WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) introduced the Faster VA Construction Act. This bill would direct the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to adopt commercial building codes and standards where possible, consistent with the law. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) are original cosponsors of the bipartisan legislation.
Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) said, “Hoosier veterans deserve timely care, not red tape. This bill speeds up VA construction and makes sure taxpayer dollars are put to their best use.”
“The VA’s construction process needs to be faster and more efficient,” said Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) The Faster VA Construction Act would stretch taxpayer dollars by cutting unnecessary red tape, speeding up construction projects, and delivering better facilities for our veterans faster.”
Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) said, “We should not let red tape get in the way of ensuring our veterans have access to care and services. As veterans’ needs continue to grow in Hawaii and across the country, we should do all we can to ensure VA’s infrastructure can meet this demand. By allowing VA projects to follow commercial construction codes and standards, the Faster VA Construction Act takes steps to streamline the construction process, reduce costs, and help increase the number of projects VA can get built each year.”
Key Provisions of Faster VA Construction Act:
- Direct VA to use commercial codes and standards in its construction and leasing projects instead of, or in addition to, unique federal codes and standards, where they do not conflict with statutory or regulatory requirements.
- Direct VA to use commercial codes and standards in three construction or leasing projects, as a pilot, for each of the next five years.
- Require VA to report on its use of these authorities.
Full bill text can be found here.
Background:
VA estimates it would cost between $98 and $109 billion to fully implement its strategic capital investment plan, including deferred maintenance and new construction, and this figure has been steadily increasing for many years. VA’s infrastructure needs have long significantly exceeded its infrastructure resources, and stretching each construction dollar as far as possible is critical.
The Government Accountability Office, Office of Inspector General, and VA officials have repeatedly cited the Department’s unique construction codes and standards as major, and sometimes unnecessary, cost drivers. VA has long maintained its own facility design standards that are significantly different from commercial codes and standards and often vary from project to project. In contrast, GAO, OIG, and VA officials have touted the two CHIP IN Act projects (in Omaha, Nebraska and Tulsa, Oklahoma) for being completed more quickly and at lower cost compared to VA-managed projects, because the law permitted their private developers to rely on commercial codes and standards to a limited extent.
