I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3730 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the Department 

of Veterans Affairs an Advisory Committee on United States Outlying 

Areas and Freely Associated States, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 4, 2021 

Mr. SABLAN (for himself, Ms. BROWNLEY, Mr. SAN NICOLAS, Mrs. 

RADEWAGEN, Ms. PLASKETT, Miss GONZA ́LEZ-COLO ́N, Mr. KAHELE, and 

Mr. GRIJALVA) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the 

Department of Veterans Affairs an Advisory Committee 

on United States Outlying Areas and Freely Associated 

States, 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. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS ADVI4 SORY COMMITTEE ON UNITED STATES OUT5 LYING AREAS AND FREELY ASSOCIATED 

6 STATES. 

7 (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter III of chapter 5 

2 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by add3 ing at the end the following new section: 

4 ‘‘§ 548. Advisory Committee on United States Out5 lying Areas and Freely Associated States 

6 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall estab7 lish an advisory committee, to be known as the ‘Advisory 

8 Committee on United States Outlying Areas and Freely 

9 Associated States’, to provide advice and guidance to the 

10 Secretary on matters relating to covered veterans. 

11 ‘‘(b) DUTIES.—The duties of the Committee shall be 

12 the following: 

13 ‘‘(1) To advise the Secretary on matters relat14 ing to covered veterans, including how the Secretary 

15 can improve the programs and services of the De16 partment to better serve such veterans. 

17 ‘‘(2) To identify for the Secretary evolving 

18 issues of relevance to covered veterans. 

19 ‘‘(3) To propose clarifications, recommenda20 tions, and solutions to address issues raised by cov21 ered veterans. 

22 ‘‘(4) To provide a forum for covered veterans, 

23 veterans service organizations serving covered vet24 erans, and the Department to discuss issues and 


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1 proposals for changes to regulations, policies, and 

2 procedures of the Department. 

3 ‘‘(5) To identify priorities for and provide ad4 vice to the Secretary on appropriate strategies for 

5 consultation with veterans service organizations serv6 ing covered veterans. 

7 ‘‘(6) To encourage the Secretary to work with 

8 other departments and agencies of the Federal Gov9 ernment and Congress to ensure covered veterans 

10 are provided the full benefits of their status as cov11 ered veterans. 

12 ‘‘(7) To highlight contributions of covered vet13 erans in the Armed Forces. 

14 ‘‘(8) To conduct other duties as determined ap15 propriate by the Secretary. 

16 ‘‘(c) MEMBERSHIP.—(1) The Committee shall be 

17 comprised of 15 voting members appointed by the Sec18 retary. 

19 ‘‘(2) In appointing members pursuant to paragraph 

20 (1), the Secretary shall ensure the following: 

21 ‘‘(A) At least one member is appointed to rep22 resent covered veterans in each of the following 

23 areas: 

24 ‘‘(i) American Samoa. 

25 ‘‘(ii) Guam. 


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1 ‘‘(iii) Puerto Rico. 

2 ‘‘(iv) The Commonwealth of the Northern 

3 Mariana Islands. 

4 ‘‘(v) The Virgin Islands of the United 

5 States. 

6 ‘‘(vi) The Federated States of Micronesia. 

7 ‘‘(vii) The Republic of the Marshall Is8 lands. 

9 ‘‘(viii) The Republic of Palau. 

10 ‘‘(B) Not fewer than half of the members ap11 pointed are covered veterans, unless the Secretary 

12 determines that an insufficient number of qualified 

13 covered veterans are available. 

14 ‘‘(C) Each member appointed resides in an area 

15 specified in subparagraph (A). 

16 ‘‘(3) In appointing members pursuant to paragraph 

17 (1), the Secretary may consult with any Member of Con18 gress who represents an area specified in paragraph 

19 (2)(A). 

20 ‘‘(d) TERMS; VACANCIES.—(1) A member of the 

21 Committee shall be appointed for a term of two years. 

22 ‘‘(2) Not later than 180 days after receiving notice 

23 of a vacancy in the Committee, the Secretary shall fill the 

24 vacancy in the same manner as the original appointment. 


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1 ‘‘(e) MEETING FORMAT AND FREQUENCY.—(1) Ex2 cept as provided in paragraph (2), the Committee shall 

3 meet in-person with the Secretary not less frequently than 

4 twice each year and hold monthly conference calls as nec5 essary. 

6 ‘‘(2) Meetings held under paragraph (1) may be con7 ducted virtually during a public health emergency declared 

8 by the Secretary of Health and Human Services pursuant 

9 to section 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 

10 247d) or any renewal of such declaration. 

