; 38 U.S.C. 8103 note), as amended, to provide additional funds or to fund an escalation clause under such section of such Act: Provided, That before such unobligated balances are obligated pursuant to this section, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall request from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress the authority to obligate such unobligated balances and such Committees issue an approval, or absent a response, a period of 30 days has elapsed: Provided further, That the request to obligate such unobligated balances must provide Congress notice that the entity described in section 2(a)(2) of Public Law 114–294 , as amended, has exhausted available cost containment approaches as set forth in the agreement under section 2(c) of such Public Law. 259. (a) In general None of the funds appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available for fiscal year 2024 for the Department of Veterans Affairs may be obligated or expended to procure or purchase computers, printers, software, hardware, connecting cables, or other information technology equipment needed for an office environment in which the manufacturer, bidder, or offeror, or any subsidiary or parent entity of the manufacturer, bidder, or offeror, of the equipment or software is an entity, or is a subsidiary or parent company of an entity— (1) in which the People’s Republic of China has any ownership stake; (2) that has been organized under the laws of the People’s Republic of China