H.R. 5895 — what changed

added This Act may be cited as the “Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019”.

added The following sums are appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for energy and water development and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes, namely:

added Any reference to a “report accompanying this Act” contained in this division shall be treated as a reference to House Report 115–697. The effect of such Report shall be limited to this division and shall apply for purposes of determining the allocation of funds provided by, and the implementation of, this division.

added The amount by which the applicable allocation of new budget authority made by the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives under section 302(b) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 exceeds the amount of proposed new budget authority is $0.

added None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to sell the transmission assets of the Bonneville Power Administration, the Southwestern Power Administration, the Western Area Power Administration, or the Tennessee Valley Authority.

added The amounts otherwise provided by this Act are revised by reducing the amount made available for “Corps of Engineers-Civil—Investigations”, and increasing the amount made available for the same account, by $3,000,000.

added None of the funds made available by this Act for “Department of Energy—Energy Programs—Science” may be used in contravention of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.).

added None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to purchase heavy water from Iran.

added The amounts otherwise provided by this Act are revised by reducing the amount made available for “Corps of Engineers-Civil—Construction”, and increasing the amount made available for the same account, by $100,000,000.

added None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to enforce the criteria of abandonment described in provision G of provision V of the rule published in the Federal Register at 58 Fed. Reg. 45008 (relating to Clean Water Act Regulatory Programs).

added None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to prepare, propose, or promulgate any regulation or guidance that references or relies on the analysis contained in—

added The following sums are appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the Legislative Branch for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes, namely:

added None of the funds made available in this Act may be used by the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives to make any payments from any Members' Representational Allowance for the leasing of a vehicle, excluding mobile district offices, in an aggregate amount that exceeds $1,000 for the vehicle in any month.

added Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no adjustment shall be made under section 601(a) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4501) (relating to cost of living adjustments for Members of Congress) during fiscal year 2019.

added “(f) Amounts appropriated for any fiscal year for the House of Representatives under the heading “House Leadership Offices” may be transferred among and merged with the various offices and activities under such heading, effective upon the expiration of the 21-day period (or such alternative period that may be imposed by the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives) which begins on the date such Committee has been notified of the transfer.”

added None of the funds made available in this Act for the Architect of the Capitol may be used to make incentive or award payments to contractors for work on contracts or programs for which the contractor is behind schedule or over budget, unless the Architect of the Capitol, or agency-employed designee, determines that any such deviations are due to unforeseeable events, government-driven scope changes, or are not significant within the overall scope of the project and/or program.

added “(b) Funds in the account shall be used by the Architect of the Capitol for all necessary expenses for—

added “(1) resilience and security programs of the Architect of the Capitol; and

added “(2) the maintenance, care, and operation of buildings, grounds, and security enhancements for facilities of the United States Capitol Police and for other facilities associated with such resilience and security programs at any location.”

added “(c)

added “(1) For carrying out the purposes of the account, the Architect of the Capitol may receive transfers of appropriations from any agency or instrumentality of the United States Government upon the approval of—

added “(A) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives, in the case of a transfer from an office of the House of Representatives;

added “(B) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, in the case of a transfer from an office of the Senate; or

added “(C) the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate, in the case of a transfer from any other office of the Government.

added “(2) Amounts transferred under this subsection shall be merged with the account and made available under this section.

added “(3) This subsection shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2019 and each succeeding fiscal year.”

added No part of the funds appropriated in this Act shall be used for the maintenance or care of private vehicles, except for emergency assistance and cleaning as may be provided under regulations relating to parking facilities for the House of Representatives issued by the Committee on House Administration and for the Senate issued by the Committee on Rules and Administration.

added No part of the funds appropriated in this Act shall remain available for obligation beyond fiscal year 2019 unless expressly so provided in this Act.

