[House Report 113-416]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
113th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session 113-416
======================================================================
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND RELATED AGENCIES
APPROPRIATIONS BILL, 2015
_______
April 17, 2014.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Culberson, from the Committee on Appropriations,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
together with
MINORITY VIEWS
[To accompany H.R. 4486]
The Committee on Appropriations submits the following
report in explanation of the accompanying bill making
appropriations for military construction, the Department of
Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year
ending September 30, 2015, and for other purposes.
CONTENTS
Page
Purpose of the Bill.............................................. 2
Summary of Committee Recommendation.............................. 2
Comparative Statement of New Budget Authority.................... 4
Management and Oversight Initiatives............................. 12
Department of Defense:
Military Construction........................................ 13
NATO Security Investment Program............................. 22
Family Housing Construction and Operation and Maintenance.... 22
Chemical Demilitarization Construction, Defense-Wide......... 25
Department of Defense Base Closure Account................... 25
Administrative Provisions.................................... 26
Department of Veterans Affairs:
Veterans Benefits Administration............................. 28
Veterans Health Administration............................... 31
National Cemetery Administration............................. 41
Departmental Administration.................................. 42
Administrative Provisions.................................... 55
Related Agencies:
American Battle Monuments Commission......................... 59
U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.................... 60
Cemeterial Expenses, Army.................................... 60
Armed Forces Retirement Home................................. 61
Administrative Provision..................................... 61
General Provisions............................................... 62
House of Representatives Report Requirements..................... 63
Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives........ 63
Rescissions.................................................. 63
Transfer of Funds............................................ 63
Disclosure of Earmarks and Congressionally Directed Spending
Items...................................................... 65
Changes in Application of Existing Law....................... 65
Appropriations Not Authorized by Law......................... 68
Program Duplication.......................................... 70
Directed Rule Making......................................... 70
Full Committee Votes......................................... 70
Ramseyer Rule................................................ 71
Comparison With the Budget Resolution........................ 71
Five-Year Projection of Outlays.............................. 71
Assistance to State and Local Governments.................... 71
State Project List........................................... 72
Minority Views............................................... 83
Purpose of the Bill
The purpose of the bill is to support our military and
their families and provide the benefits and medical care that
our veterans have earned for their service to our Nation. This
is accomplished through the programs funded in the bill, which
provide the facilities and infrastructure needed to house,
train, and equip our military personnel to defend this Nation,
both in the United States and abroad; provide the housing and
military community infrastructure that supports a good quality
of life for them and their families; and allow the military to
maintain an efficient and effective base structure. The bill
also funds programs to ensure that all veterans receive the
benefits and medical care that they have earned as a result of
the sacrifices they have made in their service to our country.
Finally, the bill funds four related agencies that provide
support to our Nation's heroes: the American Battle Monuments
Commission, Cemeterial Expenses, Army (including Arlington
National Cemetery), the United States Court of Appeals for
Veterans Claims, and the Armed Forces Retirement Home.
Summary of Committee Recommendation
The scale of the Nation's debt and the continuing annual
deficit weighed heavily on the Committee as it formulated this
bill. A driving force behind the Committee recommendations was
the bipartisan, bicameral discretionary budget caps established
for fiscal year 2015. As part of the fiscal year 2014
appropriations, Congress provided an additional $1,200,000,000
to the Veterans Health Administration in advance funding for
fiscal year 2015. This exceeds the increase provided for non-
security accounts within the discretionary budget cap,
requiring the additional funds to be offset by reductions in
other non-security activities. Similarly, it was essential that
the Committee carefully review military construction activities
and judge their merit against all security needs. As a result,
the Committee recommendation continues essential support for
servicemembers and veterans but does not provide funds for
projects or activities that lacked sufficient justification or
amounts in excess of expected obligations for the fiscal year.
Where it was prudent, the Committee recommendation rescinds
prior year funding that is no longer needed for the purpose for
which it was appropriated while leaving sufficient resources to
close out contracts.
The Committee recommends $165,012,275,000 in budget
authority for the fiscal year 2015 programs and activities
funded in the bill. The fiscal year 2015 recommendation is an
increase of $7,023,706,000 above the fiscal year 2014 enacted
level and $397,696,000 below the President's request. Included
in this amount is $93,512,828,000 in mandatory budget authority
and $71,499,447,000 in discretionary budget authority.
The programs funded in the bill for the Department of
Defense address the priorities of the Department's Agencies and
the Services for numerous facility challenges that they face.
The funds provided support new construction, family housing,
continued cleanup of military bases closed during previous Base
Realignment and Closure rounds, resource the military's global
re-stationing and force re-structure plans, and ensure that our
military personnel and their families' quality of life is
preserved within the constraints of the fiscal 2015
discretionary budget cap for security accounts.
The total recommended funding level for military
construction and family housing is $6,557,447,000, which is
$3,250,553,000 below the fiscal year 2014 enacted level and the
same as the budget request. During hearings, the Department
testified that while this budget reduction assumes some risk,
the Services chose to take risk in the military construction
program in order to reduce risk in readiness accounts. The
Services also noted that many factors are currently under
review, such as force structure and European basing, which may
impact construction needs. The Committee, while concerned by
the reduction, acknowledges the merit of these issues. The
Committee also acknowledges that the success of the Housing
Privatization Program has dramatically reduced the need for
family housing construction. Additionally, Congress has
provided substantial funding in recent years through BRAC
construction projects in excess of $24,000,000,000 and through
funding initiatives for Guard and Reserve construction,
barracks, hospitals and schools.
Although the fiscal year budget request is a considerable
reduction, the due diligence of the Department, the Services
and the Committee will enable the military construction program
to sustain the pause.
The total funding level for fiscal year 2015 for the
Department of Veterans Affairs is $158,221,261,000, an increase
of 7.0 percent over the fiscal year 2014 enacted level. Of the
total, $93,512,828,000 is provided for mandatory benefit
programs and $64,708,433,000 is allocated to discretionary
programs such as medical care, claims processing, and
construction. Discretionary funding increases by 2.3 percent.
In addition to funds for fiscal year 2015, of which
$55,634,227,000 have already been appropriated in advance, the
Committee recommendation includes $58,662,202,000 in advance
appropriations for fiscal year 2016 for the three health care
accounts of the Department.
The following table compares amounts recommended in the
bill to the President's request and amounts appropriated in
fiscal year 2014:
Management and Oversight Initiatives
The Committee believes the effective stewardship of
taxpayer dollars is of the highest priority. In the interest of
eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse in Federal programs, the
Committee has and will continue to use public hearings,
briefings, and information requests, and reviews by the
Government Accountability Office and the Inspectors General to
promote strong financial and program management, oversight and
leadership at the Department of Defense, the Department of
Veterans Affairs, and other agencies under the jurisdiction of
this bill.
The fiscal year 2015 appropriations Act and the
accompanying report address management challenges of the
Federal agencies funded herein, including directives to
strengthen financial and program management, eliminate
redundancy, and improve implementation and oversight of
initiatives that support the mission of this bill. The
Committee will use every means at its disposal to reduce
mismanagement that results in waste, fraud, and abuse.
Department of Defense (DOD).--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, or 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.
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).--With the
$158,221,261,000 provided for the VA in this bill and the
increase in the number of veterans seeking VA medical services,
the Committee believes it is important to strengthen its tools
to monitor spending as well as the skills and operating
procedures of the VA workforce. The following initiatives
demonstrate the Committee's oversight focus:
VA electronic health record.--The Committee continues to
feel it is critical to closely track VA's development of its
VistA Evolution electronic health record. In the aftermath of
the DOD and VA decision not to pursue a single integrated
health record, it becomes doubly important to ensure that the
two health records are designed in a way that permits
interoperability between the two systems. The Committee
continues the practice of the fiscal year 2013 and 2014 bills
to include language requiring the VA to provide information on
the VistA Evolution system before release of 75 percent of the
funding provided. The fiscal year 2015 directive requires
information to track the implementation of the system as
described in the documents VA provided to fulfill the 2014 bill
language directive. The Committee does not intend to delay the
progress of developing the health record, but believes
continuing oversight is necessary to ensure that the health
record will have the capabilities and interoperability promised
in the VA documents. The Committee also requires specific
information on the planned interoperability capability of VistA
Evolution, to be provided to the Committee by July 31, 2014.
Disability claims backlog reduction.--In addition to fully
funding the administration request of $173,318,000 for the
Veterans Benefits Management System, the paperless information
technology system designed to speed processing, the Committee
provides $20,000,000 in additional funding for digital scanning
of health and benefits files, the centralized mail initiative,
and staff overtime to increase workforce capacity to reduce the
backlog. The Committee bill continues the aggressive monthly
reporting requirements from each specific regional office on
claims processing performance and quarterly reports on
remediation efforts at the poorest performing regional offices.
Excessive overhead in medical services funding.--The
Committee has heard concerns from Members that the VA retains
too much of the funding provided by Congress at headquarters
and at the regional health networks instead of allowing it to
flow through to the medical centers. The Committee is
monitoring the allocation process VA uses, mandating that VA
provide information annually identifying the use of all funding
retained at headquarters, as well as the funding retained by
each network and for which purposes. In addition, the Committee
is requesting regular budget information to better identify
administrative expenses that are hidden in medical services
appropriations.
Stricter control of construction funding.--The VA
historically has allowed billions of dollars for its major
construction projects to remain unobligated for years at a time
while VA completes designs, negotiates with contractors, and
complies with local, State, and Federal paperwork. The
Committee continues bill language limiting the availability of
these funds to five years, which is the same period of time the
Committee makes Military Construction funding available. The
Committee understands that this limitation has already forced
modifications to the VA construction process and anticipates
that it will generate more efficient construction that will
better serve veterans.
Bid savings and project scope control.--In the past, the VA
has had considerable flexibility in allocating funding for
major construction projects. The Committee continues bill
language requiring the VA to notify the Committee of all bid
savings totaling $5,000,000 or more, or five percent, whichever
is less, within 14 days of the contract, as well as the
proposed use of the funds. Additionally, the VA is not
permitted to make any change in the scope of major construction
projects. With these tools, the Committee expects to gain more
control of construction funding that is no longer needed for
its original purposes.
Notification of change in use of funds.--To ensure that the
Committee is informed of and approves of changes in planned
uses of medical services funds, the bill continues a
reprogramming requirement for significant changes in funding of
non-model initiatives.
TITLE I
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Military Construction Overview
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level (including rescissions) $9,808,000,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 6,557,447,000
Committee recommendation in the bill (including 6,557,447,000
rescissions).........................................
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level.................... (3,250,553,000)
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................... - - -
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, maintenance,
research and development, supply, medical care, and force
protection, as well as unaccompanied housing, utilities
infrastructure, and land acquisition.
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) which has been specifically reduced by
the 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 the Congress is permitted,
except that the Department of Defense may seek reprogramming
for appropriated increments.
The reprogramming criteria that apply to military
construction projects (25 percent of the funded amount or
$2,000,000, whichever is less) continue to apply to new housing
construction projects and to improvements over $2,000,000. 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. 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. Planning and
design costs associated with military construction and family
housing projects may also be excluded from these guidelines. In
instances where prior approval to 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 Department of
Defense 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.
Facilities Sustainment, Restoration and Modernization
(FSRM).--The Department of Defense 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, new facilities, and functional conversions
must be performed as military construction projects. Such
projects 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. The
Committee strongly encourages the services and defense agencies
to indicate the plant replacement value of the facility to be
repaired on each such notification.
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.
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 over
$100,000,000 with the 1391 justification to the congressional
defense committees.
Transfer of funds to and from the Foreign Currency
Fluctuations, Construction, Defense Account.--The 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 of Defense 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.
Bid savings.--The Committee has ascertained from cost
variation notices required by 10 U.S.C. 2853 that the
Department of Defense continues to have bid savings on
previously appropriated military construction projects. The
Committee's recommendation therefore includes rescissions to
the Army construction account and NATO Security Investment
Program. As a result of bid savings, the Committee directs the
Secretary of Defense to continue to submit 1002 reports on
military construction bid savings at the end of each fiscal
quarter to the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans
Affairs and Related Agencies of both the House and Senate.
Facilities management, life-cycle costs, and construction
method alternatives.--The Committee believes that the military
construction program best serves both our military personnel
and the taxpayers when projects are open to competitive bidding
from contractors representing the widest possible range of
construction methods. To that end, the Committee urges the
Department of Defense and the execution agents for military
construction, principally the Army Corps of Engineers and the
Naval Facilities Engineering Command, to ensure that requests
for proposals or qualifications do not arbitrarily foreclose,
discourage, or privilege any type of construction method. The
Committee continues to encourage a level playing field for both
traditional construction methods and alternative methods such
as permanent modular construction. The Committee also
encourages DOD to evaluate the regular use of carbon fiber grid
precast concrete technology in military construction projects.
The Committee is also concerned by the recent report from
the Government Accountability Office (GAO-10-436) indicating
that varying services' attitudes toward the life-cycle costs of
different construction methods were based more on pre-formed
opinions, personal experiences, and anecdotal evidence rather
than quantitative information or analyses. The Committee
therefore urges DOD and the services to conduct further
research regarding comparative life-cycle costs for differing
types of construction, establish clear goals and benchmarks,
and ensure these standards are communicated to contracting
officials. Until such an empirical basis is established, the
Committee urges DOD and the services to carefully reconsider
blanket use of any new life-cycle approaches that depart from
prior, standard practices.
Life cycle costs and facility window technologies.--The
Committee supports the Department of Defense's goal to promote
cost-effective installations by reducing building energy use
within the DOD, and is aware that advanced window technologies,
such as electrochromic windows, can be a key part of achieving
such goals. The Committee is aware of the need to provide
additional support to sustain, restore and modernize the
building stock of the DOD and believes that deployment of
demonstrated building envelope efficiency technologies can
further both goals. The Committee understands that such
efficiency technologies have a higher upfront cost, making
deployment difficult even when such technologies payback
quickly. As part of the Department's funding for installation
sustainment, restoration, and modernization, the Committee
supports building envelope efficiency technologies when these
technologies are justified through life-cycle-cost assessments
and continue to follow existing Buy America requirements.
Defense Access Roads FYDP.--The Committee is concerned
about the lack of future planning for Defense Access Roads
(DAR) and transportation infrastructure needs around bases
beyond fiscal year 2014. The Committee urges the Secretary of
Defense to work with the Secretary of Transportation to
prioritize DAR certified roads and projects in the outyears
2015-2018, specifically examining bases in communities that
have contributed to transportation infrastructure that benefits
bases and report to the congressional defense committees no
later than 30 days after enactment of this Act on its findings.
Defense Access Roads project timeline.--The Committee is
very concerned about the lack of use of the Defense Access
Roads program within the Department of Defense. The Committee
has heard of many worthwhile road construction/expansion
projects in and around military installations that are in great
need of funding. These projects would provide a great benefit
to the installations and the surrounding communities.