11 ‘‘(f) ADDITIONAL REPRESENTATION.—(1) Rep12 resentatives of relevant departments and agencies of the 

13 Federal Government may attend meetings of the Com14 mittee and provide information to the Committee. 

15 ‘‘(2) One representative of the Department shall at16 tend each meeting of the Committee. 

17 ‘‘(3) Representatives attending meetings under this 

18 subsection— 

19 ‘‘(A) shall not be considered voting members of 

20 the Committee; and 

21 ‘‘(B) may not receive additional compensation 

22 for services performed with respect to the Com23 mittee. 

24 ‘‘(g) SUBCOMMITTEES.—(1) The Committee may es25 tablish subcommittees. 


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1 ‘‘(2) The Secretary may, in consultation with the 

2 Committee, appoint a member to a subcommittee estab3 lished under paragraph (1) who is not a member of the 

4 Committee. 

5 ‘‘(3) A subcommittee established under paragraph (1) 

6 may enhance the function of the Committee, but may not 

7 supersede the authority of the Committee or provide direct 

8 advice or work products to the Secretary. 

9 ‘‘(h) REPORTS.—(1) Not less frequently than once 

10 each year, the Committee shall submit to the Secretary 

11 and the appropriate committees of Congress a report con12 taining such recommendations as the Committee may have 

13 for legislative or administrative action. 

14 ‘‘(2) Not later than 90 days after the date on which 

15 the Secretary receives a report under paragraph (1), the 

16 Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of 

17 Congress a written response to the report after— 

18 ‘‘(A) giving the Committee an opportunity to 

19 review such written response; and 

20 ‘‘(B) including in such written response any 

21 comments the Committee considers appropriate. 

22 ‘‘(3) Not less frequently than once every two years, 

23 the Committee shall submit to the Secretary and the ap24 propriate committees of Congress a report describing the 

25 activities of the Committee during the previous two years. 


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1 ‘‘(4) The Secretary shall make publicly available on 

2 an internet website of the Department— 

3 ‘‘(A) each report the Secretary receives under 

4 paragraph (1); 

5 ‘‘(B) each written response the Secretary sub6 mits under paragraph (2); and 

7 ‘‘(C) each report the Secretary receives under 

8 paragraph (3). 

9 ‘‘(i) COMMITTEE PERSONNEL MATTERS.—A member 

10 of the Committee shall be allowed travel expenses, includ11 ing per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized 

12 for an employee of an agency under subchapter I of chap13 ter 57 of title 5 while away from the home or regular place 

14 of business of the member in the performance of the duties 

15 of the Committee. 

16 ‘‘(j) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out this section, 

17 the Secretary shall consult with veterans service organiza18 tions serving covered veterans. 

19 ‘‘(k) FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT EXEMP20 TION.—Section 14 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act 

21 (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Committee. 

22 ‘‘(l) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

23 ‘‘(1) The term ‘appropriate committees of Con24 gress’ means— 


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1 ‘‘(A) the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

2 of the House of Representatives; and 

3 ‘‘(B) the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

4 of the Senate. 

5 ‘‘(2) The term ‘Committee’ means the Advisory 

6 Committee on United States Outlying Areas and 

7 Freely Associated States established under sub8 section (a). 

9 ‘‘(3) The term ‘covered veteran’ means a vet10 eran residing in an area specified in subsection 

11 (c)(2)(A). 

12 ‘‘(4) The term ‘veterans service organization 

13 serving covered veterans’ means any organization 

14 that— 

15 ‘‘(A) serves the interests of covered vet16 erans; 

17 ‘‘(B) has covered veterans in substantive 

18 and policymaking positions within the organiza19 tion; and 

20 ‘‘(C) has demonstrated experience working 

21 with covered veterans.’’. 

22 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec23 tions at the beginning of chapter 5 of such title is 

24 amended by inserting after the item relating to sec25 tion 547 the following new item: 


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‘‘548. Advisory Committee on United States Outlying Areas and Freely Associated States’’. 

1 (b) DEADLINE FOR ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later 

2 than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 

3 the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish the advi4 sory committee required by section 548 of title 38, United 

5 States Code, as added by subsection (a)(1) of this section. 

6 (c) DEADLINE FOR INITIAL APPOINTMENTS.—Not 

7 later than 90 days after the date on which the Secretary 

8 establishes the advisory committee required by such sec9 tion 548, the Secretary shall appoint the members of such 

10 advisory committee. 

11 (d) INITIAL MEETING.—Not later than 120 days 

12 after the date on which the Secretary establishes the advi13 sory committee required by such section 548, such advi14 sory committee shall hold its first meeting. 

Æ 


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