S.Amdt. 3139

SA 3139, submitted by Mr. Merkley, Mr. Crapo, and Mr. Risch, aims to add a new section to title II of division A of bill H.R. 3944.

The purpose of this amendment is to require the Comptroller General of the United States to provide a report to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations and every Member of Congress regarding the current funding backlog for the renovation and construction of State homes for veterans.

The report must be submitted within 180 days of the Act's enactment and must include:

• A list of all partially funded or unfunded construction grant applications for State homes, including priority lists for fiscal year 2025 and 2024.
• The estimated total funding needed to fully fund all pending applications.
• A description of funding-related, regulatory, and administrative hurdles that are blocking the backlog from being cleared.
• Recommendations for legislative or administrative actions to speed up the completion and approval of projects.
• An evaluation of the feasibility and impact of alternative or interim funding sources to move priority projects forward.

The amendment specifically states that looking for alternative funding sources does not relieve Congress of its responsibility to provide timely and full funding for State homes.