Therefore, the Committee directs the Department to review
needed projects around military installations as well as a
timeline on when those projects will be completed and report
back to the Committee not later than 30 days after enactment of
this Act. If the Department cannot provide a timeline, they
should explain how the program can be changed to meet those
requirements.
Facility closures.--The Committee is concerned that the
Department of Defense will authorize the closure of military
installations under Title 10 USC 2687, without adequate
Congressional consultation. The Department is reminded that
only Congress can authorizes a Base Realignment and Closure
(BRAC) round. Therefore, the Committee directs the Secretary of
Defense to consult with the Committee in advance of any use of
title 10 USC 2687.
Military construction priorities.--The Committee is
concerned that the Department of Defense does not give the
highest priority to projects that directly impact the safety
and health of our servicemembers. The Committee believes that
the Department of Defense should consider more than the mission
requirements and training objectives of installations when
prioritizing MILCON projects. The safety and health of our
servicemembers is and will always be the top priority of this
Committee. The Committee requests the Department submit a
report to the Committee along with its annual budget submission
that prioritizes projects that impact health and safety of our
servicemembers.
Dining facilities deficiencies.--The Committee is aware of
serious infrastructure deficiencies at dining facilities at
Joint Bases. The failure or unavailability of a dining facility
would result in mission stoppage at certain Joint Base
facilities, many of which use dining facilities constructed
several decades ago as temporary structures. Further, relative
to the total cost of training operations and in the context of
critical training missions, the Committee believes that
replacing severely deficient dining facilities is an
appropriate, cost-effective method of preserving the mission
capabilities at Joint Bases. The Committee strongly encourages
the Department of Defense and each Service which oversees Joint
Bases to take into consideration the necessity of reducing risk
of mission stoppage by investing in the replacement of dining
facilities that have deficiencies in infrastructure that cause
health and safety issues.
Air traffic control towers.--Air traffic control towers are
a critical component of safe and efficient operation at Air
Force and Army installations with aviation assets. These
facilities ensure the safety of service members and the
aircraft they operate, while preventing collisions which would
also be dangerous for surrounding communities near Air Force or
Army bases. The Committee strongly encourages the Air Force and
the Army to prioritize the funding of replacement air traffic
control towers where existing facilities may have obstructed
views of their airfields or where structural, mechanical, or
electrical components of a facility are severely deficient and
impact its full operations.
Aging infrastructure.--The Committee recognizes the need to
fully support the Department of Defense's (DOD) requirement to
replace the aging infrastructure at installations deemed
critical in executing the current Defense Strategic Guidance.
These installations support missions critical to our Nation's
military pivot to the Pacific region and our Nation's reliance
on these installations' ability to execute their assigned
missions will undoubtedly increase in the future. This further
highlights the necessity of DOD to ensure that such
installations infrastructure is fully capable to support
service requirements.
Real property utilization. The Committee is concerned that
the Department of Defense (DOD) is not be updating in a timely
fashion its non BRAC Real Property Inventory Database, creating
a significant obstacle to DOD's ability to maximize the utility
of existing real property and to reduce taxpayer expenses. To
address this concern, the Committee urges the Secretary of
Defense to report to the Committee no later than 90 days after
enactment of this Act on (1) the Department's strategy for
maximizing utilization of existing facilities, progress
implementing this strategy, and obstacles to implementing this
strategy; (2) efforts of DOD's to systematically collect,
process, and analyze data on real property utilization to aid
in the planning and implementation of the strategy referred to
in (1); (3) the number of underutilized Department facilities,
to be defined as facilities rated less than 66 percent
utilization, and unutilized DOD's facilities, to be defined as
facilities rated at zero percent utilization, in the Real
Property Inventory Database of DOD; (4) any mitigating factors
for why facilities in the Database may be listed as zero
percent utilization; (5) the annual cost of maintaining and
improving underutilized and unutilized DOD facilities; and (6)
efforts of the DOD to dispose of underutilized and unutilized
facilities. The report may include a classified annex if
necessary to fully describe the matters listed above.
Military Construction, Army
(INCLUDING RESCISSION OF FUNDS)
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $1,104,875,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 539,427,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 526,427,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level...................... (578,448,000)
Fiscal year 2015 budget request..................... (13,000,000)
The Committee recommendation includes a rescission of bid
savings under Administrative Provisions.
Army Privatized Lodging Program.--While the Committee has
been supportive of the Army's Privatized Lodging Program (PAL),
the Committee is very concerned that the Army has not been as
forthcoming when communicating with local communities regarding
economic and related impacts of such facilities. There is a
concern of local Hoteliers that these facilities will gain an
unfair advantage by being able to offer rooms on Army bases to
the general public while also benefiting from the Army policy
of directing some transient soldiers to stay at on-post
facilities when possible. The Committee believes that the Army
needs to better address these concerns and therefore directs
the Secretary of the Army to develop a proactive outreach and
communication program with local communities with respect to
the impact of both new and existing lodging facilities. The
Department of the Army is directed to submit an outreach plan
for such a program not later than 90 days after enactment of
this bill.
Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $1,629,690,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 1,018,772,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 998,772,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level...................... (630,918,000)
Fiscal year 2015 budget request..................... (20,000,000)
Military Construction, Air Force
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $1,052,796,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 811,774,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 719,551,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level...................... (333,245,000)
Fiscal year 2015 budget request..................... (92,223,000)
Air education and training command.--The Committee
recognizes the important role that Air Education and Training
Command (AETC) plays in recruiting, training, and educating
Airmen. A key mission set filled by AETC is the initial and
follow-on flight training for pilots and aircrews. This
includes Initial Flight Screening, Specialized Undergraduate
Pilot Training, Euro-NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
Joint Jet Pilot Training, Undergraduate Remotely-Piloted
Aircraft (RPA) Training, and Undergraduate Combat Systems
Officer Training among other programs. The Committee has been
made aware of adverse impacts to aircraft, facilities,
equipment, and operations due to flooding and deficiencies in
infrastructure at AETC. The Committee encourages the Air Force
to consider the impact these infrastructure deficiencies have
on AETC's ability to train Airmen and to prioritize investments
within the military construction account.
Space launch infrastructure.--The Committee recognizes the
national importance of having a safe, secure, reliable, and
modern space launch range infrastructure to support the
national security space mission. The Committee is aware that
there are a number of aging facilities, with structural and
technological deficiencies, that are indispensable hubs for
command, telemetry, and radar support for U.S. space launch
capabilities as well as warfighters down-range. The Committee
is concerned that the current condition of the aging
facilities, such as the Range Communications Facility at Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station, the Air Force Space Command's
number one current mission MILCON project for fiscal years
2013-2016 and the impact such conditions may have on the
ability of U.S. Air Force Space Command to meet its mission and
operational requirements until such facilities are
recapitalized. The Committee urges the Air Force to prioritize
resources and future requests to Congress, as appropriate, to
ensure that U.S. space launch range capabilities are in a safe,
secure, and reliable condition.
Military Construction, Defense-Wide
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $3,445,423,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 2,061,890,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 2,021,690,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level...................... (1,423,733,000)
Fiscal year 2015 budget request..................... (40,200,000)
Reductions.--The Committee recommendation includes a
reduction to Missile Defense Agency's planning and design of
$20,000,000 and contingency construction of $9,000,000, the
budget request. This account has not been used since 2008.
Transfer of funds.--The accompanying bill provides transfer
authority to the Secretary of Defense to allow the transfer of
funds to such appropriations of the Department of Defense
available for military construction or family housing as the
Secretary may designate.
DODEA school construction.--The Committee fully supports
the fiscal year 2015 request for the construction of seven
schools in the United States and overseas. The Committee
however, is concerned that the changes that are occurring
across the Department of Defense associated with force
structure reductions may impact whether funding is needed at an
installation or if it is determined not to be an enduring
installation. The Committee therefore directs the Director of
the Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) to report
on the status of DODEA funding and provide by location any
funding that has been placed on hold for any reason to the
congressional defense committees 90 days after enactment of
this Act.
Energy Conservation Investment Program.--The Committee
believes that as new construction and retrofit projects are
undertaken at facilities to improve building energy efficiency
and achieve the objectives prescribed in statutes, executive
orders, and initiatives, the Department of Defense is
encouraged to utilize new and underutilized, low-cost energy
efficient technologies that provide the best value to taxpayers
through minimal lifecycle costs. The Deputy Under Secretary for
Installations and Environment shall report to the congressional
defense committees on the Department's plan to implement these
technologies across the Department of Defense within 60 days of
enactment of this Act.
Special Operations Command resiliency and human performance
centers.--The Committee's recommendation does not include
funding for the Human Performance Center. The Committee is
concerned that these facilities are redundant in nature to
existing medical facilities, clinics and gymnasiums located at
the installations.
Defense Health Agency budget submission for fiscal year
2015.-- The fiscal year 2015 budget submission included funding
for five hospitals. Within the request the Defense Health
Agency deliberately underfunded the Fort Bliss Hospital
Replacement, Increment 6 and fully funded Rhine Ordnance
Barracks Medical Center Replacement in Germany. Based on the
Work In Progress curve (WIP curve) of the Medical Center
Replacement in Germany the Committee has reduced the request in
Germany by $70,000,000 and provided that funding for the Fort
Bliss Hospital.
Guard and Reserve Item of Interest
Enforcement of border security.--Recognizing the need to
bolster resources for the enforcement of border security, the
Committee encourages the Army National Guard and the Air
National Guard to consider, design, and construct facilities
adjacent to our southwestern border that will support National
Guard activities and house and support defense assets used by
Customs and Border Protection and other law enforcement
agencies for the terrestrial, maritime, and aerial surveillance
of those borders, to include aircraft hangars suitable for
unmanned aerial systems.
Military Construction, Army National Guard
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $314,740,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 126,920,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 126,920,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level...................... (187,820,000)
Fiscal year 2015 budget request..................... - - -
Military Construction, Air National Guard
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $119,800,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 94,663,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 94,663,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level...................... (25,137,000)
Fiscal year 2015 budget request..................... - - -
Military Construction, Army Reserve
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $156,560,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 103,946,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 103,946,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level...................... (52,614,000)
Fiscal year 2015 budget request..................... - - -
Military Construction, Navy Reserve
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $29,000,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 51,528,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 51,528,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level...................... 22,528,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request..................... - - -
Military Construction, Air Force Reserve
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ 45,659,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 49,492,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 49,492,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level...................... 3,833,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request..................... - - -
North Atlantic Treaty Organization Security Investment Program
(INCLUDING RESCISSION OF FUNDS)
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $199,700,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 199,700,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 199,700,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level...................... - - -
Fiscal year 2015 budget request..................... - - -
The Committee recommendation includes a rescission under
Administrative Provisions.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization Security Investment
Program (NSIP) consists of annual contributions by NATO member
countries. The program finances the costs of construction
needed to support the roles of the major NATO commands. The
investments cover facilities such as airfields, fuel pipelines
and storage, harbors, communications and information systems,
radar and navigational aids, and military headquarters, both
within NATO nations and for ``out of area'' operations such as
Afghanistan.
The U.S. occasionally has been forced to temporarily delay
the authorization of projects due to shortfalls in U.S.
obligation authority. The Committee directs the Secretary of
Defense to notify the Committee within 14 days of the U.S.
taking action to temporarily delay the authorization of
projects, or to temporarily withhold funds from previously
authorized projects, due to shortfalls in U.S. obligation
authority.
Family Housing Overview
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $1,515,713,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 1,190,535,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 1,190,535,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level...................... (325,178,000)
Fiscal year 2015 budget request..................... - - -
Family housing construction accounts provide funds for new
construction, construction improvements, the Federal government
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.
The decrease below the 2014 enacted level is due partly to
the Department of Defense's success in implementing the
Military Housing Privatization Initiative on military
installations and the reduced requirement for appropriated
construction and operating costs. The Committee encourages the
Department, where feasible, to utilize energy efficient,
environmentally friendly, and easily deployable composite
building materials in new family housing construction.
Family housing privatization progress reports.--The
Committee directs the Department of Defense to continue
submitting semi-annual progress reports on the family housing
privatization program, including a breakout of military tenant
satisfaction rates by project.
Foreign currency savings and sub-account transfers.--The
Committee directs that savings in family housing operation and
maintenance accounts from foreign currency re-estimates be used
to maintain and repair existing family housing units. The
Comptroller is directed to report to the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress on how these savings
are allocated 90 days after enactment of this Act. In addition,
the Committee directs the services and Defense agencies to
notify the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress within 30 days of a transfer of funds between sub-
accounts within the family housing construction and family
housing operation and maintenance accounts, if such transfer is
in excess of 10 percent of the funds appropriated to the sub-
account to which the funds are being transferred. Notifications
to the Committees shall indicate the sub-accounts and amounts
that are being used to source the transfer.
Leasing reporting requirements.--The Secretary of Defense
is directed to report to the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress quarterly on the details of all new or
renewed domestic leases entered into during the previous
quarter that exceed the cost threshold set by 10 U.S.C.
2828(b)(2), including certification that less expensive housing
was not available for lease. For foreign leases, the Department
is directed to: (1) perform an economic analysis on all new
leases or lease/contract agreements where more than 25 units
are involved; (2) report the details of new or renewed lease
agreements that exceed the cost threshold set by 10 U.S.C.
2828(e)(1) 21 days prior to entering into such an agreement;
and (3) base leasing decisions on the economic analysis.
Military family housing.--The Committee is concerned about
the potential repurposing of existing installation property
currently used for training in order to meet the pressing needs
for expanded military housing for service personnel and their
families. The Committee urges the Department of Defense to work
cooperatively with state and local governments, as well as
relevant nongovernmental entities, in communities adjacent to
Department installations within the United States, where a need
for additional housing has been identified by garrison command
and such development is supported by local government
authorities and other relevant entities. Specific focus must be
given to meeting the federal government's obligations under the
Uniform Relocation Act of 1970, and the Committee urges the
Department of Defense to identify potential sources of funding
necessary to meet these obligations. The Committee directs the
Department to provide a report of its determinations to the
Committee no later than 90 days from the enactment of this Act.
Family Housing Construction, Army
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $27,408,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 78,609,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 78,609,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level.................... 51,201,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................... - - -
Family Housing Operation and Maintenance, Army
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $512,871,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 350,976,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 350,976,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level.................... (161,895,000)
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................... - - -
Family Housing Construction, Navy and Marine Corps
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $73,407,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 16,412,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 16,412,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level.................... (56,995,000)
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................... - - -
Family Housing Operation and Maintenance, Navy and Marine Corps
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $379,444,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 354,029,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 354,029,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level.................... (25,415,000)
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................... - - -
Family Housing Construction, Air Force
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $76,360,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... - - -
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. - - -
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level.................... (76,360,000)
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................... - - -
Family Housing Operation and Maintenance, Air Force
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $388,598,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 327,747,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 327,747,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level.................... (60,851,000)
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................... - - -
Family Housing Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $55,845,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 61,100,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 61,100,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level.................... 5,255,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................... - - -
Department of Defense Family Housing Improvement Fund
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $1,780,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 1,662,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 1,662,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level.................... (118,000)
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................... - - -
The Family Housing Improvement Fund (FHIF) is authorized by
section 2883, title 10, United States Code, and provides the
Department of Defense with authority to finance joint ventures
with the private sector to revitalize and to manage the
Department's housing inventory. The statute authorizes the
Department to use limited partnerships, make direct and
guaranteed loans, and convey Department-owned property to
stimulate the private sector to increase the availability of
affordable, quality housing for military personnel.
