding]
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   Account                         State                   Project                Location            House Amount      House Requestor(s)
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Army................................  AL.....................  Access Control Point..  Anniston Army Depot...        $18,000,000  Rogers
    Army................................  FL.....................  Joint Interagency Task  Naval Air Station Key          50,000,000  Gimenez
                                                                    Force-South Command     West.
                                                                    and Control Facility.
    Army................................  OK.....................  Automation-Aided        Fort Sill.............          9,300,000  Cole
                                                                    Instruction Building.
    Navy................................  CA.....................  Child Development       Naval Air Weapons               8,900,000  Fong
                                                                    Center.                 Station China Lake.
    Navy................................  CA.....................  F-35 Aircraft           Naval Air Station              17,000,000  Fong
                                                                    Maintenance Hangar.     Lemoore.
    Navy................................  FL.....................  Communications          USMC Support Facility          45,425,000  Rutherford
                                                                    Infrastructure.         Blount Island.
    Navy................................  FL.....................  Child Development       Naval Air Station               4,575,000  Rutherford
                                                                    Center.                 Jacksonville.
    Navy................................  GU.....................  Defense Access Roads..  Guam..................         50,000,000  Moylan
    Navy................................  VA.....................  EOD Expeditionary Mine  Joint Expeditionary            12,000,000  Kiggans
                                                                    Countermeasures         Base Little Creek--
                                                                    Facility.               Fort Story.
    Navy................................  VA.....................  Power Upgrades (Pier    Naval Station Norfolk.         15,000,000  Kiggans
                                                                    14).
    Navy................................  VA.....................  Shore Power for         Naval Weapons Station           2,200,000  Wittman
                                                                    Virginia Class          Yorktown.
                                                                    Submarines.
    Air Force...........................  NE.....................  Survivable Airborne     Offutt Air Force Base.         29,800,000  Bacon, Flood
                                                                    Operations Center.
    Air Force...........................  UT.....................  F-35 Canopy Repair      Hill Air Force Base...          2,600,000  Moore
                                                                    Facility.
    Defense-wide........................  AL.....................  General Purpose         Anniston Army Depot...         32,000,000  Rogers
                                                                    Warehouse.
    Defense-wide........................  NC.....................  SOF Forward Operating   Fort Bragg............         44,700,000  Hudson
                                                                    Base Freedom Upgrades.
    Defense-wide........................  NC.....................  SOF Joint Intelligence  Fort Bragg............          5,300,000  Hudson
                                                                    Center.
    Army Reserve........................  KY.....................  Aviation Support        Fort Knox.............         50,000,000  Gutherie
                                                                    Facility.
    Navy Reserve........................  TX.....................  Maintenance Hangar....  Naval Air Station Fort         50,000,000  Ellzey
                                                                                            Worth.
    Air Force Reserve...................  TX.....................  Entry Control Facility  Dobbins Air Reserve             3,200,000  Loudermilk
                                                                                            Base.
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

              Compliance With Rule XIII, Cl. 3(e) (Ramseyer Rule)

      In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of
    the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by
    the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law
    proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets and
    existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in roman):

                               PUBLIC LAW 118-42

               *       *       *       *       *       *       *
       DIVISION A--MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND RELATED
    AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024

               *       *       *       *       *       *       *

    TITLE II--DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

               *       *       *       *       *       *       *

                         (including transfer of funds)

      [Sec. 220. Of the amounts appropriated to the Department of
    Veterans Affairs which become available on October 1, 2024, for
    ``Medical Services'', ``Medical Community Care'', ``Medical
    Support and Compliance'', and ``Medical Facilities'', up to
    $456,547,000, 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.]

