113-146 as amended by P.L. The rest of this report focuses on appropriations for VHA. Appendix B provides enacted VA appropriations from FY1995 to FY2015, including all three administrations that compose the VA: VBA, VHA, and NCA. Funding for the VHA

As noted previously, the VHA is funded through four appropriations accounts. On April 3, 2014, the House Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee approved its version of a Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations bill for FY2015 (MILCON-VA Appropriations bill). 4486 proposed $56.2 billion for VHA. The full Senate Appropriations Committee approved the measure ( H.R. 113-174 ) on May 22. In between the President's request and the final passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, the House passed its version of the MILCON-VA appropriations bill for FY2016 ( H.R. 2029 ; H.Rept. 114-57 ) in November 2015. President's Request

The President submitted his FY2016 budget request to Congress on February 2, 2015. For VHA, the Administration requested $60.6 billion (without collections). For the three medical care accounts (medical services, medical support and compliance, and medical facilities), the President requested $1.3 billion over the advance appropriated amount of $58.7 billion for FY2016 ( Table 6 ). 114-92 ). The House passed the measure on April 30. The House-passed measure provides approximately $60.3 billion for VHA (without collections) for FY2016. 114-53)47

Because none of the regular FY2016 appropriations bills, including the MILCON-VA appropriations bill, were enacted before the start of FY2016, on September 30, Congress passed and the President signed into law a continuing resolution (CR) for the period October 1, 2015, through December 11, 2015. The Continuing Appropriations Act, 2016 ( P.L. 114-53 ), funds most VA programs through a formula using the FY2015 level of appropriations minus an across-the-broad rescission of 0.2108%. 2763 in the nature of a substitute to H.R. The Senate passed S.Amdt. 2029 , as amended, on November 10. For the VHA, the Senate-passed version of the MILCON-VA appropriations bill provides $62.4 billion (without collections), which is $1.8 billion more than the Administration's request for FY2016 ( Table 5 and Table 6 ). Furthermore, the Senate-passed MILCON-VA appropriations bill provides $8.9 million more than the President's request of $621.8 million for the medical and prosthetic research account, requires the VA to spend not less than $10 million to hire additional caregiver support coordinators for the Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers program, and requires the VA to use not less than $5 million from the medical services account for FY2016 to carry out a pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of establishing a grants program to provide furniture, household items, and other assistance to formerly homeless veterans who are moving into permanent housing. 2029 ; S.Rept. 2029; P.L. 114-113)

On December 18, 2015, the President signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, completing the FY2016 appropriations process. The enacted measure provides $162.7 billion for the VA for FY2016 of this amount for VHA, P.L. 114-113 , provides a total of $61.8 billion (without collections). For the medical services account, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, provides $2.4 billion for FY2016 in addition to advance appropriations amount of $47.6 billion that was provided in P.L. For the medical and prosthetic research account, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (H.R. Department of Veterans Affairs, Enacted Appropriations FY1995-FY2015
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides benefits to veterans who meet certain eligibility criteria. Benefits to veterans range from disability compensation and pensions to hospital and medical care. The VA provides these benefits through three major operating units: the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), and the National Cemetery Administration (NCA). This report focuses on funding for the VHA.
The President submitted his FY2016 budget request to Congress on February 2, 2015. The President's request for the VHA is approximately $60.6 billion (without collections), an additional $1.3 billion (for the three medical care accounts) above the enacted 2016 advance appropriations for VHA, which was $58.7 billion. When the $622 million request for the medical and prosthetic research account is taken into consideration, the total amount requested for VHA is a $1.9 billion increase over the FY2015 amount.
The House Appropriations Committee approved the FY2016 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill (MILCON-VA appropriations bill) on April 22, 2015. The House passed the measure (H.R. 2029, H.Rept. 114-92) on April 30. The House-passed bill provides approximately $60.3 billion for the VHA (without collections).
Because none of the FY2016 regular appropriations bills were enacted by October 1, 2015, on September 30 Congress passed and the President signed into law a continuing resolution (CR) for the period October 1, 2015, through December 11, 2015. The Continuing Appropriations Act, 2016 (P.L. 114-53), funds most VA programs through a formula using the FY2015 level of appropriations minus an across-the-board rescission of 0.2108%.
Although the Senate Appropriations Committee approved its version of the MILCON-VA appropriations bill (H.R. 2029; S.Rept. 114-57) on May 21, 2015, the Senate did not consider the measure until November. On November 10, 2015, the Senate passed the MILCON-VA appropriation bill, 2016, as amended by S.Amdt. 2763, as amended, in the nature of a substitute, to H.R. 2029. For the VHA, the Senate-passed version of the MILCON-VA appropriations bill provides $62.4 billion (without collections), which is $1.8 billion more than the Administration's request for FY2016.
On December 18, 2015, the President signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (H.R. 2029; P.L. 114-113). Division J of the act contained the FY2016 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act. The enacted measure provides $162.7 billion for the VA for FY2016 as whole. Of this amount, the MILCON-VA Appropriations Act provides $61.8 billion for VHA (without collections). This includes $2.5 billion in addition to the enacted FY2016 advance appropriations for VHA, which was $58.7 billion, and approximately $631 million for the medical and prosthetic research account. In total, the FY2016-enacted amount for VHA is $1.2 billion above the President's request for FY2016, and $5.3 billion above the FY2015-enacted amount of $56.4 billion (without collections).
The appendixes of this report provide funding levels for all VA accounts from FY1995 to FY2015 (including rescissions and supplements).