118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1096 

AN ACT 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to require the 

employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs to receive training developed by the Inspector General of the 

Department on reporting wrongdoing to, responding to 

requests from, and cooperating with the Office of Inspector General of the Department, and for other purposes. 
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†S 1096 ES

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 ‘‘Department of Vet5 erans Affairs Office of Inspector General Training Act of 

6 2023’’. 

7 SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS EMPLOYEE 

8 TRAINING REGARDING OFFICE OF INSPEC9 TOR GENERAL. 

10 (a) TRAINING.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

11 shall require each employee of the Department of Veterans 

12 Affairs who begins employment with the Department on 

13 or after the date of the enactment of this Act to receive 

14 training that the Inspector General of the Department 

15 shall develop on the reporting of wrongdoing to, respond16 ing to requests from, and the duty of cooperating with 

17 the Office of Inspector General of the Department. 

18 (b) TIMING OF TRAINING.—In carrying out sub19 section (a), the Secretary shall require each employee of 

20 the Department covered under such subsection to undergo 

21 the training required by such subsection not later than 

22 one year after the date on which the employee begins em23 ployment with the Department. 

24 (c) ELEMENTS.—Training developed and required 

25 under subsection (a) shall include the following: 
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1 (1) Definition of the role, responsibilities, and 

2 legal authority of the Inspector General of the De3 partment and the duties of employees of the Depart4 ment for engaging with the Office of Inspector Gen5 eral. 

6 (2) Identification of Federal whistleblower pro7 tection rights, including the right to report fraud, 

8 waste, abuse, and other wrongdoing to Congress. 

9 (3) Identification of the circumstances and 

10 mechanisms for reporting fraud, waste, abuse, and 

11 other wrongdoing to the Inspector General, including 

12 making confidential complaints to the Inspector 

13 General. 

14 (4) Identification of the prohibitions and rem15 edies that help to protect employees of the Depart16 ment from retaliation when reporting wrongdoing to 

17 the Inspector General. 

18 (5) Recognition of opportunities to engage with 

19 staff of the Office of Inspector General to improve 

20 programs, operations, and services of the Depart21 ment. 

22 (6) Notification of the authority of the Inspec23 tor General to subpoena the attendance and testi24 mony of witnesses, including former employees of 

25 the Department, as necessary to carry out the duties 
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†S 1096 ES

1 of the Office of Inspector General under section 312 

2 of title 38, United States Code. 

3 (d) DESIGN AND UPDATE.—The Inspector General of 

4 the Department shall design, and update as the Inspector 

5 General considers appropriate, the training developed and 

6 required by subsection (a). 

7 (e) SYSTEM.—The Secretary shall provide, via the 

8 talent management system of the Department, or suc9 cessor system, the training developed and required under 

10 subsection (a). 

11 (f) RELATION TO CERTAIN TRAINING.—The Sec12 retary shall ensure that training developed and required 

13 under subsection (a) is separate and distinct from training 

14 provided under section 733 of title 38, United States 

15 Code. 

16 (g) NOTICE TO EMPLOYEES.—The Secretary shall 

17 ensure that the Inspector General is afforded the oppor18 tunity, not less frequently than twice each year and more 

19 frequently if the Inspector General considers appropriate 

20 under extraordinary circumstances, to use the electronic 

21 mail system of the Department to notify all authorized 

22 users of such system of the following: 

23 (1) The roles and responsibilities of the employ24 ees of the Department when engaging with the Of25 fice of Inspector General. 
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1 (2) The availability of training provided under 

2 subsection (a). 

3 (3) How to access training provided under sub4 section (a). 

5 (4) Information about how to contact the Office 

6 of Inspector General, including a link to any 

7 website-based reporting form of the Office. 

Passed the Senate July 13, 2023. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 
118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1096 

AN ACT 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to reposes. General of the Department, and for other pur- and cooperating with the Office of Inspector ing wrongdoing to, responding to requests from, Inspector General of the Department on report- erans Affairs to receive training developed by the quire the employees of the Department of Vet-