added Whenever in this Act any office or position not specifically established by the Legislative Pay Act of 1929 (46 Stat. 32 et seq.) is appropriated for or the rate of compensation or designation of any office or position appropriated for is different from that specifically established by such Act, the rate of compensation and the designation in this Act shall be the permanent law with respect thereto: Provided, That the provisions in this Act for the various items of official expenses of Members, officers, and committees of the Senate and House of Representatives, and clerk hire for Senators and Members of the House of Representatives shall be the permanent law with respect thereto.

added The expenditure of any appropriation under this Act for any consulting service through procurement contract, under section 3109 of title 5, United States Code, shall be limited to those contracts where such expenditures are a matter of public record and available for public inspection, except where otherwise provided under existing law, or under existing Executive order issued under existing law.

added Amounts available for administrative expenses of any legislative branch entity which participates in the Legislative Branch Financial Managers Council (LBFMC) established by charter on March 26, 1996, shall be available to finance an appropriate share of LBFMC costs as determined by the LBFMC, except that the total LBFMC costs to be shared among all participating legislative branch entities (in such allocations among the entities as the entities may determine) may not exceed $2,000.

added None of the funds made available in this Act may be transferred to any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States Government, except pursuant to a transfer made by, or transfer authority provided in, this Act or any other appropriation Act.

added Except as expressly provided otherwise, any reference to “this Act” contained in this division shall be treated as referring only to the provisions of this division.

added Any reference to a “report accompanying this Act” contained in this division shall be treated as a reference to House Report 115–696. The effect of such Report shall be limited to this division and shall apply for purposes of determining the allocation of funds provided by, and the implementation of, this division.

added The amount by which the applicable allocation of new budget authority made by the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives under section 302(b) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 exceeds the amount of proposed new budget authority is $0.

added None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to purchase plastic drinking straws.

added None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to enforce the amendment made by section 1501(d) of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2010 (Public Law 111–68; 123 Stat. 2041).

added The following sums are appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes, namely:

added None of the funds made available in this title shall be expended for payments under a cost-plus-a-fixed-fee contract for construction, where cost estimates exceed $25,000, to be performed within the United States, except Alaska, without the specific approval in writing of the Secretary of Defense setting forth the reasons therefor.

added Funds made available in this title for construction shall be available for hire of passenger motor vehicles.

added Funds made available in this title for construction may be used for advances to the Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation, for the construction of access roads as authorized by section 210 of title 23, United States Code, when projects authorized therein are certified as important to the national defense by the Secretary of Defense.

added None of the funds made available in this title may be used to begin construction of new bases in the United States for which specific appropriations have not been made.

added None of the funds made available in this title shall be used for purchase of land or land easements in excess of 100 percent of the value as determined by the Army Corps of Engineers or the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, except: (1) where there is a determination of value by a Federal court; (2) purchases negotiated by the Attorney General or the designee of the Attorney General; (3) where the estimated value is less than $25,000; or (4) as otherwise determined by the Secretary of Defense to be in the public interest.

added None of the funds made available in this title shall be used to: (1) acquire land; (2) provide for site preparation; or (3) install utilities for any family housing, except housing for which funds have been made available in annual Acts making appropriations for military construction.

added None of the funds made available in this title for minor construction may be used to transfer or relocate any activity from one base or installation to another, without prior notification to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.

added None of the funds made available in this title may be used for the procurement of steel for any construction project or activity for which American steel producers, fabricators, and manufacturers have been denied the opportunity to compete for such steel procurement.

added None of the funds available to the Department of Defense for military construction or family housing during the current fiscal year may be used to pay real property taxes in any foreign nation.

added None of the funds made available in this title may be used to initiate a new installation overseas without prior notification to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.

added None of the funds made available in this title may be obligated for architect and engineer contracts estimated by the Government to exceed $500,000 for projects to be accomplished in Japan, in any North Atlantic Treaty Organization member country, or in countries bordering the Arabian Gulf, unless such contracts are awarded to United States firms or United States firms in joint venture with host nation firms.

added None of the funds made available in this title for military construction in the United States territories and possessions in the Pacific and on Kwajalein Atoll, or in countries bordering the Arabian Gulf, may be used to award any contract estimated by the Government to exceed $1,000,000 to a foreign contractor: Provided, That this section shall not be applicable to contract awards for which the lowest responsive and responsible bid of a United States contractor exceeds the lowest responsive and responsible bid of a foreign contractor by greater than 20 percent: Provided further, That this section shall not apply to contract awards for military construction on Kwajalein Atoll for which the lowest responsive and responsible bid is submitted by a Marshallese contractor.

added The Secretary of Defense shall inform the appropriate committees of both Houses of Congress, including the Committees on Appropriations, of plans and scope of any proposed military exercise involving United States personnel 30 days prior to its occurring, if amounts expended for construction, either temporary or permanent, are anticipated to exceed $100,000.

added Funds appropriated to the Department of Defense for construction in prior years shall be available for construction authorized for each such military department by the authorizations enacted into law during the current session of Congress.

added For military construction or family housing projects that are being completed with funds otherwise expired or lapsed for obligation, expired or lapsed funds may be used to pay the cost of associated supervision, inspection, overhead, engineering and design on those projects and on subsequent claims, if any.

added Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any funds made available to a military department or defense agency for the construction of military projects may be obligated for a military construction project or contract, or for any portion of such a project or contract, at any time before the end of the fourth fiscal year after the fiscal year for which funds for such project were made available, if the funds obligated for such project: (1) are obligated from funds available for military construction projects; and (2) do not exceed the amount appropriated for such project, plus any amount by which the cost of such project is increased pursuant to law.

added Subject to 30 days prior notification, or 14 days for a notification provided in an electronic medium pursuant to sections 480 and 2883 of title 10, United States Code, to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress, such additional amounts as may be determined by the Secretary of Defense may be transferred to: (1) the Department of Defense Family Housing Improvement Fund from amounts appropriated for construction in “Family Housing” accounts, to be merged with and to be available for the same purposes and for the same period of time as amounts appropriated directly to the Fund; or (2) the Department of Defense Military Unaccompanied Housing Improvement Fund from amounts appropriated for construction of military unaccompanied housing in “Military Construction” accounts, to be merged with and to be available for the same purposes and for the same period of time as amounts appropriated directly to the Fund: Provided, That appropriations made available to the Funds shall be available to cover the costs, as defined in section 502(5) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, of direct loans or loan guarantees issued by the Department of Defense pursuant to the provisions of subchapter IV of chapter 169 of title 10, United States Code, pertaining to alternative means of acquiring and improving military family housing, military unaccompanied housing, and supporting facilities.

added In addition to any other transfer authority available to the Department of Defense, amounts may be transferred from the Department of Defense Base Closure Account to the fund established by section 1013(d) of the Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Development Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 3374) to pay for expenses associated with the Homeowners Assistance Program incurred under 42 U.S.C. 3374(a)(1)(A). Any amounts transferred shall be merged with and be available for the same purposes and for the same time period as the fund to which transferred.

added Notwithstanding any other provision of law, funds made available in this title for operation and maintenance of family housing shall be the exclusive source of funds for repair and maintenance of all family housing units, including general or flag officer quarters: Provided, That not more than $15,000 per unit may be spent annually for the maintenance and repair of any general or flag officer quarters without 30 days prior notification, or 14 days for a notification provided in an electronic medium pursuant to sections 480 and 2883 of title 10, United States Code, to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress, except that an after-the-fact notification shall be submitted if the limitation is exceeded solely due to costs associated with environmental remediation that could not be reasonably anticipated at the time of the budget submission: Provided further, That the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) is to report annually to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress all operation and maintenance expenditures for each individual general or flag officer quarters for the prior fiscal year.

added Amounts contained in the Ford Island Improvement Account established by subsection (h) of section 2814 of title 10, United States Code, are appropriated and shall be available until expended for the purposes specified in subsection (i)(1) of such section or until transferred pursuant to subsection (i)(3) of such section.

