II 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1096 

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. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 30, 2023 

Ms. HASSAN (for herself and Mr. BOOZMAN) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

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. 

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’’. 


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•S 1096 IS

1 SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS EMPLOYEE 

2 TRAINING REGARDING OFFICE OF INSPEC3 TOR GENERAL. 

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

5 shall require each employee of the Department of Veterans 

6 Affairs who begins employment with the Department on 

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

8 training that the Inspector General of the Department 

9 shall develop on the reporting of wrongdoing to, respond10 ing to requests from, and cooperating with the Office of 

11 Inspector General of the Department. 

12 (b) TIMING OF TRAINING.—In carrying out sub13 section (a), the Secretary shall require each employee of 

14 the Department covered under such subsection to undergo 

15 the training required by such subsection not later than 

16 one year after the date on which the employee begins em17 ployment with the Department. 

18 (c) ELEMENTS.—Training developed and required 

19 under subsection (a) shall include the following: 

20 (1) Definition of the role, responsibilities, and 

21 legal authority of the Inspector General of the De22 partment and the duties of employees of the Depart23 ment for engaging with the Office of Inspector Gen24 eral. 

25 (2) Identification of the circumstances and 

26 mechanisms for reporting fraud, waste, abuse, and 


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•S 1096 IS

1 other wrongdoing to the Inspector General, including 

2 making confidential complaints to the Inspector 

3 General. 

4 (3) Identification of the prohibitions and rem5 edies that help to protect employees of the Depart6 ment from retaliation when reporting wrongdoing to 

7 the Inspector General. 

8 (4) Recognition of opportunities to engage with 

9 staff of the Office of Inspector General to improve 

10 programs, operations, and services of the Depart11 ment. 

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

13 the Department shall design, and update as the Inspector 

14 General considers appropriate, the training developed and 

15 required by subsection (a). 

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

17 talent management system of the Department, or suc18 cessor system, the training developed and required under 

19 subsection (a). 

20 (f) RELATION TO CERTAIN TRAINING.—The Sec21 retary shall ensure that training developed and required 

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

23 provided under section 733 of title 38, United States 

24 Code. 


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•S 1096 IS

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

2 ensure that the Inspector General is afforded the oppor3 tunity, not less frequently than twice each year and more 

4 frequently if the Inspector General considers appropriate 

5 under extraordinary circumstances, to use the electronic 

6 mail system of the Department to notify all authorized 

7 users of such system of the following: 

8 (1) The roles and responsibilities of the employ9 ees of the Department when engaging with the Of10 fice of Inspector General. 

11 (2) The availability of training provided under 

12 subsection (a). 

13 (3) How to access training provided under sub14 section (a). 

15 (4) Information about how to contact the Office 

16 of Inspector General, including a link to any 

17 website-based reporting form of the Office. 

Æ 


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