1 | 1 | | I |
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2 | 2 | | 119THCONGRESS |
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3 | 3 | | 1 |
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4 | 4 | | STSESSION H. R. 1147 |
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5 | 5 | | To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the Veterans Advisory |
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6 | 6 | | Committee on Equal Access, and for other purposes. |
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7 | 7 | | IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
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8 | 8 | | FEBRUARY7, 2025 |
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9 | 9 | | Mr. V |
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10 | 10 | | ALADAO(for himself and Mr. MCGARVEY) introduced the following bill; |
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11 | 11 | | which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs |
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12 | 12 | | A BILL |
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13 | 13 | | To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the |
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14 | 14 | | Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access, and for |
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15 | 15 | | other purposes. |
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16 | 16 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1 |
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17 | 17 | | tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 |
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18 | 18 | | SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 |
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19 | 19 | | This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Accessibility 4 |
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20 | 20 | | Advisory Committee Act of 2025’’. 5 |
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21 | 21 | | SEC. 2. VETERANS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON EQUAL AC-6 |
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22 | 22 | | CESS. 7 |
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23 | 23 | | (a) E |
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24 | 24 | | STABLISHMENT.—Subchapter III of chapter 5 8 |
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25 | 25 | | of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at 9 |
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26 | 26 | | the end the following new section: 10 |
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29 | 29 | | •HR 1147 IH |
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30 | 30 | | ‘‘§ 549. Advisory Committee on Equal Access 1 |
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31 | 31 | | ‘‘(a) E |
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32 | 32 | | STABLISHMENT.—(1) The Secretary shall es-2 |
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33 | 33 | | tablish an advisory committee on matters relating to ac-3 |
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34 | 34 | | cessibility of the Department for individuals with disabil-4 |
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35 | 35 | | ities. 5 |
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36 | 36 | | ‘‘(2) The advisory committee established under para-6 |
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37 | 37 | | graph (1) shall be known as the ‘Veterans Advisory Com-7 |
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38 | 38 | | mittee on Equal Access’ (in this section referred to as the 8 |
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39 | 39 | | ‘Advisory Committee’). 9 |
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40 | 40 | | ‘‘(b) M |
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41 | 41 | | EMBERSHIP.—(1) The Advisory Committee 10 |
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42 | 42 | | shall be composed of 15 voting members, appointed by the 11 |
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43 | 43 | | Secretary. In appointing such members, the Secretary 12 |
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44 | 44 | | shall ensure the following: 13 |
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45 | 45 | | ‘‘(A) Four are veterans with disabilities, includ-14 |
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46 | 46 | | ing mobility impairment, hearing, visual, and mental 15 |
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47 | 47 | | or cognitive disabilities. 16 |
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48 | 48 | | ‘‘(B) Four are experts on issues described in 17 |
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49 | 49 | | subsection (f)(1)(A) or the provisions of law set 18 |
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50 | 50 | | forth under subsection (f)(1)(B). 19 |
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51 | 51 | | ‘‘(C) Two are employees of the Department, 20 |
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52 | 52 | | one from the Section 508 Office and one from the 21 |
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53 | 53 | | Architectural Accessibility Program, who oversee the 22 |
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54 | 54 | | compliance of the Department with Federal accessi-23 |
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55 | 55 | | bility laws. 24 |
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56 | 56 | | ‘‘(D) Five are representatives nominated by vet-25 |
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57 | 57 | | erans service organizations, recognized under section 26 |
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60 | 60 | | •HR 1147 IH |
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61 | 61 | | 5902 of this title, that advocate for veterans with 1 |
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62 | 62 | | physical, sensory, mental, or cognitive disabilities. 2 |
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63 | 63 | | ‘‘(2) The Advisory Committee shall also include four 3 |
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64 | 64 | | ex officio members (or their designees): 4 |
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65 | 65 | | ‘‘(A) The Under Secretary for Health. 5 |
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66 | 66 | | ‘‘(B) The Under Secretary for Benefits. 6 |
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67 | 67 | | ‘‘(C) The Under Secretary for Memorial Af-7 |
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68 | 68 | | fairs. 8 |
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69 | 69 | | ‘‘(D) The chairperson of the Architectural and 9 |
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70 | 70 | | Transportation Barriers Compliance Board estab-10 |
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71 | 71 | | lished by section 502 of the Rehabilitation Act of 11 |
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72 | 72 | | 1973 (Public Law 93–112; 29 U.S.C. 792). 12 |
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73 | 73 | | ‘‘(c) T |
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74 | 74 | | ERMS; VACANCIES.—(1) A member of the Ad-13 |
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75 | 75 | | visory Committee shall be appointed for a term of two 14 |
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76 | 76 | | years. The Secretary may reappoint members to the Advi-15 |
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77 | 77 | | sory Committee for such additional two-year terms as the 16 |
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78 | 78 | | Secretary determines appropriate. 17 |
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79 | 79 | | ‘‘(2) The Secretary shall fill a vacancy in the Advisory 18 |
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80 | 80 | | Committee in the same manner as the original appoint-19 |
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81 | 81 | | ment not later than 180 days after such vacancy occurs. 20 |
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82 | 82 | | ‘‘(d) M |
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83 | 83 | | EETINGS; SUBCOMMITTEES; QUORUM.—(1) 21 |
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84 | 84 | | The Advisory Committee shall meet not less frequently 22 |
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85 | 85 | | than twice each year. 23 |
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86 | 86 | | ‘‘(2) The Advisory Committee may form subcommit-24 |
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87 | 87 | | tees, which shall meet as often as required. 25 |
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91 | 91 | | ‘‘(3) A majority of the members of the Advisory Com-1 |
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92 | 92 | | mittee shall constitute a quorum. 2 |
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93 | 93 | | ‘‘(e) C |
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94 | 94 | | HAIRPERSON.—(1) Members of the Advisory 3 |
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95 | 95 | | Committee shall select a Chairperson from among the 4 |
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96 | 96 | | members of the Advisory Committee. 5 |
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97 | 97 | | ‘‘(2) If the position of Chairperson becomes vacant, 6 |
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98 | 98 | | the members of the Advisory Committee shall select a new 7 |
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99 | 99 | | Chairperson not later than 30 days after the date on which 8 |
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100 | 100 | | the position became vacant. 9 |
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101 | 101 | | ‘‘(f) D |
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102 | 102 | | UTIES.—(1) On a regular basis, the Secretary 10 |
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103 | 103 | | shall consult with and seek the advice of the Advisory 11 |
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104 | 104 | | Committee— 12 |
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105 | 105 | | ‘‘(A) on improving the accessibility of the De-13 |
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106 | 106 | | partment for individuals with disabilities, including 14 |
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107 | 107 | | improving— 15 |
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108 | 108 | | ‘‘(i) the accessibility of information of the 16 |
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109 | 109 | | Department, including electronic information; 17 |
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110 | 110 | | ‘‘(ii) the accessibility of the services and 18 |
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111 | 111 | | benefits furnished by the Department; 19 |
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112 | 112 | | ‘‘(iii) the accessibility of the facilities of the 20 |
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113 | 113 | | Department; 21 |
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114 | 114 | | ‘‘(iv) the accessibility of facilities of health 22 |
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115 | 115 | | care providers furnishing care or services under 23 |
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116 | 116 | | the Veterans Community Care Program under 24 |
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117 | 117 | | section 1703 of this title; and 25 |
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121 | 121 | | ‘‘(v) the acquisition process of the Depart-1 |
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122 | 122 | | ment to ensure that products and services, in-2 |
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123 | 123 | | cluding information technology and information 3 |
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124 | 124 | | and communication technology (as defined in 4 |
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125 | 125 | | the standards issued by the Architectural and 5 |
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126 | 126 | | Transportation Barriers Compliance Board pur-6 |
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127 | 127 | | suant to section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act 7 |
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128 | 128 | | of 1973 (Public Law 93–112; 29 U.S.C. 8 |
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129 | 129 | | 794d)), are accessible when purchased; and 9 |
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130 | 130 | | ‘‘(B) for ensuring the compliance of the Depart-10 |
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131 | 131 | | ment with provisions of law that ensure equal access 11 |
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132 | 132 | | to Federal facilities, benefits, or services, for individ-12 |
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133 | 133 | | uals with disabilities, including the following: 13 |
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134 | 134 | | ‘‘(i) The Americans with Disabilities Act of 14 |
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135 | 135 | | 1990 (Public Law 101–336; 42 U.S.C. 12101 15 |
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136 | 136 | | et seq.). 16 |
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137 | 137 | | ‘‘(ii) Sections 501, 504, and 508 of the Re-17 |
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138 | 138 | | habilitation Act of 1973 (Public Law 93–112; 18 |
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139 | 139 | | 29 U.S.C. 791, 794, and 794d). 19 |
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140 | 140 | | ‘‘(iii) The Plain Writing Act of 2010 (Pub-20 |
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141 | 141 | | lic Law 111–274; 5 U.S.C. 301 note). 21 |
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142 | 142 | | ‘‘(iv) The 21st Century Integrated Digital 22 |
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143 | 143 | | Experience Act (Public Law 115–336; 44 23 |
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144 | 144 | | U.S.C. 3501 note). 24 |
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148 | 148 | | ‘‘(v) The Architectural Barriers Act of 1 |
