II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4816 

To require the Archivist of the United States to submit to Congress a 

comprehensive plan for reducing the backlog of requests for records 

from the National Personnel Records Center, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 12, 2022 

Mr. OSSOFF (for himself, Mr. ROUNDS, Mrs. SHAHEEN, and Mr. BRAUN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

A BILL 

To require the Archivist of the United States to submit 

to Congress a comprehensive plan for reducing the backlog of requests for records from the National Personnel 

Records Center, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Access for Veterans 

5 to Records Act of 2022’’. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 4816 IS

1 SEC. 2. PLAN TO ELIMINATE RECORDS BACKLOG AT THE 

2 NATIONAL PERSONNEL RECORDS CENTER. 

3 (a) PLAN REQUIRED.—Not later than 60 days after 

4 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Archivist of the 

5 United States shall submit to the appropriate congres6 sional committees a comprehensive plan to eliminate the 

7 backlog of requests for records from the National Per8 sonnel Records Center and to improve the efficiency and 

9 responsiveness of operations at the National Personnel 

10 Records Center, that includes, at a minimum, the fol11 lowing: 

12 (1) The number and percentage of unresolved 

13 veteran record requests that have been pending for 

14 more than— 

15 (A) 20 days; 

16 (B) 90 days; and 

17 (C) one year. 

18 (2) Target timeframes to eliminate the backlog. 

19 (3) A detailed plan for using existing funds to 

20 improve information technology infrastructure, in21 cluding secure access to appropriate agency Federal 

22 records, to prevent future backlogs. 

23 (4) Actions to improve customer service for re24 questers. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 4816 IS

1 (5) Measurable goals with respect to the com2 prehensive plan and metrics for tracking progress 

3 toward such goals. 

4 (6) Strategies to prevent future record request 

5 backlogs, including backlogs caused by an event that 

6 prevents employees of the Center from reporting to 

7 work in person. 

8 (b) UPDATES.—Not later than 90 days after the date 

9 on which the comprehensive plan is submitted under sub10 section (a), and semiannually thereafter until the National 

11 Personnel Records Center resolves 90 percent of all re12 quests for separation documents (other than documents 

13 subject to fees or involving records damaged or lost in the 

14 1973 fire) in 20 days or less, the Archivist of the United 

15 States shall submit to the appropriate congressional com16 mittees an update of such plan that— 

17 (1) describes progress made by the National 

18 Personnel Records Center during the preceding 180- 

19 day period with respect to record request backlog re20 duction and efficiency and responsiveness improve21 ment; 

22 (2) provides data on progress made toward the 

23 goals identified in the comprehensive plan; and 

24 (3) describes any changes made to the com25 prehensive plan. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 4816 IS

1 (c) CONSULTATION REQUIREMENT.—In carrying out 

2 subsections (a) and (b), the Archivist of the United States 

3 shall consult with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 

4 (d) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES

5 DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate con6 gressional committees’’ means— 

7 (1) the Committee on Homeland Security and 

8 Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Vet9 erans’ Affairs of the Senate; and 

10 (2) the Committee on Oversight and Reform 

11 and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 

12 House of Representatives. 

13 SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL FUNDING. 

14 In addition to amounts otherwise available, there is 

15 authorized to be appropriated to the National Archives 

16 and Records Administration, $20,000,000 to address 

17 backlogs in responding to requests from veterans for mili18 tary personnel records. 

19 SEC. 4. ADDITIONAL STAFFING. 

20 Not later than 30 days after the date of the enact21 ment of this Act, the Archivist of the United States shall 

22 ensure that the National Personnel Records Center main23 tains staffing levels that enable the maximum processing 

24 of records requests possible in order to achieve the per25 formance goal of responding to 90 percent of all requests 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
5 

•S 4816 IS

1 for separation documents (other than documents subject 

2 to fees or involving records damaged or lost in the 1973 

3 fire) serviced in 20 days or less. 

4 SEC. 5. ADDITIONAL REPORTING. 

5 The Inspector General for the National Archives and 

6 Records Administration shall, for two years following the 

7 date of the enactment of this Act, include in every semi8 annual report submitted to Congress pursuant to the In9 spector General Act of 1978, a detailed summary of— 

10 (1) efforts taken by the National Archives and 

11 Records Administration to address the backlog of 

12 records requests at the National Personnel Records 

13 Center; and 

14 (2) any recommendations for action proposed 

15 by the Inspector General related to reducing the 

16 backlog of records requests at the National Per17 sonnel Records Center and the status of compliance 

18 with those recommendations by the National Ar19 chives and Records Administration. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS