I 

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. 

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 

10 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the SecVerDate Sep 11 2014 05:21 Feb 21, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7342.IH H7342

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1 retary of Veterans Affairs shall establish within the 

2 Department of Veterans Affairs an advisory com3 mittee on matters relating to accessibility of the De4 partment for individuals with disabilities. 

5 (2) DESIGNATION.—The advisory committee es6 tablished by paragraph (1) shall be known as the 

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

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

9 (b) MEMBERSHIP.— 

10 (1) VOTING MEMBERS.—The Advisory Com11 mittee shall be composed of 15 voting members, ap12 pointed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. In ap13 pointing such members, the Secretary shall ensure 

14 the following: 

15 (A) Four are veterans with disabilities, in16 cluding mobility impairment, hearing, visual, 

17 and mental or cognitive disabilities. 

18 (B) Four are experts on issues described in 

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

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

21 (C) Two are employees of the Department, 

22 one from the Section 508 Office and one from 

23 the Architectural Accessibility Program, who 

24 oversee the compliance of the Department with 

25 Federal accessibility laws. 


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1 (D) Five are representatives nominated by 

2 national veterans service organizations that ad3 vocate for veterans with physical, sensory, men4 tal, or cognitive disabilities. 

5 (2) EX OFFICIO MEMBERS.—The Advisory 

6 Committee shall also include four ex officio members 

7 (or their designees): 

8 (A) The Under Secretary for Health. 

9 (B) The Under Secretary for Benefits. 

10 (C) The Under Secretary for Memorial Af11 fairs. 

12 (D) The chairperson of the Architectural 

13 and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board 

14 (known as the ‘‘Access Board’’). 

15 (c) TERMS; VACANCIES.— 

16 (1) TERMS.—A member of the Advisory Com17 mittee shall be appointed for a term of two years. 

18 The Secretary may reappoint members to the Advi19 sory Committee for such additional two-year terms 

20 as the Secretary determines appropriate. 

21 (2) VACANCIES.—The Secretary shall fill a va22 cancy in the Advisory Committee in the same man23 ner as the original appointment not later than 180 

24 days after such vacancy occurs. 

25 (d) MEETINGS.— 


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1 (1) FREQUENCY.—The Advisory Committee 

2 shall meet not less frequently than twice each year. 

3 (2) SUBCOMMITTEES.—The Advisory Com4 mittee may form subcommittees, which shall meet as 

5 often as required. 

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

7 the Advisory Committee shall constitute a quorum. 

8 (e) CHAIRPERSON.—Members of the Advisory Com9 mittee shall select a Chairperson from among the members 

10 of the Advisory Committee. If the position of Chairperson 

11 becomes vacant, the members of the Advisory Committee 

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

13 the date on which the position became vacant. 

14 (f) DUTIES.— 

15 (1) REQUIREMENT TO CONSULT AND SEEK AD16 VICE.—On a regular basis, the Secretary shall con17 sult with and seek the advice of the Advisory Com18 mittee— 

19 (A) on improving the accessibility of the 

20 Department for individuals with disabilities, in21 cluding improving— 

22 (i) the accessibility of information of 

23 the Department, including electronic infor24 mation; 


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1 (ii) the accessibility of the services 

2 and benefits furnished by the Department; 

3 (iii) the accessibility of the facilities of 

4 the Department; 

5 (iv) the accessibility of facilities of 

6 health care providers furnishing care or 

7 services under the Veterans Community 

8 Care Program under section 1703 of title 

9 38, United States Code; and 

10 (v) the acquisition process of the De11 partment to ensure that products and serv12 ices, including information technology and 

13 information and communication technology 

14 (as defined in the standards issued by the 

15 Architectural and Transportation Barriers 

16 Compliance Board pursuant to section 508 

17 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 

18 U.S.C. 794d)), are accessible when pur19 chased; and 

20 (B) for ensuring the compliance of the De21 partment with provisions of law relating to dis22 ability and accessibility, including— 

23 (i) the Americans with Disabilities Act 

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


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1 (ii) sections 504 and 508 of the Reha2 bilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 791, 

3 794, and 794d); 

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

5 U.S.C. 301 note); 

6 (iv) the 21st Century Integrated Dig7 ital Experience Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 note); 

8 (v) the Architectural Barriers Act of 

9 1968 (Public Law 90–480); and 

10 (vi) such other provisions of Federal 

11 law as may be that ensure equal access to 

12 Federal facilities, benefits, or services for 

13 individuals with disabilities. 

