II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7342 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 18, 2024 

Received 

AN ACT 

To establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal 

Access, 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Accessibility 

3 Advisory Committee Act of 2024’’. 

4 SEC. 2. VETERANS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON EQUAL AC5 CESS. 

6 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 

8 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec9 retary of Veterans Affairs shall establish within the 

10 Department of Veterans Affairs an advisory com11 mittee on matters relating to accessibility of the De12 partment for individuals with disabilities. 

13 (2) DESIGNATION.—The advisory committee es14 tablished by paragraph (1) shall be known as the 

15 ‘‘Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access’’ (in 

16 this section the ‘‘Advisory Committee’’). 

17 (b) MEMBERSHIP.— 

18 (1) VOTING MEMBERS.—The Advisory Com19 mittee shall be composed of 15 voting members, ap20 pointed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. In ap21 pointing such members, the Secretary shall ensure 

22 the following: 

23 (A) Four are veterans with disabilities, in24 cluding mobility impairment, hearing, visual, 

25 and mental or cognitive disabilities. 


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1 (B) Four are experts on issues described in 

2 subsection (f)(1)(A) or the provisions of law set 

3 forth under subsection (f)(1)(B). 

4 (C) Two are employees of the Department, 

5 one from the Section 508 Office and one from 

6 the Architectural Accessibility Program, who 

7 oversee the compliance of the Department with 

8 Federal accessibility laws. 

9 (D) Five are representatives nominated by 

10 national veterans service organizations that ad11 vocate for veterans with physical, sensory, men12 tal, or cognitive disabilities. 

13 (2) EX OFFICIO MEMBERS.—The Advisory 

14 Committee shall also include four ex officio members 

15 (or their designees): 

16 (A) The Under Secretary for Health. 

17 (B) The Under Secretary for Benefits. 

18 (C) The Under Secretary for Memorial Af19 fairs. 

20 (D) The chairperson of the Architectural 

21 and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board 

22 (known as the ‘‘Access Board’’). 

23 (c) TERMS; VACANCIES.— 

24 (1) TERMS.—A member of the Advisory Com25 mittee shall be appointed for a term of two years. 


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1 The Secretary may reappoint members to the Advi2 sory Committee for such additional two-year terms 

3 as the Secretary determines appropriate. 

4 (2) VACANCIES.—The Secretary shall fill a va5 cancy in the Advisory Committee in the same man6 ner as the original appointment not later than 180 

7 days after such vacancy occurs. 

8 (d) MEETINGS.— 

9 (1) FREQUENCY.—The Advisory Committee 

10 shall meet not less frequently than twice each year. 

11 (2) SUBCOMMITTEES.—The Advisory Com12 mittee may form subcommittees, which shall meet as 

13 often as required. 

14 (3) QUORUM.—A majority of the members of 

15 the Advisory Committee shall constitute a quorum. 

16 (e) CHAIRPERSON.—Members of the Advisory Com17 mittee shall select a Chairperson from among the members 

18 of the Advisory Committee. If the position of Chairperson 

19 becomes vacant, the members of the Advisory Committee 

20 shall select a new Chairperson not later than 30 days after 

21 the date on which the position became vacant. 

22 (f) DUTIES.— 

23 (1) REQUIREMENT TO CONSULT AND SEEK AD24 VICE.—On a regular basis, the Secretary shall conVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:32 Jan 04, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7342.RDS H7342

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1 sult with and seek the advice of the Advisory Com2 mittee— 

3 (A) on improving the accessibility of the 

4 Department for individuals with disabilities, in5 cluding improving— 

6 (i) the accessibility of information of 

7 the Department, including electronic infor8 mation; 

9 (ii) the accessibility of the services 

10 and benefits furnished by the Department; 

11 (iii) the accessibility of the facilities of 

12 the Department; 

13 (iv) the accessibility of facilities of 

14 health care providers furnishing care or 

15 services under the Veterans Community 

16 Care Program under section 1703 of title 

17 38, United States Code; and 

18 (v) the acquisition process of the De19 partment to ensure that products and serv20 ices, including information technology and 

21 information and communication technology 

22 (as defined in the standards issued by the 

23 Architectural and Transportation Barriers 

24 Compliance Board pursuant to section 508 

25 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 


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1 U.S.C. 794d)), are accessible when pur2 chased; and 

3 (B) for ensuring the compliance of the De4 partment with provisions of law relating to dis5 ability and accessibility, including— 

6 (i) the Americans with Disabilities Act 

7 of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12184 et seq.); 

8 (ii) sections 504 and 508 of the Reha9 bilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 791, 

10 794, and 794d); 

11 (iii) the Plain Writing Act of 2010 (5 

12 U.S.C. 301 note); 

13 (iv) the 21st Century Integrated Dig14 ital Experience Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 note); 

15 (v) the Architectural Barriers Act of 

16 1968 (Public Law 90–480); and 

17 (vi) such other provisions of Federal 

18 law as may be that ensure equal access to 

19 Federal facilities, benefits, or services for 

20 individuals with disabilities. 

