I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2072 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the accountability of 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to the Inspector General of the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 21, 2013 
Mr. BENISHEK introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the 
accountability of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to 
the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Demanding Account-
ability for Veterans Act of 2013’’. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
20:10 May 24, 2013
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2072.IH
H2072
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
SEC. 2. ACCOUNTABILITY OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS AF-
FAIRS TO INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE DE-
PARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 7 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new section: 
‘‘§ 712. Accountability of Secretary to Inspector Gen-
eral. 
‘‘(a) LIST OF MANAGERS.—(1) If the Inspector Gen-
eral of the Department of Veterans Affairs determines 
that the Secretary has not appropriately responded with 
significant progress to a covered report by the date speci-
fied in the action plan of the Secretary developed in re-
sponse to such covered report— 
‘‘(A) the Inspector General shall notify the 
Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and 
House of Representatives and the Secretary of such 
failure to appropriately respond; and 
‘‘(B) not later than 15 days after such notifica-
tion, the Secretary shall submit to the Inspector 
General a list of the names of each responsible man-
ager and the matter in the action plan for which the 
manager is responsible. 
‘‘(2) The Inspector General may not make public the 
names of responsible managers submitted under para-
graph (1)(B). 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
20:10 May 24, 2013
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2072.IH
H2072
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘(b) PERFORMANCE OF RESPONSIBLE MANAGERS.— 
(1) The Secretary shall— 
‘‘(A) promptly notify each responsible manager 
of a covered issue by not later than seven days after 
the date on which the Secretary submits to the In-
spector General the name of the manager under sub-
section (a)(2); 
‘‘(B) direct such manager to resolve such issue; 
and 
‘‘(C) provide such manager with appropriate 
counseling and a mitigation plan with respect to re-
solving such issue. 
‘‘(2) The Secretary shall ensure that any performance 
review of a responsible manager includes an evaluation of 
whether the manager took appropriate actions during the 
period covered by the review to respond to the covered 
issue for which a request was made under subsection (a). 
‘‘(3) The Secretary may not pay to a responsible 
manager any bonus or award, including a performance 
award under section 5384 of title 5, United States Code, 
if the covered issue for which a request was made under 
subsection (a) is unresolved. 
‘‘(c) ROLE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL.—Any authority 
of the Inspector General provided under this section is in 
addition to any responsibility or authority provided to the 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
20:10 May 24, 2013
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2072.IH
H2072
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
Inspector General in the Inspector General Act of 1978 
(5 U.S.C. App). 
‘‘(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘covered issue’ means, with re-
spect to a responsible manager, an issue described in 
a covered report for which the manager is or was re-
sponsible. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘covered report’ means a report 
by the Inspector General of the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs that recommends actions to the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs (or other official or em-
ployee of the Department) to address an issue in the 
Department with respect to public health or safety. 
‘‘(3) The term ‘responsible manager’ means an 
individual who— 
‘‘(A) is an employee of the Department; 
‘‘(B) is or was responsible for an issue in-
cluded in a covered report; and 
‘‘(C) in being so responsible, is or was em-
ployed in a management position, regardless of 
whether the employee is in the competitive civil 
service, Senior Executive Service, or other type 
of civil service.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
20:10 May 24, 2013
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2072.IH
H2072
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
after the item relating to section 711 the following new 
item: 
‘‘712. Accountability of Secretary to Inspector General.’’. 
Æ 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
20:10 May 24, 2013
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H2072.IH
H2072
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS