105TH CONGRESS REPORT 1st Session HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 105±150 "! MILITARY CONSTRUCTION APPROPRIATIONS BILL, 1998 JUNE 24, 1997.ÐCommitted to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. PACKARD, from the Committee on Appropriations, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H.R. 2016] The Committee on Appropriations submits the following report in explanation of the accompanying bill making appropriations for military construction, family housing, and base realignments and closures for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1998. CONTENTS Page Summary of Committee Recommendation ............................................................ 2 Conformance with Authorization Bill .................................................................... 3 Permanent Party Unaccompanied Personnel Housing ......................................... 3 Child Development Centers .................................................................................... 5 Hospital and Medical Facilities .............................................................................. 6 Environmental Compliance Projects ...................................................................... 6 Crumbling Infrastructure ....................................................................................... 7 National Foreign Intelligence Program ................................................................. 8 Unified Design Guidance ........................................................................................ 8 Proposed Financing via Prior Year Savings .......................................................... 9 Real Property Maintenance .................................................................................... 9 Vision 21 ................................................................................................................... 9 Bold Venture ............................................................................................................ 10 Government Performance and Results Act ............................................................ 10 Program, Project and Activity ................................................................................ 10 Planning and Budgeting ......................................................................................... 11 Military Construction: Army .................................................................................................................. 11 Navy ................................................................................................................... 14 Air Force ............................................................................................................ 16 Defense-wide ..................................................................................................... 17 Department of Defense Military Unaccompanied Housing Improvement Fund ........................................................................ 19 Reserve Components ........................................................................................ 21 NATO Security Investment Program ..................................................................... 24 41±054 2 Family Housing Overview ....................................................................................... 25 Family Housing: Army .................................................................................................................. 30 Navy ................................................................................................................... 31 Air Force ............................................................................................................ 32 Defense-wide ..................................................................................................... 33 Department of Defense Family Housing Improvement Fund .............................. 34 Homeowners Assistance Fund, Defense ................................................................ 35 Base Realignment and Closure: Overview ............................................................................................................ 36 Part I ................................................................................................................. 42 Part II ................................................................................................................ 42 Part III .............................................................................................................. 43 Part IV ............................................................................................................... 44 General Provisions ................................................................................................... 44 Changes in Application of Existing Law ................................................................ 46 Compliance with Rule XIIIÐClause 3 ................................................................... 48 Appropriations Not Authorized by Law ................................................................. 48 Transfer of Funds .................................................................................................... 49 Rescission of Funds ................................................................................................. 49 Constitutional Authority ......................................................................................... 49 Comparisons with Budget Resolution .................................................................... 49 Advance Spending Authority .................................................................................. 49 Five-Year Projection of Outlays .............................................................................. 49 Financial Assistance ................................................................................................ 50 State List .................................................................................................................. 50 SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION The Administration's fiscal year 1998 budget request of $8,383,248,000 represents a decrease of $1,410,061,000, or 14 per- cent, from the fiscal year 1997 appropriation of $9,793,309,000. While there are aspects of the budget request that help to solve the long-term infrastructure problems faced by the Department of De- fense, the Committee has some concerns over the request. For ex- ample, the Administration has committed itself to a serious bar- racks revitalization program. Yet, the request for barracks con- struction is $109,063,000 below last year's appropriation. And, fam- ily housing construction and operation and maintenance accounts are reduced by $386,036,000. The budget request would provide $680,011,000 for family housing construction, a reduction of $300,256,000 from current levels. Of this amount, $317,665,000 is requested for construction of new family housing units, a reduction of $188,743,000, or 37 percent, from current spending. And, the re- quest for improvements to existing family housing units is reduced by $112,579,000, or 26 percent from the current program. In addi- tion, the budget request would reduce maintenance of family hous- ing units a total of $99,675,000. The lack of funding commitment by the Administration's pro- posal is especially of concern due to 62 percent of troop housing spaces and 64 percent of family housing units are currently unsuit- able. The Department of Defense estimates the cost of correcting these deficiencies to be roughly $40,000,000,000. The Committee believes it is imperative to address the severe backlog in readiness, revitalization and quality of life projects. The Committee has recommended an additional $799,752,000 above the Administration's fiscal year 1998 budget request to fund the plan- ning and construction of several barracks, family housing and oper- ational facilities. Included in this additional funding is: 3 Ð$109,370,000 for 10 additional unaccompanied housing projects; Ð$277,657,000 for new construction and improvements to family housing units, benefitting approximately 2,208 military fami- lies; Ð$21,430,000 for 4 child development centers; Ð$324,350,000 for operational and training facilities for the ac- tive components; and, Ð$139,719,000 for operational, training, environmental compli- ance and safety related activities for the reserve components. The total recommended appropriation for fiscal year 1998 is $9,183,000,000, a reduction of $610,309,000, or six percent, from fiscal year 1997 funding and an increase of $799,752,000 above the fiscal year 1998 budget request. CONFORMANCE WITH AUTHORIZATION BILL The House National Security Committee has reported the Na- tional Defense Authorization Act for 1998 (H.R. 1119), which con- tains authorization for the military construction, family housing and base realignment and closure accounts included in this bill. Be- cause Senate and conference action on the authorization had not been completed at the time this bill was prepared, the Committee is considering only projects recommended for authorization. All projects included in this bill are approved subject to authorization. PERMANENT PARTY UNACCOMPANIED PERSONNEL HOUSING The Department of Defense estimates that 42 percent of the en- listed force and 28 percent of the officers are single or unaccom- panied personnel. Although 30 percent live in private off-base hous- ing, the Department has over 405,000 men and women