PRIA Logo™
Take the PRIA Score
Title 38 — Veterans' BenefitsRelease 119-73

§8105 Structural requirements

Title 38 › Part PART VI— - ACQUISITION AND DISPOSITION OF PROPERTY › Chapter CHAPTER 81— - ACQUISITION AND OPERATION OF HOSPITAL AND DOMICILIARY FACILITIES; PROCUREMENT AND SUPPLY; ENHANCED-USE LEASES OF REAL PROPERTY › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - ACQUISITION AND OPERATION OF MEDICAL FACILITIES › § 8105

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Require every VA medical building (including nursing homes the Secretary hires under section 1720 and State home buildings built or changed under subchapter III) to be built or changed so it resists fire, earthquakes, and other natural disasters. The Secretary must write safety standards for each State or region using local laws, building codes, climate, and earthquake risks. Existing buildings must be updated to meet those standards. Create an advisory group called the Advisory Committee on Structural Safety of Department Facilities. It must include at least one architect and one structural engineer who are experts and not federal employees. The group must advise the Secretary on building safety and review and suggest the rules. The Associate Deputy Secretary, the Under Secretary for Health (or their designee), and the official in charge of construction must be automatic members.

Full Legal Text

Title 38, §8105

Veterans' Benefits — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Each medical facility (including each nursing home facility for which the Secretary contracts under section 1720 of this title and each State home facility constructed or altered under subchapter III of this chapter) shall be of fire, earthquake, and other natural disaster resistant construction in accordance with standards which the Secretary shall prescribe on a State or regional basis after surveying appropriate State and local laws, ordinances, and building codes and climatic and seismic conditions pertinent to each such facility. When an existing structure is acquired for use as a medical facility, it shall be altered to comply with such standards.
(b)(1)In order to carry out this section, the Secretary shall appoint an advisory committee to be known as the “Advisory Committee on Structural Safety of Department Facilities”, on which shall serve at least one architect and one structural engineer who are experts in structural resistance to fire, earthquake, and other natural disasters and who are not employees of the Federal Government.
(2)Such advisory committee shall advise the Secretary on all matters of structural safety in the construction and altering of medical facilities in accordance with the requirements of this section and shall review and make recommendations to the Secretary on the regulations prescribed under this section.
(3)The Associate Deputy Secretary, the Under Secretary for Health or the designee of the Under Secretary for Health, and the Department official charged with the responsibility for construction shall be ex officio members of such advisory committee.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1992—Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 102–405 substituted “Under Secretary for Health” for “Chief Medical Director” in two places. 1991—Pub. L. 102–40 renumbered section 5005 of this title as this section. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(c)(1), substituted “1720” for “620”. Pub. L. 102–83, § 4(b)(1), (2)(E), substituted “Secretary” for “Administrator” in two places. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 102–83, § 4(b)(1), (2)(E), substituted “Secretary” for “Administrator” wherever appearing. Pub. L. 102–83, § 4(a)(3), (4), substituted “Department” for “Veterans’ Administration” wherever appearing. 1979—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 96–128 substituted “subchapter III of this chapter” for “section 5031 of this title”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1979 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 96–128 effective Nov. 28, 1979, see section 601(b) of Pub. L. 96–128, set out as a note under section 1114 of this title.

Effective Date

Section effective Oct. 1, 1979, but not applicable with respect to the acquisition,

Construction

, or alteration of any medical facilities if the acquisition,

Construction

, or alteration (not including exchange) was approved by the President before Oct. 1, 1979, see section 302 of Pub. L. 96–22, set out as a note under section 8101 of this title. Termination of Advisory CommitteesAdvisory committees established after Jan. 5, 1973, to terminate not later than the expiration of the 2-year period beginning on the date of their establishment, unless, in the case of a committee established by the President or an officer of the Federal Government, such committee is renewed by appropriate action prior to the expiration of such 2-year period, or in the case of a committee established by the Congress, its duration is otherwise provided for by law. See section 1013 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

38 U.S.C. § 8105

Title 38 — Veterans' Benefits

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73