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 $7,000 for official reception and representation expenses; cemeterial expenses as authorized by la w; purchase of six passenger motor vehicles, for use in cemeterial operations, and 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; $817,059,000, including $553,329,000 for the Veterans Benefits Administration: Provided, That, during fiscal year 1990, jurisdictional average employment shall not be less than 12,600 for the Veterans Benefits Administration. 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, $21,949,000. construction, major projects For constructing, altering, extending and improving any of the facilities under the jurisdiction or for the use of the Department of103 STAT. 842Veterans Affairs, or for any of the purposes set forth in sections 1004, 1006, 5002, 5003, 5006, 5008, 5009, and 5010 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, and site acquisition, where the estimated cost of a project is 32,000,000 or more or where funds for a project were made available in a previous major project appropriation, $420,249,000, 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 the appropriation “Construction, major projects” for fiscal year 1990, for each approved project shall be obligated (1) by the awarding of a working drawings contract by September 30, 1990, and (2) by the awarding of a construction contract by September 30, 1991: 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 project (including transfer of funds) 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, and site acquisition, or for any of the purposes set forth m sections 1004, 1006, 5002, 5003, 5006, 5008, 5009, and 5010 of title 38, United States Code, where the estimated cost of a project is less than $2,000,000, $113,699,000, 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 $2,000,000: Provided, That not more than $44,136,000 shall be available for expenses of the Office of Facilities, including research and development in building construction technology: 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 103 STAT. 843which 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 not to exceed $200,000 of the funds available shall be used to assist the City of Sturgis, South Dakota, in improving a wastewater treatment plant used by the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Fort Meade, South Dakota: Provided further, That up to $21,000,000 of the funds provided under this heading may be transferred to and merged with sums appropriated for “General operating expenses” or “Office of Inspector General”. parking garage revolving fund For the parking garage revolving fund as authorized by law (38 U.S.C. 5009), $29,375,000, 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. 5009 except operations and maintenance costs which will be funded from “Medical care”. grants for construction of state extend 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. 5031–5037), $42,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 1992. grants for the construction of state veterans cemeteries For grants to aid States in establishing, expanding, or improving State veterans cemeteries as authorized by law (38 U.S.C. 1008), $4,356,000, to remain available until September 30, 1992. administrative provisions (including transfer of funds) Any appropriation for 1990 for “Compensation and pensions”, “Readjustment benefits”, “Veterans insurance and indemnities”, and the “Loan guaranty revolving fund” may be transferred to any other of the mentioned appropriations. Appropriations available to the Department of Veterans Affairs for 1990 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 1990 for “Compensation and pensions”, “Readjust-103 STAT. 844ment benefits”, “Veterans insurance and indemnities”, and the “Loan guaranty revolving fund” 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 1989. general provision Notwithstanding the earmarking of funds for the Veterans Benefits Administration identified in this Act within the general operating expenses appropriation, $565,329,000 of the $817,059,000 appropriated shall be for the Veterans Benefits Administration.