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149 | 149 | | 1968 (Public Law 90–480; 42 U.S.C. 4151 et 2 |
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150 | 150 | | seq.). 3 |
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151 | 151 | | ‘‘(2) In advising to the Secretary, the Advisory Com-4 |
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152 | 152 | | mittee shall, focusing on the areas of greatest need for 5 |
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153 | 153 | | the Department— 6 |
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154 | 154 | | ‘‘(A) assess the disability access needs of vet-7 |
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155 | 155 | | erans, the public, and Department employees, for 8 |
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156 | 156 | | full access to the Department’s information, services, 9 |
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157 | 157 | | and benefits, by reviewing relevant information, such 10 |
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158 | 158 | | as filed complaints by people with disabilities or 11 |
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159 | 159 | | physical assessments of the Department’s facilities; 12 |
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160 | 160 | | ‘‘(B) provide assessments of accessibility at the 13 |
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161 | 161 | | Department and the compliance of the Department 14 |
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162 | 162 | | with applicable provisions of law relating to dis-15 |
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163 | 163 | | ability and accessibility; and 16 |
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164 | 164 | | ‘‘(C) provide advice on improving accessibility 17 |
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165 | 165 | | at the Department, including the accessibility of 18 |
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166 | 166 | | all— 19 |
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167 | 167 | | ‘‘(i) communications, including internal 20 |
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168 | 168 | | and public-facing; 21 |
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169 | 169 | | ‘‘(ii) services and benefits; and 22 |
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170 | 170 | | ‘‘(iii) facilities. 23 |
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171 | 171 | | ‘‘(3) R |
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172 | 172 | | EPORTS.—(A) Not later than two years after 24 |
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173 | 173 | | the date of the first meeting of the Advisory Committee, 25 |
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176 | 176 | | •HR 1147 IH |
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177 | 177 | | and not less frequently than once every two years there-1 |
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178 | 178 | | after, the Advisory Committee shall submit to the Sec-2 |
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179 | 179 | | retary a report that, focusing on areas of greatest need 3 |
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180 | 180 | | for the Department— 4 |
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181 | 181 | | ‘‘(i) identifies and assesses access barriers af-5 |
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182 | 182 | | fecting veterans, the public, and employees of the 6 |
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183 | 183 | | Department; 7 |
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184 | 184 | | ‘‘(ii) determines the extent to which the pro-8 |
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185 | 185 | | grams and activities of the Department address the 9 |
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186 | 186 | | barriers identified in clause (i), including compliance 10 |
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187 | 187 | | of the Department with provisions of law relating to 11 |
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188 | 188 | | accessibility law and reporting; 12 |
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189 | 189 | | ‘‘(iii) provides recommendations and access pri-13 |
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190 | 190 | | orities to improve the accessibility of the Depart-14 |
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191 | 191 | | ment’s services, benefits, information, technology, 15 |
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192 | 192 | | and facilities; 16 |
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193 | 193 | | ‘‘(iv) provides a description of access improve-17 |
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194 | 194 | | ments and assesses the Department’s implementa-18 |
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195 | 195 | | tion of recommendations from previous reports of 19 |
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196 | 196 | | the Advisory Committee, including any unmet rec-20 |
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197 | 197 | | ommendations that remain necessary for improving 21 |
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198 | 198 | | accessibility for the Department; and 22 |
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199 | 199 | | ‘‘(v) provides any recommendations for legisla-23 |
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200 | 200 | | tion, administrative action, or other actions that the 24 |
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201 | 201 | | Advisory Committee determines appropriate. 25 |
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205 | 205 | | ‘‘(B)(i) Not later than 90 days after the receipt of 1 |
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206 | 206 | | a report required under subparagraph (A), the Secretary 2 |
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207 | 207 | | shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees 3 |
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208 | 208 | | a copy of such report and any comments and recommenda-4 |
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209 | 209 | | tions of the Secretary concerning such report that the Sec-5 |
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210 | 210 | | retary determines appropriate. 6 |
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211 | 211 | | ‘‘(ii) The Secretary shall publish on a publicly acces-7 |
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212 | 212 | | sible website of the Department such report and such com-8 |
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213 | 213 | | ments and recommendations as may have been submitted 9 |
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214 | 214 | | along with such report. 10 |
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215 | 215 | | ‘‘(iii) In this subparagraph, the term ‘appropriate 11 |
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216 | 216 | | congressional committee’ means— 12 |
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217 | 217 | | ‘‘(I) the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 13 |
