IB 

Union Calendar No. 155 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2302 

[Report No. 112–236] 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans 

Affairs to notify Congress of conferences sponsored by the Department 

of Veterans Affairs. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 22, 2011 

Mr. STUTZMAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

OCTOBER 5, 2011 

Reported with amendments, 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] 


jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 2302 RH

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to notify Congress of conferences sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs. 


jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 2302 RH

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. NOTIFICATION TO CONGRESS OF CON4 FERENCES SPONSORED BY THE DEPART5 MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter I of chapter 5 of title 

7 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 

8 the following new section: 

9 ‘‘§ 517. Notification to Congress of conferences spon10 sored by the Department 

11 ‘‘(a) NOTIFICATION.—Not later than 180 days before 

12 the date on which a covered conference begins, the Sec13 retary shall notify the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of 

14 the House of Representatives and the Committee on Vet15 erans’ Affairs of the Senate of such conference, including 

16 the estimated costs to the Department. 

17 ‘‘(b) REPORT ON COSTS.—Not later than 60 days 

18 after the date on which a covered conference ends, the Sec19 retary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

20 of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 

21 Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate a report that includes an 

22 accounting of the final costs of the conference to the De23 partment. 

24 ‘‘(c) COVERED CONFERENCE DEFINED.—In this sec25 tion, the term ‘covered conference’ means a conference, 


jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 2302 RH

1 meeting, or other similar forum that is sponsored or co2 sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs and is— 

3 ‘‘(1) held for a period of three or more days, 

4 beginning at the time of initial on-site registration 

5 and ending at the time the final event is completed; 

6 ‘‘(2) attended by 20 or more individuals, includ7 ing one or more employees of the Department; or 

8 ‘‘(3) estimated to cost the Department at least 

9 $5,000, including costs related to— 

10 ‘‘(A) transportation and parking; 

11 ‘‘(B) per diem payments; 

12 ‘‘(C) lodging; 

13 ‘‘(D) rental of halls, auditoriums, or other 

14 spaces; 

15 ‘‘(E) rental of equipment; 

16 ‘‘(F) refreshments; 

17 ‘‘(G) entertainment; 

18 ‘‘(H) contractors; and 

19 ‘‘(I) brochures or other printed media.’’. 

20 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

21 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding 

22 after the item relating to section 516 the following: 

‘‘517. Notification to Congress of conferences sponsored by the Department.’’. 


jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 2302 RH

1 SECTION 1. QUARTERLY REPORTS TO CONGRESS ON CON2 FERENCES SPONSORED BY THE DEPART3 MENT. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter I of chapter 5 of title 

5 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 

6 the following new section: 

7 ‘‘§ 517. Quarterly reports to Congress on conferences 

8 sponsored by the Department 

9 ‘‘(a) QUARTERLY REPORTS REQUIRED.—Not later 

10 than 30 days after the end of each fiscal quarter, the Sec11 retary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

12 of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Vet13 erans’ Affairs of the Senate a report on covered conferences. 

14 ‘‘(b) MATTERS INCLUDED.—Each report under sub15 section (a) shall include the following: 

16 ‘‘(1) An accounting of the final costs to the De17 partment of each covered conference occurring during 

18 the fiscal quarter preceding the date on which the re19 port is submitted, including the costs related to— 

20 ‘‘(A) transportation and parking; 

21 ‘‘(B) per diem payments; 

22 ‘‘(C) lodging; 

23 ‘‘(D) rental of halls, auditoriums, or other 

24 spaces; 

25 ‘‘(E) rental of equipment; 

26 ‘‘(F) refreshments; 


jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 2302 RH

1 ‘‘(G) entertainment; 

2 ‘‘(H) contractors; and 

3 ‘‘(I) brochures or other printed media. 

4 ‘‘(2) The total estimated costs to the Department 

5 for covered conferences occurring during the fiscal 

6 quarter in which the report is submitted. 

7 ‘‘(c) COVERED CONFERENCE DEFINED.—In this sec8 tion, the term ‘covered conference’ means a conference, meet9 ing, or other similar forum that is sponsored or co-spon10 sored by the Department of Veterans Affairs and is— 

11 ‘‘(1) attended by 50 or more individuals, includ12 ing one or more employees of the Department; or 

13 ‘‘(2) estimated to cost the Department at least 

14 $20,000.’’. 

15 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections at 

16 the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding after 

17 the item relating to section 516 the following: 

‘‘517. Quarterly reports to Congress on conferences sponsored by the Department.’’. 

18 SEC. 2. SUBMISSION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY THE 

19 SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 5 of title 

21 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting after sec22 tion 529 the following new section: 


jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 2302 RH

1 ‘‘§ 529A. Submission of certain information by the Sec2 retary to Congress 

3 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The submission of information by 

4 the Secretary to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 

5 House of Representatives or the Committee on Veterans’ Af6 fairs of the Senate in response to a request for such informa7 tion made by a covered member of the committee shall be 

8 deemed to be— 

9 ‘‘(1) a covered disclosure under section 

10 552a(b)(9) of title 5; and 

11 ‘‘(2) a permitted disclosure under regulations 

12 promulgated under section 264(c) of the Health Insur13 ance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 

14 (Public Law 104–191), including a permitted disclo15 sure for oversight activities authorized by law as de16 scribed in section 164.512(d) of title 45, Code of Fed17 eral Regulations. 

18 ‘‘(b) SUBMISSION TO CHAIRMAN.—With respect to a 

19 request for information described in subsection (a) made by 

20 a covered member of the committee who is not the chairman, 

21 the Secretary shall also submit such information to the 

22 chairman of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 

23 House of Representatives or the Committee on Veterans’ Af24 fairs of the Senate, as the case may be. 


jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
8 

•HR 2302 RH

1 ‘‘(c) COVERED MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE.—In this 

2 section, the term ‘covered member of the committee’ means 

3 the following: 

4 ‘‘(1) The chairman or ranking member of the 

5 Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep6 resentatives or the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of 

7 the Senate. 

8 ‘‘(2) A chairman or ranking member of a sub9 committee of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of 

10 the House of Representatives or the Committee on Vet11 erans’ Affairs of the Senate. 

12 ‘‘(3) The designee of a chairman or ranking 

13 member described in paragraph (1) or (2).’’. 

14 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

15 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 

16 after the item relating to section 529 the following new item: 

‘‘529A. Submission of certain information by the Secretary to Congress.’’. 

17 SEC. 3. PUBLICATION OF DATA ON EMPLOYMENT OF CER18 TAIN VETERANS BY FEDERAL CONTRACTORS. 

19 Section 4212(d) of title 38, United States Code, is 

20 amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 

21 ‘‘(3) The Secretary of Labor shall establish and main22 tain an Internet website on which the Secretary shall pub23 licly disclose the information reported to the Secretary of 

24 Labor by contractors under paragraph (1).’’. 


jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
9 

•HR 2302 RH

Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A bill to amend title 

38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to notify Congress of conferences sponsored 

by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other 

purposes.’’. 


jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 155 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2302 

[Report No. 112–236] 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct 

ment of Veterans Affairs. gress of conferences sponsored by the Departthe Secretary of Veterans Affairs to notify ConOCTOBER 5, 2011 

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee 

dered to be printed of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and orVerDate Mar 15 2010 21:24 Oct 05, 2011 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6651 Sfmt 6651 E:\BILLS\H2302.RH H2302

jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS