,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dcda  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #af     
7legislative day1 ,april #ad71 #bjbf,mr4
 ,banks 7for himself and ,ms4 ,hirono7  
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a   
,,bill  ,to require the ,secretary of   
,veterans ,affairs to use commercial    
codes and standards instead of or in    
addition to ,federal codes and standards
 in the construction or alteration of   
facilities of the ,department of        
,veterans ,affairs1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,faster ,department 
of ,veterans ,affairs ,construction ,act
 of #bjbf4  #b4 ,department of ,veterans
 ,affairs use of commercial construction
 and facilities code and standards  7a7 
,in general ,the ,secretary of ,veterans
 ,affairs shall use commercial codes and
 standards instead of or in addition to 
,federal codes and standards in the     

construction or alteration of facilities
 of the ,department of ,veterans        
,affairs1 where such commercial codes   
and standards do not conflict with      
statutory and regulatory requirements4  
7b7 ,pilot projects ,the ,secretary     
shall undertake not fewer than three    
pilot projects during each of fiscal    
years #bjbg1 #bjbh1 #bjbi1 #bjcj1 and   
#bjca utilizing commercial codes and    
standards instead of ,federal codes and 
standards to lease or construct         
facilities of the ,department for major 
construction1 minor construction1 or    
major lease projects4  7c7 ,reports ,the
 ,secretary shall submit a report to the
 ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of   
the ,senate and the ,committee on       
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of    
,representatives not later than #ij days
 after the end of each of fiscal years  
#bjbg1 #bjbh1 #bjbi1 #bjcj1 and #bjca   
detailing the use by the ,secretary of  
the authority provided by subsection 7a7
 and conduct of each pilot project      

required by subsection 7b7 that was     
initiated1 ongoing1 or completed during 
the fiscal year4  7d7 ,definitions ,in  
this section3 7#a7 ,commercial codes and
 standards ,the term commercial codes   
and standards means building codes or   
standards of the following3 7,a7 ,the   
,national ,fire ,protection             
,association4  7,b7 ,the ,international 
,code ,council4  7,c7 ,the ,american    
,society for ,testing and ,materials4   
7,d7 ,the ,american ,society of ,civil  
,engineers4  7,e7 ,any other building   
code or standard1 other than those      
described in paragraph 7#b71 determined 
by the ,secretary4  7#b7 ,federal codes 
and standards ,the term ,federal codes  
and standards means the following3 7,a7 
,building codes or standards specific to
 one or more ,federal agencies4  7,b7   
,building codes or standards specific to
 the ,department1 including the         
,technical ,information ,library4  7,c7 
,standards of the ,federal ,guidelines  
,institute4