§ 8122 — Authority To Procure And Dispose Of Property And To Negotiate For Common Services

(1) The Secretary may lease for a term not exceeding three years lands or buildings, or parts or parcels thereof, belonging to the United States and under the Secretary’s control. Any lease made pursuant to this subsection to any public or nonprofit organization may be made without regard to the provisions of section 6101(b) to (d) of title 41. Notwithstanding section 1302 of title 40, or any other provision of law, a lease made pursuant to this subsection to any public or nonprofit organization may provide for the maintenance, protection, or restoration, by the lessee, of the property leased, as a part or all of the consideration for the lease. Prior to the execution of any such lease, the Secretary shall give appropriate public notice of the Secretary’s intention to do so in the newspaper of the community in which the lands or buildings to be leased are located. The proceeds from such leases, less expenses for maintenance, operation, and repair of buildings leased for living quarters, shall be covered into the Treasury of the United States as miscellaneous receipts. (2) Except as provided in paragraph (3), the Secretary may not during any fiscal year transfer to any other department or agency of the United States or to any other entity real property that is owned by the United States and administered by the Secretary unless the proposed transfer is described in the budget submitted to Congress pursuant to section 1105 of title 31 for that fiscal year. (A) Subject to subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, the Secretary may, without regard to paragraph (2) of this subsection or any other provision of law relating to the disposition of real property by the United States, transfer to a State for use as the site of a State nursing-home or domiciliary facility real property described in subparagraph (E) of this paragraph which the Secretary determines to be excess to the needs of the Department. (B) A transfer of real property may not be made under this paragraph unless— (i) the Secretary has determined that the State has provided sufficient assurance that it has the resources (including any resources which are reasonably likely to be available to the State under subchapter III of chapter 81 of this title and section 1741 of this title) necessary to construct and operate a State home nursing or domiciliary care facility; and (ii) the transfer is made subject to the conditions (I) that the property be used by the State for a nursing-home or domiciliary care facility in accordance with the conditions and limitations applicable to State home facilities constructed with assistance under subchapter III of chapter 81 of this title, and (II) that, if the property is used at any time for any other purpose, all right, title, and interest in and to the property shall revert to the United States. (C) A transfer of real property may not be made under this paragraph until— (i) the Secretary submits to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives, not later than June 1 of the year in which the transfer is proposed to be made (or the year preceding that year), a report providing notice of the proposed transfer; and (ii) a period of 90 consecutive days elapses after the report is received by those committees. (D) A transfer under this paragraph shall be made under such additional terms and conditions as the Secretary considers appropriate to protect the interests of the United States. (E) Real property described in this subparagraph is real property that is owned by the United States and administered by the Secretary. (b) The Secretary may, for the purpose of extending benefits to veterans and dependents, and to the extent the Secretary deems necessary, procure the necessary space for administrative purposes by lease, purchase, or construction of buildings, or by condemnation or declaration of taking, pursuant to law. (c) of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, as amended, whenever such services are not reasonably available from private commercial sources. Notwithstanding this exclusion, the provisions of sections 3901 and 3905 of title 41 shall apply to procurement authorized by this subsection. (1) Real property under the jurisdiction of the Secretary may not be declared excess by the Secretary and disposed of by the General Services Administration or any other entity of the Federal Government unless the Secretary determines that the property is no longer needed by the Department in carrying out its functions and is not suitable for use for the provision of services to homeless veterans by the Department or by another entity under an enhanced-use lease of such property under section 8162 of this title. (2) The Secretary may transfer real property under this section, or under section 8118 of this title, if the Secretary— (A) places a notice in the real estate section of local newspapers and in the Federal Register of the Secretary’s intent to transfer that real property (including land, structures, and equipment associated with the property); (B) holds a public hearing; (C) provides notice to the Administrator of General Services of the Secretary’s intention to transfer that real property and waits for 30 days to elapse after providing that notice; and (D) after such 30-day period has elapsed, notifies the congressional veterans’ affairs committees of the Secretary’s intention to dispose of the property and waits for 60 days to elapse from the date of that notice.