I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7342 
To establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 13, 2024 
Mr. VALADAO (for himself and Mr. MCGARVEY) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal 
Access, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Veterans Accessibility 
Advisory Committee Act of 2024’’. 
SEC. 2. VETERANS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON EQUAL AC-
CESS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
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retary of Veterans Affairs shall establish within the 
Department of Veterans Affairs an advisory com-
mittee on matters relating to accessibility of the De-
partment for individuals with disabilities. 
(2) DESIGNATION.—The advisory committee es-
tablished by paragraph (1) shall be known as the 
‘‘Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access’’ (in 
this section the ‘‘Advisory Committee’’). 
(b) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(1) VOTING
MEMBERS.—The Advisory Com-
mittee shall be composed of 15 voting members, ap-
pointed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. In ap-
pointing such members, the Secretary shall ensure 
the following: 
(A) Four are veterans with disabilities, in-
cluding mobility impairment, hearing, visual, 
and mental or cognitive disabilities. 
(B) Four are experts on issues described in 
subsection (f)(1)(A) or the provisions of law set 
forth under subsection (f)(1)(B). 
(C) Two are employees of the Department, 
one from the Section 508 Office and one from 
the Architectural Accessibility Program, who 
oversee the compliance of the Department with 
Federal accessibility laws. 
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including compliance of the Department 
with provisions of law relating to accessi-
bility law and reporting; 
(iii) provides recommendations and 
access priorities to improve the accessi-
bility of the Department’s services, bene-
fits, information, technology, and facilities; 
(iv) provides a description of access 
improvements and assesses the Depart-
ment’s implementation of recommendations 
from previous reports of the Advisory 
Committee, including any unmet rec-
ommendations that remain necessary for 
improving accessibility for the Department; 
and 
(v) provides any recommendations for 
legislation, administrative action, or other 
actions that the Advisory Committee deter-
mines appropriate. 
(B) REPORTS TO CONGRESS AND FEDERAL 
AGENCIES.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 
days after the receipt of a report required 
under subparagraph (A), the Secretary 
shall submit to the appropriate congres-
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sional committees a copy of such report 
and any comments and recommendations 
of the Secretary concerning such report 
that the Secretary determines appropriate. 
(ii) AVAILABILITY TO THE PUBLIC.— 
The Secretary shall publish on a publicly 
accessible website of the Department such 
report and such comments and rec-
ommendations as may have been submitted 
along with such report. 
(iii) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL 
COMMITTEES.—In this subparagraph, the 
term ‘‘appropriate congressional commit-
tees’’ means— 
(I) the Committees on Veterans’ 
Affairs of the Senate and House of 
Representatives 
(II) the Special Committee on 
Aging of the Senate; and 
(III) the Committee on Edu-
cation and the Workforce of the 
House of Representatives. 
(g) ADVISORY COMMITTEE PERSONNEL
AND RE-
SOURCE MATTERS.— 
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(1) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.—A member 
of the Commission who is not an officer or employee 
of the Federal Government shall not be compensated 
for the performance of the duties of the Advisory 
Committee. 
(2) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—A member of the Ad-
visory Committee shall be allowed travel expenses, 
including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates 
authorized for employees of agencies under sub-
chapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States 
Code, while away from their homes or regular places 
of business in the performance of services for the 
Advisory Committee. 
(3) RESOURCES.—The Secretary shall ensure 
that such personnel, funding, and other resources 
are made available to the Advisory Committee as the 
Secretary determines appropriate to carry out the 
duties of the Advisory Committee. 
(4) INFORMATION.—The Secretary shall furnish 
to the Advisory Committee such information as the 
Advisory Committee may request from the Sec-
retary, subject to applicable provisions of law. 
(h) TERMINATION OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—The 
Advisory Committee shall terminate on the date that is 
10 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
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SEC. 3. ABOLITION OF INACTIVE ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act and before establishing the Veterans Ad-
visory Committee on Equal Access under section 2, the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall— 
(1) abolish an advisory committee of the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs that— 
(A) was not established by an Act of Con-
gress; and 
(B) is inactive; 
(2) consolidate two advisory committees de-
scribed in paragraph (1); or 
(3) submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Af-
fairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a 
recommendation to abolish an advisory committee of 
the Department that— 
(A) was established by an Act of Congress; 
and 
(B) is inactive. 
Æ 
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