I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1804 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to submit to Congress semiannual reports on the cost of foreign 
travel made by employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 26, 2013 
Mr. HUELSKAMP introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress semi-
annual reports on the cost of foreign travel made by 
employees 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 ‘‘Foreign Travel Ac-
countability Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. SEMIANNUAL REPORTS TO CONGRESS ON COST OF 
FOREIGN TRAVEL. 
(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: 
‘‘§ 518. Semiannual reports to Congress on cost of for-
eign travel 
‘‘(a) SEMIANNUAL REPORTS.—Not later than June 
30, 2014, and each 180-day period thereafter, 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 semiannual report on 
covered foreign travel made during the 180-day period 
covered by the report. 
‘‘(b) MATTERS INCLUDED.—Each report under sub-
section (a) shall include the following: 
‘‘(1) With respect to each instance of covered 
foreign travel made during the period covered by the 
report— 
‘‘(A) the purpose of such travel; 
‘‘(B) the destination; 
‘‘(C) the name and title of each employee 
included on such travel; 
‘‘(D) the duration of such travel; and 
‘‘(E) the total cost to the Department of 
such travel. 
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‘‘(2) The final costs to the Department with re-
spect to all covered foreign travel made during the 
period covered by the report, including costs relating 
to— 
‘‘(A) transportation, including fares for 
travel by air, rail, bus, ferry, cruise ship, taxi, 
mass transit, or other mode of transportation; 
‘‘(B) expenses or reimbursements relating 
to operating and maintaining a car, including 
the costs of fuel and mileage; 
‘‘(C) passport and visa fees; 
‘‘(D) lodging; 
‘‘(E) per diem payments; 
‘‘(F) baggage charges; 
‘‘(G) computer rental fees; 
‘‘(H) rental of halls, auditoriums, or other 
spaces; 
‘‘(I) entertainment; and 
‘‘(J) contractors. 
‘‘(c) DUPLICATIVE
INFORMATION.—Each report 
under subsection (a) shall include the information de-
scribed in subsection (b) regardless of whether such infor-
mation is also included in a report under section 517 of 
this title. 
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‘‘(d) COVERED FOREIGN TRAVEL DEFINED.—In this 
section, the term ‘covered foreign travel’ means travel 
made by an employee of the Department of Veterans Af-
fairs, including an employee who is stationed in a foreign 
country, on official business to a location outside of— 
‘‘(1) the several States; 
‘‘(2) the District of Columbia; 
‘‘(3) a territory, commonwealth, or possession 
of the United States; 
‘‘(4) Indian lands (as defined in section 4(4) of 
the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 
2703(4))); or 
‘‘(5) the territorial waters of the United 
States.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding 
after the item relating to section 517 the following new 
item: 
‘‘518. Semiannual reports to Congress on cost of foreign travel.’’. 
Æ 
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