Except as provided in subsection (c), (d), or (e), the cost authorized for a military construction project or for the construction, improvement, and acquisition of a military family housing project may be increased or decreased by not more than 25 percent of the amount appropriated for such project or 200 percent of the minor construction project ceiling specified in section 2805(a) of this title, whichever is less, if the Secretary concerned determines that such revised cost is required for the sole purpose of meeting unusual variations in cost and that such variations in cost could not have reasonably been anticipated at the time the project was authorized by Congress.

Except as provided in subsection (c), the scope of work for a military construction project or for the construction, improvement, and acquisition of a military family housing project may be reduced by not more than 25 percent from the amount specified for that project, construction, improvement, or acquisition in the justification data provided to Congress as part of the request for authorization of the project, construction, improvement, or acquisition. Any reduction in scope of work for a military construction project shall not result in a facility or item of infrastructure that is not complete and useable or does not fully meet the mission requirement contained in the justification data provided to Congress as part of the request for authorization of the project, construction, improvement, or acquisition.

(1) Except as provided in subsection (c), the scope of work for a military construction project or for the construction, improvement, and acquisition of a military family housing project may be reduced by not more than 25 percent from the amount specified for that project, construction, improvement, or acquisition in the justification data provided to Congress as part of the request for authorization of the project, construction, improvement, or acquisition. Any reduction in scope of work for a military construction project shall not result in a facility or item of infrastructure that is not complete and useable or does not fully meet the mission requirement contained in the justification data provided to Congress as part of the request for authorization of the project, construction, improvement, or acquisition.

(2) Except as provided in subsection (d), the scope of work for a military construction project or for the construction, improvement, and acquisition of a military family housing project may not be increased above the amount specified for that project, construction, improvement, or acquisition in the justification data provided to Congress as part of the request for authorization of the project, construction, improvement, or acquisition.

(3) In this subsection, the term “scope of work” refers to the function, size, or quantity of a facility or item of complete and useable infrastructure contained in the justification data provided to Congress as part of the request for authorization of the project, construction, improvement, or acquisition.

The limitation on cost variations in subsection (a) or the limitation on scope reduction in subsection (b)(1) does not apply if the variation in cost or reduction in the scope of work is approved by the Secretary concerned and—

in the case of a cost increase or a reduction in the scope of work—

(A) the Secretary concerned notifies the appropriate committees of Congress of the cost increase or reduction in scope, the reasons therefor, a certification that the mission requirement identified in the justification data provided to Congress can still be met with the reduced scope, and a description of the funds proposed to be used to finance any increased costs; and

(B) a 14-day period has elapsed after the date on which the notification is received by the committees in an electronic medium pursuant to section 480 of this title; or

(2) in the case of a cost decrease, the Secretary concerned notifies, using an electronic medium pursuant to section 480 of this title, the appropriate committees of Congress not later than 14 days after the date funds are obligated in connection with the military construction project or military family housing project.

The limitation in subsection (b)(2) on an increase in the scope of work does not apply if—

(1) the increase in the scope of work is not more than 10 percent of the amount specified for that project, construction, improvement, or acquisition in the justification data provided to Congress as part of the request for authorization of the project, construction, improvement, or acquisition;

(2) the increase is approved by the Secretary concerned;

(3) the Secretary concerned notifies the congressional defense committees in writing of the increase in scope and the reasons therefor; and

(4) a period of 21 days has elapsed after the date on which the notification is received by the committees or, if over sooner, a period of 14 days has elapsed after the date on which a copy of the notification is provided in an electronic medium pursuant to section 480 of this title.

The limitation on cost variations in subsection (a) does not apply to the following:

(1) The settlement of a contractor claim under a contract.

(2) The costs associated with the required remediation of an environmental hazard in connection with a military construction project or military family housing project, such as asbestos removal, radon abatement, lead-based paint removal or abatement, or any other legally required environmental hazard remediation, if the required remediation could not have reasonably been anticipated at the time the project was approved originally by Congress.

The report under paragraph (1) shall include the following—

(1) In addition to the notification sent under paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of a cost increase with respect to a project, the Secretary concerned shall provide an additional report notifying the congressional defense committees and the Comptroller General of the United States of any military construction project or military family housing project with a total authorized cost greater than $40,000,000 that has a cost increase of 25 percent or more.

The report under paragraph (1) shall include the following—

(A) A description of the specific reasons for the cost increase and the specific organizations and individuals responsible.

(B) A description of any ongoing or completed proceedings or investigation into a government employee, prime contractor, subcontractor, or non-governmental organization that may be responsible for the cost increase, and the status of such proceeding or investigation.

(C) If any proceeding or investigation identified in subparagraph (B) resulted in final judicial or administrative action, the following: (i) In the case of a judicial or administrative action taken against a government employee, the report shall identify the individual’s organization, position within the organization, and the action taken against the individual, but shall exclude personally identifiable information about the individual. (ii) In the case of a judicial or administrative action taken against a prime contractor, subcontractor, or non-governmental organization, the report shall identify the prime contractor, subcontractor, or non-governmental organization and the action taken against the prime contractor, subcontractor, or non-governmental organization.

(D) A summary of any changes the Secretary concerned believes may be required to the organizational structure, project management and oversight practices, policy, or authorities of a government organization involved in military construction projects as a result of problems identified and lessons learned from the project.

(3) If any proceeding or investigation described in paragraph (2)(C) is still ongoing at the time the Secretary concerned submits the report under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall provide a supplemental report to the congressional defense committees and the Comptroller General of the United States not later than 30 days after such proceeding or investigation has been completed. If such proceeding or investigation resulted in final judicial or administrative action against a government employee, prime contractor, subcontractor, or non-governmental organization, the Secretary shall include in the supplemental report the information required by paragraph (2)(C).

(4) Each report under this subsection shall be cosigned by the senior engineer authorized to supervise military construction projects and military family housing projects under section 2851(a).

(5) The Secretary shall send the report required under paragraph (1) with respect to a project not later than 180 days after the Secretary sends to the appropriate committees of Congress the notification under paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of a cost increase with respect to the project.

(6) The Comptroller General of the United States shall review each report submitted under this subsection and validate or correct as necessary the information provided.

Notwithstanding the authority under subsections (a) through (f), the Secretary concerned shall ensure compliance of contracts for military construction projects and for the construction, improvement, and acquisition of military family housing projects with section 1341 of title 31 (commonly referred to as the “Anti-Deficiency Act”).

(Added Pub. L. 97–214, § 2(a), July 12, 1982, 96 Stat. 164; amended Pub. L. 98–407, title VIII, § 807, Aug. 28, 1984, 98 Stat. 1521; Pub. L. 100–26, § 7(f)(2), Apr. 21, 1987, 101 Stat. 281; Pub. L. 100–180, div. B, subdiv. 3, title I, §§ 2312, 2313, Dec. 4, 1987, 101 Stat. 1217, 1218; Pub. L. 101–189, div. B, title XXVIII, § 2808, Nov. 29, 1989, 103 Stat. 1648; Pub. L. 104–106, div. B, title XXVIII, § 2817, Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 553; Pub. L. 107–107, div. B, title XXVIII, § 2802, Dec. 28, 2001, 115 Stat. 1305; Pub. L. 108–375, div. B, title XXVIII, § 2803, Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 2121; Pub. L. 109–163, div. B, title XXVIII, § 2804(a)–(c)(1), Jan. 6, 2006, 119 Stat. 3506; Pub. L. 109–364, div. B, title XXVIII, § 2806, Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2468; Pub. L. 111–84, div. B, title XXVIII, § 2803, Oct. 28, 2009, 123 Stat. 2661; Pub. L. 112–81, div. B, title XXVIII, § 2802(c)(2), Dec. 31, 2011, 125 Stat. 1685; Pub. L. 112–239, div. B, title XXVIII, § 2801, Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 2146; Pub. L. 113–291, div. A, title X, § 1071(f)(24), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3511; Pub. L. 114–328, div. B, title XXVIII, § 2803, Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2712; Pub. L. 115–91, div. B, title XXVIII, §§ 2801(c)(1), 2821, Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1843, 1853.)