((a)) ** .—** Using funds available to the Secretary concerned for operation and maintenance, the Secretary concerned may carry out repair projects for an entire single-purpose facility or one or more functional areas of a multipurpose facility.

((b)) ** .—** A repair project costing more than $7,500,000 may not be carried out under this section unless approved in advance by the Secretary concerned. In determining the total cost of a repair project, the Secretary shall include all phases of a multi-year repair project to a single facility. In considering a repair project for approval, the Secretary shall ensure that the project is consistent with force structure plans, that repair of the facility is more cost effective than replacement, and that the project is an appropriate use of operation and maintenance funds.

((c)) ** .—** Construction of new facilities or additions to existing facilities may not be carried out under the authority of this section.

((d)) ** .—** When a decision is made to carry out a repair project under this section with an estimated cost in excess of $7,500,000, the Secretary concerned shall submit, in an electronic medium pursuant to , to the appropriate committees of Congress a report containing—

((1)) the justification for the repair project and the current estimate of the cost of the project, including, in the case of a multi-year repair project to a single facility, the total cost of all phases of the project;

((2)) if the current estimate of the cost of the repair project exceeds 75 percent of the estimated cost of a military construction project to replace the facility, an explanation of the reasons why replacement of the facility is not in the best interest of the Government; and

((3)) a description of the elements of military construction, including the elements specified in , incorporated into the repair project.

((e)) ** .—** In this section, the term “repair project” means a project—

((1)) to restore a real property facility, system, or component to such a condition that it may effectively be used for its designated functional purpose; or

((2)) to convert a real property facility, system, or component to a new functional purpose without increasing its external dimensions.