[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1147 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1147
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the Veterans
Advisory Committee on Equal Access, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 7, 2025
Mr. Valadao (for himself and Mr. McGarvey) 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 Veterans
Advisory Committee on Equal Access, 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. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Accessibility Advisory
Committee Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. VETERANS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON EQUAL ACCESS.
(a) Establishment.--Subchapter III of chapter 5 of title 38, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 549. Advisory Committee on Equal Access
``(a) Establishment.--(1) The Secretary shall establish an advisory
committee on matters relating to accessibility of the Department for
individuals with disabilities.
``(2) The advisory committee established under paragraph (1) shall
be known as the `Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access' (in this
section referred to as the `Advisory Committee').
``(b) Membership.--(1) The Advisory Committee shall be composed of
15 voting members, appointed by the Secretary. In appointing such
members, the Secretary shall ensure the following:
``(A) Four are veterans with disabilities, including
mobility impairment, hearing, visual, and mental or cognitive
disabilities.
``(B) Four are experts on issues described in subsection
(f)(1)(A) or the provisions of law set forth under subsection
(f)(1)(B).
``(C) Two are employees of the Department, one from the
Section 508 Office and one from the Architectural Accessibility
Program, who oversee the compliance of the Department with
Federal accessibility laws.
``(D) Five are representatives nominated by veterans
service organizations, recognized under section 5902 of this
title, that advocate for veterans with physical, sensory,
mental, or cognitive disabilities.
``(2) The Advisory Committee shall also include four ex officio
members (or their designees):
``(A) The Under Secretary for Health.
``(B) The Under Secretary for Benefits.
``(C) The Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs.
``(D) The chairperson of the Architectural and
Transportation Barriers Compliance Board established by section
502 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Public Law 93-112; 29
U.S.C. 792).
``(c) Terms; Vacancies.--(1) A member of the Advisory Committee
shall be appointed for a term of two years. The Secretary may reappoint
members to the Advisory Committee for such additional two-year terms as
the Secretary determines appropriate.
``(2) The Secretary shall fill a vacancy in the Advisory Committee
in the same manner as the original appointment not later than 180 days
after such vacancy occurs.
``(d) Meetings; Subcommittees; Quorum.--(1) The Advisory Committee
shall meet not less frequently than twice each year.
``(2) The Advisory Committee may form subcommittees, which shall
meet as often as required.
``(3) A majority of the members of the Advisory Committee shall
constitute a quorum.
``(e) Chairperson.--(1) Members of the Advisory Committee shall
select a Chairperson from among the members of the Advisory Committee.
``(2) If the position of Chairperson becomes vacant, the members of
the Advisory Committee shall select a new Chairperson not later than 30
days after the date on which the position became vacant.
``(f) Duties.--(1) On a regular basis, the Secretary shall consult
with and seek the advice of the Advisory Committee--
``(A) on improving the accessibility of the Department for
individuals with disabilities, including improving--
``(i) the accessibility of information of the
Department, including electronic information;
``(ii) the accessibility of the services and
benefits furnished by the Department;
``(iii) the accessibility of the facilities of the
Department;
``(iv) the accessibility of facilities of health
care providers furnishing care or services under the
Veterans Community Care Program under section 1703 of
this title; and
``(v) the acquisition process of the Department to
ensure that products and services, including
information technology and information and
communication technology (as defined in the standards
issued by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers
Compliance Board pursuant to section 508 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Public Law 93-112; 29
U.S.C. 794d)), are accessible when purchased; and
``(B) for ensuring the compliance of the Department with
provisions of law that ensure equal access to Federal
facilities, benefits, or services, for individuals with
disabilities, including the following:
``(i) The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
(Public Law 101-336; 42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.).
``(ii) Sections 501, 504, and 508 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Public Law 93-112; 29
U.S.C. 791, 794, and 794d).
``(iii) The Plain Writing Act of 2010 (Public Law
111-274; 5 U.S.C. 301 note).
``(iv) The 21st Century Integrated Digital
Experience Act (Public Law 115-336; 44 U.S.C. 3501
note).
``(v) The Architectural Barriers Act of 1968
(Public Law 90-480; 42 U.S.C. 4151 et seq.).
``(2) In advising to the Secretary, the Advisory Committee shall,
focusing on the areas of greatest need for the Department--
``(A) assess the disability access needs of veterans, the
public, and Department employees, for full access to the
Department's information, services, and benefits, by reviewing
relevant information, such as filed complaints by people with
disabilities or physical assessments of the Department's
facilities;
``(B) provide assessments of accessibility at the
Department and the compliance of the Department with applicable
provisions of law relating to disability and accessibility; and
``(C) provide advice on improving accessibility at the
Department, including the accessibility of all--
``(i) communications, including internal and
public-facing;
``(ii) services and benefits; and
``(iii) facilities.
``(3) Reports.--(A) Not later than two years after the date of the
first meeting of the Advisory Committee, and not less frequently than
once every two years thereafter, the Advisory Committee shall submit to
the Secretary a report that, focusing on areas of greatest need for the
Department--
``(i) identifies and assesses access barriers affecting
veterans, the public, and employees of the Department;
``(ii) determines the extent to which the programs and
activities of the Department address the barriers identified in
clause (i), including compliance of the Department with
provisions of law relating to accessibility law and reporting;
``(iii) provides recommendations and access priorities to
improve the accessibility of the Department's services,
benefits, information, technology, and facilities;
``(iv) provides a description of access improvements and
assesses the Department's implementation of recommendations
from previous reports of the Advisory Committee, including any
unmet recommendations that remain necessary for improving
accessibility for the Department; and
``(v) provides any recommendations for legislation,
administrative action, or other actions that the Advisory
Committee determines appropriate.
``(B)(i) Not later than 90 days after the receipt of a report
required under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a copy of such report and any
comments and recommendations of the Secretary concerning such report
that the Secretary determines appropriate.
``(ii) The Secretary shall publish on a publicly accessible website
of the Department such report and such comments and recommendations as
may have been submitted along with such report.
``(iii) In this subparagraph, the term `appropriate congressional
committee' means--
``(I) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of
Representatives;
``(II) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate;
``(III) the Committee on Education and Workforce of the
House of Representatives; or
``(IV) the Special Committee on Aging of the Senate.
``(g) Advisory Committee Personnel and Resource Matters.--(1) A
member of the Commission who is not an officer or employee of the
Federal Government shall not be compensated for the performance of the
duties of the Advisory Committee.
``(2) A member of the Advisory Committee shall be allowed travel
expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates
authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57
of title 5, while away from their homes or regular places of business
in the performance of services for the Advisory Committee.
``(3) The Secretary shall ensure that such personnel, funding, and
other resources are made available to the Advisory Committee as the
Secretary determines appropriate to carry out the duties of the
Advisory Committee.
``(4) The Secretary shall furnish to the Advisory Committee such
information as the Advisory Committee may request from the Secretary,
subject to applicable provisions of law.
``(h) Termination of Advisory Committee.--The Advisory Committee
shall terminate on the day that is 10 years after the date of the
enactment of the Veterans Accessibility Advisory Committee Act of
2025.''.
(b) Table of Sections.--The table of sections at the beginning of
such chapter is amended by adding, after the item relating to section
548, the following new item:
``549. Advisory Committee on Equal Access.''.
(c) Implementation; Abolition of Inactive Advisory Committee.--Not
later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and
before establishing the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access
under section 549 of title 38, United States Code, as added by
subsection (a), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall--
(1) abolish an advisory committee of the Department of
Veterans Affairs that--
(A) was not established by an Act of Congress; and
(B) is inactive;
(2) consolidate two advisory committees described in
paragraph (1); or
(3) submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the
Senate and House of Representatives a recommendation to abolish
an advisory committee of the Department that--
(A) was established by an Act of Congress; and
(B) is inactive.
SEC. 3. MODIFICATION OF CERTAIN HOUSING LOAN FEES.
The loan fee table in section 3729(b)(2) of title 38, United States
Code, is amended by striking ``June 9, 2034'' each place it appears and
inserting ``June 23, 2034''.
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