[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7342 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7342
To establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 13, 2024
Mr. Valadao (for himself and Mr. McGarvey) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
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 2024''.
SEC. 2. VETERANS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON EQUAL ACCESS.
(a) Establishment.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall establish within the Department of Veterans Affairs an
advisory committee on matters relating to accessibility of the
Department for individuals with disabilities.
(2) Designation.--The advisory committee established by
paragraph (1) shall be known as the ``Veterans Advisory
Committee on Equal Access'' (in this section the ``Advisory
Committee'').
(b) Membership.--
(1) Voting members.--The Advisory Committee shall be
composed of 15 voting members, appointed by the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs. 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 national
veterans service organizations that advocate for
veterans with physical, sensory, mental, or cognitive
disabilities.
(2) Ex officio members.--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 (known as the
``Access Board'').
(c) Terms; Vacancies.--
(1) Terms.--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) Vacancies.--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.--
(1) Frequency.--The Advisory Committee shall meet not less
frequently than twice each year.
(2) Subcommittees.--The Advisory Committee may form
subcommittees, which shall meet as often as required.
(3) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Advisory
Committee shall constitute a quorum.
(e) Chairperson.--Members of the Advisory Committee shall select a
Chairperson from among the members of the Advisory Committee. 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) Requirement to consult and seek advice.--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 title 38, United
States Code; 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 (29 U.S.C. 794d)),
are accessible when purchased; and
(B) for ensuring the compliance of the Department
with provisions of law relating to disability and
accessibility, including--
(i) the Americans with Disabilities Act of
1990 (42 U.S.C. 12184 et seq.);
(ii) sections 504 and 508 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 791, 794,
and 794d);
(iii) the Plain Writing Act of 2010 (5
U.S.C. 301 note);
(iv) the 21st Century Integrated Digital
Experience Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 note);
(v) the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968
(Public Law 90-480); and
(vi) such other provisions of Federal law
as may be that ensure equal access to Federal
facilities, benefits, or services for
individuals with disabilities.
(2) Provision of advice.--In providing advice 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) Reports to the secretary.--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) Reports to congress and federal agencies.--
(i) In general.--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) Availability to the public.--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) Appropriate congressional
committees.--In this subparagraph, the term
``appropriate congressional committees''
means--
(I) the Committees on Veterans'
Affairs of the Senate and House of
Representatives
(II) the Special Committee on Aging
of the Senate; and
(III) the Committee on Education
and the Workforce of the House of
Representatives.
(g) Advisory Committee Personnel and Resource Matters.--
(1) Compensation of members.--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) Travel expenses.--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, United States
Code, while away from their homes or regular places of business
in the performance of services for the Advisory Committee.
(3) Resources.--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) Information.--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 date that is 10 years after the date of the
enactment of this Act.
SEC. 3. 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 2, 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.
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