The FHIF is used to build or renovate family housing by
using various legal authorities, and by utilizing private
capital and expertise to the maximum extent possible. The fund
is administered as a single account without fiscal year
limitations and contains directly appropriated and transferred
funds from family housing construction accounts.
Chemical Demilitarization Construction, Defense-Wide
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $122,536,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 38,715,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 38,715,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level.................... (83,821,000)
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................... - - -
The Chemical Demilitarization Construction, Defense-Wide
account provides funds for the design and construction of full-
scale chemical disposal facilities and associated projects to
upgrade installation support facilities and infrastructures
required to support the Chemical Demilitarization program.
The Department of Defense Base Closure Account
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $451,357,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 270,085,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 270,085,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level.................... (181,272,000)
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................... - - -
Legacy BRAC sites.--As the Committee has previously noted
in H. Rept. 112-94, the Committee remains extremely concerned
regarding the current pace of Legacy BRAC site clean-up. The
fiscal year 2013 National Defense Authorization Act combined
the 2005 and 1990 BRAC accounts so the resources in the 2005
BRAC account could be used to clean up Legacy BRAC sites.
However, it is unclear to the Committee how these resources
shall be used. Therefore, the Committee directs the Department
of Defense to report back to the Committee within 90 days of
enactment of this Act its plan to expedite and expand clean-up
activities of BRAC legacy bases and how it will fully utilize
the funds previously appropriated.
BRAC criteria.--The Committee is concerned that the
Department of Defense (DOD) does not consider the intellectual
capabilities of a region when evaluating the criteria for BRAC.
The Committee recommends that the DOD clearly establish an
intellectual capabilities criteria consideration, especially
when considering academic and technical institutions, in
addition to the already established BRAC final selection
criteria. The Committee believes that DOD should not solely
focus on cost analysis and military training value when going
through the BRAC process, but should heavily consider the
importance and cost of intellectual capabilities of a region,
especially with military academic and technical organizations.
Administrative Provisions
The bill includes 32 provisions of which 26 were in effect
in fiscal year 2014 and 6 new provisions. The administrative
provisions included in the bill are as follows:
The bill includes section 101 prohibiting 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.
The bill includes section 102 permitting the use of
construction funds for the hire of passenger motor vehicles.
The bill includes section 103 permitting funds to be
expended on the construction of defense access roads under
certain circumstances.
The bill includes section 104 prohibiting construction of
new bases in the United States without a specific
appropriation.
The bill includes section 105 limiting the use of funds for
the purchase of land or land easements that exceed 100 percent
of value except under certain conditions.
The bill includes section 106 prohibiting the use of funds
to acquire land, prepare sites, or install utilities for family
housing except housing for which funds have been appropriated.
The bill includes section 107 limiting the use of minor
construction funds to relocate any activity from one
installation to another without prior notification.
The bill includes section 108 prohibiting the procurement
of steel unless American producers, fabricators, and
manufacturers have been allowed to compete.
The bill includes section 109 prohibiting the use of funds
to pay real property taxes in foreign nations.
The bill includes section 110 prohibiting the use of funds
to initiate a new installation overseas without prior
notification.
The bill includes section 111 establishing a preference for
United States architectural and engineering services where the
services are in Japan, NATO member countries, or countries
bordering the Arabian Sea.
The bill includes section 112 establishing 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 within the Central Command area
of responsibility, except bids by Marshallese contractors for
military construction on Kwajalein Atoll.
The bill includes section 113 requiring the Secretary of
Defense to give prior notice to Congress of military exercises
where construction costs exceed $100,000.
The bill includes section 114 limiting the obligation of
funds during the last two months of the fiscal year.
The bill includes section 115 allowing funds appropriated
in prior years to be used for new projects authorized during
the current session of Congress.
The bill includes section 116 allowing the use of expired
or lapsed funds to pay the cost of supervision for any project
being completed with lapsed funds.
The bill includes section 117 providing 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.
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
The bill includes section 118 allowing for the transfer of
proceeds from ``Base Realignment and Closure Account, Part I''
to the continuing Base Realignment and Closure accounts.
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
The bill includes section 119 allowing 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.
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
The bill includes section 120, as amended, providing
transfer authority to the Homeowners Assistance Program.
The bill includes section 121, as amended, requiring 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 $15,000 per year without
notification.
The bill includes section 122 making funds in the Ford
Island Improvement Fund available until expended.
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
The bill includes section 123 allowing the transfer of
expired funds to the ``Foreign Currency Fluctuations,
Construction, Defense'' account.
The bill includes section 124 prohibiting the use of funds
to relocate a unit of the Army that would impact more than 200
personnel.
The bill includes section 125 allowing the transfer of
funds among projects and activities in accordance with the
reprogramming guidelines.
The bill includes section 126 prohibiting the use of funds
for projects at Arlington National Cemetery.
The bill includes section 127 making funds available for
previously authorized military construction projects.
The bill includes section 128 making funds available for
accelerated military construction projects requested by the
Department of the Army.
(INCLUDING RESCISSION OF FUNDS)
The bill includes section 129 rescinding funds from prior
appropriations Acts.
(INCLUDING RESCISSION OF FUNDS)
The bill includes section 130 rescinding funds from prior
appropriations Acts.
(INCLUDING RESCISSION OF FUNDS)
The bill includes section 131 rescinding funds from prior
appropriations Acts.
The bill includes section 132 defining the congressional
defense committees.
The bill does not include section 121 as requested to
provide authority to the Secretary of the Army to use O&M to
supplement repair and renovation at Arlington Cemetery in
addition to funds provided in title III.
The bill does not include section 122 as requested to
provide authority under a continuing resolution when an
authorization bill has been enacted to obligate funds that have
not been appropriated.
TITLE II
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level\1\................... $147,934,261,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request\1\.................. 158,639,938,000
Committee recommendation in the bill\1\............. 158,221,261,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level.................. 10,287,000,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................. (418,677,000)
Fiscal year 2016 advance budget request\1\.......... 58,662,202,000
Fiscal year 2016 Committee recommendation in the 58,662,202,000
bill\1\............................................
\1\All funding cited excludes amounts in the Medical Care Collections
Fund.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) serves
approximately 48,500,000 people: 22,000,000 veterans and
26,500,000 family members of living veterans or survivors of
deceased veterans. To serve adequately the nation's veterans,
the VA employs 319,000 people, making it one of the largest
Federal agencies in terms of employment.
Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA)
COMPENSATION AND PENSIONS
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level...................... $71,476,104,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request..................... 78,687,709,000
Committee recommendation in the bill................ 78,687,709,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level.................. 7,211,605,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................. - - -
This appropriation will provide funds for service-connected
compensation payments to an estimated 4,569,000 veterans,
survivors, and dependents. In addition, pension payments will
be funded for 519,000 veterans and their survivors. The average
cost per compensation case for veterans in 2015 is estimated at
$15,652, and pension payments are projected at $12,444.
The appropriation includes authority to transfer funding
not to exceed $15,430,000, of which $15,253,000 is for the
General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefit Administration
account and $177,000 is for the Information Technology Systems
account. These funds are for the administrative expenses of
implementing cost-saving provisions required by the Omnibus
Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990, Public Law 101-508, the
Veterans' Benefits Act of 1992, Public Law 102-568, and the
Veterans' Benefits Improvements Act of 1994, Public Law 103-
446. These cost-saving provisions include verifying pension
income against Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Social
Security Administration (SSA) data; establishing a match with
the SSA to obtain verification of Social Security numbers; and
applying the VA pension cap for Medicaid-eligible single
veterans and surviving spouses alone in Medicaid-covered
nursing homes. 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.
READJUSTMENT BENEFITS
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level................. $13,135,898,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................ 14,761,862,000
Committee recommendation in the bill........... 14,761,862,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level............. 1,625,964,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request............ - - -
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.
Supplemental education benefits are also provided to certain
veteran members of the Selected Reserve and are funded through
transfers from the Department of Defense (DOD). 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. More than 80 percent of the funds in the
account support the Post 9-11 GI Bill.
VETERANS INSURANCE AND INDEMNITIES
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $77,567,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 63,257,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 63,257,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level.................... (14,310,000)
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................... - - -
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; servicemen's indemnities, applicable to Korean
conflict veterans; and veterans mortgage life insurance,
applicable to individuals who have received a grant for
specially adapted housing.
The amount provided will enable the Department to transfer
funding to the service-disabled veterans insurance fund and
transfer additional amounts for payments for policies under the
veterans mortgage life insurance program. These policies are
identified under the Veterans Insurance and Indemnity
appropriation since they provide insurance to service-disabled
veterans unable to qualify under basic NSLI.
VETERANS HOUSING BENEFIT PROGRAM FUND PROGRAM ACCOUNT
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Limitation on
direct loans
Program account for specially Administrative
adapted expenses
housing loans
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level............................. - - - ($500,000) $158,430,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request est........................ - - - (500,000) 160,881,000
Committee recommendation est. in the bill.................. - - - (500,000) 160,881,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level......................... - - - - - - 2,451,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request........................ - - - - - - - - -
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 Federal Credit Reform
Act of 1990 requires budgetary resources to be available prior
to incurring a direct loan obligation or a loan guaranty
commitment. In addition, the bill requires all administrative
expenses of a direct or guaranteed loan program to be funded
through a program account. Loan guaranties are made to
servicemembers, veterans, reservists, and single surviving
spouses for the purchase of homes, condominiums, and
manufactured homes and for refinancing loans. The Department
guarantees part of the total loan, permitting the purchaser to
obtain a mortgage with a competitive interest rate, even
without a down payment if the lender agrees. The Department
requires that a down payment be made for a manufactured home.
With a Department guaranty, the lender is protected against
loss, up to the amount of the guaranty, if the borrower fails
to repay the loan.
VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION LOANS PROGRAM ACCOUNT
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Limitation on Administrative
Program account direct loans expenses
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level............................. $5,000 ($2,500,000) $354,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request............................ 10,000 (2,877,000) 361,000
Committee recommendation in the bill....................... 10,000 (2,877,000) 361,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level......................... 5,000 (377,000) 7,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request........................ - - - - - - - - -
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 $1,108 (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. Repayment is made in monthly installments, without
interest, through deductions from future payments of
compensation, pension, subsistence allowance, educational
assistance allowance, or retirement pay. Most loans are repaid
in full in less than one year. The Federal Credit Reform Act of
1990 requires budgetary resources to be available prior to
incurring a direct loan obligation.
It is estimated that the Department will make 3,099 loans
in fiscal year 2015, with an average amount of $929.
NATIVE AMERICAN VETERAN HOUSING LOAN PROGRAM
Administrative expenses:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $1,109,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 1,130,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 1,130,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level.................... 21,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................... - - -
The Native American Veteran Housing Loan Program, as
authorized by title 38 United States Code, chapter 37,
subchapter V, provides the Secretary with authority to make
direct housing loans to Native American veterans for the
purpose of purchasing, constructing, or improving dwellings on
trust lands.
Veterans Health Administration
The Department operates the largest Federal medical care
delivery system in the country, with 152 hospitals, 107
domiciliary residential rehabilitation treatment programs, 133
nursing homes, 300 Vet Centers, 70 mobile Vet Centers, and 821
outpatient clinics which include independent, satellite,
community-based, and rural outreach clinics. Approximately
6,742,000 patients will be treated in 2015.
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is comprised of
four accounts: Medical Services, Medical Support and
Compliance, Medical Facilities, and Medical and Prosthetic
Research. For the first three accounts, the Administration has
requested total resources for fiscal year 2016 of
$58,662,202,000 in direct appropriations to fund the three
advance appropriations of the VHA. In addition, VA will receive
an estimated $3,065,000,000 in Medical Care Collections Fund in
fiscal year 2015. The Committee also provides $588,922,000 for
medical and prosthetic research.
MEDICAL SERVICES
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $43,597,000,000
Fiscal year 2015 enacted level........................ 45,015,527,000
Fiscal year 2015 additional request................... 367,885,000
Committee 2015 additional recommendation.............. - - -
Fiscal year 2016 advance budget request............... 47,603,202,000
Committee 2016 recommendation in the bill............. 47,603,202,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2015 enacted level.................... 2,587,675,000
Fiscal year 2016 budget request................... - - -
This appropriation provides for medical services of
eligible veterans and beneficiaries in Department medical
centers, outpatient clinic facilities, contract hospitals,
State homes, and outpatient programs on a fee basis. Hospital
and outpatient care is also provided by the private sector for
certain dependents and survivors of veterans under the civilian
health and medical programs for the VA.
The bill does not include the current year budget request
of $367,885,000, which would be in addition to the advance
appropriation that has already been provided. With $450,000,000
in unobligated balances expected to be available and a drop of
$690,000,000 in projected medical services expenditures, the
Committee believes that the identified need can be absorbed
within existing resources.
The Committee has not included requested bill language to
make available through September 30, 2017, $1,400,000,000 of
the Medical Services appropriation for fiscal year 2016,
instead maintaining current policy of providing extended
availability on a current year rather than advance funding
basis.
Changes in funding requirements due to modeling.--The
Committee expects VA to continue to include in the sufficiency
letter required by section 117(d) of title 38, United States
Code, that 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.
Presentation of medical care obligations.--The Committee is
pleased that the VA has adjusted its budget presentation of
initiatives to include them within the lines of Health Care
Services. This display more accurately shows a new activity in
the first year and then reflects it in the base program lines
in subsequent years. The presentation of the advance
appropriation column in the fiscal year 2015 budget is more
realistic than in previous years when the advance year often
showed zero funding for what were actually ongoing activities.
To ensure that it is informed of changes in planned
expenditure of medical care `initiatives' during the budget
year, the Committee repeats the administrative provision
requiring the VA to submit a reprogramming request if, at any
point during the fiscal year, the funding allocated for a
medical care `initiative' in the fiscal year 2015 expenditure
plan is adjusted by more than $25,000,000 from the allocation
shown in the corresponding congressional budget justification.
The Committee directs the VA to provide an expenditure plan
within 20 days of receiving a full-year appropriation.
Allocation of health funding.--The Committee is concerned
that the process the VA uses to allocate the health services
appropriation through the Veterans Integrated Services Networks
(VISNs) and from them to the medical centers may shortchange
the ultimate users because of excessive funding retained at
headquarters or at the VISNs. The Committee continues to
request a report each year no later than thirty days after VA
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.
Homeless assistance
The Committee provides the full fiscal year 2016 budget
request of $1,265,000,000 for VA homeless assistance programs,
in addition to $6,397,595,000 for homeless veterans treatment
costs. These programs include the Homeless Providers Grant and
Per Diem, the Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans, the
Supportive Services for Low Income Veterans and Families, and
the Department of Housing and Urban Development--Department of
Veterans Affairs Supported Housing (HUD-VASH) programs.
Homeless female veterans.--The Committee remains committed
to helping homeless veterans and commends the VA for its
efforts in reducing homelessness among the veteran population.
However, the Committee is concerned about the VA's efforts to
reduce homelessness among female veterans. The Committee
requests an analysis of the challenges facing homeless female
veterans and the means within the VA to address those
challenges. The report should address how the VA will work to
provide equal treatment and assistance for female veterans. The
Committee requests that this report be provided within 90 days
of enactment of this Act.
Expanding the definition of homeless veteran.--The
Committee supports the authorizing committees' efforts to
broaden the definition for homeless veterans to include any
individual or family who is fleeing, or is attempting to flee,
domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking,
or other dangerous or life-threatening conditions in the
individual's or family's current housing situation, including
where the health and safety of children are jeopardized, and
who have no other residence and lack the resources or support
networks to obtain other permanent housing.
Innovative approaches to assistance.--The Committee is
encouraged by innovative proposals for helping homeless
veterans and reducing veteran homelessness. The Committee
encourages the VA to explore the benefits of such proposals and
remove any disincentives to offering innovative services for
homeless veterans. The Committee requests that the VA provide a
report no later than 90 days after the enactment of this Act
that provides a detailed analysis of innovative proposals the
VA can offer to reduce veteran homelessness.
Mental health issues
The Committee provides the full fiscal year 2016 budget
request of $7,448,900,000 for mental health programs. Of the
amounts provided for mental health programs in fiscal year
2015, an additional $20,000,000 shall be used for suicide
prevention outreach. The Department is directed to provide a
report to the Committee no later than 30 days after enactment
of this Act identifying a detailed expenditure plan for all
suicide outreach programs.
Military sexual trauma (MST).--Recent studies have shown
that servicewomen who experience sexual assault while serving
in the military are far more likely to develop post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD), compared to other female veterans. The
Committee strongly encourages the VA to maximize the
availability of mental health services available to veterans
who were victims of MST.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Study.-- The Committee
understands that new technologies using magnetic resonance
therapy have successfully treated Veterans with PTSD. Recent
clinical trials and pilot studies have produced promising
results in the evolution of treatment for PTSD. The Committee
encourages the VA to report to the Committee about whether it
uses Magnetic Resonance Therapy to treat PTSD, and if not,
whether it would be appropriate to conduct a study on use of
the technology.
Neurological conditions.--The Committee is very interested
in the progress the VA is making regarding neurological
conditions, particularly PSTD and traumatic brain injury (TBI)-
related injuries. The Committee requests a report within 90
days of the enactment of this bill detailing efforts and
programs addressing these issues. This report should include
detailed expenditures and current year spending levels versus
prior year spending.
Mental health provider training.--The Committee is
concerned about the impact of VA's accreditation process, which
excludes from employment at the VA qualified marriage and
family therapists (MFTs) from educational institutions that are
regionally accredited. This unnecessarily causes vacant mental
health provider positions within the VHA system at a time when
these services are in critical need. The Committee understands
that VA uses national accrediting bodies because the regional
accrediting bodies do not cover the occupation at a national
level standard of care. But the Committee encourages VA to
explore the possibility of using a grouping of multiple
regional accrediting bodies under the auspices of a national
accrediting body. The Committee directs the VHA to submit a
report no later than 90 days after enactment of this Act
specifying how it plans to fill all the vacant mental health
positions by the end of fiscal year 2015.
Clinical psychologist supply.--The Committee is aware that
the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS)
in September 2012 received recognition and accreditation
authority from the Council for Higher Education Accreditation
(CHEA) to provide accreditation of doctoral programs in
psychological clinical science, and that the Veterans Health
Administration has been modifying its regulations over the past
year to recognize PCSAS graduates in its training and
employment settings. The Committee is disappointed that the
process has now taken more than one year and urges the VHA to
recognize graduates of PCSAS-accredited psychological doctoral
programs without any additional delay.
Community-based mental health care.--The Committee urges
the VA to begin the implementation of the community-based
mental health initiative established in the fiscal year 2014
conference report. The VA should select the major metropolitan
areas with substantial veterans populations and health
infrastructure, coordinate with local VA facilities, and
recruit behavioral health partners. Community-based awardees
should be evaluated on the basis of the metrics identified in
the fiscal year 2014 conference report. The Committee requests
a report on these efforts no later than 60 days after enactment
of this Act.
Access to alternative treatment options.--The Committee
encourages the VA to include non-invasive treatments in its
scope of approved treatment options for veterans receiving
mental health care. Non-invasive treatments should be
considered an acceptable component of any treatment regimen,
particularly in light of an increase in co-occurring substance
abuse issues.
Physician recruitment.--The Committee remains concerned by
the high rates of PTSD in returning veterans from Iraq and
Afghanistan. The Committee believes there is a continuing need
to recruit highly trained physicians to address this problem.
The Committee encourages the Secretary to establish an action
plan to address this shortage, including the possibility of
strengthening the current loan repayment program to recruit
psychiatric physicians for full-time employment in the VHA.
Rural health issues
The Committee provides the full fiscal year 2016 budget
request of $250,000,000 to improve access and quality of care
for the more than 3,100,000 veterans residing in rural and
highly rural areas. The Committee directs the Office of Rural
Health to submit to the Committee within 30 days of enactment
of this Act an operating plan for this funding, as well as any
changes to that operating plan at the start of the fiscal year
for which the funds are provided.
Patient-Centered Community Care Program.--The Committee has
supported the Department's efforts to provide more efficient
medical services to veterans in rural areas through the
patient-centered community care program (PC3). The Committee
continues to urge the Department to ensure that PC3 contractors
consider public hospitals in their implementation plans,
especially when a public hospital is adjacent or proximate to a
VA clinic, outpatient facility or long-term care facility.
The Committee believes that the PC3 initiative could
provide an effective method for improving convenience of care
and decreasing costs when patients require services not readily
available at local VA medical centers. The Committee requests
that, not later than 30 days after enactment of this act, the
VA report on the progress of the PC3 program, describing the
progress of program implementation, the types of care provided,
the level of communication and coordination between the VA and
providers, the cost effectiveness of the program, the reduction
of wait times, the timeliness of payments to contractors, and
the satisfaction level of patients who have participated in the
program. Because this is a new program, baseline data and
reporting is necessary to ensure that the Committee can conduct
oversight on the program's performance and respond to areas in
need of improvement.
The Committee also requests the VA Office of Inspector
General to do a cost assessment study of PC3. VA has described
PC3 as an efficiency-improving contract and estimates
$13,000,000 in PC3 savings in fiscal year 2014. Consequently,
it is important to do a review of the actual costs associated
with the contract and potential savings.
The Committee understands that VA is not planning to
conduct a controlled study to compare prices, health outcomes
or other quality measures of PC3 to traditional fee-based care.
The Committee instructs VA to contract with an external
evaluator to do a cost and quality comparison study of PC3. The
comparative study should be provided to the Committee by March
1, 2015.
The Committee understands that VA will be conducting semi-
annual briefings to monitor the uptake and use of the PC3
contract, the results from specific VISNs, and associated cost
savings. The Committee would like to be kept informed of the
data from the briefings to learn how the contract progresses in
the coming years.
Care through multi-specialty clinics.--The Committee
remains concerned about VA's ability to provide high quality,
reliable, accessible, timely and efficient health care to
veterans in rural states. The Committee strongly encourages the
VA to pursue multi-specialty clinics (MSC), giving special
consideration to future MSCs that have the potential to partner
with private medical institutions and or medical teaching
facilities. These partnerships could provide significant
benefits to current and future veteran patients by
significantly increasing the services delivered to veterans.
Furthermore, these affiliations could significantly enhance VA
research and education missions.
Rural transportation.--The Committee recognizes the
importance of providing adequate access to needed services,
including for veterans living in rural communities. The
Committee encourages the VA to propose authorizing legislation
to permit including considerations of a veteran's distance from
a VA facility as a criterion in addition to the number of
veterans in a given area in implementing recent statutory
changes providing transportation grants to veterans service
agencies and veterans service organizations.
Other health issues
Dialysis.--The Committee requests the VA to obtain an
independent and full evaluation of the four-site dialysis pilot
program by September 30, 2015. In the interim, in an effort to
improve efficiencies and save taxpayer funds, the VA should not
create duplicate contract-provided dialysis capacity. An
independent evaluation of the four-pilot program will give the
Committee the opportunity to consider the findings and
determine if such findings justify expanding VA-operated
dialysis clinics.
Hepatitis C virus.--The Committee has previously encouraged
the VA to increase hepatitis C (HCV) testing and work to
implement the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC)
HCV testing recommendations within the VA system. In light of
the growing burden of hepatitis C-related liver complications
and mortality among Veterans and the recent introduction of
more effective treatments for HCV, the Committee directs the VA
to establish a plan for testing and treating veterans enrolled
in the VHA system and considered to be at risk for hepatitis C,
including Vietnam-era veterans in the baby boomer birth cohort.
Additionally, the VA shall submit a report to the Committee, no
later than six months after enactment of this Act, updating its
2010 report, The State of Care for Veterans with Chronic
Hepatitis C, on the prevalence of hepatitis C among veterans
and detailing the estimated impact its HCV treatment plan will
have on preventing hepatitis C-related cirrhosis,
hepatocellular carcinoma, and mortality among veterans.
HIV/AIDS among veterans.--The VA has the opportunity and
responsibility to ensure that veterans are tested for HIV and
receive appropriate care. The number of veterans ever tested
remains below the national average and reported infection rates
exceed the CDC threshold of 0.1 percent for routine HIV
screening. The Committee encourages the VA to further increase
testing rates and to provide reports of progress on the number
of veterans tested and activities through the annual HIV
Testing Rates reports.
Prostheses.--The Committee is disappointed in reports of VA
providers ``sanding down'' prosthetics that were made for men
in order to fit female patients, and requests that the VA
ensure that there is prosthetic equipment proportionate to the
amount of female veterans in need.
Prescription drug abuse.--The Committee is pleased with the
Opioid Safety Initiative and the results it is producing in
reducing the dependence of veterans on prescription opioids.
The Committee requests a report 60 days after enactment of this
Act providing updated findings on patient outcomes in the
initiative, any VA plans to expand it to other VISNs, and
efforts to circulate treatment protocols from the Initiative to
all VISNs.
Service dogs.--The VA supports service dogs that assist
veterans with vision, hearing, and mobility impairments. The
Committee encourages VA to partner with nonprofits that match
veterans with service dogs. The VA should explore new
opportunities for service to these veterans, possibly through a
pilot project, that allows veterans to train shelter dogs, and
to continue its research on the mental health benefits of
service dogs.
Ophthalmology services.--The Committee urges the VA to help
ensure veterans have access to high quality care by moving
quickly with its plans to expand its national ophthalmology
services.
Medical school affiliations with VA health care
facilities.--The Committee continues to prioritize
collaboration between VA health care facilities and
historically black health professions schools. The Committee
acknowledges the improved collaboration, particularly with
smaller community-based sites. However, the Committee continues
to be concerned by the lack of historically black colleges and
universities (HBCU) medical school participation and
collaboration with local VA hospitals located in large urban
areas with HBCU medical schools. The Committee directs the
Secretary of VA to provide a report on the VA's plan for
expansion of HBCU medical school participation with local VA
medical facilities. The report should be submitted to the
Committee no later than 90 days after enactment of this act.
Transportation services.--The Committee commends VA for its
collaborative efforts with the Department of Transportation and
other Federal agencies to improve transportation resources for
veterans. In particular, the Veterans Transportation and
Community Living Initiative, the Veterans Transportation
Service, VA Beneficiary Travel, and the Highly Rural
Transportation Grant programs make use of existing local public
transportation system options, where appropriate.
Pharmacy dispensing process for specialized medicines.--The
Committee urges the VA to consider a pilot program to study the
use of specialized automated pharmacy workflow systems that
manage the entire intravenous and oral liquid dose preparation
and dispensing process within the VHA in order to promote
intravenous and oral liquid dose preparation safety, reduce
waste, and improve health system pharmacy productivity. The
Committee believes that such a pilot program focused on the
specialized field of intravenous and oral dose preparation
would improve staffing productivity and patient safety.
Nursing handbook.--The Committee understands that the VHA
Nursing Handbook is currently under review. The Committee
encourages the VHA to seek input from internal VA program
offices and external professional stakeholders, prior to
possible regulatory action and submission to the Under
Secretary for Health for final approval. The Committee believes
all possible outreach efforts should be used to communicate the
proposed changes, to gather public comment, and to collaborate
with Congress, stakeholders, VA nursing staff, and external
organizations. Finally, the Committee requests that the VHA
ensure that any changes to handbooks within the VHA do not
conflict with other handbooks already in place within the VHA.
Prescription drug abuse.--Given the emergence of new
technologies and services to address the abuses of prescription
drugs, the Committee encourages the VA to utilize such
technologies in the employment of a systematic approach that
ensures the dispensation of medications to veterans is safe and
transparent.
Hepatitis B virus.--The Committee encourages the VA to
increase hepatitis B (HBV) testing and work to implement the
CDC HBV testing recommendations within the VA system. Chronic
HBV infection is preventable but not curable; if left
untreated, the virus may lead to advanced liver disease, liver
cancer, and liver transplants, placing a greater financial
burden on our health care system. Preliminary ad-hoc studies of
prevalence have shown very high rates of HBV, but more research
is necessary, as well as electronic medical record prompts for
HBV screening. The Committee encourages the VA to establish a
plan for testing and treating veterans enrolled in the VHA
system and considered to be at risk for hepatitis B, including
Vietnam-era veterans in the baby boomer birth cohort, as part
of the effort to aggressively implement the CDC's viral
hepatitis testing recommendations within the VHA system.
Additionally, the VA shall submit a report to the Committee, no
later than 180 days after enactment of this Act, on the
prevalence of hepatitis B among veterans and the estimated
impact of its HBV testing and treatment plan.
Medical Support and Compliance
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $6,033,000,000
Fiscal year 2015 enacted level........................ 5,879,700,000
Fiscal year 2016 advance budget request............... 6,144,000,000
Committee 2016 recommendation in the bill............. 6,144,000,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2015 enacted level.................... 264,300,000
Fiscal year 2016 advance budget request........... - - -
The Medical Support and Compliance appropriation funds the
expenses of management and administration of the Department's
health care system, including financial management, public
health and environmental hazard, quality and performance
management, medical inspection, human research oversight,
training programs and continuing education, security, volunteer
operations, and human resources.
The Committee has not included requested bill language to
make available through September 30, 2017, $100,000,000 of the
Medical Support and Compliance appropriation for fiscal year
2016, instead maintaining current policy of providing extended
availability on a current year rather than advance funding
basis.
