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] 
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A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs to notify Congress of con-
ferences sponsored by the Department of Veterans Af-
fairs. 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION
1.
NOTIFICATION
TO
CONGRESS
OF
CON-
FERENCES
SPONSORED
BY
THE
DEPART-
MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter I of chapter 5 of title 
38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 
the following new section: 
‘‘§ 517. Notification to Congress of conferences spon-
sored by the Department 
‘‘(a) NOTIFICATION.—Not later than 180 days before 
the date on which a covered conference begins, the Sec-
retary shall notify the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Vet-
erans’ Affairs of the Senate of such conference, including 
the estimated costs to the Department. 
‘‘(b) REPORT ON COSTS.—Not later than 60 days 
after the date on which a covered conference ends, the Sec-
retary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate a report that includes an 
accounting of the final costs of the conference to the De-
partment. 
‘‘(c) COVERED CONFERENCE DEFINED.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘covered conference’ means a conference, 
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meeting, or other similar forum that is sponsored or co- 
sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs and is— 
‘‘(1) held for a period of three or more days, 
beginning at the time of initial on-site registration 
and ending at the time the final event is completed; 
‘‘(2) attended by 20 or more individuals, includ-
ing one or more employees of the Department; or 
‘‘(3) estimated to cost the Department at least 
$5,000, including costs related to— 
‘‘(A) transportation and parking; 
‘‘(B) per diem payments; 
‘‘(C) lodging; 
‘‘(D) rental of halls, auditoriums, or other 
spaces; 
‘‘(E) rental of equipment; 
‘‘(F) refreshments; 
‘‘(G) entertainment; 
‘‘(H) contractors; and 
‘‘(I) brochures or other printed media.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding 
after the item relating to section 516 the following: 
‘‘517. Notification to Congress of conferences sponsored by the Department.’’. 
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SECTION 1. QUARTERLY REPORTS TO CONGRESS ON CON-
FERENCES SPONSORED BY THE DEPART-
MENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter I of chapter 5 of title 
38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 
the following new section: 
‘‘§ 517. Quarterly reports to Congress on conferences 
sponsored by the Department 
‘‘(a) QUARTERLY REPORTS REQUIRED.—Not later 
than 30 days after the end of each fiscal quarter, the Sec-
retary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Vet-
erans’ Affairs of the Senate a report on covered conferences. 
‘‘(b) MATTERS INCLUDED.—Each report under sub-
section (a) shall include the following: 
‘‘(1) An accounting of the final costs to the De-
partment of each covered conference occurring during 
the fiscal quarter preceding the date on which the re-
port is submitted, including the costs related to— 
‘‘(A) transportation and parking; 
‘‘(B) per diem payments; 
‘‘(C) lodging; 
‘‘(D) rental of halls, auditoriums, or other 
spaces; 
‘‘(E) rental of equipment; 
‘‘(F) refreshments; 
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‘‘(G) entertainment; 
‘‘(H) contractors; and 
‘‘(I) brochures or other printed media. 
‘‘(2) The total estimated costs to the Department 
for covered conferences occurring during the fiscal 
quarter in which the report is submitted. 
‘‘(c) COVERED CONFERENCE DEFINED.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘covered conference’ means a conference, meet-
ing, or other similar forum that is sponsored or co-spon-
sored by the Department of Veterans Affairs and is— 
‘‘(1) attended by 50 or more individuals, includ-
ing one or more employees of the Department; or 
‘‘(2) estimated to cost the Department at least 
$20,000.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections at 
the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding after 
the item relating to section 516 the following: 
‘‘517. Quarterly reports to Congress on conferences sponsored by the Department.’’. 
SEC. 2. SUBMISSION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY THE 
SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 5 of title 
38, United States Code, is amended by inserting after sec-
tion 529 the following new section: 
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‘‘§ 529A. Submission of certain information by the Sec-
retary to Congress 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The submission of information by 
the Secretary to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 
House of Representatives or the Committee on Veterans’ Af-
fairs of the Senate in response to a request for such informa-
tion made by a covered member of the committee shall be 
deemed to be— 
‘‘(1) 
a 
covered 
disclosure 
under 
section 
552a(b)(9) of title 5; and 
‘‘(2) a permitted disclosure under regulations 
promulgated under section 264(c) of the Health Insur-
ance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 
(Public Law 104–191), including a permitted disclo-
sure for oversight activities authorized by law as de-
scribed in section 164.512(d) of title 45, Code of Fed-
eral Regulations. 
‘‘(b) SUBMISSION TO CHAIRMAN.—With respect to a 
request for information described in subsection (a) made by 
a covered member of the committee who is not the chairman, 
the Secretary shall also submit such information to the 
chairman of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 
House of Representatives or the Committee on Veterans’ Af-
fairs of the Senate, as the case may be. 
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‘‘(c) COVERED MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE.—In this 
section, the term ‘covered member of the committee’ means 
the following: 
‘‘(1) The chairman or ranking member of the 
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep-
resentatives or the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of 
the Senate. 
‘‘(2) A chairman or ranking member of a sub-
committee of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of 
the House of Representatives or the Committee on Vet-
erans’ Affairs of the Senate. 
‘‘(3) The designee of a chairman or ranking 
member described in paragraph (1) or (2).’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 529 the following new item: 
‘‘529A. Submission of certain information by the Secretary to Congress.’’. 
SEC. 3. PUBLICATION OF DATA ON EMPLOYMENT OF CER-
TAIN VETERANS BY FEDERAL CONTRACTORS. 
Section 4212(d) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(3) The Secretary of Labor shall establish and main-
tain an Internet website on which the Secretary shall pub-
licly disclose the information reported to the Secretary of 
Labor by contractors under paragraph (1).’’. 
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Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A bill to amend title 
38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs to notify Congress of conferences sponsored 
by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other 
purposes.’’. 
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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 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to notify Con-
gress of conferences sponsored by the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs. 
OCTOBER 5, 2011 
Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee 
of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and or-
dered to be printed 
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