               *       *       *       *       *       *       *

        Language is included in various parts of the bill to
    continue ongoing activities that require annual authorization
    or additional legislation, which to date have not been enacted.
    Language is included in various parts of the bill to place
    limitations on the use of funds in the bill or change existing
    limitation and which might, under some circumstances, be
    construed as changing the application of existing law.
        Language is included in various parts of the bill to allow
    the Secretary of Defense to exceed certain limitations upon
    notification to the Committee.
        Language is included in various parts of the bill to allow
    funding to be used for official reception and representation
    expenses.
        Language is included in various parts of the bill to enable
    various appropriations to remain available for more than one
    year for some programs for which the basic authority
    legislation does not presently authorize such extended
    availability.
        Language is included in various parts of the bill to permit
    the transfer of funds to other accounts.
        Language is included under Title I to prohibit payments for
    cost plus-a-fixed-fee contracts under certain circumstances.
        Language is included in various parts of the bill to allow
    funds to be used for the hire of passenger motor vehicles.
        Language is included under Title I to allow advances to the
    Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation
    under certain circumstances. Language is included under Title I
    to prohibit the use of funds to begin construction of new bases
    without specific appropriations.
        Language is included under Title I to prohibit the use of
    funds for purchase of land or land easements under certain
    circumstances.
        Language is included under Title I to prohibit the use of
    funds for land acquisition, site preparation, and utility
    installation for family housing unless funds have been made
    available in annual appropriations Acts.
        Language is included under Title I to prohibit the use of
    minor construction funds to transfer an activity between
    installations without prior notification.
        Language is included under Title I to prohibit the use of
    funds for the procurement of steel for any activity if American
    steel producers have been denied the opportunity to compete for
    such steel procurements.
        Language is included under Title I to prohibit the use of
    funds to pay real property taxes in any foreign nation.
        Language is included under Title I to prohibit the use of
    funds to initiate a new installation overseas without prior
    notification.
        Language is included under Title I to limit the use of
    funds for architect and engineer contracts under certain
    circumstances.
        Language is included under Title I to limit the use of
    funds for awarding contracts to foreign contractors under
    certain circumstances.
        Language is included under Title I to require the
    Department of Defense to notify the appropriate committees of
    Congress of any proposed military exercises under certain
    circumstances.
        Language is included under Title I to allow prior year
    construction funding to be available for currently authorized
    projects.
        Language is included under Title I to allow payment for the
    cost associated with supervision, inspection, overhead,
    engineering and design on family housing or military
    construction projects that arebeing completed with expired or
    lapsed funds.
        Language is included under Title I to allow funds to be
    expended on military construction projects for four fiscal
    years after enactment under certain circumstances.
        Language is included under Title I to allow construction
    funds to be transferred to Housing Improvement Funds.
        Language is included under Title I to allow for the
    transfer of BRAC funds to the Homeowners Assistance Program.
        Language is included under Title I to limit funds for the
    operation and maintenance of family housing to those provided
    in this appropriation and to limit amounts expended on repairs
    of general and flag officer quarters under certain
    circumstances.
        Language is included under Title I to allow funds in the
    Ford Island Improvement Account to be available until expended
    for certain purposes.
        Language is included under Title I to allow for the
    transfer of expired funding to the Foreign Currency Fluctuation
    Account under certain circumstances.
        Language is included under Title I to prohibit funds from
    being used for projects at Arlington Cemetery.
        Language is included under Title I directing all amounts
    appropriated to Military Construction (all accounts) be
    immediately available and allotted for the full scope of the
    authorized project.
        Language is included under Title I providing funds for
    unfunded requirements requested by the Services and Combatant
    Commanders.
        Language is included under Title I defining the
    congressional defense committees.
        Language is included under Title I providing funds for
    military laboratory facilities.
        Language is included under Title I providing funds for
    child development centers planning and design.
        Language is included under Title I providing funds for
    barracks planning and design.
        Language is included under Title I providing funds for
    demolition.
        Language is included under Title I prohibiting funds to
    close Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
        Language is included under Title II providing for the
    reimbursement to the Department of Defense for the costs of
    verses employee mail.
        Language is included under Title II to require that the
    Secretary of Veterans Affairs establish a priority for
    treatment of Veterans who are service-connected disabled, lower
    income, or have special needs.
        Language is included under Title II to require that the
    Secretary of Veterans Affairs give priority funding of basic
    medical benefits to priority groups 1 through 6.
        Language is included under Title II to allow the Secretary
    of Veterans Affairs to dispense prescription drugs from VHA
    facilities to enrolled Veterans with privately written
    prescriptions at no additional cost to the Department.
        Language is included under Title II requiring the Secretary
    to ensure sufficient funding is available for the acquisition
    of prosthetics designed for women Veterans.
        Language is included under Title II requiring sufficient
    funding is available for prosthetic research specifically for
    female Veterans and for toxic exposure research.
        Language is included under Title II to require approval of
    a transfer between development projects in the Information
    Technology Systems account.
        Language is included under Title II prohibiting funding in
    the Veterans Electronic Health Record account from being
    obligated in a manner inconsistent with deployment schedules.
        Language is included under Title II establishing time
    limitations and reporting requirements concerning the
    obligation of Major Construction funds, limiting the use of
    funds, allowing the use of funds for program costs, and
    allowing for the reimbursement to the ``General
    Administration'' account for the salaries and expenses of the
    Office of Construction and Facilities Management employees.
        Language is included under Title II to allow Minor
    Construction funds to be used to repair nonmedical facilities
    damaged by natural disaster or catastrophe.
        Language is included under Title II permitting transfers
    between mandatory and discretionary accounts, limiting and
    providing for the use of certain funds, funding administrative
    expenses associated with life insurance programs from excess
    program revenues, allowing reimbursement from enhanced-use
    leases and for certain services, requiring notification of
    construction bid savings, limiting reprogramming amount of
    major construction projects, restricting changes in the scope
    of major construction projects, requiring disclosure of
    insurance and income information, allowing a recovery audit
    collection program, allowing Veterans in the State of Alaska to
    use Indian Health Service facilities under certain conditions,
    requiring quarterly reports on the Department's financial
    status, performance measures, and data, allowing medical
    services funds for recreational and funeral expenses, and
    requiring notification of organizational changes that transfer
    25 or more employees from one VA organizational unit to
    another.
        Language is included under Title II requiring notification
    of any single national outreach and awareness marketing
    campaign in which obligations exceed $1,000,000.
        Language is included under Title II requiring the Secretary
    to maintain certain requirements in operating the toll-free
    suicide hotline.
        Language is included under Title II prohibiting funds from
    being used in contravention of certain breast cancer screening
    guidance.
        Language is included under Title II to allow covered
    veterans and their spouses or partners, under certain
    conditions, to receive assisted reproductive technology
    services and adoption reimbursement.
        Language is included under Title II pertaining to
    exceptions for Indian- or Native Hawaiian-owned businesses
    contracting with the Department.
        Language is included under Title II directing the
    elimination of using Social Security account numbers to
    identify individuals in all information systems of the
    Department.
        Language is included under Title II pertaining to
    certification of marriage and family therapists.
        Language is included under Title II prohibiting funds from
    being used to transfer funding from the Filipino Veterans
    Equity Compensation Fund to any other VA account.
        Language is included under Title II permitting funds to
    carry out and expand the childcare program.
        Language is included under Title II prohibiting funds to
    enter into an agreement to resolve a dispute or claim with an
    individual that would restrict the individual from speaking to
    Members of Congress or their staff.
        Language is included under Title II requiring certain data
    to be included in budget justifications for major construction
    projects.
        Language is included under Title II prohibiting the
    Inspector General from being denied timely access to
    information.
        Language is included under Title II prohibiting funding to
    be used in a manner that would increase wait times for Veterans
    who seek medical care.
        Language is included under Title II prohibiting the use of
    funds in fiscal year 2024 to convert any program that received
    specific purpose funding in fiscal year 2023 to a general
    purpose-funded program.
        Language is included under Title II prohibiting the use of
    dogs or cats as part of the conduct of any study.
        Language is included under Title II allowing for funds
    within the Medical Community Care account to be used for
    expenses that would have otherwise been payable from the
    Veterans Choice Fund.
        Language is included under Title II allowing for
    obligations and expenditures applicable to the Medical Services
    account in fiscal years 2017 through 2019 for aid to state
    homes to remain in the Medical Community Care account for such
    fiscal years.
        Language is included under Title II providing for a certain
    amount within the medical care accounts to be made available
    for gender-specific care and programmatic efforts to deliver
    care for women veterans.
        Language is included under Title II rescinding unobligated
    balances in the ``Recurring Expenses Transformational Fund.''
        Language is included under Title II requiring quarterly
    reports on the status of the Veterans Medical Care and Health
    Fund.
        Language is included under Title II allowing the use of
    unobligated balances for CHIP-In construction projects.
    Language is included under Title II to require an expenditure
    plan for funds made available in the Fiscal Responsibility Act
    of 2023 (P.L. 118-5). Language is included under Title II
    prohibiting federal funding for abortions except in cases of
    incest, rape, or life of the mother and prohibiting federal
    funding for implementing the Department of Veterans Affairs
    Interim Final Rule on abortion.
        Language is included under Title II regarding funding for
    hormone therapies or surgeries for gender-affirming care.
        Language is included prohibiting the use of to provide any
    services to any individual unlawfully present in the United
    States who is not eligible for health care under the laws
    administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
        Language is included under Title II prohibiting the
    Secretary of Veterans Affairs from reporting who is deemed
    mentally incapacitated, mentally incompetent, or experiencing
    an extended loss of consciousness as mental defective under 18
    U.S.C (d)(4) or (g)(4).
        Language is included under Title III, United States Court
    of Appeals for Veterans Claims, Salaries and Expenses, to
    permit the use of funds for a pro bono program.
        Language is included under Title III, Cemeterial Expenses,
    Army, Salaries and Expenses, to permit the use of funds for
    parking maintenance and repairs.
        Language is included under Title III, Armed Forces
    Retirement Home to permit payment from the general fund of the
    Treasury to the Trust Fund.
        Language is included under Title III to allow for the use
    of concession fees.
        Language is included under Title IV prohibiting funding
    beyond the current fiscal year unless expressly so provided.
        Language is included under Title IV to limit the use of
    funds for Federal entities when they are not in compliance with
    Federal laws relating to risk assessment, the protection of
    private property rights, or unfunded mandates.
        Language is included under Title IV providing funding to
    expand the use of ``E Commerce'' technologies and procedures.
        Language is included under Title IV specifying the
    Congressional committees that are to receive all reports and
    notifications.
        Language is included under Title IV prohibiting the
    transfer of funds to any instrumentality of the United States
    Government without authority from an appropriations Act.
        Language is included under Title IV prohibiting the use of
    funds for a project or program named for an individual serving
    as a Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner of the United
    States House of Representatives.
        Language is included under Title IV requiring all reports
    submitted to the Congress to be posted on the official public
    website of that agency.
        Language is included under Title IV prohibiting funds from
    being used to maintain or establish a computer network unless
    such network blocks the viewing, downloading, and exchanging of
    pornography.
        Language is included under Title IV prohibiting funds from
    being used to pay for first-class travel in violation of
    Federal regulations. Language is included under Title IV
    prohibiting funds from being used to execute a contract for
    goods or services where a contractor has not complied with
    Executive Order 12989.
        Language is included under Title IV prohibiting the use of
    funds in this Act to construct facilities on military
    installations that do not meet resiliency standards.
        Language is included under Title IV prohibiting funds to
    build or house detainees at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
        Language is included under Title IV prohibiting funds for
    executive orders related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
        Language is included under Title IV prohibiting use of
    funds to directly or indirectly influence an appropriation
    mattered pending before Congress, other than to communicated
    with Members of Congress as described in 18 U.S.C 1913.
        Language is included under Title IV prohibiting
    discrimination based on religious beliefs related to marriage.
        Language is included under Title IV prohibiting Diversity,
    Equity, and Inclusion training or implementation.
        Language is included under Title IV prohibiting use of
    funds to enforce COVID-19 mask mandates.
        Language is included under Title IV prohibiting use of
    funds to purchases various IT related equipment from China.
        Language is included under Title IV regarding a Spending
    Reduction Account.