Medical Facilities
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $4,957,000,000
Fiscal year 2015 enacted level........................ 4,739,000,000
Fiscal year 2016 advance budget request............... 4,915,000,000
Committee 2016 recommendation in the bill............. 4,915,000,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2015 enacted level.................... 176,000,000
Fiscal year 2016 advance budget request........... - - -
The Medical Facilities appropriation provides funds for the
operation and maintenance of the Department's health care
system's capital infrastructure. Included under this heading
are provisions for costs associated with utilities,
engineering, capital planning, leases, laundry, groundskeeping,
garbage, housekeeping, facility repair, and property
disposition and acquisition.
The Committee has not included requested bill language to
make available through September 30, 2017, $250,000,000 of the
advance Medical Facilities appropriation for fiscal year 2016,
instead maintaining current policy of providing extended
availability on a current year rather than advance funding
basis.
In-patient facilities for female veterans.--The Committee
looks forward to receiving the report directed in the fiscal
year 2014 bill on the availability of in-patient facilities for
female veterans, an inventory of available resources, and
recommendations on areas for improvement.
Non-recurring maintenance costs.--The Committee is aware
that the VA has numerous non-recurring maintenance projects
that cost millions of dollars to complete, yet the
Administration continues to request a mere fraction of the
funding necessary to complete these maintenance needs. The
Committee believes that while the Strategic Capital Investment
Planning (SCIP) process has improved the VA construction
process, it still lacks transparency about future plans for
non-recurring maintenance at VA facilities. The Committee
believes that non-recurring maintenance projects for the most
part are small dollar items that can be completed quickly to
improve the quality of life and care given to Veterans.
Therefore, the Committee directs the VA to provide a report to
the Committee no later than 60 days after enactment of this Act
explaining how non-recurring maintenance projects are rated, a
timeline for completion of these projects, and their cost.
Response to VA Inspector General report.--The Committee was
disturbed by the March 31, 2014 Inspector General report
describing the problems and lapses in management in the VA
leasing process for the Butler, PA health care center. While
the Committee understands that changes have been made to
operations in the VA Office of Acquisition, Logistics, and
Construction in response to the IG report, the Committee
directs the VA to provide a report by July 1, 2014 documenting
the structural, staffing, and process changes that have been
implemented or are in the process of being implemented to
prevent the problems with the Butler lease from happening
anywhere else in the VA system.
Medical and Prosthetic Research
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $585,664,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 588,922,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 588,922,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level.................... 3,258,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................... - - -
This appropriation provides for medical, rehabilitative,
and health services research. The bill makes this account
funding available through September 30, 2016. Medical research
is an important aspect of the Department's programs, providing
complete medical and hospital services for veterans. The
prosthetic research program is also essential in the
development and testing of prosthetic, orthopedic, and sensory
aids for the purpose of improving the care and rehabilitation
of eligible disabled veterans, including amputees, paraplegics,
and the blind. The health services research program provides
unique opportunities to improve the effectiveness and
efficiency of the health care delivery system. Budgetary
resources from a number of areas, including appropriations from
the medical care accounts, reimbursements from DOD, grants from
the National Institutes of Health, private proprietary sources,
and voluntary organizations, provide support for the
Department's researchers. Estimated total research resources
from all sources in 2015 are $1,863,000,000. The VA will
support about 2,200 research projects during fiscal year 2015.
Prosthetics.--The Committee strongly supports the fiscal
year 2015 budget request for Medical and Prosthetic Research.
Recognizing that approximately six percent of wounded veterans
returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are amputees, and the
number of veterans accessing VA health care for prosthetics and
sensory aids continues to increase, this funding greatly
enhances the quality of life of veteran amputees. Since three
percent of military amputees are female, the Committee feels
that a proportionate amount of prosthetics research should be
focused on prosthetics intended for females. The need for this
type of research is acute, as most prostheses are designed to
fit male veterans.
Advanced prosthetics.--The Committee encourages the VA to
fund research at the intersection of bioengineering,
neuroscience, and rehabilitation to support neural interfaces
to peripheral nerves and advanced prosthetics that deliver more
functionality to amputees.
Intelligent prostheses.--The Committee requests a report
within 90 days of enactment of this act on current efforts in
the use of intelligent prosthetics, highlighting delivery of
more functionality to amputees. The Committee encourages the VA
to create a working group on intelligent prosthetics that
includes representatives from the VA, DOD, the National Science
Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration.
Collaboration with research universities.--The Committee
encourages the VA to strengthen its collaborations with
research universities and teaching hospitals for the treatment
and research of mental health disorders, such as PTSD and
traumatic brain injury, to improve the psychological health of
veterans and train mental health professionals so they will
understand the unique needs of Veterans. The Committee repeats
its request for a report on current VA-university partnerships
on mental health research and training no later than 90 days
after enactment of this Act.
Colorectal cancer.--Colorectal cancer is treatable if
detected early, yet it is the second leading cause of cancer
death in America. The VA has made screening patients for
colorectal cancer a priority. The National Cancer Institute
estimates the annual cost of colorectal cancer will be almost
$20,000,000,000 by 2020. Medicare and the VA will be
responsible for much of that cost. The Committee encourages the
VA to support additional research and development in the field,
including investigation of a less costly blood test for
colorectal cancer.
Point of injury care.--The Committee is very concerned
about care from the point of injury and transport to the
hospital. The Committee encourages consultation with
neurological hospitals for best practices at the site of the
injury and requests a report by 90 days after enactment of this
Act on what new or improved diagnostic tools are needed at the
site of the injury.
Traumatic brain injury treatment.--The Committee encourages
the VA to evaluate the effectiveness of promising prophylactic
treatments for TBI involving the development of drugs
administered via intranasal application. Upon review, if the
scientific evidence warrants, the VA should identify
opportunities to support the clinical trials and toxicity
studies that would be required to move these treatments into
practice.
Access to research findings.--The Committee is pleased that
VA is developing a public access policy to make publicly
available the research findings that are financed through VA.
The Committee understands that VA is working with the White
House Office of Science and Technology Policy to ensure that
its policy is consistent with the government-wide effort on
public access and is planning to use the resources of the
National Institutes of Health PubMed Central to implement its
program. The Committee requests a report 90 days after
enactment of this Act describing the status of the VA public
access program, the timeline for its implementation, and
estimates of the number of articles that will be posted by
fiscal year.
Medical Care Collections Fund
The Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Care Collections
Fund (MCCF) was established by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997
(Public Law 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 2015 is $3,065,000,000.
Third party health billing collection.--The Committee
directs the VA to submit an annual report identifying the
amount of third party health billings that are owed to VA and
the annual amount collected. The report should describe VA's
plan to capture the third party billings that currently go
uncollected.
National Cemetery Administration
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $250,000,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 256,800,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 256,800,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level.................... 6,800,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................... - - -
The National Cemetery Administration (NCA) was established
in accordance with Public Law 93-43, the National Cemeteries
Act of 1973. It has a fourfold mission: to provide for the
interment of, in any national cemetery with available grave
space, the remains of eligible deceased servicemembers and
discharged veterans, together with their spouses and certain
dependents, and to permanently maintain their graves; to
provide headstones for, and to mark graves of eligible persons
in national, State and tribal, and private cemeteries; to
administer the grant program for aid to States and tribal
governments in establishing, expanding, or improving State and
tribal government veterans' cemeteries; and to administer the
Presidential Memorial Certificate Program. This appropriation
will provide for the operation and maintenance of 133
operational national cemeteries and 33 other cemeterial
installations.
The bill includes language making $25,600,000 of the total
available until September 30, 2016.
Rural areas.--In the explanatory statement that accompanied
the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of
2013 (P.L. 113-6), the Committees expressed concern that the
NCA is not adequately serving the nation's veterans in rural
areas. The Act included legislative language in House Report
112-491 requiring the Secretary to provide a report outlining a
strategy to address the shortcomings identified with proposed
policies and an implementation timeframe, no later than six
months after enactment of Public Law 113-6. The Committee
reiterated its support of this request in House Report 113-90,
and looks forward to timely receipt.
Departmental Administration
GENERAL ADMINISTRATION
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level*....................... $327,591,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 321,591,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 321,591,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level*................... (6,000,000)
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................... - - -
*Funding included in this account for fiscal year 2014 for the Board of
Veterans Appeals is now shown in that account for comparability
purposes.
The General Administration account provides funds for the
Office of the Secretary, six Assistant Secretaries, and three
independent staff offices. The Committee has included bill
language to make available through September 30, 2016, up to
$16,080,000 of these funds and to permit the transfer of funds
in this account to the General Operating Expenses, Veterans
Benefits Administration account.
VA contracting issues.--The Committee continues to be
concerned about the contracting practices of the Department of
Veteran Affairs. The Committee directs the Department to
provide a report due not later than 60 days after enactment of
this Act that describes the number of active prime contractors
that do not (1) have a satisfactory performance record; (2)
have a satisfactory record of integrity and business ethics; or
(3) have pending civil lawsuits brought by subcontractors and
material suppliers for failure to make timely payments.
VA budget office communication.--The Committee has
traditionally channeled most of its inquiries and requests for
information and assistance through the VA budget office. The
Committee reiterates its longstanding position that, while the
Committee reserves the right to call upon all VA offices, the
primary communication between the Committee and the VA should
normally be through the budget office. Responses to Committee
inquiries, regardless of whether they concern funding or
policy, are to be transmitted without delay by other offices
within the VA, unless otherwise requested by the Committee. In
addition, to facilitate the work of the Committee, it expects
that the Department will make available to all personal and
committee staff of Members of the Committee the same direct
contact with the budget office. The Committee also expects that
a staff member of the VA budget office will be present at every
meeting held between the Chairman and ranking member of the
Full Committee and Subcommittee and the Secretary or other
senior VA officials.
Quarterly full-time equivalents (FTE) reports.--The
Committee continues to request that the VA provide, on a
quarterly basis, the total current FTE by appropriation account
and, in the case of General Operating Expenses, Veterans
Benefits Administration, by program. The Committee feels it
needs to have current staffing information throughout the year
in order to monitor the use of salaries and expenses resources.
Additional budgetary information.--The Committee continues
its request that items described in the fiscal year 2014 House
report 113-90 continue to be included in the budget
justifications submitted each year. In addition, the Committee
requests that the following items be addressed in the budget
justifications:
Do not include the cost of proposed
legislation in charts identifying current law
obligations.
Display a current year estimate column for
all accounts, not just medical care accounts. For the
medical care accounts, the re-estimate column should be
displayed for both the budget year and advance year.
Provide a reimbursable FTE summary chart for
the General Administration account for past year,
current year, and budget year.
Provide an FTE by grade and regional/central
office totals chart for the Information Technology
account.
Include in the Board of Veterans Appeals
justification information by fiscal year on the number
of appeals received, the number of cases decided, the
number of cases remanded, the beginning-of-year and
end-of-year appeals inventory, and the average number
of days required to resolve appeals. Also include
projected receipt and decisions on cases for the five
years following the budget year.
Performance measures.--While the Committee is pleased that
VA included performance measures in the fiscal year 2015 budget
justifications, the Committee is concerned that these
performance measures were not result-oriented and did not
clearly demonstrate the extent to which performance reporting
under 31 USC 1116 demonstrates that prior year investments in
programs, projects, and activities are tied to progress toward
achieving performance and priority goals and include estimates
for how proposed investments will contribute to additional
progress. The Committee believes that in order for these
measures to be beneficial for legislative oversight they must
directly link the agency's performance plan under 31 USC
1115(b) and performance goals designated as agency priority
goals under 31 USC 1120 (b) to such agency funding requests.
The Committee instructs the agency, in consultation with GAO,
to develop result-oriented performance measures on the
improvement of the quality and accessibility of health care,
benefits, and memorial services; performance measures on the
accuracy and reduction of the amount of time it takes to
process veterans disability benefit claims; veterans education
performance measures; vocational rehabilitation and employment
performance measures; housing performance measures; insurance
coverage performance measures; burial program performance
measures; and performance measures for the Board of Veterans
Appeals. The information should be categorized by the most
recent fiscal year and previous fiscal year for comparison and
should include performance measures on outcome (results/
impact); output (volume); efficiency; and customer service.
This information should be reported to the Committee within 90
days of enactment of this act.
Staff relocations within VA.--The bill continues the
administrative provision requiring written notification 15 days
prior to organizational changes which result in the transfer of
25 or more full-time equivalent staff from one organizational
unit of the Department to another.
Senior VA staff performance.--Congress has been concerned
by past instances of VA Senior Executive Service (SES)
employees receiving performance bonuses when patient care
standards have not been met in VA hospitals or when the
disability claims backlogs have grown. However, recent actions
taken by the VA have assuaged Member concerns. VA has
centralized Senior Executive award decisions, strengthened the
link between organizational performance and awards, added an
additional level of review in consideration of awards, and
significantly reduced the value of awards compared to prior
years. Most importantly, the Secretary has demonstrated his
willingness to use the bonus system as a way to reward and
penalize staff based on performance. As one example, he made
the decision to withhold performance awards for the entire
Veterans Benefits Administration Senior Executive cadre based
on failure to meet targets on reducing disability claims
backlogs. The Secretary has all the authority he needs to use
bonuses to influence performance.
Board of Veterans Appeals
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $88,294,000\*\
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 94,294,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 94,294,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level\*\................. 6,000,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................... - - -
\*\Funding for the Board of Veterans Appeals was provided within the
General Administration account for fiscal year 2014 but is shown here
for comparability purposes.
The bill makes $9,429,000 of this funding available through
September 30, 2016.
The bill separates this account from the larger General
Administration account, as requested in the budget. The
Committee believes the separate account will provide more
transparency and accountability as the Board of Veterans
Appeals (BVA) faces a greatly increased workload in coming
years as the disability claims backlog diminishes and veterans
appeal their awards.
BVA is the component of VA responsible for making final
decisions on behalf of the Secretary for the thousands of
claims for veterans benefits that are presented to BVA for
appellate review. The majority of the BVA's workload derives
from the benefit claims initiated at the VBA regional offices.
The appellate process has multiple steps, most of which occur
at the local regional office level. If a veteran is not
satisfied with a regional office determination, he or she may
appeal to BVA for a final agency decision. BVA adjudicates
appeals covering all areas of veterans benefits, but most of
the workload concerns appeals for veterans' disability
compensation or pension benefits. Appeals received by BVA are
projected to increase from 47,763 in 2011 to 72,786 cases in
2015.
Actions to reduce the claims appeal backlog.--The VA has
set a goal to process all disability claims within 125 days,
with 98 percent accuracy by the end of 2015. While it is
critical that this goal be achieved, it is also essential that
the growing backlog in veteran appeals claims be addressed by
the VA. The Committee fears the VBA has neglected the appeals
of veteran claims in its effort to reduce the disability claims
backlog and has lost sight of the appeals process. The VBA
should consider hiring more staff to specifically work on
lowering the growing backlog of appeals. The BVA is encouraged
to do everything possible to lower the appeals processing time.
