All Roll Calls
Yes: 400 • No: 15
HR8469119th CongressWALLET
Making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2027, and for other purposes.
Sponsored By: Representative Carter, John R. [R-TX-31]
Passed House
Summary
Funding for military construction and veterans' health. This bill funds Department of Defense military construction and family housing alongside wide VA health, benefits, and IT priorities for FY2027 with specified multi‑year availability and program limits.
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- Military families and service members: Provides family housing construction and operation money, for example Army construction $228.6 million and Air Force construction $274.2 million. It sets per‑unit maintenance caps and requires annual reporting.
- Veterans and caregivers: Supplies large VA health and benefits funding including a Medical Services base of $70.7 billion and $3.4 billion for the Veterans Electronic Health Record. Targeted funds go to suicide prevention, caregivers, telehealth, prosthetics for women, and homelessness programs.
- Installations, Guard and Reserve, and international programs: Appropriates major military construction amounts such as Army MC $2.1 billion and Navy/Marine Corps MC $5.5 billion, funds Guard and Reserve projects, and supports NATO and base closure accounts.
*Directs tens of billions in FY2027 discretionary appropriations across DoD construction and VA health and benefits, increasing federal outlays for those accounts in the year.*
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
13 provisions identified: 10 benefits, 2 costs, 1 mixed.
Big 2027 funding for key VA health programs
For fiscal year 2027, the bill would set money aside for major VA health programs. Examples: about $1.44 billion for women’s care, $3.5 billion for the Caregivers program, and $6.37 billion for telehealth. It would include about $3.46 billion for homelessness programs and $700 million for suicide prevention. It would also fund PTSD and neurology centers, rural health, opioid treatment, and intimate partner violence support. The listed amounts total about $16.69 billion for 2027.
More money and flexibility for VA facilities
The bill would give VA more ways to fund care and buildings in 2027. It would allow up to $710.8 million (plus reimbursements) from 2027 VA medical accounts, and up to $760.8 million from funds available on October 1, 2027, to run joint DoD–VA medical facilities. It would make $1.45 billion in unobligated balances available to build and improve VA health facilities, after VA sends a plan to Congress. VA could move Medical Care Collections into care accounts, add lease revenue to construction funds, and shift up to 3% of many accounts into Medical Services for urgent needs with committee approval. At least $15 million would go to the DoD–VA Health Care Sharing Incentive Fund.
Fertility and adoption help for veterans
If enacted, VA medical funds would pay for fertility counseling and assisted reproductive technology for covered veterans or their spouses. A covered veteran would have a service‑connected disability that prevents procreation without treatment. Embryo freezing and storage would be covered with no time limit. VA would also reimburse adoption costs for adoptions finalized after enactment, following DoD Instruction 1341.09.
Protect local and rural VA care access
If enacted, VA would not be able to close or cut services as part of a realignment until it reports how the change would affect veterans in rural and highly rural areas, including travel distance and costs. VA could make agreements so veterans in rural Alaska get VA-covered care at tribal and community health centers. VA would also have to start building the Bakersfield, California outpatient clinic or move services to temporary space by September 30, 2027.
Protect VA crisis line and care standards
If enacted, the Veterans Crisis Line would answer with trained staff right away and could not be cut in staffing, hours, or services. VA would have to follow its 2017 breast cancer screening guidance through January 1, 2028. The bill would also bar using this money in any way that raises wait times at VA facilities. VA would study hotline results over five years starting January 1, 2016.
Lower caseloads in VA rehab programs
VA vocational rehabilitation programs would have to keep caseloads to no more than 125 veterans per full‑time staff member. VA would report to Congress within 180 days on current ratios and fixes. This would aim to improve counseling access for veterans in chapter 31 programs.
End SSN logins in VA systems
By September 30, 2027, VA would have to stop using Social Security numbers to log people into VA systems. SSNs could still be used to get data from outside systems, follow a law or court order, fight fraud, or when no other ID works.
New payments for non-service VA care
If enacted, veterans getting VA care for certain non‑service‑connected conditions would need to give current third‑party insurance information on a VA form. They would have to reimburse VA for the care at rates the Secretary sets if they are not otherwise entitled to that treatment. VA could collect charges if someone does not disclose or pay.
Tighter rules for VA contractors and IT
VA would not be able to pay award or incentive fees to contractors rated below satisfactory, behind schedule, or over budget, except for narrow reasons under federal rules. For fiscal year 2027, VA would be barred from buying office computers, printers, or interoperable videoconference gear from companies on specified U.S. government restricted lists, even through third parties. This would reduce extra pay for underperforming vendors and limit eligible suppliers.
Easier VA contracts for tribal firms
When VA shifts a function to a contractor, businesses that are at least 51% owned by Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations would be exempt from a current restriction. This would let those firms compete for and perform converted VA work.
Technical tweaks to VA health funds
The bill would make several technical funding tweaks. In 2027, VA could repay some life‑insurance program admin costs from surplus earnings left after claims and reserves. Money taken from enhanced‑use lease proceeds to repay prior‑year expenses would stay available until spent. Prior‑year aid to State homes from 2017–2019 would remain recorded in the Medical Community Care account.
Stronger oversight of VA projects and spending
VA would have to send Congress quarterly financial reports within 30 days after each fiscal quarter and an initial spending plan within 30 days of enactment. VA would have to tell Congress within 14 days about major construction bid savings of at least $5 million or 5% and give 14 days’ notice before spending those savings. The bill would also bar using major construction funds to expand a project beyond its original scope unless House and Senate Appropriations approve.
Pause on VA special transport rates
From October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027, this bill would stop VA from using these funds to implement or enforce the 2023 rule on special transportation rates. Current transportation rules would stay in place for that year.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Carter, John R. [R-TX-31]
TX • R
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
house vote • 5/15/2026
On Passage
Yes: 400 • No: 15