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218 | 218 | | House of Representatives; 14 |
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219 | 219 | | ‘‘(II) the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 15 |
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220 | 220 | | Senate; 16 |
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221 | 221 | | ‘‘(III) the Committee on Education and Work-17 |
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222 | 222 | | force of the House of Representatives; or 18 |
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223 | 223 | | ‘‘(IV) the Special Committee on Aging of the 19 |
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224 | 224 | | Senate. 20 |
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225 | 225 | | ‘‘(g) A |
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226 | 226 | | DVISORYCOMMITTEEPERSONNEL AND RE-21 |
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227 | 227 | | SOURCEMATTERS.—(1) A member of the Commission 22 |
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228 | 228 | | who is not an officer or employee of the Federal Govern-23 |
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229 | 229 | | ment shall not be compensated for the performance of the 24 |
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230 | 230 | | duties of the Advisory Committee. 25 |
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234 | 234 | | ‘‘(2) A member of the Advisory Committee shall be 1 |
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235 | 235 | | allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of sub-2 |
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236 | 236 | | sistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies 3 |
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237 | 237 | | under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, while away 4 |
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238 | 238 | | from their homes or regular places of business in the per-5 |
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239 | 239 | | formance of services for the Advisory Committee. 6 |
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240 | 240 | | ‘‘(3) The Secretary shall ensure that such personnel, 7 |
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241 | 241 | | funding, and other resources are made available to the Ad-8 |
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242 | 242 | | visory Committee as the Secretary determines appropriate 9 |
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243 | 243 | | to carry out the duties of the Advisory Committee. 10 |
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244 | 244 | | ‘‘(4) The Secretary shall furnish to the Advisory 11 |
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245 | 245 | | Committee such information as the Advisory Committee 12 |
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246 | 246 | | may request from the Secretary, subject to applicable pro-13 |
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247 | 247 | | visions of law. 14 |
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248 | 248 | | ‘‘(h) T |
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249 | 249 | | ERMINATION OFADVISORYCOMMITTEE.—The 15 |
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250 | 250 | | Advisory Committee shall terminate on the day that is 10 16 |
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251 | 251 | | years after the date of the enactment of the Veterans Ac-17 |
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252 | 252 | | cessibility Advisory Committee Act of 2025.’’. 18 |
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253 | 253 | | (b) T |
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254 | 254 | | ABLE OFSECTIONS.—The table of sections at 19 |
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255 | 255 | | the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding, after 20 |
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256 | 256 | | the item relating to section 548, the following new item: 21 |
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257 | 257 | | ‘‘549. Advisory Committee on Equal Access.’’. |
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258 | 258 | | (c) IMPLEMENTATION; ABOLITION OFINACTIVEAD-22 |
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259 | 259 | | VISORYCOMMITTEE.—Not later than 180 days after the 23 |
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260 | 260 | | date of the enactment of this Act, and before establishing 24 |
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261 | 261 | | the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access under 25 |
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264 | 264 | | •HR 1147 IH |
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265 | 265 | | section 549 of title 38, United States Code, as added by 1 |
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266 | 266 | | subsection (a), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall— 2 |
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267 | 267 | | (1) abolish an advisory committee of the De-3 |
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268 | 268 | | partment of Veterans Affairs that— 4 |
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269 | 269 | | (A) was not established by an Act of Con-5 |
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270 | 270 | | gress; and 6 |
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271 | 271 | | (B) is inactive; 7 |
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272 | 272 | | (2) consolidate two advisory committees de-8 |
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273 | 273 | | scribed in paragraph (1); or 9 |
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274 | 274 | | (3) submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Af-10 |
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275 | 275 | | fairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a 11 |
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276 | 276 | | recommendation to abolish an advisory committee of 12 |
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277 | 277 | | the Department that— 13 |
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278 | 278 | | (A) was established by an Act of Congress; 14 |
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279 | 279 | | and 15 |
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280 | 280 | | (B) is inactive. 16 |
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281 | 281 | | SEC. 3. MODIFICATION OF CERTAIN HOUSING LOAN FEES. 17 |
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282 | 282 | | The loan fee table in section 3729(b)(2) of title 38, 18 |
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283 | 283 | | United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘June 9, 19 |
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284 | 284 | | 2034’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘June 23, 20 |
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285 | 285 | | 2034’’. 21 |
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286 | 286 | | Æ |
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