added During the 5-year period after appropriations available in this Act to the Department of Defense for military construction and family housing operation and maintenance and construction have expired for obligation, upon a determination that such appropriations will not be necessary for the liquidation of obligations or for making authorized adjustments to such appropriations for obligations incurred during the period of availability of such appropriations, unobligated balances of such appropriations may be transferred into the appropriation “Foreign Currency Fluctuations, Construction, Defense”, to be merged with and to be available for the same time period and for the same purposes as the appropriation to which transferred.

added Amounts appropriated or otherwise made available in an account funded under the headings in this title may be transferred among projects and activities within the account in accordance with the reprogramming guidelines for military construction and family housing construction contained in Department of Defense Financial Management Regulation 7000.14–R, Volume 3, Chapter 7, of March 2011, as in effect on the date of enactment of this Act.

added None of the funds made available in this title may be obligated or expended for planning and design and construction of projects at Arlington National Cemetery.

added For an additional amount for the accounts and in the amounts specified, to remain available until September 30, 2023:

added Of the unobligated balances available to the Department of Defense from prior appropriation Acts, the following funds are hereby rescinded from the following accounts in the amounts specified:

added For the purposes of this Act, the term “congressional defense committees” means the Committees on Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the Senate, the Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, and the Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.

added None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to carry out the closure or realignment of the United States Naval Station, Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

added Notwithstanding any other provision of law, none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this or any other Act may be used to consolidate or relocate any element of a United States Air Force Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineer (RED HORSE) outside of the United States until the Secretary of the Air Force: (1) completes an analysis and comparison of the cost and infrastructure investment required to consolidate or relocate a RED HORSE squadron outside of the United States versus within the United States; (2) provides to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress (“the Committees”) a report detailing the findings of the cost analysis; and (3) certifies in writing to the Committees that the preferred site for the consolidation or relocation yields the greatest savings for the Air Force: Provided, That the term United States in this section does not include any territory or possession of the United States.

added All amounts appropriated to “Department of Defense—Military Construction accounts for Army, Navy and Marine Corps, Air Force and Defense-Wide” pursuant to the authorization of appropriations in the National Defense Authorization Act specified for fiscal year 2019 in the funding table in section 4601 of that Act, shall be immediately available and allotted to contract for the full scope of authorized projects.

added For an additional amount for the accounts and in the amounts specified, for enhancing force protection and safety at military installations, to remain available until September 30, 2023:

added Any appropriation for fiscal year 2019 for “Compensation and Pensions”, “Readjustment Benefits”, and “Veterans Insurance and Indemnities” may be transferred as necessary to any other of the mentioned appropriations: Provided, That, before a transfer may take place, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall request from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress the authority to make the transfer and such Committees issue an approval, or absent a response, a period of 30 days has elapsed.

added Amounts made available for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2019, in this or any other Act, under the “Medical Services”, “Medical Community Care”, “Medical Support and Compliance”, and “Medical Facilities” accounts may be transferred among the accounts: Provided, That any transfers among the “Medical Services”, “Medical Community Care”, and “Medical Support and Compliance” accounts of 1 percent or less of the total amount appropriated to the account in this or any other Act may take place subject to notification from the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of the amount and purpose of the transfer: Provided further, That any transfers among the “Medical Services”, “Medical Community Care”, and “Medical Support and Compliance” accounts in excess of 1 percent, or exceeding the cumulative 1 percent for the fiscal year, may take place only after the Secretary requests from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress the authority to make the transfer and an approval is issued: Provided further, That any transfers to or from the “Medical Facilities” account may take place only after the Secretary requests from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress the authority to make the transfer and an approval is issued.

added Appropriations available in this title for salaries and expenses shall be available for services authorized by section 3109 of title 5, United States Code; hire of passenger motor vehicles; lease of a facility or land or both; and uniforms or allowances therefore, as authorized by sections 5901 through 5902 of title 5, United States Code.

added No appropriations in this title (except the appropriations for “Construction, Major Projects”, and “Construction, Minor Projects”) shall be available for the purchase of any site for or toward the construction of any new hospital or home.

