Veterans Affairs Protection Act of 2019

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 4515 To amend title 31, United States Code, to provide for automatic continuing resolutions for the Department of Veterans Affairs. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SEPTEMBER 26, 2019 Ms. BROWNLEY of California introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Appropriations A BILL To amend title 31, United States Code, to provide for auto- matic continuing resolutions for the Department of Vet- erans Affairs. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Affairs Pro- 4 tection Act of 2019’’. 5 SEC. 2. AUTOMATIC CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS FOR 6 THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 13 of title 31, United 8 States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1310 9 the following new section: 10 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:56 Oct 01, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4515.IH H4515 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HR 4515 IH ‘‘SEC. 1311. CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE DE- 1 PARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 2 ‘‘(a)(1) If an appropriation for an account under the 3 heading ‘Department of Veterans Affairs’ for a fiscal year 4 is not enacted before the beginning of such fiscal year or 5 a joint resolution making continuing appropriations is not 6 in effect, there are appropriated such sums as may be nec- 7 essary to continue any program, project, or activity for 8 which funds were provided under such heading in the pre- 9 ceding fiscal year— 10 ‘‘(A) in the corresponding appropriation Act for 11 such preceding fiscal year; or 12 ‘‘(B) if the corresponding appropriation bill for 13 such preceding fiscal year did not become law, then 14 in a joint resolution making continuing appropria- 15 tions for such preceding fiscal year. 16 ‘‘(2)(A) Appropriations and funds made available, 17 and authority granted, for a program, project, or activity 18 for any fiscal year pursuant to this section shall be at a 19 rate of operations not in excess of the lower of— 20 ‘‘(i) 100 percent of the rate of operations pro- 21 vided for in the regular appropriation Act providing 22 for such program, project, or activity for the pre- 23 ceding fiscal year; 24 ‘‘(ii) in the absence of such an Act, 100 percent 25 of the rate of operations provided for such program, 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:56 Oct 01, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4515.IH H4515 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HR 4515 IH project, or activity pursuant to a joint resolution 1 making continuing appropriations for such preceding 2 fiscal year; or 3 ‘‘(iii) 100 percent of the annualized rate of op- 4 erations provided for in the most recently enacted 5 joint resolution making continuing appropriations 6 for part of that fiscal year or any funding levels es- 7 tablished under the provisions of this Act. 8 ‘‘(B) If this section is in effect at the end of a fiscal 9 year, funding levels shall continue as provided in this sec- 10 tion for the next fiscal year. 11 ‘‘(3) Appropriations and funds made available, and 12 authority granted, for any fiscal year pursuant to this sec- 13 tion for a program, project, or activity shall be available 14 for the period beginning with the first day of a lapse in 15 appropriations and ending with the date on which the ap- 16 plicable regular appropriation bill for such fiscal year be- 17 comes law (whether or not such law provides for such pro- 18 gram, project, or activity) or a continuing resolution mak- 19 ing appropriations becomes law, as the case may be. 20 ‘‘(b) An appropriation or funds made available, or au- 21 thority granted, for a program, project, or activity for any 22 fiscal year pursuant to this section shall be subject to the 23 terms and conditions imposed with respect to the appro- 24 priation made or funds made available for the preceding 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:56 Oct 01, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4515.IH H4515 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •HR 4515 IH fiscal year, or authority granted for such program, project, 1 or activity under current law. 2 ‘‘(c) Expenditures made for a program, project, or 3 activity for any fiscal year pursuant to this section shall 4 be charged to the applicable appropriation, fund, or au- 5 thorization whenever a regular appropriation bill or a joint 6 resolution making continuing appropriations until the end 7 of a fiscal year providing for such program, project, or 8 activity for such period becomes law. 9 ‘‘(d) This section shall not apply to a program, 10 project, or activity during a fiscal year if any other provi- 11 sion of law (other than an authorization of appropria- 12 tions)— 13 ‘‘(1) makes an appropriation, makes funds 14 available, or grants authority for such program, 15 project, or activity to continue for such period; or 16 ‘‘(2) specifically provides that no appropriation 17 shall be made, no funds shall be made available, or 18 no authority shall be granted for such program, 19 project, or activity to continue for such period.’’. 20 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 21 of chapter 13 of title 31, United States Code, is amended 22 by inserting after the item relating to section 1310 the 23 following new item: 24 ‘‘1311. Continuing appropriations for the Department of Veterans Affairs.’’. Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:56 Oct 01, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H4515.IH H4515 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS