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Use of commercial construction and facilities code and standards

Title VI: Veterans’ Assuring Critical Care Expansions to Support Servicemembers · Subtitle E: Veterans Infrastructure and Transformation

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The Department of Veterans Affairs can use commercial building codes and standards alongside or instead of federal ones when constructing or altering its facilities, as long as they don't conflict with legal requirements. The department must carry out at least three pilot projects each year from 2027 to 2031 using these commercial codes for major or minor construction or leasing projects. After each fiscal year, the department must report to Congress on how it used this authority and the progress of the pilot projects.

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Section Text · Sec. 653.
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(a) In general

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may 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 Affairs, where such commercial codes and standards do not conflict with statutory and regulatory requirements.

(b) Pilot projects

The Secretary shall under take not fewer than three pilot projects during each of fiscal years 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030, and 2031 utilizing commercial codes and standards instead of Federal codes and standards to lease or construct facilities of the Department for major construction, minor construction, or major lease projects.

(c) 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 90 days after the end of each of fiscal years 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030, and 2031 detailing the use by the Secretary of the authority provided by subsection (a) and conduct of each pilot project required by subsection (b) that was initiated, ongoing, or completed during the fiscal year.

(d) Definitions

In this section:

(1) Commercial codes and standards

The term commercial codes and standards means building codes or standards of the following:

(A)

The National Fire Protection Association.

(B)

The International Code Council.

(C)

The American Society for Testing and Materials.

(D)

The American Society of Civil Engineers.

(E)

Any other building code or standard, other than those described in (2), determined by the Secretary.

(2) Federal codes and standards

The term Federal codes and standards means the following:

(A)

Building codes or standards specific to one or more Federal agencies.

(B)

Building codes or standards specific to the Department, including the Technical Information Library.

(C)

Standards of the Federal Guidelines Institute.