Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) construction program, focusing on the: (1) VA construction projects that did not meet the legislative time limits for contract awards; and (2) impoundment implications of VA contracting delays.

GAO found that: (1) as of September 30, 1993, VA had 15 projects for which it had not awarded construction contracts within the legislative time limits; (2) the contracting delays for these projects did not constitute impoundments of budget authority under the Impoundment Control Act; (3) VA fully intends to award most of the 15 contracts by September 30, 1994; and (4) the contract delays were mainly due to changes in project scope or design.