14 (2) PROVISION OF ADVICE.—In providing ad15 vice to the Secretary, the Advisory Committee shall, 

16 focusing on the areas of greatest need for the De17 partment— 

18 (A) assess the disability access needs of 

19 veterans, the public, and Department employees 

20 for full access to the Department’s information, 

21 services, and benefits by reviewing relevant in22 formation, such as filed complaints by people 

23 with disabilities or physical assessments of the 

24 Department’s facilities; 


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1 (B) provide assessments of accessibility at 

2 the Department and the compliance of the De3 partment with applicable provisions of law re4 lating to disability and accessibility; and 

5 (C) provide advice on improving accessi6 bility at the Department, including the accessi7 bility of all— 

8 (i) communications, including internal 

9 and public facing; 

10 (ii) services and benefits; and 

11 (iii) facilities. 

12 (3) REPORTS.— 

13 (A) REPORTS TO THE SECRETARY.—Not 

14 later than two years after the date of the first 

15 meeting of the Advisory Committee, and not 

16 less frequently than once every two years there17 after, the Advisory Committee shall submit to 

18 the Secretary a report that, focusing on areas 

19 of greatest need for the Department— 

20 (i) identifies and assesses access bar21 riers affecting veterans, the public, and 

22 employees of the Department; 

23 (ii) determines the extent to which the 

24 programs and activities of the Department 

25 address the barriers identified in clause (i), 


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1 including compliance of the Department 

2 with provisions of law relating to accessi3 bility law and reporting; 

4 (iii) provides recommendations and 

5 access priorities to improve the accessi6 bility of the Department’s services, bene7 fits, information, technology, and facilities; 

8 (iv) provides a description of access 

9 improvements and assesses the Depart10 ment’s implementation of recommendations 

11 from previous reports of the Advisory 

12 Committee, including any unmet rec13 ommendations that remain necessary for 

14 improving accessibility for the Department; 

15 and 

16 (v) provides any recommendations for 

17 legislation, administrative action, or other 

18 actions that the Advisory Committee deter19 mines appropriate. 

20 (B) REPORTS TO CONGRESS AND FEDERAL

21 AGENCIES.— 

22 (i) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 

23 days after the receipt of a report required 

24 under subparagraph (A), the Secretary 

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1 sional committees a copy of such report 

2 and any comments and recommendations 

3 of the Secretary concerning such report 

4 that the Secretary determines appropriate. 

5 (ii) AVAILABILITY TO THE PUBLIC.— 

6 The Secretary shall publish on a publicly 

7 accessible website of the Department such 

8 report and such comments and rec9 ommendations as may have been submitted 

10 along with such report. 

11 (iii) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL

12 COMMITTEES.—In this subparagraph, the 

13 term ‘‘appropriate congressional commit14 tees’’ means— 

15 (I) the Committees on Veterans’ 

16 Affairs of the Senate and House of 

17 Representatives 

18 (II) the Special Committee on 

19 Aging of the Senate; and 

20 (III) the Committee on Edu21 cation and the Workforce of the 

22 House of Representatives. 

23 (g) ADVISORY COMMITTEE PERSONNEL AND RE24 SOURCE MATTERS.— 


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1 (1) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.—A member 

2 of the Commission who is not an officer or employee 

3 of the Federal Government shall not be compensated 

4 for the performance of the duties of the Advisory 

5 Committee. 

6 (2) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—A member of the Ad7 visory Committee shall be allowed travel expenses, 

8 including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates 

9 authorized for employees of agencies under sub10 chapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States 

11 Code, while away from their homes or regular places 

12 of business in the performance of services for the 

13 Advisory Committee. 

14 (3) RESOURCES.—The Secretary shall ensure 

15 that such personnel, funding, and other resources 

16 are made available to the Advisory Committee as the 

17 Secretary determines appropriate to carry out the 

18 duties of the Advisory Committee. 

19 (4) INFORMATION.—The Secretary shall furnish 

20 to the Advisory Committee such information as the 

21 Advisory Committee may request from the Sec22 retary, subject to applicable provisions of law. 

23 (h) TERMINATION OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—The 

24 Advisory Committee shall terminate on the date that is 

25 10 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 


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1 SEC. 3. ABOLITION OF INACTIVE ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 

2 Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact3 ment of this Act and before establishing the Veterans Ad4 visory Committee on Equal Access under section 2, the 

5 Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall— 

6 (1) abolish an advisory committee of the De7 partment of Veterans Affairs that— 

8 (A) was not established by an Act of Con9 gress; and 

10 (B) is inactive; 

11 (2) consolidate two advisory committees de12 scribed in paragraph (1); or 

13 (3) submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Af14 fairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a 

15 recommendation to abolish an advisory committee of 

16 the Department that— 

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

18 and 

19 (B) is inactive. 

Æ 


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