added No appropriations in this title shall be available for hospitalization or examination of any persons (except beneficiaries entitled to such hospitalization or examination under the laws providing such benefits to veterans, and persons receiving such treatment under sections 7901 through 7904 of title 5, United States Code, or the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.)), unless reimbursement of the cost of such hospitalization or examination is made to the “Medical Services” account at such rates as may be fixed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

added Appropriations available in this title for “Compensation and Pensions”, “Readjustment Benefits”, and “Veterans Insurance and Indemnities” shall be available for payment of prior year accrued obligations required to be recorded by law against the corresponding prior year accounts within the last quarter of fiscal year 2018.

added Appropriations available in this title shall be available to pay prior year obligations of corresponding prior year appropriations accounts resulting from sections 3328(a), 3334, and 3712(a) of title 31, United States Code, except that if such obligations are from trust fund accounts they shall be payable only from “Compensation and Pensions”.

added Notwithstanding any other provision of law, during fiscal year 2019, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall, from the National Service Life Insurance Fund under section 1920 of title 38, United States Code, the Veterans' Special Life Insurance Fund under section 1923 of title 38, United States Code, and the United States Government Life Insurance Fund under section 1955 of title 38, United States Code, reimburse the “General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration” and “Information Technology Systems” accounts for the cost of administration of the insurance programs financed through those accounts: Provided, That reimbursement shall be made only from the surplus earnings accumulated in such an insurance program during fiscal year 2019 that are available for dividends in that program after claims have been paid and actuarially determined reserves have been set aside: Provided further, That if the cost of administration of such an insurance program exceeds the amount of surplus earnings accumulated in that program, reimbursement shall be made only to the extent of such surplus earnings: Provided further, That the Secretary shall determine the cost of administration for fiscal year 2019 which is properly allocable to the provision of each such insurance program and to the provision of any total disability income insurance included in that insurance program.

added Amounts deducted from enhanced-use lease proceeds to reimburse an account for expenses incurred by that account during a prior fiscal year for providing enhanced-use lease services, may be obligated during the fiscal year in which the proceeds are received.

added Funds available in this title or funds for salaries and other administrative expenses shall also be available to reimburse the Office of Resolution Management, the Office of Employment Discrimination Complaint Adjudication, the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection, and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion for all services provided at rates which will recover actual costs but not to exceed $48,431,000 for the Office of Resolution Management, $4,333,000 for the Office of Employment Discrimination Complaint Adjudication, $17,700,000 for the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection, and $3,230,000 for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion: Provided, That payments may be made in advance for services to be furnished based on estimated costs: Provided further, That amounts received shall be credited to the “General Administration” and “Information Technology Systems” accounts for use by the office that provided the service.

added No funds of the Department of Veterans Affairs shall be available for hospital care, nursing home care, or medical services provided to any person under chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, for a non-service-connected disability described in section 1729(a)(2) of such title, unless that person has disclosed to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in such form as the Secretary may require, current, accurate third-party reimbursement information for purposes of section 1729 of such title: Provided, That the Secretary may recover, in the same manner as any other debt due the United States, the reasonable charges for such care or services from any person who does not make such disclosure as required: Provided further, That any amounts so recovered for care or services provided in a prior fiscal year may be obligated by the Secretary during the fiscal year in which amounts are received.

added Notwithstanding any other provision of law, proceeds or revenues derived from enhanced-use leasing activities (including disposal) may be deposited into the “Construction, Major Projects” and “Construction, Minor Projects” accounts and be used for construction (including site acquisition and disposition), alterations, and improvements of any medical facility under the jurisdiction or for the use of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Such sums as realized are in addition to the amount provided for in “Construction, Major Projects” and “Construction, Minor Projects”.

added Amounts made available under “Medical Services” are available—

added Such sums as may be deposited to the Medical Care Collections Fund pursuant to section 1729A of title 38, United States Code, may be transferred to the “Medical Services” and “Medical Community Care” accounts to remain available until expended for the purposes of these accounts.

added The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may enter into agreements with Federally Qualified Health Centers in the State of Alaska and Indian tribes and tribal organizations which are party to the Alaska Native Health Compact with the Indian Health Service, to provide healthcare, including behavioral health and dental care, to veterans in rural Alaska. The Secretary shall require participating veterans and facilities to comply with all appropriate rules and regulations, as established by the Secretary. The term rural Alaska shall mean those lands which are not within the boundaries of the municipality of Anchorage or the Fairbanks North Star Borough.

added Such sums as may be deposited to the Department of Veterans Affairs Capital Asset Fund pursuant to section 8118 of title 38, United States Code, may be transferred to the “Construction, Major Projects” and “Construction, Minor Projects” accounts, to remain available until expended for the purposes of these accounts.

added Not later than 30 days after the end of each fiscal quarter, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a report on the financial status of the Department of Veterans Affairs for the preceding quarter: Provided, That, at a minimum, the report shall include the direction contained in the paragraph entitled “Quarterly reporting”, under the heading “General Administration” in the joint explanatory statement accompanying Public Law 114–223.

added Amounts made available under the “Medical Services”, “Medical Community Care”, “Medical Support and Compliance”, “Medical Facilities”, “General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration”, “Board of Veterans Appeals”, “General Administration”, and “National Cemetery Administration” accounts for fiscal year 2019 may be transferred to or from the “Information Technology Systems” account: Provided, That such transfers may not result in a more than 10 percent aggregate increase in the total amount made available by this Act for the “Information Technology Systems” account: Provided further, That, before a transfer may take place, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall request from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress the authority to make the transfer and an approval is issued.

added Of the amounts appropriated to the Department of Veterans Affairs which become available on October 1, 2019, for “Medical Services”, “Medical Community Care”, “Medical Support and Compliance”, and “Medical Facilities”, up to $307,609,000, plus reimbursements, may be transferred to the Joint Department of Defense—Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration Fund, established by section 1704 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 111–84; 123 Stat. 3571) and may be used for operation of the facilities designated as combined Federal medical facilities as described by section 706 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110–417; 122 Stat. 4500): Provided, That additional funds may be transferred from accounts designated in this section to the Joint Department of Defense—Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration Fund upon written notification by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.

added Such sums as may be deposited to the Medical Care Collections Fund pursuant to section 1729A of title 38, United States Code, for healthcare provided at facilities designated as combined Federal medical facilities as described by section 706 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110–417; 122 Stat. 4500) shall also be available: (1) for transfer to the Joint Department of Defense—Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration Fund, established by section 1704 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 111–84; 123 Stat. 3571); and (2) for operations of the facilities designated as combined Federal medical facilities as described by section 706 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110–417; 122 Stat. 4500): Provided, That, notwithstanding section 1704(b)(3) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 111–84; 123 Stat. 2573), amounts transferred to the Joint Department of Defense—Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration Fund shall remain available until expended.

added Of the amounts available in this title for “Medical Services”, “Medical Community Care”, “Medical Support and Compliance”, and “Medical Facilities”, a minimum of $15,000,000 shall be transferred to the DOD–VA Health Care Sharing Incentive Fund, as authorized by section 8111(d) of title 38, United States Code, to remain available until expended, for any purpose authorized by section 8111 of title 38, United States Code.

added None of the funds available to the Department of Veterans Affairs, in this or any other Act, may be used to replace the current system by which the Veterans Integrated Service Networks select and contract for diabetes monitoring supplies and equipment.

added The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall notify the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of all bid savings in a major construction project that total at least $5,000,000, or 5 percent of the programmed amount of the project, whichever is less: Provided, That such notification shall occur within 14 days of a contract identifying the programmed amount: Provided further, That the Secretary shall notify the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress 14 days prior to the obligation of such bid savings and shall describe the anticipated use of such savings.

