WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Jim Banks introduced the bipartisan VA Design-Build Construction Enhancement Act to streamline how the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) builds new facilities and improve veterans’ access to care.
“Veterans deserve modern, quality health care,” said Hickenlooper. “Our bipartisan bill will streamline construction and save money to help the VA deliver the care vets need.”
“The number one obstacle standing between veterans and the care they’ve earned is bureaucracy,” said Banks. “This bill streamlines the VA’s construction process so we can get hospitals built faster and deliver better outcomes for those who served.”
Specifically, the legislation directs the VA to use the design-build method where a single contractor handles both design and construction for major medical facility projects. The bill also ensures the VA includes design-build training in its construction management programs and allows agencies like the Army Corps of Engineers to use the method without interference.
Key provisions include:
- Directing the VA Secretary to follow existing federal laws to consider design-build when entering into contracts to design and construct facilities
- Prevents the VA from discouraging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which manages the largest construction projects on VA’s behalf, from using design-build
- Includes design-build components in VA’s training program for construction managers
Full text of the bill is available HERE.
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