Bill Summary
The proposed legislation aims to establish the Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This new office will act as the main communication link between the VA and Congress, ensuring effective legislative engagement and coordination.
Key functions of the office will include managing communications with Congress, facilitating hearings and briefings, preparing testimony for congressional hearings, tracking congressional requests, and supporting legislative proposal development.
The office will be headed by an Assistant Secretary, appointed by the President, who will oversee two Deputy Assistant Secretaries: one focused on legislative strategy and the other on congressional operations. The legislation mandates that at least 65% of the office's staff must be career employees to maintain operational continuity.
Additionally, the bill outlines strict timelines for responding to congressional requests, ensuring prompt acknowledgment and delivery of information. If the VA fails to comply with these timelines, it will face financial restrictions, and the Inspector General will conduct a review of the noncompliance.
Overall, this legislation seeks to enhance transparency, accountability, and responsiveness of the VA to Congress, ultimately benefiting veterans and improving legislative processes related to their care and support.
Possible Impacts
Here are three examples of how the legislation establishing the Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs in the Department of Veterans Affairs could affect people:
1. **Improved Communication for Veterans**: The establishment of this office is likely to enhance the communication between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Congress. This could result in more efficient responses to veterans' concerns and needs, as the office will facilitate hearings, briefings, and the timely submission of testimony. Veterans may experience faster resolutions to issues related to their benefits and services, leading to improved access to care and resources.
2. **Increased Accountability and Transparency**: By mandating timely responses to congressional inquiries and setting strict deadlines for information requests, the legislation aims to hold the VA accountable. This means that veterans and their families can expect more transparency regarding how the VA operates and responds to legislative oversight. If the VA fails to comply with these requirements, it may lead to public scrutiny and potential reforms, ultimately benefiting veterans by ensuring that their needs are prioritized.
3. **Enhanced Legislative Advocacy**: With the creation of a dedicated office to coordinate legislative strategy and operations, the VA is better positioned to advocate for policies that benefit veterans. The office will support the development and analysis of legislative proposals, which could lead to new laws or amendments that improve veterans' benefits, healthcare access, and overall support services. This could directly impact the quality of life for veterans and their families, promoting their well-being and integration into society.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7950 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7950
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the Office of
Congressional and Legislative Affairs in the Department of Veterans
Affairs, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 16, 2026
Mr. Self introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the Office of
Congressional and Legislative Affairs in the Department of Veterans
Affairs, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS IN THE
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs.--Chapter 3 of
title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following new section:
``Sec. 326. Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs.
``(a) Establishment.--There is established within the Department an
Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs (referred to in this
section as the `Office'), which shall serve as the principal liaison
between the Department and Congress.
``(b) Functions.--The Office shall--
``(1) coordinate communications and legislative engagement
with Congress;
``(2) facilitate hearings, briefings, and technical
assistance;
``(3) coordinate the preparation and submission of
testimony and witness materials for congressional hearings,
including written statements, oral testimony, and responses for
the record;
``(4) manage and track congressional requests for
information;
``(5) support the development and analysis of legislative
proposals; and
``(6) ensure timely and accurate responses to the
Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives
and the Senate (in this section, referred to as `the
Committees').
``(c) Leadership.--(1) There is at the head of the Office an
Assistant Secretary appointed by the President, by and with the advice
and consent of the Senate, who shall ensure that the functions of
legislative strategy and congressional operations are exercised
independently, concurrently, and in mutual restraint, and who shall be
responsible for resolving impasses between the Deputy Assistant
Secretaries.
``(2) The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislative Strategy, a
noncareer appointee (as defined in section 3132(a) of title 5), shall
be responsible for the formulation and articulation of each legislative
position and policy communication conveyed to Congress, but may not
direct or control the timing, production, or transmission of
congressional materials.
``(3) The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Congressional Operations,
a career appointee (as defined in section 3132(a) of title 5) in the
Senior Executive Service, shall be responsible for coordination,
production, and transmission of congressional materials, but may not
alter, delay, or substitute any legislative position established by the
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislative Strategy.
``(d) Position Designations.--(1) The Assistant Secretary, the
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislative Strategy, and any
supervisory policy official, who shall be accountable for the
substance, consistency, and attribution of each legislative position
communicated to Congress, shall be a noncareer appointee (as defined in
section 3132(a) of title 5).
``(2) Any analyst, liaison, records manager, member of production
staff, technical specialist, and administrative support personnel shall
be a career employee in the competitive service.
``(e) Staffing Composition.--(1) Not fewer than 65 percent of the
employees occupying full-time equivalent positions of the Office shall
be career employees in the competitive service.
``(2) A political appointee may perform policy and strategy
functions but shall not replace a core operational career role.
``(3) In this subsection, `political appointee' means an individual
who is--
``(A) a noncareer appointee in the Senior Executive
Service, as defined under section 3132(a) of title 5; or
``(B) employed in a position of a confidential or policy-
determining character under schedule C of subpart C of part 213
of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, or successor
regulation.
``(f) Procedures.--The Assistant Secretary shall maintain
procedures for the following:
``(1) Ensuring prompt acknowledgment of congressional
requests, coordinated and complete responses, availability of
subject-matter experts for briefings, and internal tracking of
outstanding inquiries.
``(2) Documenting the source of each legislative position
and the timing of each congressional production, such that
responsibility for substance and responsibility for timeliness
are separately identifiable.
``(g) Supervision.--The Office shall operate under the supervision
of the Assistant Secretary. In supervising the Office, the Assistant
Secretary shall receive parallel reports from each Deputy Assistant
Secretary concerning the performance of the Office, including instances
in which action or inaction of the other Deputy Assistant Secretary
affected accuracy, consistency, or timeliness of engagement with
Congress.
``(h) Congressional Information Access and Timelines.--(1) Upon
receipt of a written or electronic request for information from the
Committees, the Assistant Secretary shall--
``(A) send to the requesting committee an acknowledgment of
the request not later than two business days after receipt of
such request;
``(B) provide to the requesting committee a production plan
and estimated date of the delivery of the requested material
not later than five business days after receipt of such
request; and
``(C) produce all requested records and materials not later
than 45 days after receipt.
``(2) If the Secretary certifies that the scope or complexity of
the request prevents full production not later than 30 days after the
receipt of such request, the Assistant Secretary shall--
``(A) provide a partial response to the request not later
than 45 days after receipt; and
``(B) produce a complete response to the request not later
than 60 days after receipt.
``(3) Information shall be provided in the form requested by the
Committees, including underlying records, datasets, methodologies,
contracts, and communications, and may not be limited to summaries or
briefing materials in lieu of original source documents unless
authorized by the requesting committee.
``(4) No official or employee of the Department may--
``(A) withhold, screen, or alter responsive information;
``(B) delay or condition production on initial clearance or
political review;
``(C) require a nondisclosure agreement unless required by
law;
``(D) substitute summaries for requested records; or
``(E) otherwise impede or interfere with direct
transmission of information to the Committees.
``(5) If the Secretary determines that any information requested by
Congress is classified, the Secretary shall make arrangements to
present such information to the Chair of the requesting committee using
appropriate security measures.
``(i) Noncompliance.--If the Secretary fails to comply with the
required timeline for response to a congressional request under
subsection (h)--
``(1) the Secretary shall provide written notice to the requesting
committee explaining the delay and identifying corrective actions;
``(2) the Secretary shall submit to the requesting committee a
corrective action plan, including specific deadlines for compliance and
designated;
``(3) amounts available for the salaries and expenses of the Office
may not be obligated or expended during the period beginning on the day
on which the Secretary is not in substantial compliance with subsection
(h) and ending on the day on which the Secretary enters into
compliance, except for activities necessary to achieve compliance; and
``(4) the Inspector General of the Department shall conduct a
review to determine the cause of such noncompliance, including whether
any action or inaction by a senior Department official contributed to
the noncompliance, and submit a report to the Committees not later than
60 days after notification by the Secretary under paragraph (1).''.
(b) Report.--Not later than two years after the date of the
enactment of this section, the Comptroller General shall submit to the
Committees a report evaluating the implementation of this section.
(c) Clerical Amendments.--
(1) Number of deputy assistant secretaries.--Section
308(d)(1) of such title is amended by striking ``19'' and
inserting ``21''.
(2) Table of contents.--The table of contents for such
chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item:
``326. Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs''.
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