added None of the funds made available for “Construction, Major Projects” may be used for a project in excess of the scope specified for that project in the original justification data provided to the Congress as part of the request for appropriations unless the Secretary of Veterans Affairs receives approval from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.

added Not later than 30 days after the end of each fiscal quarter, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a quarterly report containing performance measures and data from each Veterans Benefits Administration Regional Office: Provided, That, at a minimum, the report shall include the direction contained in the section entitled “Disability claims backlog”, under the heading “General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration” in the joint explanatory statement accompanying Public Law 114–223: Provided further, That the report shall also include information on the number of appeals pending at the Veterans Benefits Administration as well as the Board of Veterans Appeals on a quarterly basis.

added The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall provide written notification to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress 15 days prior to organizational changes which result in the transfer of 25 or more full-time equivalents from one organizational unit of the Department of Veterans Affairs to another.

added The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall provide on a quarterly basis to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress notification of any single national outreach and awareness marketing campaign in which obligations exceed $2,000,000.

added The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, upon determination that such action is necessary to address needs of the Veterans Health Administration, may transfer to the “Medical Services” account any discretionary appropriations made available for fiscal year 2019 in this title (except appropriations made to the “General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration” account) or any discretionary unobligated balances within the Department of Veterans Affairs, including those appropriated for fiscal year 2019, that were provided in advance by appropriations Acts: Provided, That transfers shall be made only with the approval of the Office of Management and Budget: Provided further, That the transfer authority provided in this section is in addition to any other transfer authority provided by law: Provided further, That no amounts may be transferred from amounts that were designated by Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant to a concurrent resolution on the budget or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985: Provided further, That such authority to transfer may not be used unless for higher priority items, based on emergent healthcare requirements, than those for which originally appropriated and in no case where the item for which funds are requested has been denied by Congress: Provided further, That, upon determination that all or part of the funds transferred from an appropriation are not necessary, such amounts may be transferred back to that appropriation and shall be available for the same purposes as originally appropriated: Provided further, That before a transfer may take place, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall request from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress the authority to make the transfer and receive approval of that request.

added Amounts made available for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2019, under the “Board of Veterans Appeals” and the “General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration” accounts may be transferred between such accounts: Provided, That before a transfer may take place, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall request from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress the authority to make the transfer and receive approval of that request.

added The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may not reprogram funds among major construction projects or programs if such instance of reprogramming will exceed $7,000,000, unless such reprogramming is approved by the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.

added None of the funds in this or any other Act may be used to close Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals, domiciliaries, or clinics, conduct an environmental assessment, or to diminish healthcare services at existing Veterans Health Administration medical facilities located in Veterans Integrated Service Network 23 as part of a planned realignment of VA services until the Secretary provides to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a report including the following elements:

added Effective during the period beginning on October 1, 2018 and ending on January 1, 2024, none of the funds made available to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs by this or any other Act may be obligated or expended in contravention of the “Veterans Health Administration Clinical Preventive Services Guidance Statement on the Veterans Health Administration's Screening for Breast Cancer Guidance” published on May 10, 2017, as issued by the Veterans Health Administration National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention.

added None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act or any other Act for the Department of Veterans Affairs may be used in a manner that is inconsistent with: (1) section 842 of the Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, the District of Columbia, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006 (Public Law 109–115; 119 Stat. 2506); or (2) section 8110(a)(5) of title 38, United States Code.

added None of the funds appropriated in this or prior appropriations Acts or otherwise made available to the Department of Veterans Affairs may be used to transfer any amounts from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund to any other account within the Department of Veterans Affairs.

added None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used to conduct research using canines unless: the scientific objectives of the study can only be met by research with canines; the study has been directly approved by the Secretary; and the study is consistent with the revised Department of Veterans Affairs canine research policy document released on December 18, 2017: Provided, That not later than 180 days after enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a detailed report outlining under what circumstances canine research may be needed if there are no other alternatives, how often it was used during that time period, and what protocols are in place to determine both the safety and efficacy of the research.

added For an additional amount for the Department of Veterans Affairs, $2,000,000,000 to remain available until expended, for infrastructure improvements, including new construction, and in addition to amounts otherwise made available in this Act for such purpose, of which:

added For an additional amount for the Department of Veterans Affairs, $1,138,000,000 for the programs and activities authorized in the VA MISSION Act of 2018 and the amendments made by such Act, which shall be in addition to amounts otherwise made available in this Act for such purpose, of which—

added Amounts deposited into the special account established under 10 U.S.C. 4727 are appropriated and shall be available until expended to support activities at the Army National Military Cemeteries.

added Each amount designated in this Act by the Congress for Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(ii) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 shall be available only if the President subsequently so designates all such amounts and transmits such designations to the Congress.

added None of the funds appropriated for military construction projects outside the United States under this title may be obligated or expended for planning and design of any project associated with the European Deterrence Initiative until the Secretary of Defense submits to the congressional defense committees a list of all of the military construction projects associated with the European Deterrence Initiative which the Secretary acticipates will be carried out during each of the fiscal years 2019 through 2023.

added No part of any appropriation contained in this Act shall remain available for obligation beyond the current fiscal year unless expressly so provided herein.

added None of the funds made available in this Act may be used for any program, project, or activity, when it is made known to the Federal entity or official to which the funds are made available that the program, project, or activity is not in compliance with any Federal law relating to risk assessment, the protection of private property rights, or unfunded mandates.

added All departments and agencies funded under this Act are encouraged, within the limits of the existing statutory authorities and funding, to expand their use of “E–Commerce” technologies and procedures in the conduct of their business practices and public service activities.

added Unless stated otherwise, all reports and notifications required by this Act shall be submitted to the Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.

added None of the funds made available in this Act may be transferred to any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States Government except pursuant to a transfer made by, or transfer authority provided in, this or any other appropriations Act.

added None of the funds made available in this Act may be used for a project or program named for an individual serving as a Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner of the United States House of Representatives.

added None of the funds made available in this Act may be used by an agency of the executive branch to pay for first-class travel by an employee of the agency in contravention of sections 301–10.122 through 301–10.124 of title 41, Code of Federal Regulations.

added None of the funds made available in this Act may be used to execute a contract for goods or services, including construction services, where the contractor has not complied with Executive Order No. 12989.

added None of the funds made available by this Act may be used by the Department of Defense or the Department of Veterans Affairs to lease or purchase new light duty vehicles for any executive fleet, or for an agency's fleet inventory, except in accordance with Presidential Memorandum—Federal Fleet Performance, dated May 24, 2011.

added Except as expressly provided otherwise, any reference to “this Act” contained in this division shall be treated as referring only to the provisions of this division.

added Any reference to a “report accompanying this Act” contained in this division shall be treated as a reference to House Report 115–673. The effect of such Report shall be limited to this division and shall apply for purposes of determining the allocation of funds provided by, and the implementation of, this division.

added The amount by which the applicable allocation of new budget authority made by the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives under section 302(b) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 exceeds the amount of proposed new budget authority is $0.

added None of the funds made available by this Act may be used by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in contravention of subchapter III of chapter 20 of title 38, United States Code.

added The amounts otherwise provided by this Act are revised by reducing the amount made available for “Department of Veterans Affairs—Departmental Administration—Information Technology Systems” (and the amount specified under such heading for operations and maintenance), and by increasing the amount made available in fiscal year 2019 for “Veterans Health Administration—Medical Services”, by $2,500,000 and $2,000,000, respectively.

added None of the funds made available by this Act may be used by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to implement, administer, or enforce section 17.3240 of title 38, Code of Federal Regulations, as proposed in 82 Fed. Reg. 48018 (October 16, 2017).

added None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this division may be used to convey the 17.1 acres of land and the 126 existing housing units known as Shenandoah Square and located in Mountain View, California.

added None of the funds made available by this Act may be used by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to transfer funds made available for the following programs:

added None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to propose, plan for, or execute a new or additional Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round.