The BVA should provide an annual report on its actions to lower
the backlog in appeals claims.
The Committee requests a report identifying the BVA's
definition of backlog and whether that definition accounts for
all the time a claim resides in VBA or just when it reaches the
Board.
GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES, VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $2,465,490,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 2,494,254,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 2,514,254,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level.................... 48,764,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................... 20,000,000
The General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits
Administration account provides funding for the VBA to
administer entitlement programs such as service-connected
disability compensation, education benefits, and vocational
rehabilitation services.
The bill makes available through September 30, 2016, up to
$125,000,000 of these funds.
The Committee has added $20,000,000 to the budget request
to be used for three purposes: the Veterans Claims Intake
Program (VCIP) records scanning system, the centralized mail
initiative, and staff overtime. The Committee believes the
additional funds for VCIP and overtime will further increase
VA's capacity to tackle the claims backlog. The centralized
mail initiative will also reduce claims processing time, and
its decommissioning of documents will save VA resources as
fewer documents will be stored in hardcopy.
Claims processing backlog
Projected staffing.--The Committee is concerned that VBA
may not be requesting adequate resources to expeditiously
handle either the current backlog or to mitigate a predictable
influx of new claims. Therefore, in addition to maintaining the
current reporting requirements as listed in House Report 113-
90, the Committee directs VA to provide a report outlining
future staffing requests based on anticipated separation
numbers provided by DOD no later than 6 months after enactment
of this Act. While this report is for the use of the
Appropriations Committee, it is also to be made available by
the VA Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs to any
Member of the House of Representatives upon request.
Fully developed claims.--The Committee commends the VA on
efforts to reduce the disability claims backlog and encourages
the VA to work more closely with congressional offices to
eliminate the remaining backlog and improve claims processing
time. The Fully Developed Claim (FDC) program instituted by the
VA has proven to be an efficient and effective tool when
utilized. The Committee supports the partnership the VA has
established with veteran service organizations to expand the
FDC program and urges the VA to develop similar partnerships
with congressional offices to move more veterans into the FDC
process.
Other issues
Serving underserved areas.--Not later than 180 days after
the date of the enactment of this act, the Committee requests
the Secretary of VA to submit to Congress a report detailing
the VBA's efforts to serve veterans in remote and underserved
areas such as areas in Arizona, the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands, Alaska, and U.S. Territories. The
report shall include the number of veterans living in such
areas, the number of veterans served, the type of services
available and provided, the frequency of service, follow-up
actions, and the method of follow-up. The department shall also
include in the report the costs incurred for providing service
to veterans in these areas, the success or sufficiency of
efforts and plans to improve services to veterans living in
remote and underserved areas, as well as the resources needed
to ensure these veterans receive access to earned benefits.
Military sexual trauma (MST)-related claims.--The Committee
is pleased with the VA's increased focus on disability claims
based on in-service personal assault, including VA's intensive
training and identification of specialized employees for MST-
related claims. However, the Committee continues to be informed
about inconsistencies in the ratings process for MST victims
and a lack of sufficient VA data identifying weaknesses and
what strides have been made. Accordingly, the Committee
requests the VA to report to the Committee certain information
regarding MST-related claims to ensure veterans across the
country receive consistent, timely and accurate decisions based
on these claims. The VA should include in the report: (a) the
number of MST-related claims submitted in fiscal year 2014; (b)
the number and percentage of claims submitted by gender; (c)
the number of denied claims, including number and percentage by
gender; (d) the number of approved claims, including number and
percentage by gender; (e) the number of claims assigned to each
rating percentage; (f) the three most common reasons given for
denial of such claims under section 5104(b)(1) of title 38,
U.S.C.; (g) the number of denials that were based on the
failure of the veteran to report for a medical examination; (h)
the number of claims that were pending at the end of the fiscal
year (including claims on appeal); (i) the average number of
days to complete MST claims; and (j) a description of the
training provided to employees of VBA specifically with respect
to covered claims, including the frequency, length and content
of such training.
Job placement.--The Committee recommends that the VA, in
conjunction with the Department of Labor, consider establishing
a specialized job placement demonstration program. This program
would target job placement efforts for those veterans who have
not been able to secure employment through services currently
offered by the VA and the Department of Labor. The program
would be administered by an entity that has significant
experience working with local businesses on job placement.
Services for job-seekers.--The Committee believes that the
employment of veterans should be a top priority for the
Secretary and is pleased that the VA is working to upgrade
VetSuccess.gov to provide a system that connects employers with
registered job-seeking veterans. The improved system, called
the eBenefits Employment Center, will be available to the
Department of Labor's American Job Centers.
Rehabilitation and training for veterans with difficult
employment circumstances.--The Committee encourages the VA to
expand its partnerships with non-profit employment and training
organizations with experience in assisting individuals with
difficult employment circumstances, such as prior substance
abuse or criminal records, to find long-term employment.
Filipino veterans.--The American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act (P.L. 111-5) established a benefit for Filipino veterans
who aided American troops in World War II. In the fiscal year
2014 appropriations act, the Committee directed the VA to
consider all forms of evidence of service and not just those
originally considered. The Committee looks forward to VA
execution of this directive.
Change in regional office locations.--The Committee directs
the Veterans Benefits Administration not to change the location
of any of its regional offices without reporting to the
Committee, at least 90 days in advance, the cost-benefit
analysis of a proposed location change and how a location
change will benefit veterans and increase operational
efficiency.
Training veteran medics.--According to data from the VA,
former Armed Forces medics and Navy corpsmen fall within the
category of highest unemployment rates among military service
members. Although uniquely trained in the health care field,
these veterans are often unlicensed health providers with
limited ability to secure civilian job opportunities without a
direct transition to a career as a licensed health
professional. The Committee directs the VA to establish a pilot
program in coordination with HBCU and other university health
professions schools to channel Armed Forces medics and Navy
Corpsmen to physician assistant training using their post-9/11
GI bill benefits. This training would facilitate their
acquisition of health provider jobs in both the civilian and VA
sectors.
Independent living services.--The Committee supports the
budget proposal to increase the cap on the number of veterans
eligible to participate in the Independent Living Program from
2,700 to 3,000. The program has been highly successful in
providing services to maximize independence in daily living for
veterans who are too severely disabled to pursue employment. It
allows eligible veterans to live independently and participate
in family and community life.
Disaster training.--The Committee notes that many returning
veterans have skills and training that make them ideal for
employment in a post-disaster environment. The Committee
suggests that the VA consider directing these veterans to
training that would qualify them for work in the wake of a
natural disaster or terrorist attack and help place them in
state and local agencies and non-governmental organizations
that perform disaster relief work.
Burial benefits.--The Committee is concerned about the
potentially adverse impact of regulatory changes made in P.L.
111-275, which increased certain burial and funeral benefits
for veterans from $300 to $700. The Committee requests a report
on the progress in implementing the new benefit standard; how
the VA Maintenance Centers (MC) work to accurately inform the
applicants about the benefits for which they are eligible
before they apply; how the MC certifies that benefits and
compensation due are processed and distributed accurately in
the first attempt; and what efforts are being taken to ensure
that the initial responses and Congressional requests are
reviewed and processed in a timely and fair manner. This report
should be submitted to the Committee no later than 90 days
after the enactment of this Act.
Benefits for the victims of the 2009 Fort Hood shooting.--
The Committee remains concerned about the administration's
classification of the 2009 shooting at Fort Hood as workplace
violence rather than an act of terrorism. The Committee is
concerned that the victims are not and will not receive the
proper benefits and medical care they are entitled to. The VA
is to report back to the Committee by July 15, 2014 with a
detailed analysis of the benefits and medical care the victims
are eligible for under the Administration's current
classification, and how these compare to the benefits and
medical care they would receive now and into the future if this
event were classified as an act of terrorism.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $3,703,344,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 3,903,344,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 3,870,552,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level.................... 167,208,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................... (32,792,000)
The Information Technology Systems account supports
information technology (IT) services such as systems
development and performance, operations and maintenance,
information protection, and customer support. The program
permits the effective and efficient delivery of veterans'
healthcare services and benefits programs.
Within the account total, the Committee allocates in bill
language $1,039,000,000 for pay and associated costs, which is
the same as the budget request; $2,283,217,000 for operations
and maintenance, which is $50,000,000 below the request but
$101,564,000 above fiscal year 2014; and $548,335,000 for
development, modernization, and enhancement, which is
$17,208,000 above the request. The bill makes available
$31,170,000 of pay and associated costs and $160,000,000 of
operations and maintenance funds until September 30, 2016. All
development, modernization, and enhancement funds are available
until September 30, 2016.
In the current stringent budget environment, the Committee
places the highest funding priority on information technology
development projects, including the three described below, and
directs the VA to apply the $50,000,000 reduction to the
discretionary sustainment category of IT projects, which was
increased by $157,776,000 in the budget request.
The bill provides: the budget request of $137,000,000 for
the Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS), the paperless
claims processing system; the budget request of $99,614,000 for
the Veterans Relationship Management (VRM) system which will
create multiple communication channels for veterans; and
$343,614,000 for the electronic health record, which is
$17,208,000 above the budget request, restoring funding for the
record to the fiscal year 2014 level. Within the electronic
health record funding, $269,406,000 is provided for VistA
Evolution, the modernization of the VA electronic health
record, and $74,208,000 is provided for electronic health
record interoperability and Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record
(VLER) health. An administrative provision limits the funding
for the electronic health record provided by the Veterans
Health Administration to $123,074,000--$8,371,000 from the
Medical Services account and $114,703,000 from the Medical
Support and Compliance account.
The Committee continues to feel it is critical to closely
track VA's development of its electronic health record. In the
aftermath of the DOD and VA decision not to pursue a single
integrated health record, it becomes doubly important to ensure
that the two health records are designed in a way that permits
interoperability between the two--that computable data from one
record can be viewed and used by clinicians with a different
electronic record system. In the fiscal year 2014 bill,
Congress included language requiring the VA to provide
information on the cost, timeline, performance benchmarks, and
interoperability capacity of the VistA Evolution system before
release of 75 percent of the funding provided. The Committee
believes it remains important to track the implementation of
the system as described in the documents VA provided to fulfill
the 2014 bill language directive. Accordingly, the Committee
includes fiscal year 2015 bill language limiting expenditure of
IT development funds for VistA Evolution to 25 percent of funds
provided until the Secretary submits to the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress, and such Committees
approve, a report that describes: (1) the status of VistA
Evolution project development and any corrective actions taken
where the plan established in the VistA Evolution program plan
(Plan), the VistA 4 product roadmap (Roadmap), and VistA
Evolution cost estimate, dated March 24, 2014 may have fallen
short; (2) any changes to the scope of the VistA Evolution
program as established in the Plan; (3) any refinements to the
cost estimate presented in the Plan and actual costs incurred;
(4) progress in meeting the schedule milestones that have been
established in the Plan; (5) program performance relative to
the performance measures that have been identified in the Plan
and the Roadmap; (6) plans for testing the VistA system and the
results of any testing; (7) VistA Evolution program risks and
issues that have been identified and agency response; (8) the
effort to achieve interoperability between the electronic
health records of the Department of Defense and the Department
of Veterans Affairs, including scope, cost, schedule and
performance benchmarks; and (9) progress toward implementing
the interoperable electronic health record throughout the two
Departments' medical facilities.
The Committee does not intend to delay the progress of
developing the health record, but believes continuing oversight
is necessary to ensure that the health record will have the
capabilities and interoperability promised in the VA documents.
The Committee was pleased to receive the VistA Evolution
Program plan, dated March 24, 2014. It contains important
information regarding the development of the VA VistA Evolution
electronic record. However, the plan falls short in its
description of efforts to achieve interoperability between DOD
and VA medical records. The Committee directs VA to provide to
the Committee by July 31, 2014 additional detail about the
interoperability plan: (1) explanation of the definition of
interoperability used by DOD and VA, including a description of
the scope of planned interoperability; (2) what systems will be
used to achieve interoperability; (3) the estimated total cost
of reaching interoperability between the two systems; and (4)
the timeline for achieving interoperability, with identified
performance benchmarks.
The Committee continues to include bill language
prohibiting obligation or expenditure of funds for information
technology systems development, modernization and enhancement
until the VA submits to the Committees a certification of the
amounts. In addition, the Committee continues bill language
permitting the transfer of funding among the three subaccounts
upon approval of the Committees. The bill contains language
which allows for the reprogramming of funds among development,
modernization and enhancement projects upon prior notification
to, and approval by, the Committees. The bill continues to
include language indicating that funds for development,
modernization and enhancement are available only for the
projects and in the amounts specified in the report
accompanying the bill.
The chart below reflects the Administration's budget
request for development projects and includes the Committee
recommendation for each. This chart will serve as the
Department's approved list of development projects, and all
requested changes are subject to the reprogramming guidelines
as outlined in the accompanying Act.
The Committee expects the Office of Information Technology
to continue to provide an IT expenditure report to the
Committees on Appropriations on a monthly basis. This report
shall include a comparison to the project costs included in the
development, modernization, and enhancement project funding
chart included in the House report, and provide an explanation
for any differences in excess of $1,000,000.
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $121,411,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 121,411,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 121,411,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level.................... - - -
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................... - - -
The Office of Inspector General was established by the
Inspector General Act of 1978 and is responsible for the audit,
investigation, and inspection of all Department of Veterans
Affairs programs and operations. The overall operational
objective is to focus available resources on areas which would
help improve services to veterans and their beneficiaries,
assist managers of Department programs to operate economically
in accomplishing program goals, and to prevent and deter
recurring and potential fraud, waste, and inefficiencies.
The bill makes $10,000,000 of this funding available until
September 30, 2016.
The Committee requests a report from the Office of
Inspector General describing the findings of the report the
Office was directed to conduct in the fiscal year 2014
conference report on the processes in place for the
transmission of service treatment and personnel records from
DOD to VA.
CONSTRUCTION, MAJOR PROJECTS
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $342,130,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 561,800,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 561,800,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level.................... 219,670,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................... - - -
The Construction, Major Projects appropriation provides for
constructing, altering, extending, and improving any of the
facilities under the jurisdiction or for the use of the
Department of Veterans Affairs, including planning,
architectural and engineering services, assessments, and site
acquisition where the estimated cost of a project is
$10,000,000 or more.
The Committee recommendation makes all but $34,000,000 of
these funds available for a five-year period rather than until
expended, reflecting concern about the lengthy period that VA
has taken to design and build major construction projects. The
Committee hopes that limiting the time period during which
these funds may be used will motivate the VA to better plan and
design projects before funding is requested.
The Committee recommendation provides requested funding to
continue four major construction projects with seismic
deficiency and patient safety concerns. The Committee
recommendation repeats an administrative provision which
requires the Department to notify the Committee of all bid
savings on contracts for construction projects that total at
least $5,000,000 or 5 percent of the programmed amount of the
project and prohibits any changes from the original scope of
work identified in the justification material submitted with
the budget for each project.
The specific amounts recommended by the Committee are as
follows:
[In thousands of dollars]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee
Location Description 2015 request recommendation
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Veterans Health Administration (VHA):
West Los Angeles, CA.................... Seismic deficiency corrections 35,000 35,000
Long Beach, CA.......................... Seismic deficiency corrections 101,900 101,900
Canandaigua, NY......................... Construction and renovation... 122,400 122,400
San Diego, CA........................... Seismic deficiency corrections 187,500 187,500
Advance Planning Fund................... Various Stations.............. 69,000 69,000
Major Construction Staff................ Various Stations.............. 24,000 24,000
Claims Analysis......................... Various Stations.............. 2,000 2,000
Hazardous Waste......................... Various Stations.............. 6,000 6,000
-----------------------------------
Total VHA........................... .............................. 547,800 547,800
National Cemetery Administration (NCA):
Advance Planning Fund................... Various Stations.............. 2,500 2,500
NCA Land Acquisition Fund............... .............................. 7,500 7,500
-----------------------------------
Total NCA........................... .............................. 10,000 10,000
Dept Advance Planning Fund.................. .............................. 4,000 4,000
-----------------------------------
Major Construction total................ .............................. 561,800 561,800
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Facility construction priority-setting.--The Committee is
aware that the VA undertakes a complex process each year to
prioritize all the facility projects that are eligible for
funding. But the Committee is disturbed that the priorities
assigned to particular projects have changed from one year to
the next without explanation. The Committee requests that the
Department prepare each year no later than 30 days after the
release of the budget request a comprehensive report describing
the process used to identify that year's project priority
listing, any changes in methodology or priority criteria, and
the architectural design elements that must be in place before
a project is considered ready for the priority list.
Alternative financing.--The Committee is concerned about
meeting the need for access to high quality veterans health
care facilities, including in rural areas where access to
facilities, including clinics and hospitals, is more limited.
The Committee directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to
work collaboratively with other executive branch agencies with
substantial construction portfolios, private sector
contractors, and other non-governmental experts, together with
the appropriate congressional committees, to explore the
feasibility of employing new funding mechanisms to meet the
need for such facilities, including but not limited to private
development lease-back arrangements, and to provide a report on
their conclusions to the Committee no later than September 30,
2014.
In-patient facilities in rural areas.--Recognizing the lack
of accessible VA services in some regions of the country, the
Committee requested in the fiscal year 2013 report that the VA
include in the VA Strategic Capital Improvement Plan (SCIP) the
expansion of existing VA health care centers to include
inpatient accommodations, urgent care services, and the full
range of services required by women veterans when the absence
of such services locally requires veterans to make round trips
of more than five hours to access such services at a VA
facility. The Committee instructs the VA to report within 180
days of enactment of this act whether any health care center
facilities currently in the SCIP include inpatient
accommodations and urgent care. If such facilities are not
currently included in the SCIP, the report should provide an
explanation of why this is not VA's preferred mechanism to
address veterans access problems.
Energy efficient technologies.--As new construction and
retrofit projects are undertaken at facilities to improve
building energy efficiency and achieve the objectives
prescribed in related statutes, executive orders, and
initiatives, the Committee encourages VA to utilize new and
underutilized, low-cost energy efficient technologies that
provide the best value to taxpayers through minimal lifecycle
costs.
CONSTRUCTION, MINOR PROJECTS
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $714,870,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 495,200,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 495,200,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level.................... (219,670,000)
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................... - - -
The Construction, Minor Projects appropriation provides for
constructing, altering, extending, and improving any of the
facilities under the jurisdiction or for the use of the
Department, including planning, assessment of needs,
architectural and engineering services, and site acquisition,
where the estimated cost of a project is less than $10,000,000.
As with the Major Construction account, the Committee
recommendation makes these funds available for a five-year
period rather than until expended as requested in the budget,
reflecting concern about the long period that VA has taken to
design and build construction projects.
Errors in leasing.--The Committee has been concerned in the
past with errors made by VA in the process of establishing
leases for medical facilities. These errors have caused
needless delay in projects providing needed facilities in
underserved areas. The Committee requests a report within 60
days of enactment of the act describing corrective actions the
VA has taken, including training, revoking delegations of
authority, and personnel changes, to ensure that such mistakes
do not occur in the future.
GRANTS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF STATE EXTENDED CARE FACILITIES
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $85,000,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 80,000,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 80,000,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level.................... (5,000,000)
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................... - - -
This appropriation provides grants to assist States to
construct State home facilities, for furnishing domiciliary or
nursing home care to veterans, and to expand, remodel, or alter
existing buildings for furnishing domiciliary, nursing home, or
hospital care to veterans in State homes. A grant may not
exceed 65 percent of the total cost of the project. The bill
makes this funding available until expended.
Future funding needs.--The Committee is aware that more
than half of the VA long-term care patient workload is now
being met by State veterans homes. In light of the projected
increase in elderly veterans in future years, VA may determine
that additional State veterans homes need to be built. However,
given the ongoing budget deficits being experienced by some
State governments, the Committee is concerned that some States
may be unable to contribute the required 35 percent of total
construction costs needed to obtain Federal matching funds.
Accordingly, the Committee requests a report no later than 60
days after the enactment of this act describing possible
alternative financing mechanisms to ensure that a sufficient
number of State veterans homes are available to meet the needs
of future patients.
GRANTS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF VETERANS CEMETERIES
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $46,000,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 45,000,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 45,000,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level.................... (1,000,000)
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................... - - -
This program provides grants to assist States and tribal
governments with the establishment, expansion, and improvement
of veterans cemeteries which are operated and permanently
maintained by the States and tribal governments. Grants under
this program fund up to 100 percent of construction costs and
the initial equipment expenses when the cemetery is
established. The States and tribal governments remain
responsible for providing the land and for paying all costs
related to the operation and maintenance of the State
cemeteries, including the costs for subsequent equipment
purchases.
The bill makes this funding available until expended.
Administrative Provisions
The bill includes 33 administrative provisions, 31 of which
were included in the fiscal year 2014 bill and two of which are
new.
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
The bill includes section 201 allowing for the transfer of
funds among three mandatory appropriations. The Administration
proposal to modify this provision is not adopted.
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
The bill includes section 202 allowing the Department to
transfer funding among the three medical appropriations
accounts in fiscal year 2015. The Administration proposal to
modify this provision is not adopted.
The bill includes section 203 allowing for salaries and
expenses funds to be used for hire of passenger vehicles, lease
of facilities or land, and purchase of uniforms.
The bill includes section 204 providing that only funding
in the ``Construction, Major Projects'' and ``Construction,
Minor Projects'' accounts can be used for the purchase of any
site for any new hospital or home or to construct any new
hospital or home.
The bill includes section 205 requiring 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.
The bill includes section 206 allowing for the use of funds
appropriated in fiscal year 2015 for ``Compensation and
Pensions'', ``Readjustment Benefits'', and ``Veterans Insurance
and Indemnities'' for payment of accrued obligations recorded
in the last quarter of fiscal year 2014.
The bill includes section 207 allowing for the use of
fiscal year 2015 funds to pay prior year obligations resulting
from implementation of sections 3328(a), 3334, and 3712(a) of
title 31, United States Code.
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
The bill includes section 208 allowing 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.
The bill includes section 209 allowing the Department to
obligate enhanced-use lease proceeds for administrative
expenses that were incurred in a prior fiscal year during the
year funds are received.
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
The bill includes section 210 limiting the amount of
reimbursement the Office of Resolution Management and the
Office of Employment Discrimination Complaint Adjudication can
charge other offices and accounts of the Department for
services provided.
The bill includes section 211 prohibiting the Secretary
from approving new leases of real property with estimated
annual rental cost of more than $1,000,000 unless the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress approve
a report on such lease within 30 days of receipt. The
Administration proposal to modify this provision is not
adopted.
The bill includes section 212 requiring 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.
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
The bill includes section 213 allowing the Department to
use enhanced-use lease funds for construction and alteration of
medical facilities.
The bill includes section 214 allowing the Department to
use the ``Medical Services'' appropriation for expenses related
to the broader mission of medical care to veterans.
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
The bill includes section 215 allowing the Department to
transfer Medical Care Collections to the ``Medical Services''
appropriation to be used for veterans medical care and makes
those funds available until expended.
The bill includes section 216 allowing 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 the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
The bill includes section 217 allowing the Department to
transfer the proceeds received from the transfer of real
property deposited into the Department of Veterans Affairs
Capital Asset Fund to the major and minor construction
appropriations accounts and makes those funds available until
expended.
The bill includes section 218 providing that no funds may
be used to prohibit Directors of the Veterans Integrated
Service Networks from conducting outreach or marketing
programs. The Administration proposed to delete this provision.
The bill includes section 219 requiring the Secretary to
submit quarterly reports to the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress on the financial status of the Veterans
Health Administration. The Administration proposed to delete
this provision.
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
The bill includes section 220 requiring the Department to
notify and receive approval from the Committees on
Appropriations of any proposed transfer of funding to or from
the ``Information Technology Systems'' account. The
Administration proposal to modify this provision is not
adopted.
The bill includes section 221 limiting the amount of
funding made available under the ``Medical Facilities'' account
for non-recurring maintenance that may be obligated during the
last two months of the fiscal year. The Administration proposal
to delete this provision is not adopted.
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
The bill includes section 222 permitting the transfer of
$252,366,000 appropriated for medical accounts, minor
construction, and information technology systems to the Joint
Department of Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs Medical
Facility Demonstration Fund for the operation of facilities
designated as combined Federal medical facilities.
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
The bill includes section 223 permitting the transfer of
funds deposited in the Medical Care Collections Fund to the
Joint Medical Facility Demonstration Fund for facilities
designated as combined Federal medical facilities.
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
The bill includes section 224 directing that a minimum of
$15,000,000 shall be transferred from the three medical care
appropriations to the Department of Defense/Department of
Veterans Affairs Health Care Sharing Incentive Fund, to be
available until expended.
The bill includes section 225 rescinding and
reappropriating $1,400,000,000 from the Medical Services,
$100,000,000 from Medical Support and Compliance, and
$250,000,000 from Medical Facilities accounts.
The bill includes section 226 requiring the Secretary to
notify the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress of all bid savings in Major Construction projects that
total at least $5,000,000, or five percent of the programmed
amount, whichever is less. Such notification must occur within
14 days of a contract. The Secretary is required to notify the
Committees 14 days prior to the obligation of such bid savings
and shall describe the anticipated use of such savings. The
budget request proposed to delete this provision.
The bill includes section 227 prohibiting 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 the Congress as part of
the request for appropriations. The budget request proposed to
delete this provision.
The bill includes section 228 requiring the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs 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 $2,000,000. The
budget request proposed to delete this provision.
The bill includes section 229 requiring the Department to
submit a reprogramming request if it wishes to change fiscal
year 2015 spending on Medical Services initiatives identified
in the budget justification by more than $25,000,000. The
budget request proposed to delete this provision.
The bill includes section 230 identifying the maximum
funding that may be obligated for Veterans Health
Administration VistA Evolution and electronic health record
interoperability activities. The budget request proposed to
delete this provision.
The bill includes section 231 requiring 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 budget request
proposed to delete this provision.
The bill includes section 232 prohibiting funds made
available by this Act from being used to award a contract to
any contractor whose past performance record indicates that its
performance during the construction of a VA facility resulted
in a completion date more than 24 months later than the
original agreed-upon completion date.
The bill includes section 233 rescinding $38,000,000 of
unobligated balances available from prior year discretionary
appropriations, with the Secretary given authority to allocate
this rescission among accounts.
The bill does not include a provision requested in the
budget limiting contracting out of functions performed by more
than ten employees without a fair competition process. This
limitation is unnecessary because it has already been enacted
into law.
TITLE III
RELATED AGENCIES
American Battle Monuments Commission
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $63,200,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 70,100,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 75,000,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level.................... 11,800,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................... 4,900,000
The American Battle Monuments Commission is responsible for
the administration, operation and maintenance of cemetery and
war memorials to commemorate the achievements and sacrifices of
the American Armed Forces where they have served since April 6,
1917. In performing these functions, the Commission maintains
24 permanent American military cemetery memorials and 25
monuments, memorials, and markers.
The Committee includes additional funds to support the
interpretive program and nonrecurring maintenance needs.
Language is included allowing up to $7,500 to be used for
official reception and representation expenses.
FOREIGN CURRENCY FLUCTUATIONS ACCOUNT
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $14,100,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request est................... 1,900,000
Committee recommendation in the bill est.............. 1,900,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level.................... (12,200,000)
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................... - - -
The Commission's Foreign Currency Fluctuations Account is
authorized pursuant to 36 U.S.C. 2109 to pay the costs of
salaries and expenses that exceed the amount appropriated
because of fluctuations in currency exchange rates of foreign
countries occurring after a budget request for the Commission
is submitted to Congress. The account may not be used for any
other purpose.
The Committee recommendation includes bill language as
proposed which makes ``such sums as may be necessary''
available to the Commission to cover unanticipated foreign
currency fluctuations, currently estimated at $1,900,000. The
Committee notes that the budget proposal adjusts the
Commission's rate for euro transactions so that charges to the
foreign currency account comply with recommendations made by
the Government Accountability Office. Therefore, a portion of
the funds previously included within the Foreign Currency
Fluctuation Account are now proposed and provided within the
Salaries and Expenses account.
United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $35,408,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 31,386,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 31,386,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level.................... (4,022,000)
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................... - - -
The Veterans' Judicial Review Act established the U.S.
Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. The Court reviews appeals
from claimants seeking review of a benefit denial. The Court
has the authority to overturn findings of fact, regulations,
and interpretations of law.
The Committee understands that the decrease proposed in the
budget request is because funding obligations imposed by Beer,
supra and the unfunded liability in the Retirement Fund have
been resolved. The Committee notes, however, that the Court has
historically experienced an increase in appeals a year after
the Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA) has an increase in claims.
The Committee directs the Court to monitor BVA's claims
workload and ensure that future Court budget requests include a
future caseload plan and anticipate any increase in workload in
order to avoid a backlog.
Department of Defense--Civil Cemeterial Expenses, Army
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $65,800,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 45,800,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 61,881,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level.................... (3,919,000)
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................... 16,081,000
The Secretary of the Army is responsible for the
administration, operation and maintenance of Arlington National
Cemetery (ANC) and the Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National
Cemetery. In addition to its principal function as a national
cemetery, ANC is the site of approximately 3,000 non-funeral
ceremonies each year and has approximately 4,000,000 visitors
annually.
The Committee is frustrated to receive a budget proposal
that has again included funding for Arlington National Cemetery
within the Operation and Maintenance, Army account. This
practice undermines federal budgeting principles requiring
expenditures to be charged against the same account each year,
once an account has been identified for such purpose. The
Committee rejects this proposal and instead provides all funds
within the Cemeterial Expenses, Army account. The Committee
directs that future budget requests will include all funding
proposed for Arlington National Cemetery within the Cemeterial
Expenses, Army account.
Cemetery capacity.--The Committee supports the efforts of
the ANC Advisory Commission to identify solutions for when ANC
inevitably reaches capacity. Accurately identifying the burial
needs of our service members, veterans, and their families from
all 50 states is critical to ensuring that the future plans for
ANC meet those needs. The Committee recommends the ANC Advisory
Commission establish metrics to determine whether the
Department of the Army should establish a new national cemetery
of the same stature as ANC. The Committee requests the ANC
Advisory Committee to develop those metrics in consultation
with the Committee.
Arlington land exchange.--The Committee recognizes that the
future burial capacity of ANC could be increased through the
closure and relocation of current roadways adjacent to the
cemetery. The modification of the Columbia Pike/Washington
Boulevard interchange, and the realignment of all associated
utilities would remove existing barriers to the contiguous
expansion into the area of the former Navy Annex site. The
Committee urges the Secretary of the Army to provide the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress with an
amended Master Plan and Navy Annex Area Development Plan
detailing how the land the Cemetery would receive in the
contemplated land exchanges will be utilized for internments,
other Cemetery needs and the location of the future Pentagon
Memorial Visitor's Center.
Armed Forces Retirement Home
TRUST FUND
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $66,800,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 62,400,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 62,400,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level.................... (4,400,000)
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................... - - -
The Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH) consists of two
retirement communities, one in Washington, D.C. and the other
in Gulfport, Mississippi. The Washington, D.C. facility was
established in 1851 as a soldiers' home for elderly and
disabled veterans. The original home for Navy officers,
sailors, and Marines was established in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania in 1811, and was relocated to Gulfport,
Mississippi almost a century and a half later.
CAPITAL PROGRAM
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level........................ $1,000,000
Fiscal year 2015 budget request....................... 1,000,000
Committee recommendation in the bill.................. 1,000,000
Comparison with:
Fiscal year 2014 enacted level.................... - - -
Fiscal year 2015 budget request................... - - -
The Committee recommendation provides authority to expend
$1,000,000 from the Armed Forces Retirement Home Trust Fund for
construction and renovations.
Administrative Provision
The bill includes 1 provision that was in effect in fiscal
year 2014. The administrative provision included in the bill is
as follows:
The bill includes section 301 permitting Arlington National
Cemetery to provide funds to Arlington County to relocate a
water main.
TITLE IV
GENERAL PROVISIONS
The bill includes 15 provisions that are effective in
fiscal year 2014 and the new provisions as follows:
The bill includes section 401 prohibiting the obligation of
funds beyond the current fiscal year unless expressly so
provided.
The bill includes section 402 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.
The bill includes section 403 prohibiting the use of funds
to support or defeat legislation pending before Congress.
The bill includes section 404 encouraging all departments
and agencies funded in this Act to expand the use of ``E-
Commerce'' technologies and procedures.
The bill includes section 405 specifying the Congressional
committees that are to receive all reports and notifications.
The bill includes section 406 prohibiting the transfer of
funds to any instrumentality of the United States Government
without authority from an appropriations Act.
The bill includes section 407 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.
The bill includes section 408 requiring all reports
submitted to the Congress to be posted on official websites of
the submitting agency.
The bill includes section 409 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.
The bill includes section 410 prohibiting the use of funds
for payment of first-class travel by an employee of the
executive branch.
The bill includes section 411 prohibiting the use of funds
in this Act for the renovation, expansion, or construction of
any facility in the continental United States for the purpose
of housing any individual who has been detained at the United
States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
The bill includes section 412 prohibiting the use of funds
in this Act for any contract where the contractor has not
complied with E-Verify requirements.
The bill includes section 413 limiting the use of funds to
enter into a contract, memorandum of understanding, or
cooperative agreement with, make a grant to, or provide a loan
or loan guarantee to, corporations convicted of a felony
criminal violation of Federal law within the preceding 24
months. The Department shall provide an annual report to the
Committee, due within 30 days of the end of each fiscal year,
detailing its implementation of this provision, including a
list of affected corporations and a justification for any cases
in which the Department has determined that the limitation
should not apply.
The bill includes section 414 limiting the use of funds to
enter into a contract, memorandum of understanding, or
cooperative agreement with, make a grant to, or provide a loan
or loan guarantee to, corporations with certain unpaid Federal
tax liabilities. The Department shall provide an annual report
to the Committee, due within 30 days of the end of each fiscal
year, detailing its implementation of this provision, including
a list of affected corporations and a justification for any
cases in which the Department has determined that the
limitation should not apply.
The bill includes section 415 prohibiting the use of funds
in this Act by the Department of Defense or the Department of
Veterans Affairs for the purchase or lease of a new vehicle
except in accordance with Presidential Memorandum--Federal
Fleet Performance, dated May 24, 2011.
The bill includes new section 416 establishing a ``Spending
Reduction Account'' in the bill.
House of Representatives Report 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.
RESCISSIONS
Pursuant to clause 3(f)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the following table lists the
rescissions in the accompanying bill:
Department/Activity
AMOUNTS RECOMMENDED FOR RESCISSION
Department of Defense, Military Construction, Army $79,577,000
(Sec. 129)...........................................
42 USC 3374 (Sec. 131)................................ 100,000,000
NATO Security Investment Program (Sec. 130)........... 25,000,000
Department of Veterans Affairs, Medical Services*..... 1,400,000,000
Department of Veterans Affairs, Medical Support and 100,000,000
Compliance*..........................................
Department of Veterans Affairs, Medical Facilities*... 250,000,000
Department of Veterans Affairs, Prior Year Unobligated 38,000,000
Balances.............................................
*Reappropriated in the bill
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.
Language is included 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 to provide transfer authority from the
BRAC account to the Homeowners Assistance Program.
Language is included to allow the transfer of expired funds
to the ``Foreign Currency Fluctuations, Construction, Defense''
account.
Language is included to transfer not to exceed $15,430,000
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 to permit the transfer of funds from
General Administration to General Operating Expenses, Veterans
Benefits Administration.
Language is included to permit the transfer of funds
between Information Technology Systems development projects and
among the three sub-accounts identified in bill language
subject to the approval of the Committee.
Language is included to provide authority for the
Department of Veterans Affairs for any funds appropriated in
2015 for Compensation and Pensions, Readjustment Benefits, and
Veterans Insurance and Indemnities to be transferred among
those three accounts.
Language is included to transfer funds among the Medical
Services, Medical Support and Compliance, and Medical
Facilities accounts.
Language is included 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 to permit up to $46,304,000 to be
transferred to General Administration and Information
Technology Systems from any funds appropriated in fiscal year
2015 to reimburse the Office of Resolution Management and the
Office of Employment Discrimination Complaint Adjudication for
services provided.
Language is included to transfer certain funds derived from
enhanced-use leasing activities to the Construction, Major
Projects and Construction, Minor Projects accounts.
Language is included to transfer funds from the Medical
Care Collections Fund to the Medical Services account.
Language is included to allow the transfer of funds from
the Capital Asset Fund to the Construction, Major Projects and
Construction, Minor Projects accounts.
Language is included to allow the transfer of funds from
various accounts to the Information Technology Systems account
subject to approval by the Committee.
Language is included to allow the transfer of funds
provided for the Department of Veterans Affairs to the Joint
Department of Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs Medical
Facility Demonstration Fund.
Language is included permitting funds deposited to the
Medical Care Collections Fund for health care 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 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.
Disclosure of Earmarks and Congressionally Directed Spending Items
Neither the bill nor the report contains any Congressional
earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as
defined in clause 9 of rule XXI.
Changes in 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.
Language is included in various parts of the bill to
continue on-going 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
limitations 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 are being 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 for the
transfer of BRAC proceeds to the BRAC account.
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 limiting movement of an
Army unit with a testing mission.
Language is included under Title I that rescinds funds from
prior year appropriations Acts.
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.
Language is included under Title II providing for the
reimbursement to the Department of Defense for the costs of
overseas employee mail.
Language is included under Title II to require approval of
a transfer between development, modernization, and enhancement
projects in the Information Technology Systems account.
Language is included under Title II establishing time
limitations and reporting requirements concerning the
obligation of Major Construction funds, limiting the use of
funds, and allowing the use of funds for program costs.
Language is included under Title II to allow Minor
Construction funds to be used to repair non-medical 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 new
lease agreements, 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, allowing medical
services funds for recreational and funeral expenses, limiting
the obligation of non-recurring maintenance funds during the
last two months of the fiscal year, and requiring approval of a
reprogramming prior to any major reallocation of medical
services initiatives funding.
Language is included under the Court of Appeals for
Veterans Claims, Salaries and Expenses, to permit the use of
funds for a pro bono program.
Language is included under Cemeterial Expenses, Army,
Salaries and Expenses, to permit the use of funds for parking
maintenance and repairs.
Language is included under Cemeterial Expenses, Army,
Salaries and Expenses, to permit the use of funds to relocate a
water main.
Language is included under Title IV to limit the use of
funds for Federal entities when they are not in compliance with
Federal law relating to risk assessment, the protection of
private property rights, or unfunded mandates.
Language is included under Title IV to limit the use of
funds for publicity or propaganda designed to support or defeat
legislation pending before Congress.
Language is included under Title IV to prohibit the use of
funds for a project or program named for a serving Member of
the United States Congress.
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 funds from
being provided to any corporation that was convicted of a
felony criminal violation.
Language is included under Title IV prohibiting funds from
being provided to a corporation with an unpaid Federal tax
liability.
Language is included under Title IV prohibiting funds from
being used by the Department of Defense or the Department of
Veterans Affairs for the purchase or lease of a new vehicle
except in accordance with Presidential Memorandum--Federal
Fleet Performance, dated May 24, 2011.
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:
Program Duplication
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.
Directed Rule Making
The bill does not direct any rule making.
Full Committee Votes
Pursuant to the provisions of clause 3(b) of rule XIII of
the House of Representatives, the results of each roll call
vote on an amendment or on the motion to report, together with
the names of those voting for and those voting against, are
printed below:
Roll Call No. 1
Date: April 9, 2014.
Measure: Military Construction/Veterans Affairs
Appropriations Bill, FY 2015.
Motion by: Mr. Moran.
Description of motion: To strike section 411 of the bill
which prohibits the use of funds for the renovation, expansion,
or construction of any facility in the continental United
States for the purpose of housing any individual who has been
detained at the United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay,
Cuba.
Results: Defeated 20 yeas to 30 nays.
Members Voting Yea Members Voting Nay
Mr. Bishop Mr. Aderholt
Ms. DeLauro Mr. Amodei
Mr. Farr Mr. Calvert
Mr. Fattah Mr. Cole
Mr. Honda Mr. Crenshaw
Ms. Kaptur Mr. Cuellar
Ms. Lee Mr. Culberson
Mrs. Lowey Mr. Dent
Ms. McCollum Mr. Diaz-Balart
Mr. Moran Mr. Fleischmann
Mr. Pastor Mr. Fortenberry
Ms. Pingree Mr. Frelinghuysen
Mr. Price Ms. Granger
Mr. Quigley Mr. Graves
Ms. Roybal-Allard Dr. Harris
Mr. Ryan Ms. Herrera Beutler
Mr. Schiff Mr. Joyce
Mr. Serrano Mr. Kingston
Mr. Visclosky Mr. Latham
Ms. Wasserman Schultz Mr. Nunnelee
Mr. Owens
Mr. Roby
Mr. Rogers
Mr. Rooney
Mr. Simpson
Mr. Stewart
Mr. Valadao
Mr. Wolf
Mr. Womack
Mr. Yoder
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, the Committee notes that the
accompanying bill does not propose to repeal or amend a statute
or part thereof.
Comparison With the 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
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mandatory................... 85,315 85,070 85,315 \1\
85,070
Discretionary............... 71,499 77,455 71,499 76,101
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Includes outlays from prior-year authority.
Five-Year Projection of Outlays
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives and section 308(a)(1)(B) of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the following table contains
five-year projections prepared by the Congressional Budget
Office of outlays associated with the budget authority provided
in the accompanying bill:
Millions
Budget Authority........................................ $71,499
Outlays:
2015.................................................... \2\$92,294
2016.................................................... 4,702
2017.................................................... 3,249
2018.................................................... 1,749
2019 and future years................................... 1,066
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\Excludes outlays from prior-year budget authority.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Assistance to State and Local Governments
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives and section 308(a)(1)(C) of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the amount of financial
assistance to State and local governments is as follows:
Millions
Budget Authority........................................ $142
Fiscal Year 2015 outlays resulting therefrom............ -7
State List
The following is a complete listing, by title, State and
country, of the Committee's recommendations for military
construction and family housing projects:
MINORITY VIEWS
The fiscal year 2015 Military Construction, Veterans
Affairs and Related Agencies appropriations bill sufficiently
funds critical military construction, family housing and
quality of life improvements and enhancements for our brave men
and women in uniform and their families. In addition, this bill
provides adequate funding for Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) programs and for our heroes who have made the ultimate
sacrifice and are honored in the battle monuments and
cemeteries funded in this bill.
We are pleased that the bill continues to build on the
fiscal year 2014 bill's efforts to end the veterans' claims
backlog. First, the Committee bill continues the aggressive
monthly reporting requirements from each specific regional
office on claims processing performance and quarterly reports
on remediation efforts at the poorest performing regional
offices. Second, the bill provides $20 million in additional
funding to the Veterans Benefit Administration (VBA) for
digital scanning of health and benefits files, the centralized
mail initiative, and staff overtime to increase workforce
capacity to reduce the backlog. Finally, the bill fully funds
the administration request of $173.3 million for the Veterans
Benefits Management System (VBMS), which is the paperless IT
system designed to speed processing. With the resources
provided in the bill, the VA must eliminate the backlog in
2015.
The bill continues to closely track the VA's development of
its Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology
Architecture (VistA) Evolution electronic health record. In the
aftermath of the DOD and VA decision not to pursue a single
integrated health record, it becomes doubly important to ensure
that the two health records are designed in a way that permits
interoperability between the two systems. The bill continues
the practice of the fiscal year 2013 and 2014 bills, to include
language requiring the VA to provide information on the VistA
Evolution system before release of 75 percent of the funding
provided. The fiscal year 2015 directive requires information
to track the implementation of the system as described in the
documents VA provided to fulfill the 2014 bill language
directive. The bill does not intend to delay the progress of
developing the health record but believes continuing oversight
is necessary to ensure that the health record will have the
capabilities and the interoperability promised in the VA
documents. The bill also requires specific information on the
planned interoperability capability of VistA Evolution, to be
provided to the Committee by July 31, 2014, so the Committee
can continue to monitor this endeavor. We strongly believe that
electronic access to health records makes all files easily
searchable, ultimately leading to higher quality care, faster
processing times, and reduction of the backlog.
The bill reported out of the Committee represents a good,
reasonable approach, preserves our long commitment to our
veterans and our military facilities, and continues a
bipartisan tradition of providing funding levels that Members
on both sides agree are appropriate, while avoiding contentious
legislative riders that complicate passage.
Sanford D. Bishop, Jr.
Nita M. Lowey.