---
kind: "section"
citation: "38 U.S.C. § 8171"
title: "38"
title_heading: "Veterans’ Benefits"
number: "8171"
heading: "Definitions"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/38/8171"
units:
  - "Part VI — Acquisition and Disposition of Property"
  - "Chapter 81 — Acquisition and Operation of Hospital and Domiciliary Facilities; Procurement and Supply; Enhanced-Use Leases of Real Property"
  - "Subchapter VI — Information Technology Projects and Activities"
---

# §8171. Definitions


In this subchapter:

- (1) The term “appropriate congressional committees” means—
  - (A) the Committee on [Veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2)’ Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and
  - (B) the Committee on [Veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2)’ Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
- (2) The term “information technology” has the meaning given that term in [section 11101 of title 40](/usc/40/11101.md).
- (3)
  - (A) The term “information technology project” means a project or program of the [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) (including a project or program of any element of the [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1)) for, or including, the acquisition or implementation of [information technology](#2).
  - (B) In cases where the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) transmits to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget information regarding [information technology](#2) investments, which may consist of individual or multiple projects, the term “[information technology project](#3-A)” refers to an individual project or program or a grouping of multiple projects or programs resulting in the acquisition or implementation of discrete [information technology](#2).
- (4) The term “life cycle costs” means all direct and indirect costs to acquire, implement, operate, and maintain [information technology](#2), including with respect to costs of any element of the [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1).
- (5) The term “major information technology project” means an [information technology project](#3-A) if—
  - (A) the project is designated by the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1), the Chief Information Officer of the [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1), or the Director of the Office of Management and Budget as a major [information technology](#2) investment, as defined in [section 11302 of title 40](/usc/40/11302.md); or
  - (B) the dollar value of the project is estimated by the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) to exceed—
    - (i) $1,000,000,000 (as adjusted for inflation pursuant to [section 1908 of title 41](/usc/41/1908.md)) for the total [life cycle costs](#4) of the project; or
    - (ii) $200,000,000 (as adjusted for inflation pursuant to [section 1908 of title 41](/usc/41/1908.md)) annually.
- (6) The term “business owner” means, with respect to an [information technology project](#3-A), the program manager, project manager, or other supervisory official of the [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) responsible for the project.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 117–328, div. U, title IV, § 403(a), Dec. 29, 2022, 136 Stat. 5486.)