                   CHANGES IN THE APPLICATION OF EXISTING LAW

        Pursuant to clause 3(f)(1)(A) of rule XIII of the Rules of
    the House of Representatives, the following statements are
    submitted describing the effect of provisions in the
    accompanying bill that directly or indirectly change the
    application of existing law.

                      APPROPRIATIONS NOT AUTHORIZED BY LAW

        Pursuant to clause 3(f)(1)(B) of rule XIII of the Rules of
    the House of Representatives, the following table lists the
    appropriations in the accompanying bill which are not
    authorized by law for the period concerned:

                                                 [dollars in thousands]
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                   Appropriations
                 Agency/program                 Last year of      Authorization    in last year of   Appropriations
                                                authorization         level         authorization     in this bill
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Military Construction, Army.............              2025         2,485,657         2,236,357         2,103,657
    Military Construction, Navy and Marine                2025         4,089,622         4,159,399         4,104,499
     Corps..................................
    Military Construction, Air Force........              2025         3,532,416         3,347,126         3,169,526
    Military Construction, Defense-Wide.....              2025         3,187,950         3,881,383         3,963,383
    Military Construction, Army National                  2025           477,329           398,489           358,489
     Guard..................................
    Military Construction, Air National                   2025           296,692           290,492           210,492
     Guard..................................
    Military Construction, Army Reserve.....              2025           351,032           295,032           305,032
    Military Construction, Navy Reserve.....              2025            39,829            51,291            79,829
    Military Construction, Air Force Reserve              2025           137,863            74,663            37,863
    North Atlantic Treaty Organization                    2025           463,864           293,434           293,434
     Security Investment Program............
    Family Housing Construction, Army.......              2025           258,647           276,647           276,647
    Family Housing Operation and                          2025           475,611           485,611           495,369
     Maintenance, Army......................
    Family Housing Construction, Navy and                 2025            89,742           245,742           245,742
     Marine.................................
    Family Housing Operation and Maintenance              2025           377,217           387,217           397,217
     Navy and Marine Corps..................
    Family Housing Construction, Air Force..              2025           221,549           221,549           221,549
    Family Housing Operation and                          2025           326,250           336,250           346,250
     Maintenance, Air Force.................
    Family Housing Operation and                          2025            52,156            52,156            52,156
     Maintenance, Defense-Wide..............
    Department of Defense Family Housing                  2025             8,195             8,195             8,195
     Improvement Fund.......................
    Department of Defense Military                        2025               497               497               497
     Unaccompanied Housing Improvement Fund.
    Base Realignment and Closure Account....              2025           522,961           489,174           489,174
    Dept. of Veterans Affairs, Major             done each yr.  ................           961,219         1,750,000
     Construction...........................
    Armed Forces Retirement Home............              2025           100,520           108,000            70,520
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                              PROGRAM DUPLICATION

        Pursuant to clause 3(c)(5) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
    House of Representatives, no provision of this bill establishes
    or reauthorizes a program of the Federal Government known to be
    duplicative of another Federal program, a program that was
    included in any report from the Government Accountability
    Office to Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-
    139, or a program related to a program identified in the most
    recent Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance.

                       COMPARISON WITH BUDGET RESOLUTION

        Pursuant to clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
    House of Representatives and section 308(a)(1)(A) of the
    Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the following table compares
    the levels of new budget authority provided in the bill with
    the appropriate allocation under section 302(b) of the Budget
    Act:

                                                [In millions of dollars]
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       302(b) Allocation                       This Bill
                                             -----------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                   Budget                              Budget
                                                  Authority          Outlays          Authority          Outlays
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Comparison of amounts in the bill with
     Committee allocations to its
     subcommittees: Subcommittee on Labor,
     Health and Human Services, and
     Education, and Related Agencies
        Discretionary.......................          $152,091          $149,620          $152,091       \1\$149,620
        Mandatory...........................           301,575           237,719           244,474        \1\242,748
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Includes outlays from prior-year budget authority.

                          FIVE-YEAR OUTLAY PROJECTIONS

        Pursuant to clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII and section
    308(a)(1)(A) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the
    following table contains five-year projections associated with
    the budget authority provided in the accompanying bill as
    provided to the Committee by the Congressional Budget Office:

                            [In millions of dollars]
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                 Outlays
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Projection of outlays associated with the
     recommendation:
    2026..................................................       \1\$351,516
    2027..................................................           120,571
    2028..................................................            16,794
    2029..................................................             6,070
    2030 and future years.................................             5,203
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Excludes outlays from prior-year budget authority.

              FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

        Pursuant to clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII and section
    308(a)(1)(A) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the
    Congressional Budget Office has provided the following
    estimates of new budget authority and outlays provided by the
    accompanying bill for financial assistance to State and local
    governments:

                            [In millions of dollars]
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                               Budget
                                              Authority          Outlays
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Financial Assistance to State and                  190               189
     local governments for 2026.........
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Excludes outlays from prior-year budget authority.

                   ASSISTANCE TO STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

        Pursuant to clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII and section
    308(a)(1)(C) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-
    344), as amended, the Congressional Budget Office has provided
    the following estimates of new budget authority and outlays
    provided by the accompanying bill for financial assistance to
    State and local governments.

                               COMMITTEE HEARINGS

        Pursuant to clause 3(c)(6) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
    House of Representatives, the following hearings were used to
    develop or consider the Military Construction, Department of
    Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act,
    2026:
        The Subcommittee on Military Construction, Department of
    Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies held a hearing on March
    11, 2025, entitled ``Innovative Technology Opportunities in
    Military Construction''. The Subcommittee received testimony
    from:
              Director of Military Programs, Mr. Dave Morrow, U.S.
            Army Corp of Engineers
              Chief Engineer and Assistant Commander for Planning,
            Design, and Construction Naval Facilities Engineering
            Systems Command, Keith Hamiliton
              Brent Richardson, PE, Energy, Infrastructure, and
            Environmental Program, CNA
              Thomas Healy, Founder and CEO of Hyliion
        The Subcommittee on Military Construction, Department of
    Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies held a hearing on April
    8, 2025, entitled ``Oversight Hearing--Quality of Life in the
    Military''. The Subcommittee received testimony from:
              Sergeant Major Michael A. Weimer, U.S. Army
              Master Chief Petty Officer James A. Honea, U.S. Navy
              Sergeant Major Carlos A. Ruiz, U.S. Marine Corps
              Chief Master Sergeant David A. Flossi, U.S. Air Force
              Chief Master Sergeant John F. Bentivegna, U.S. Space
            Force
        The Subcommittee on Military Construction, Department of
    Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies held a hearing on May
    15, 2025, entitled ``Budget Hearing--Fiscal Year 2026 Request
    for the Department of Veterans Affairs''. The Subcommittee
    received testimony from:
              The Honorable Douglas Collins, Secretary, Department
            of Veterans Affairs

          COMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF NEW BUDGET (OBLIGATIONAL) AUTHORITY

        The following table provides a detailed summary, for each
    Department and agency, comparing the amounts recommended in the
    bill with amounts enacted for fiscal year 2025 and budget
    estimates presented for fiscal year 2026.

                                 MINORITY VIEWS

        The fiscal year 2026 Military Construction, Veterans
    Affairs, and Related Agencies (MilCon-VA) bill funds critical
    military construction, family housing, and quality of life
    improvements and enhancements for our brave men and women in
    uniform and their families. The bill also funds a wide variety
    of assistance programs for veterans, including disability and
    pension benefits, healthcare services, educational assistance,
    and home loan and insurance programs they have earned through
    their service to our country. It also funds the American Battle
    Monuments Commission, Armed Forces Retirement Home, Arlington
    National Cemetery, and the Court of Appeals for Veterans
    Claims.
        As context for which this bill was written, since President
    Trump's inauguration on January 20, 2025, our democracy has
    been under assault. The President has challenged Congress'
    Article I authority by illegally freezing, withholding, and
    canceling funds while allowing Elon Musk to run wild in the
    Executive Branch. The creation of the so-called ``Department of
    Government Efficiency'' (DOGE) has led to mass layoffs of
    thousands of dedicated and non-partisan federal employees,
    while canceling programs that millions of Americans rely on,
    and weaponizing the federal government to exact revenge on the
    President's enemies. These actions are unprecedented and have
    challenged our judicial system and our institutions as we know
    them. The chaos continues to disrupt our economy, increasing
    costs, while our allies and partners abroad have started to
    look at alternative partnerships and ways to challenge the
    increasing threats from China, Russia, Iran and other
    adversaries. Despite these historic times, Republicans have
    buried their heads in the sand, pretending as if none of this
    is happening.
        Six months into this Administration, Congress has yet to
    receive a budget request with full justification materials
    consistent with past years. Therefore, the bill was written
    without any analysis or justification usually provided for by
    the budget request. In fact, the bill could not be completed in
    its normal form. Since there was no budget request, the
    majority was not able to produce state tables and members were
    not able to request community project funding based on current
    year needs. Similarly, the subcommittee only held a total of
    two budget hearings, a significant drop from the five hearings
    the subcommittee normally holds every year and these hearings
    were held without seeing any budget request materials. These
    hearings are necessary to hold the Administration accountable
    while increasing transparency and public awareness.
    Furthermore, subcommittee allocations have not been determined,
    leaving questions about how much discretionary funding will be
    available to fund critical programs. Put simply, the process
    was a mess and Americans deserve better.
        For all these reasons, and many more, Democrats held firm
    and demanded 29 changes through amendments in an eleven hour
    long full committee markup. While common sense amendments, such
    as requests for reports to inform the committee on tariff
    impacts, staffing cut impacts, and language to cut problematic
    riders failed, Democrats were successful in adopting three
    amendments. These three amendments ensure that cuts are not
    made to the Veterans Affairs Crisis Line, increases the
    Veterans Affairs Crisis Line by $5 million, and provides
    advance funding of $51.7 billion for the Toxic Exposures Fund
    (TEF), a significant improvement to the bill.
        While we appreciate the efforts made to accommodate
    Democratic priorities, the funding levels and significant
    policy riders in the MilCon-V A bill are not workable and
    Democrats are unable to support this bill. The bill
    inadequately funds military construction and quality of life
    programs for our servicemembers by almost $1 billion and
    prioritizes privatized medical care for veterans which will
    only serve to increase costs to taxpayers while allowing for
    substandard care for our heroes. Finally, the bill includes
    eight egregious policy riders that limit women's health care,
    constrain suicide prevention efforts, and supports bad policy.
    These riders should have no place in this bill.

