IB 

Union Calendar No. 572 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7342 

[Report No. 118–676] 

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 

SEPTEMBER 16, 2024 

Additional sponsors: Mr. GOTTHEIMER, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. VAN DREW, Mr. 

NEGUSE, Mr. VARGAS, Ms. PETTERSEN, Ms. BROWNLEY, Mr. LAWLER, 

and Mr. CROW

SEPTEMBER 16, 2024 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on February 13, 2024] 


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A BILL 

To establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal 

Access, and for other purposes. 


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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 ‘‘Veterans Accessibility 

5 Advisory Committee Act of 2024’’. 

6 SEC. 2. VETERANS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON EQUAL AC7 CESS. 

8 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 

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

10 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 

11 Veterans Affairs shall establish within the Depart12 ment of Veterans Affairs an advisory committee on 

13 matters relating to accessibility of the Department for 

14 individuals with disabilities. 

15 (2) DESIGNATION.—The advisory committee es16 tablished by paragraph (1) shall be known as the 

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

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

19 (b) MEMBERSHIP.— 

20 (1) VOTING MEMBERS.—The Advisory Committee 

21 shall be composed of 15 voting members, appointed by 

22 the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. In appointing such 

23 members, the Secretary shall ensure the following: 


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1 (A) Four are veterans with disabilities, in2 cluding mobility impairment, hearing, visual, 

3 and mental or cognitive disabilities. 

4 (B) Four are experts on issues described in 

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

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

7 (C) Two are employees of the Department, 

8 one from the Section 508 Office and one from the 

9 Architectural Accessibility Program, who oversee 

10 the compliance of the Department with Federal 

11 accessibility laws. 

12 (D) Five are representatives nominated by 

13 national veterans service organizations that ad14 vocate for veterans with physical, sensory, men15 tal, or cognitive disabilities. 

16 (2) EX OFFICIO MEMBERS.—The Advisory Com17 mittee shall also include four ex officio members (or 

18 their designees): 

19 (A) The Under Secretary for Health. 

20 (B) The Under Secretary for Benefits. 

21 (C) The Under Secretary for Memorial Af22 fairs. 

23 (D) The chairperson of the Architectural 

24 and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board 

25 (known as the ‘‘Access Board’’). 


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1 (c) TERMS; VACANCIES.— 

2 (1) TERMS.—A member of the Advisory Com3 mittee shall be appointed for a term of two years. The 

4 Secretary may reappoint members to the Advisory 

5 Committee for such additional two-year terms as the 

6 Secretary determines appropriate. 

7 (2) VACANCIES.—The Secretary shall fill a va8 cancy in the Advisory Committee in the same manner 

9 as the original appointment not later than 180 days 

10 after such vacancy occurs. 

11 (d) MEETINGS.— 

12 (1) FREQUENCY.—The Advisory Committee shall 

13 meet not less frequently than twice each year. 

14 (2) SUBCOMMITTEES.—The Advisory Committee 

15 may form subcommittees, which shall meet as often as 

16 required. 

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

18 Advisory Committee shall constitute a quorum. 

19 (e) CHAIRPERSON.—Members of the Advisory Com20 mittee shall select a Chairperson from among the members 

21 of the Advisory Committee. If the position of Chairperson 

22 becomes vacant, the members of the Advisory Committee 

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

24 the date on which the position became vacant. 

25 (f) DUTIES.— 


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1 (1) REQUIREMENT TO CONSULT AND SEEK AD2 VICE.—On a regular basis, the Secretary shall consult 

3 with and seek the advice of the Advisory Committee— 

4 (A) on improving the accessibility of the 

5 Department for individuals with disabilities, in6 cluding improving— 

7 (i) the accessibility of information of 

8 the Department, including electronic infor9 mation; 

10 (ii) the accessibility of the services and 

11 benefits furnished by the Department; 

12 (iii) the accessibility of the facilities of 

13 the Department; 

14 (iv) the accessibility of facilities of 

15 health care providers furnishing care or 

16 services under the Veterans Community 

17 Care Program under section 1703 of title 

18 38, United States Code; and 

19 (v) the acquisition process of the De20 partment to ensure that products and serv21 ices, including information technology and 

22 information and communication technology 

23 (as defined in the standards issued by the 

24 Architectural and Transportation Barriers 

25 Compliance Board pursuant to section 508 


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1 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 

2 794d)), are accessible when purchased; 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, 794, 

10 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 in20 dividuals with disabilities. 

21 (2) PROVISION OF ADVICE.—In providing advice 

22 to the Secretary, the Advisory Committee shall, focus23 ing on the areas of greatest need for the Depart24 ment— 


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1 (A) assess the disability access needs of vet2 erans, the public, and Department employees for 

3 full access to the Department’s information, serv4 ices, and benefits by reviewing relevant informa5 tion, such as filed complaints by people with dis6 abilities or physical assessments of the Depart7 ment’s facilities; 

8 (B) provide assessments of accessibility at 

9 the Department and the compliance of the De10 partment with applicable provisions of law relat11 ing 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 less 

23 frequently than once every two years thereafter, 

24 the Advisory Committee shall submit to the SecVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:16 Sep 17, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H7342.RH H7342

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1 retary a report that, focusing on areas of greatest 

2 need for the Department— 

3 (i) identifies and assesses access bar4 riers affecting veterans, the public, and em5 ployees 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 ac13 cess priorities to improve the accessibility of 

14 the Department’s services, benefits, informa15 tion, technology, and facilities; 

16 (iv) provides a description of access 

17 improvements and assesses the Department’s 

18 implementation of recommendations from 

19 previous reports of the Advisory Committee, 

20 including any unmet recommendations that 

21 remain necessary for improving accessi22 bility for the Department; and 

23 (v) provides any recommendations for 

24 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 shall 

8 submit to the appropriate congressional 

9 committees a copy of such report and any 

10 comments and recommendations of the Sec11 retary concerning such report that the Sec12 retary 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 Education 

4 and the Workforce of the House of Rep5 resentatives. 

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

8 (1) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.—A member of 

9 the Commission who is not an officer or employee of 

10 the Federal Government shall not be compensated for 

11 the performance of the duties of the Advisory Com12 mittee. 

13 (2) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—A member of the Advi14 sory Committee shall be allowed travel expenses, in15 cluding per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates au16 thorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I 

17 of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while 

18 away from their homes or regular places of business 

19 in the performance of services for the Advisory Com20 mittee. 

21 (3) RESOURCES.—The Secretary shall ensure 

22 that such personnel, funding, and other resources are 

23 made available to the Advisory Committee as the Sec24 retary determines appropriate to carry out the duties 

25 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 Secretary, 

4 subject to applicable provisions of law. 

5 (h) TERMINATION OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—The 

6 Advisory Committee shall terminate on the date that is 10 

7 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 enactment 

10 of this Act and before establishing the Veterans Advisory 

11 Committee on Equal Access under section 2, the Secretary 

12 of Veterans Affairs shall— 

13 (1) abolish an advisory committee of the Depart14 ment 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 15, 

5 2031’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘November 29, 

6 2031’’. 


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Union Calendar No. 572 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7342 

[Report No. 118–676] 

A BILL 

To establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on 

Equal Access, and for other purposes. 

SEPTEMBER 16, 2024 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 


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