110 STAT. 2878 PUBLIC LAW 104-204—SEPT. 26, 1996 DEPARTMENTAL ADMINISTRATION GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES For necessary operating expenses of the Department of Veterans Affairs, not otherwise provided for, including uniforms or allowances therefor; not to exceed $25,000 for official reception and representation expenses; hire of passenger motor vehicles; and reimbursement of the General Services Administration for security guard services, and the Department of Defense for the cost of overseas employee mail; $827,584,000: Provided, That during fiscal year 1997, notwithstanding any other provision of law, the number of individuals employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (1) in other than "career appointee" positions in the Senior Executive Service shall not exceed 6, and (2) in schedule C positions shall not exceed 11: Provided further, That funds under this heading shall be available to administer the Service Members Occupational Conversion and Training Act. NATIONAL CEMETERY SYSTEM For necessary expenses for the maintenance and operation of the National Cemetery System, not otherwise provided for, including uniforms or allowances therefor; cemeterial expenses as authorized by law; purchase of two passenger motor vehicles for use in cemeterial operations; and hire of passenger motor vehicles, $76,864,000. OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL For necessary expenses of the Office of Inspector General in carrying out the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, $30,900,000. CONSTRUCTION, MAJOR PROJECTS For constructing, altering, extending and improving any of the facilities under the jurisdiction or for the use of the Department of Veterans Affairs, or for any of the purposes set forth in sections 316, 2404, 2406, 8102, 8103, 8106, 8108, 8109, 8110, and 8122 of title 38, United States Code, including planning, architectural and engineering services, maintenance or guarantee period services costs associated with equipment guarantees provided under the project, services of claims analysts, ofFsite utility and storm drainage system construction costs, and site acquisition, where the estimated cost of a project is $3,000,000 or more or where funds for a project were made available in a previous major project appropriation, $250,858,000, of which $32,100,000 shall be for the replacement hospital at TVavis Air Force Base, Fairfield, California, and shall not be released for obligation prior to January 1, 1998, unless action is taken by the Congress specifically making such funds available, and all funds appropriated under the above heading are to remain available until expended: Provided, That except for advance planning of projects funded through the advance planning fund and the design of projects funded through the design fund, none of these funds shall be used for any project which has not been considered and approved by the Congress in the budgetary process: Provided further. That funds provided in this appropriation
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