Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 117.djvu/2069

 117 STAT. 2050

PUBLIC LAW 108–170—DEC. 6, 2003

Subtitle C—Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services Initiative SEC. 221. AUTHORIZATION OF MAJOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN CONNECTION WITH CAPITAL ASSET REALIGNMENT INITIATIVE.

(a)

Deadline.

AUTHORITY TO CARRY OUT MAJOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.—Subject to subsection (b), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may carry out major construction projects as specified in the final report of the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services Commission and approved by the Secretary. (b) LIMITATION.—The Secretary may not exercise the authority in subsection (a) until 45 days after the date of the submittal of the report required by subsection (c). (c) REPORT ON PROPOSED MAJOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.— (1) The Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs and the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and House of Representatives not later than February 1, 2004, a report describing the major construction projects the Secretary proposes to carry out in connection with the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services initiative. (2) The report shall list each proposed major construction project in order of priority, with such priority determined in the order as follows: (A) The use of the facility to be constructed or altered as a replacement or enhancement facility necessitated by the loss, closure, or other divestment of major infrastructure or clinical space at a Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility currently in operation, as determined by the Secretary. (B) The remedy of life and safety code deficiencies, including seismic, egress, and fire deficiencies at such facility. (C) The use of such facility to provide health care services to a population that is determined under the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services initiative to be underserved or not currently served by such facility. (D) The renovation or modernization of such facility, including the provision of barrier-free design, improvement of building systems and utilities, or enhancement of clinical support services. (E) The need for such facility to further an enhanceduse lease or sharing agreement. (F) Any other factor that the Secretary considers to be of importance in providing care to eligible veterans. (3) In developing the list of projects and according a priority to each project, the Secretary should consider the importance of allocating available resources equitably among the geographic service areas of the Department and take into account recent shifts in populations of veterans among those geographic service areas. (d) SUNSET.—The Secretary may not enter into a contract to carry out major construction projects under the authority in subsection (a) after September 30, 2006. SEC. 222. ADVANCE NOTIFICATION OF CAPITAL ASSET REALIGNMENT ACTIONS.

(a) REQUIREMENT FOR ADVANCE NOTIFICATION.—If the Secretary of Veterans Affairs approves a recommendation resulting

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