,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ciif  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #be1 #bjai ,mr4
 ,banks 7for himself and ,mr4           
,perlmutter7 introduced the following   
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a   
,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 to provide for certain   
requirements relating to the use of the 
design-build construction method for    
,department of ,veterans ,affairs       
construction projects1 and for other    
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,,va ,design-,build 
,construction ,enhancement ,act of      
#bjai4  #b4 ,findings2 sense of         
,congress regarding the design-build    
construction method for ,department of  
,veterans ,affairs construction projects
  7a7 ,findings ,congress makes the     
following findings3  7#a7 ,the          
,inspector ,general of the ,department  
of ,veterans ,affairs found that1 in the
 ,aurora1 ,colorado1 replacement medical

 center project1 the ,department decided
 to change its acquisition strategy from
 traditional design-bid-build to        
integrated-design and construct in the  
fourth year of the project1 which was   
too late for the integrated             
design-construction firm to provide     
effective input into the design4  7#b7  
,in response to deficiencies in the     
,department's management of the ,aurora1
 ,colorado1 replacement medical center  
project and in order to prevent         
reoccurrence of such deficiencies in the
 future1 ,congress enacted section #hajc
 of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1   
which mandates that an appropriate      
non-,department ,federal entity take    
over management of future super         
construction projects of the            
,department1 including project design1  
acquisition1 construction1 and contract 
changes4  7#c7 ,it has been the policy  
of the ,federal ,government since the   
enactment of the ,clinger-,cohen ,act of
 #aiif 7,public ,law #ajd-ajf7 that     

design-build shall be used when         
appropriate circumstances are present4  
7b7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense
 of ,congress that--  7#a7 the          
unsuccessful use of the                 
integrated-design and construct         
acquisition method in the ,aurora1      
,colorado1 replacement medical center   
project should not be interpreted to    
mean that design-build1 as described in 
section #ccji of title #da1 ,united     
,states ,code1 is unsuitable for        
construction projects of the ,department
 of ,veterans ,affairs2 and  7#b7 when  
used properly by adequately trained     
acquisition and construction management 
personnel and in the appropriate        
circumstances1 design-build is an       
effective construction acquisition      
method for the ,department of ,veterans 
,affairs1 which has been demonstrated to
 reduce change orders1 decrease the     
duration between design completion and  
beneficial occupancy1 and increase      
warranty protections4  #c4 ,department  

of ,veterans ,affairs use of            
design-build construction method  7a7   
,use of design-,build selection         
procedures ,section #hajf of title #ch1 
,united ,states ,code1 is amended by    
adding at the end the following new     
subsection3  7d7 7#a7 ,if the ,secretary
 seeks to enter into a contract for the 
design and construction of a building or
 facility1 the ,secretary shall use the 
procedures established in section #ccji 
of title #da4  7#b7 ,in the case of a   
super construction project for which a  
non-,department ,federal entity provides
 project management services under      
section #hajc7;e7 of this title1 the    
,secretary shall not discourage the     
entity from using the procedures        
established in section #ccji of title   
#da4  4  7b7 ,covered certification     
program ,section #hajc7;g77#f77;,a7 of  
such title is amended by inserting 1    
including design-build construction     
before the period at the end4