21 (2) PROVISION OF ADVICE.—In providing ad22 vice to the Secretary, the Advisory Committee shall, 

23 focusing on the areas of greatest need for the De24 partment— 


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1 (A) assess the disability access needs of 

2 veterans, the public, and Department employees 

3 for full access to the Department’s information, 

4 services, and benefits by reviewing relevant in5 formation, such as filed complaints by people 

6 with disabilities or physical assessments of the 

7 Department’s facilities; 

8 (B) provide assessments of accessibility at 

9 the Department and the compliance of the De10 partment with applicable provisions of law re11 lating to disability and accessibility; and 

12 (C) provide advice on improving accessi13 bility at the Department, including the accessi14 bility of all— 

15 (i) communications, including internal 

16 and public facing; 

17 (ii) services and benefits; and 

18 (iii) facilities. 

19 (3) REPORTS.— 

20 (A) REPORTS TO THE SECRETARY.—Not 

21 later than two years after the date of the first 

22 meeting of the Advisory Committee, and not 

23 less frequently than once every two years there24 after, the Advisory Committee shall submit to 


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1 the Secretary a report that, focusing on areas 

2 of greatest need for the Department— 

3 (i) identifies and assesses access bar4 riers affecting veterans, the public, and 

5 employees of the Department; 

6 (ii) determines the extent to which the 

7 programs and activities of the Department 

8 address the barriers identified in clause (i), 

9 including compliance of the Department 

10 with provisions of law relating to accessi11 bility law and reporting; 

12 (iii) provides recommendations and 

13 access priorities to improve the accessi14 bility of the Department’s services, bene15 fits, information, technology, and facilities; 

16 (iv) provides a description of access 

17 improvements and assesses the Depart18 ment’s implementation of recommendations 

19 from previous reports of the Advisory 

20 Committee, including any unmet rec21 ommendations that remain necessary for 

22 improving accessibility for the Department; 

23 and 

24 (v) provides any recommendations for 

25 legislation, administrative action, or other 


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1 actions that the Advisory Committee deter2 mines appropriate. 

3 (B) REPORTS TO CONGRESS AND FEDERAL

4 AGENCIES.— 

5 (i) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 

6 days after the receipt of a report required 

7 under subparagraph (A), the Secretary 

8 shall submit to the appropriate congres9 sional committees a copy of such report 

10 and any comments and recommendations 

11 of the Secretary concerning such report 

12 that the Secretary determines appropriate. 

13 (ii) AVAILABILITY TO THE PUBLIC.— 

14 The Secretary shall publish on a publicly 

15 accessible website of the Department such 

16 report and such comments and rec17 ommendations as may have been submitted 

18 along with such report. 

19 (iii) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL

20 COMMITTEES.—In this subparagraph, the 

21 term ‘‘appropriate congressional commit22 tees’’ means— 

23 (I) the Committees on Veterans’ 

24 Affairs of the Senate and House of 

25 Representatives; 


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1 (II) the Special Committee on 

2 Aging of the Senate; and 

3 (III) the Committee on Edu4 cation and the Workforce of the 

5 House of Representatives. 

6 (g) ADVISORY COMMITTEE PERSONNEL AND RE7 SOURCE MATTERS.— 

8 (1) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.—A member 

9 of the Commission who is not an officer or employee 

10 of the Federal Government shall not be compensated 

11 for the performance of the duties of the Advisory 

12 Committee. 

13 (2) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—A member of the Ad14 visory Committee shall be allowed travel expenses, 

15 including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates 

16 authorized for employees of agencies under sub17 chapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States 

18 Code, while away from their homes or regular places 

19 of business in the performance of services for the 

20 Advisory Committee. 

21 (3) RESOURCES.—The Secretary shall ensure 

22 that such personnel, funding, and other resources 

23 are made available to the Advisory Committee as the 

24 Secretary determines appropriate to carry out the 

25 duties of the Advisory Committee. 


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1 (4) INFORMATION.—The Secretary shall furnish 

2 to the Advisory Committee such information as the 

3 Advisory Committee may request from the Sec4 retary, subject to applicable provisions of law. 

5 (h) TERMINATION OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—The 

6 Advisory Committee shall terminate on the date that is 

7 10 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

8 SEC. 3. ABOLITION OF INACTIVE ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 

9 Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact10 ment of this Act and before establishing the Veterans Ad11 visory Committee on Equal Access under section 2, the 

12 Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall— 

13 (1) abolish an advisory committee of the De14 partment of Veterans Affairs that— 

15 (A) was not established by an Act of Con16 gress; and 

17 (B) is inactive; 

18 (2) consolidate two advisory committees de19 scribed in paragraph (1); or 

20 (3) submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Af21 fairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a 

22 recommendation to abolish an advisory committee of 

23 the Department that— 

24 (A) was established by an Act of Congress; 

25 and 


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1 (B) is inactive. 

2 SEC. 4. MODIFICATION OF CERTAIN HOUSING LOAN FEES. 

3 The loan fee table in section 3729(b)(2) of title 38, 

4 United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘November 

5 15, 2031’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘November 

6 29, 2031’’. 

Passed the House of Representatives September 17, 

2024. 

Attest: KEVIN F. MCCUMBER, 

Clerk. 


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