,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dhef  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,october #bc   
7legislative day1 ,october #ai71        
#bjbj,mr4 ,gardner introduced the       
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
authorize the construction of a major   
medical facility for the ,department of 
,veterans ,affairs in ,colorado         
,springs1 ,colorado1 and for other      
purposes4  #a4 ,authorization of major  
medical facility for the ,department of 
,veterans ,affairs1 ,colorado ,springs1 
,colorado  7a7 ,authorization ,the      
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs may    
carry out a major medical facility      
project in fiscal year #bjba and        
subsequent fiscal years for the         
construction of a ,department of        
,veterans ,affairs medical center in    
,colorado ,springs1 ,colorado1 designed 
to serve ,el ,paso ,county1 ,colorado1  
and surrounding areas4  7b7             

,authorization of appropriations ,there 
is authorized to be appropriated to the 
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs for    
fiscal year #bjba and subsequent fiscal 
years for the ,construction1 ,major     
,projects1 account1 such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out the major medical
 facility project authorized by         
subsection 7a74  7c7 ,report on joint   
,,va-,do,d use  7#a7 ,report required   
,not later than #ahj days after the date
 of the enactment of this ,act1 the     
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs and the
 ,secretary of ,defense shall jointly   
submit to the appropriate committees of 
,congress a report setting forth a joint
 assessment by the ,secretaries of the  
feasibility and advisability of the use 
of the medical center authorized by     
subsection 7a7 for the provision of     
health care services to both veterans   
and members of the ,armed ,forces on    
active duty4  7#b7 ,elements ,the report
 required by paragraph 7#a7 shall       
include the following3 7,a7 ,the        

assessment described in paragraph 7#a74 
7,b7 ,an assessment of the feasibility  
and advisability of locating the medical
 center authorized by subsection 7a7 on 
real property under the jurisdiction of 
the ,secretary of ,defense4  7,c7 ,if   
the assessment described in paragraph   
7#a7 is that the use as described in    
that paragraph is feasible and          
advisable1 the following3 7i7 ,a        
description of the use1 as so described1
 during the #aj-year period beginning on
 the date of completion of the major    
medical facility project4  7ii7 ,the    
strategic capital investment plan for   
the medical facility project1 jointly   
conducted by the ,secretaries4  7iii7 ,a
 unified budget for the use during such 
period1 allocating costs appropriately  
among the ,department of ,veterans      
,affairs and the ,department of         
,defense4  7,d7 ,such other matters as  
the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs and
 the ,secretary of ,defense jointly     
consider appropriate4  7#c7 ,appropriate

 committees of ,congress defined ,in    
this subsection1 the term appropriate   
committees of ,congress means-- 7,a7 the
 ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs and  
the ,committee on ,armed ,services of   
the ,senate2 and  7,b7 the ,committee on
 ,veterans' ,affairs and the ,committee 
on ,armed ,services of the ,house of    
,representatives4  7d7 ,construction    
agent authority  7#a7 ,construction     
agent authority  7,a7 ,in general ,not  
later than #cj days after the date of   
the enactment of the ,act first         
appropriating funds to carry out the    
major medical facility project          
authorized by subsection 7a71 the       
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
enter into an agreement with the ,chief 
of ,engineers to procure the services of
 the ,chief of ,engineers as the        
construction agent with respect to      
carrying out the major medical facility 
project until the date on which the     
major medical facility project is       
completed4  7,b7 ,reimbursement ,the    

,secretary shall reimburse the ,chief of
 ,engineers for services procured under 
subparagraph 7,a7 in accordance with    
section #aece of title #ca1 ,united     
,states ,code 7commonly referred to as  
the ,economy ,act71 except that amounts 
required to carry out the major medical 
facility project shall be obligated by  
the ,secretary at the time a            
reimbursable order is accepted by the   
,chief of ,engineers4  7#b7 ,duties     
7,a7 ,in general ,pursuant to the       
agreement entered into under paragraph  
7#a71 the ,chief of ,engineers shall1 as
 the construction agent with respect to 
the major medical facility project      
authorized by subsection 7a71 be given  
the authority to perform the project1   
design1 contract1 and construction      
management necessary to complete the    
major medical facility project4  7,b7   
,new contracts ,the authority under     
subparagraph 7,a7 shall include the     
authority to enter into new contracts in
 compliance with the ,federal           

,acquisition ,regulation4  7#c7 ,plans  
and reports  7,a7 ,completion plan ,not 
later than #ij days after entering into 
the agreement under paragraph 7#a71 the 
,secretary shall1 in consultation with  
the ,chief of ,engineers1 submit to the 
appropriate committees of ,congress a   
detailed plan1 including estimated      
costs1 to complete the construction of  
the major medical facility project      
authorized by subsection 7a74  7,b7     
,progress reports ,not later than #ahj  
days after entering into the agreement  
under paragraph 7#a71 and not less      
frequently than once during each        
#ahj-;day period thereafter until the   
date on which the major medical facility
 project is completed1 the ,secretary   
shall1 in consultation with the ,chief  
of ,engineers1 submit to the appropriate
 committees of ,congress a report       
detailing the progress of the major     
medical facility project4  7#d7         
,cooperation  7,a7 ,information ,the    
,secretary shall provide to the ,chief  

of ,engineers any documents or          
information that the ,chief of          
,engineers considers necessary to carry 
out this subsection1 including          
information relating to the successful  
operation of a medical facility4  7,b7  
,assistance ,upon request by the ,chief 
of ,engineers1 the ,secretary shall     
provide to the ,chief of ,engineers1 at 
no cost to the ,chief of ,engineers1 any
 assistance that the ,chief of          
,engineers considers necessary to carry 
out this subsection4  7#e7 ,appropriate 
committees of ,congress defined ,in this
 subsection1 the term appropriate       
committees of ,congress means-- 7,a7 the
 ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of   
the ,senate2 and  7,b7 the ,committee on
 ,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of   
,representatives4