Departmental Administration

Departmental Administration general operating expenses For necessary operating expenses of the Department of Veterans Affairs, not otherwise provided for, including uniforms or allowances therefor, as authorized by law; not to exceed $25,000 for official reception and representation expenses; hire of passenger motor vehicles; and reimbursement of the General Services Administration for security guard services, and the Department of Defense for the cost of overseas employee mail; $811,919,000, of which $20,000,000 for the acquisition of automated data processing equipment and services to support the modernization program in the Veterans Benefits Administration shall not become available for obligation until September 1, 1993, and shall remain available for obligation until September 30, 1994. national cemetery system For necessary operating expenses of the National Cemetery System not otherwise provided for, including uniforms or allowances therefor, as authorized by law; cemeterial expenses as authorized 106 STAT. 1576by law; purchase of ten passenger motor vehicles, for use in cemeterial operations; and hire of passenger motor vehicles, $70,668,000. office of inspector general For necessary expenses of the Office of Inspector General in carrying out the provisions of the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, $31,182,000. construction, major projects For constructing, altering, extending and improving any of the facilities under the jurisdiction or for the use of the Department of Veterans Affairs, or for any of the purposes set forth in sections 316, 2404, 2406, 8102, 8103, 8106, 8108, 8109, 8110, and 8122 of title 38, United States Code, including planning, architectural and engineering services, maintenance or guarantee period services costs associated with equipment guarantees provided under the project, services of claims analysts, and site acquisition, where the estimated cost of a project is $3,000,000 or more or where funds for a project were made available in a previous major project appropriation, $492,674,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That except for advance planning of projects funded through the advance planning fund and the design of projects funded through the design fund, none of these funds shall be used for any project which has not been considered and approved by the Congress in the budgetary process: Provided further, That funds provided in this appropriation for fiscal year 1993, for each approved project shall be obligated (1) by the awarding of a construction documents contract by September 30, 1993, and (2) by the awarding of a construction contract by September 30, 1994: Provided further, That the Secretary shall promptly report in writing to the Comptroller General and to the Committees on Appropriations any approved major construction project in which obligations are not incurred within the time limitations established above; and the Comptroller General shall review the report in accordance with the procedures established by section 1015 of the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (title X of Public Law 93–344): Provided further, That no funds from any other account except the “Parking garage revolving fund”, may be obligated for constructing, altering, extending, or improving a project which was approved in the budget process and funded in this account until one year after substantial completion and beneficial occupancy by the Department of Veterans Affairs of the project or any part thereof with respect to that part only: Provided further, That prior to the issuance of a bidding document for any construction contract for a project approved under this heading (excluding completion items), the director of the affected Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility must certify that the design of such project is acceptable from a patient care standpoint. construction, minor projects 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, maintenance or guarantee period services costs associated with equipment guarantees provided under the project, services 106 STAT. 1577of claims analysts, and site acquisition, or for any of the purposes set forth in sections 316, 2404, 2406, 8102, 8103, 8106, 8108, 8109, 8110, and 8122 of title 38, United States Code, where the estimated cost of a project is less than $3,000,000, $149,525,000, to remain available until expended, along with unobligated balances of previous “Construction, minor projects” appropriations which are hereby made available for any project where the estimated cost is less than $3,000,000: Provided, That notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, no part of the funds appropriated under this heading shall be available to carry out the functions of the Office of Facilities: Provided further, That funds in this account shall be available for (1) repairs to any of the nonmedical facilities under the jurisdiction or for the use of the Department of Veterans Affairs which are necessary because of loss or damage caused by any natural disaster or catastrophe, and (2) temporary measures necessary to prevent or to minimize further loss by such causes: Provided further, That $1,000,000 of previously appropriated funds for the construction of a pedestrian bridge to connect the John L. McClellan Veterans Affairs Medical Center with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Clinical Building shall be awarded within 90 days of enactment of this Act to a responsive and qualified construction bid offeror: Provided further, That the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall transmit to the Committees on Appropriations of the House and Senate a report providing a full and detailed explanation should an award not be made within the 90-day period and which sets forth a revised schedule to proceed with this project; said report shall be transmitted not less than 30 days following the expiration of the 90-day period. parking garage revolving fund For the parking garage revolving fund as authorized by law (38 U.S.C. 8109), $1,317,000, together with income from fees collected, to remain available until expended. Resources of this fund shall be available for all expenses authorized by 38 U.S.C. 8109 except operations and maintenance costs which will be funded from “Medical care”. grants for construction of state extended care facilities For grants to assist the several States to acquire or construct State nursing home and domiciliary facilities and to remodel, modify or alter existing hospital, nursing home and domiciliary facilities in State homes, for furnishing care to veterans as authorized by law (38 U.S.C. 8131–8137), $40,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 1995. grants for the construction of state veterans cemeteries For grants to aid States in establishing, expanding, or improving State veteran cemeteries as authorized by law (38 U.S.C. 2408), $5,104,000, to remain available until September 30, 1995. 106 STAT. 1578 administrative provisions (including transfer of funds) Any appropriation for 1993 for “Compensation and pensions”, “Readjustment benefits”, and “Veterans insurance and indemnities” may be transferred to any other of the mentioned appropriations. Appropriations available to the Department of Veterans Affairs for 1993 for salaries and expenses shall be available for services as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 3109. No part of the appropriations in this Act for the Department of Veterans Affairs (except the appropriations for “Construction, major projects”, “Construction, minor projects” and the “Parking garage revolving fund”) shall be available for the purchase of any site for or toward the construction of any new hospital or home. No part of the foregoing appropriations shall be available for hospitalization or examination of any persons except beneficiaries entitled under the laws bestowing such benefits to veterans, unless reimbursement of cost is made to the appropriation at such rates as may be fixed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Appropriations available to the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 1993 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 aforementioned accounts within the last quarter of fiscal year 1992. Appropriations accounts available to the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 1993 shall be available to pay prior year obligations of corresponding prior year appropriations accounts resulting from title X of the Competitive Equality Banking Act, Public Law 100–86, 1987, except that if such obligations are from trust fund accounts they shall be payable from “Compensation and pensions”. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, funds appropriated under the following headings shall be available to carry out the functions of the Office of Facilities to support the purposes enumerated for each account: (1) “Medical administration and miscellaneous operating expenses” for administrative expenses in support of planning, design, project management, architectural, engineering, real property acquisition and disposition, construction and renovation of any facility under the jurisdiction or for the use of the Department of Veterans Affairs, including site acquisition; engineering and architectural activities not charged to project cost; and research and development in building construction technology; (2) “Medical care” for administrative expenses in support of planning, design, project management, real property acquisition and disposition, construction and renovation of any facility under the jurisdiction or for the use of the Department of Veterans Affairs; and oversight, engineering and architectural activities not charged to project cost; and (3) “General operating expenses” for construction program oversight; legal services; and in addition to the availability of other accounts, expenses in support of lease-purchase agreement and enhanced-use lease activities.