                             MILITARY CONSTRUCTION

        So far in his first six months as Defense Secretary, Pete
    Hegseth prioritized culture war issues while ignoring the
    things that really matter, such as the quality of life of our
    troops. Secretary Hegseth has renamed installations and
    warships, banned the pride flag, and blocked qualified
    transgender troops from serving because he is offended by
    diversity. He also requested a $50,000 emergency paint job for
    his government furnished house while spending appropriated
    funds to build a make-up booth in the Pentagon. Meanwhile, our
    troops live in substandard housing, suicide and sexual assault
    prevention remains a challenge, and servicemembers continue to
    struggle with access to affordable and high-quality childcare.
    The Department has no plans to address these issues or any
    other quality of life issues, except to transfer hundreds of
    millions out of these programs to fund a pointless border wall.
        To address these quality-of-life issues, the bill includes
    Ranking Member Wasserman Schultz's request to provide $30
    million in dedicated funding to expand the oversight of the
    housing portfolio at the Department of Defense, including
    government-owned and controlled family housing and privatized
    family and unaccompanied housing. The well-being of service
    members and their families is of utmost importance, and we
    continue to hear unacceptable reports of poor housing
    conditions, slow response times, and indifference towards
    requests for assistance.
        Although the bill provides $50 million in dedicated funding
    for PF AS remediation and cleanup, it does not include
    additional, dedicated funding for military installation climate
    change and resiliency projects, leaving our installations
    vulnerable to climate change. The bill also underfunds the
    North Atlantic Treaty Organization Security Investment Program
    (NSIP), by $188 million, underfunding installations that our
    troops and allies in Europe rely on, and especially as Russia's
    illegal invasion into Ukraine approaches its fourth year.
        To address the military construction shortfalls in the
    bill, Democrats offered seven amendments to increase NSIP
    funding and require spend plans and approvals for the
    Department's redirection of funding to the border wall.
    Unfortunately, these amendments were not adopted.

