Sec. 201. Review of climate resilience of facilities, land, and other relevant capital assets of the Department of Veterans Affairs
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The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct a comprehensive review of the climate resilience of facilities, land, and other relevant capital assets under the authority and jurisdiction of the Secretary. The review conducted under subsection
(a)shall— provide a comprehensive assessment of existing facilities, land, and other relevant capital assets that may be at risk due to changes in the climate, including potential vulnerabilities related to— proximity to a body of water; proximity to an area prone to flooding; proximity to an area prone to wild fire; proximity to an area prone to tornadoes, hurricanes, or other storms; and such other matters as the Secretary considers appropriate after consulting with the United States Global Change Research Program on the best available observations and forward-looking climate projections by region, including sea level rise data; include a description of strategies to improve the climate resilience of existing facilities, land, and other relevant capital assets at risk due to changes in the climate, including potential modifications to facility operations and maintenance practices, and the cost of such strategies; include an analysis of the design standards and building codes used by the Department of Veterans Affairs to site, plan, build, lease, renovate, and purchase land, facilities, infrastructure, and other capital assets of the Department and whether those design standards and building codes reflect both observed and forward-looking climate information; include an analysis of the effect of climate change on energy usage, energy sources, and utility systems of the Department and the Department’s mitigation strategies; use, in consultation with the United States Global Change Research Program, forward-looking climate information and other projections to anticipate changing environmental conditions during the design life of existing or planned facilities, land, and other capital assets of the Department and make relevant decisions and planning strategies based on this information; after consulting with the United States Global Change Research Program and other relevant Federal and non-Federal entities, include recommendations for best practices, standards, and solutions for future placement, planning, renovation, leasing, purchase, and construction of facilities and land of the Department so as to avoid or mitigate the challenges resulting from placing a facility in an area at risk of being vulnerable to harm from the impacts of changing environmental conditions; and assess how the Department can incorporate climate resilience information into its processes and procedures for capital asset investment decisions. Sources of information and projections used under paragraph (1)(E) may include the Bureau of the Census (for population projections), the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (for land use change projections and climate projections), the United States Geological Survey (for land use change projections), the United States Global Change Research Program and the National Climate Assessment (for climate observations and projections), and such other sources as the Secretary considers reliable in consultation with the United States Global Change Research Program. Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report detailing the results of the review conducted under subsection
(a)and the actions the Secretary will take in response to the findings of such review. The report required by paragraph
(1)shall include the following: Recommendations for legislative and administrative action to mitigate and respond to the findings contained in the review conducted under subsection (a). A description of action to be taken by the Secretary to improve the climate resilience of existing facilities, land, infrastructure and other capital assets under the jurisdiction or control of the Department. A description of changes in policy, directives, and procedures of the Department to mitigate, plan for, and improve resilience of future constructed, leased, or other facilities, land, and other relevant capital assets under the jurisdiction or control of the Department. A description of how the Department will incorporate climate resilience information into its processes and procedures for capital asset investment decisions. A description of changes the Department will make to ensure the facilities, land, and other relevant capital assets of the Department are available to furnish care and services under section 1785 of title 38, United States Code, during or following a disaster or emergency. The estimated cost to implement the changes described in the report. The estimate timeline to implement the changes described in the report. Such other matters, recommendations, or requests as the Secretary considers appropriate. Not later than five years after the date on which the Secretary submits the report under paragraph
(1)and not less frequently than once every five years thereafter until the date that is 21 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress an update of the report submitted under paragraph (1). Each update submitted under subparagraph
(A)shall describe the efforts of the Department since the submittal of the latest report or update, as the case may be, relating to matters covered by the report and such other matters as the Secretary considers appropriate. In this section, the term climate resilience means— anticipating, preparing for, and adapting to changing environmental conditions such as variations in average weather conditions that persist over multiple decades or longer that encompass increases and decreases in temperature, shifts in precipitation, and changing risk of certain types of severe weather events; and the ability to withstand, respond to, and recover rapidly from disruptions while ensuring the sustainment of mission-critical operations.