	Status of Legislation

		Appropriation

On February 14, 2011, President Barack Obama submitted to Congress his request for military construction appropriations to support federal government operations during FY2012, which will begin on October 1, 2011. The House Committee on Appropriations introduced its Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for 2012 ( H.R. 2055 ) on May 31. The House began debate on June 2 and passed the bill on June 14, 2011. On June 30, the committee reported the bill as an amendment in the form of a substitute ( S.Rept. 112-29 ). 2055 was laid before the Senate by unanimous consent on July 14. 2055 before the beginning of FY2012, Congress passed, and the President signed, a series of temporary funding bills the generally continued funding for military construction projects at levels consistent with those enacted for FY2011. 2017 , P.L. 112-33 , through October 4, 2011), the Second FY2012 Continuing Resolution (the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2012, H.R. 2608 , P.L. 112-36 , through November 18, 2011), the Third FY2012 Continuing Resolution (the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2012, H.R. 2112 , P.L. 112-55 , through December 16, 2011), the Fourth Continuing Resolution ( H.J.Res. 94 , P.L. 112-67 , through December 17, 2011) and the Fifth Continuing Resolution ( H.J.Res. 95 , through December 23, 2011). The conference began on December 8, 2011, and in their opening statements, conferees Senator Daniel K. Inouye, chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, and Representative Harold Rogers, his contemporary on the House committee, noted that the conference intended to pull the nine FY2012 appropriations bills remaining to be enacted into an amended H.R. He signed it into law on December 23, whereupon it became P.L. 112-74 . The House Committee on Armed Services reported its amendment of the bill on May 17 ( H.Rept. The conferees filed their report ( H.Rept. 112-329 ) on December 12. He signed it on December 31, whereupon it became P.L. Title I: Department of Defense

		Military Construction

The military construction appropriations account includes a number of appropriations subaccounts:
Military Construction accounts provide funds for new construction, construction improvements, and facility planning and design in support of active and reserve military forces and DOD agencies. Key Budget Issues

			Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC): Completing the 2005 Round

September 15, 2011, is the statutorily mandated completion date for implementing all of the recommendations made by the 2005 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission (also known as the BRAC Commission) and approved by President George W. Bush. Nevertheless, Section 2208 of S. 1253 , the Senate's version of the NDAA for 2012, would have barred the obligation or expenditure of any appropriated funds or funds provided to the United States by the government of Japan to implement the Marine relocation to Guam until the Commandant of the Marine Corps provided to the congressional defense committees his "preferred force lay-down" in the Pacific Region and the Secretary of Defense provided a master construction plan supporting that lay-down, certified that "tangible progress" had been made on the relocation of MCAS Futenma, and provided an interagency plan for the work necessary on Guam's non-military facilities to prepare for the relocation. Congress originally granted this authority in FY2004 and has renewed it for each subsequent year. Title II: Department of Veterans Affairs

		Agency Overview

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) administers directly, or in conjunction with other federal agencies, programs that provide benefits and other services to veterans and their spouses, dependents, and beneficiaries. Both the House passed and Senate Appropriations Committee versions of H.R. In the FY2011 appropriation, mandatory funding was 53.3%, while for FY2012 mandatory funding is 54.4% of total funding for the VA in the House-passed version of H.R. Title III: Related Agencies

		American Battle Monuments Commission

The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) is responsible for the maintenance and construction of U.S. monuments and memorials commemorating the achievements in battle of U.S. Armed Forces since the nation's entry into World War I; the erection of monuments and markers by U.S. citizens and organizations in foreign countries; and the design, construction, and maintenance of permanent cemeteries and memorials in foreign countries. U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims

The U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims was established by the Veterans' Administration Adjudication Procedure and Judicial Review Act of 1988 ( P.L. Table 6 shows the FY2011 enacted appropriations, the Administration request, and H.R.
The Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies appropriations bill provides funding for the planning, design, construction, alteration, and improvement of facilities used by active and reserve military components worldwide. It capitalizes military family housing and the U.S. share of the NATO Security Investment Program and finances the implementation of installation closures and realignments. It underwrites veterans benefit and health care programs administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), provides for the creation and maintenance of U.S. cemeteries and battlefield monuments within the United States and abroad, and supports the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, Armed Forces Retirement Homes, and Arlington National Cemetery. The bill also funds advance appropriations for veterans' medical services.
President Barack Obama submitted his request to Congress for FY2012 appropriations on February 14, 2011. For the appropriations accounts included in this bill, his request totaled $145.2 billion in new budget authority, divided into three major categories: Title I (military construction and family housing) at $14.8 billion; Title II (veterans affairs) at $130.2 billion; and Title III (related agencies) at $246.4 million. Of the total, $75.7 billion (52.1%) would be discretionary appropriations, with the remainder considered mandatory. Congress passed less than the request, appropriating $13.6 billion for Title I (less $547 million in funds rescinded from prior years), $122.2 billion for Title II, and $236 million for Title III.
Military construction funding amounts requested by the President and enacted by Congress have fallen off as the 2005 Defense Base Closure and Realignment (BRAC) round has reached completion. Funding support for military family housing construction has also declined as the military departments (Army, Navy, and Air Force) continue their efforts to privatize formerly government-owned accommodations.
Funding for the VA between FY2011 and FY2012 in the Administration request, and both the House- and Senate-passed versions of H.R. 2055, reflects increases for veterans' benefits and health care and reductions in general administration. The largest percentage increases between FY2011 and FY2012 are for mandatory benefits—disability compensation and pension benefits, and readjustment benefits (where the largest component is for education benefits).
The House Committee on Appropriations reported its FY2012 bill (H.R. 2055) on May 31, 2011 (H.Rept. 112-94), and the House passed it on June 14. The Senate referred the bill to its Appropriations Committee, which reported it with an amendment in the form of a substitute on June 30 (S.Rept. 112-29). The Senate began debate on July 14 and passed the bill on July 20, 2011. Failing enactment before the beginning of the fiscal year, military construction was funded in the interim by temporary appropriations, including the First (H.R. 2017, P.L. 112-33, through October 4, 2011), Second (H.R. 2608, P.L. 112-36, through November 18, 2011), Third (H.R. 2112, P.L. 112-55, through December 16, 2011), Fourth (H.J.Res. 94, P.L. 112-67, through December 17, 2011) and Fifth Continuing Resolutions (H.J.Res. 95, through December 23, 2011). H.R. 2055 became the vehicle for a number of unenacted appropriations, and the conference began on December 8, 2011. Conferees filed their report (H.Rept. 112-331) on what was now the "Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012" on December 15, which was agreed to in the House on December 16 and in the Senate on December 17, 2011. The Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012, formed Division H of the larger bill. The President signed the legislation on December 23, 2011, which subsequently became P.L. 112-74.