                         DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

        In the first six months of this Administration, the
    Department of Veterans Affairs led by Secretary Collins, has
    plummeted into disarray with morale nosediving, threatening the
    ability of the Department to provide benefits and high-quality
    care to our deserving veterans. So far, Secretary Collins has
    not produced a comprehensive or sensible plan for VA to improve
    wait times, process claims quicker, hire qualified medical
    professionals, or address the mental health crisis, all real
    challenges facing our veterans today. Instead, Secretary
    Collins is focused on cutting the workforce by fifteen percent,
    or over 80,000 dedicated public servants, canceling hundreds of
    important contracts that provide services to our veterans, and
    addressing culture war issues that only Republicans believe are
    a high priority. DOGE has been allowed to access private
    veteran information including their social security numbers and
    disability status. The Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase
    (VASP) Program, designed to help veterans avoid foreclosure,
    has been shuttered. Twenty-four staffers for the VA suicide
    crisis line were needlessly fired, leaving calls unanswered.
    When asked for details or information to better understand
    these serious concerns, VA has refused to answer any questions.
    The Department of Veterans Affairs is in disarray and veterans
    will suffer as a result.
        The majority's bill does nothing to address the legitimate
    concerns raised above. Instead, the majority's bill included a
    sixty seven percent increase to medical community care,
    representing the largest ever shift towards VA medical care
    privatization. A priority straight out of Project 2025. This
    decision was made without any justification materials from the
    Administration. Democrats support the ability for veterans to
    seek care where they can, but multiple studies have shown the
    best care veterans can receive is at VA facilities. We should
    be dedicating funding to expanding services and hiring more
    medical professionals at VA, not shifting funding to private
    hospitals and clinics. Furthermore, the base bill failed to
    provide the $51.7 billion in advance funding for the TEF
    requested by the President. Veterans were being denied the
    certainty they deserve, certainty that if they were exposed to
    toxic substances, they would be guaranteed health care
    indefinitely. The bill also included eight harmful riders, for
    example, blocking abortion and VA from reporting veterans to
    the National Instant Criminal Background Check system who were
    determined to be a potential danger to themselves or others.
        To fix these issues, Democrats offered 22 amendments that
    focused on ascertaining reports and information regarding the
    staffing cuts, the closure of the VASP program, increasing
    funding for vital programs like the crisis line and healthy
    food programs, and advance fund the TEF. Ranking Member
    Wasserman Schultz was successful in negotiating a deal to
    advance fund TEF for two years, ensuring that $51.7 billion
    would be available for toxic exposed veterans. This success was
    coupled with guaranteed protections and increased funding for
    the VA crisis line as amendments from Congresswoman Underwood
    and Congresswoman Dean were adopted.

                             CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS

        This bill has been considered during a time of remarkable
    upheaval for the Committee. Since trucing office in January
    2025, the executive branch has been engaged in a rampant,
    unlawful, and unconstitutional disregard for spending laws. In
    particular, the Office of Management and Budget has been at the
    center of a government-wide effort to thwart the intent of this
    Committee's laws in its actions, while also unlawfully refusing
    to publish the agency's legally binding budget decisions (known
    as apportionments) in contravention of an unambiguous and
    constitutionally sound assertion of the Congress's authority to
    impose transparency requirements upon the executive branch.
        The current executive branch has contended--at times--an
    inherent Presidential power to impound. However, while this
    bill was approved over the objection of all but one Democrat on
    the Committee, the debate and proceedings made unmistakably
    clear, just as former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the
    United States William Rehnquist concluded (at the time an
    Assistant Attorney General with the Department of Justice
    Office):
              ``With respect to the suggestion that the President
            has a constitutional power to decline to spend
            appropriated funds, we must conclude that existence of
            such a broad power is supported by neither reason nor
            precedent.''
        The laws considered and enacted by this Committee reflect
    the legally binding expression of Congress's constitutional
    power of the purse, effectuated through the conditions and
    permissions the Committee places on spending authority through
    the Congress's Article I powers. Just as the Committee chooses
    to allow or restrict the purpose for any purpose in the bill,
    so too does the Committee decide the amount for which an
    activity shall be funded. When the Committee allows the
    flexibility of merely mandating a ceiling (or upper limit) or a
    floor (lowest required level) for an activity, it does so in
    contrast to every other instance where it has included a
    specific amount, which unless otherwise stated is Congress's
    clear intent to be both a floor and a ceiling.
        These perspectives are both uncontroversial and
    longstanding principles on which all of the Committee's work
    rests.
        This subcommittee has a long-standing tradition of
    bipartisanship, and we will work in good faith with our
    colleagues as we proceed through the appropriations process
    with the hope of restoring bipartisan priorities in this bill.
    By working together, we can best address the needs of our
    Nation's military and its veterans and reach an agreement on
    the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related
    Agencies bill for FY 2026.

                                       Rosa DeLauro,
                                               Ranking Member, Committee on
                                                   Appropriations.
                                       Debbie Wasserman Schultz,
                                               Ranking Member, Subcommittee
                                                   on Military
                                                   Construction, Veterans
                                                   Affairs, and Related
                                                   Agencies.

                                      [all]