I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION H. R. 10369 
To improve the emergency management capabilities of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 11, 2024 
Mr. MCGARVEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To improve the emergency management capabilities of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs, 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 ‘‘Advancing VA’s Emer-
gency Response to Crises Act of 2024’’ or the ‘‘AVERT 
Crises Act of 2024’’. 
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SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT FOR DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
AFFAIRS TO IMPLEMENT A FULLY OPER-
ATIONAL 
EMERGENCY 
COMMUNICATIONS 
SYSTEM THROUGHOUT MEDICAL FACILITIES 
OF DEPARTMENT. 
(a) IMPLEMENTATION REQUIRED.—Not later than 
two years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall implement a fully oper-
ational high-frequency emergency communications system 
throughout medical facilities of the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs. 
(b) PURPOSE OF SYSTEM.—The system required to 
be implemented under subsection (a) shall— 
(1) serve as a means of maintaining commu-
nications at medical facilities of the Department 
during disasters or emergencies without the need for 
external infrastructure; 
(2) enable emergency communications between 
medical facilities of the Department and other gov-
ernment agencies with high-frequency communica-
tions capabilities; and 
(3) be used to reestablish the provision of 
health care services to veterans, maintain the situa-
tional awareness of staff of the Department, coordi-
nate emergency response, and request resources as 
needed. 
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(e) REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out subsection (a), 
the Secretary shall— 
(1) designate one office in the Central Office of 
the Department to lead the implementation of the 
emergency communications system required under 
such subsection; 
(2) create a staffing model to be distributed to 
and used by medical facilities of the Department— 
(A) to identify who at the facility level will 
be responsible for verifying that the equipment 
for such system is fully functional; and 
(B) to ensure such system is monitored at 
all times; 
(3) create and distribute guidelines to medical 
facilities of the Department, in conjunction with the 
appropriately designated contracting officer or acqui-
sition center, for acceptance and installation of such 
system, including demonstration of operability before 
final inspection and acceptance of such system; 
(4) ensure equipment functionality and operator 
knowledge by creating and managing a training and 
testing program to include— 
(A) ensuring relevant staff receive com-
prehensive training regarding such system, in-
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cluding training on operation and maintenance 
of such system; 
(B) conducting internal exercises at all 
medical facilities of the Department not less 
frequently than once per year to test equipment 
functionality and ensure staff have experience 
operating the equipment in a simulated emer-
gency; and 
(C) collaborating with the Secretary of 
Homeland Security to determine the feasibility 
of conducting multi-agency exercises every two 
years; 
(5) create and distribute general guidance to 
medical facilities of the Department regarding where 
emergency communications equipment should be lo-
cated in a medical facility, and collect and store in-
formation on the location of the equipment in each 
medical facility; 
(6) ensure medical facilities of the Department 
include information on such system in each facility- 
specific Comprehensive Emergency Management 
Program, or successor program; and 
(7) ensure medical facilities of the Department 
regularly monitor the staffing levels and training 
programs for such system to ensure enough trained 
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staff are available to monitor such system at all 
times. 
(f) PHASED IMPLEMENTATION.— 
(1) INITIAL LOCATIONS.—The Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs shall ensure that the system required 
by subsection (a) is initially installed and tested 
throughout three Veterans Integrated Service Net-
works the Secretary shall select for the purposes of 
this section. 
(2) DETERMINATION OF FULLY OPERATIONAL 
SYSTEM AND NOTICE TO CONGRESS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Once the system re-
quired by subsection (a) is installed and tested 
in the three Veterans Integrated Service Net-
works pursuant to paragraph (1) and the Sec-
retary determines the system is fully oper-
ational in accordance with subparagraph (B) 
and is able to be implemented at all medical fa-
cilities of the Department, the Secretary shall 
submit to Congress notice of such determina-
tion. 
(B) DETERMINATION.—The Secretary may 
only determine that the system described in 
subparagraph (A) is fully operational if— 
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(i) the Secretary validates the comple-
tion of training, certification, and system 
use by the applicable workforce; 
(ii) the system has been monitored by 
the applicable workforce for a period of 
three months; 
(iii) the system has been in operation 
for a continuous period of three months 
without any system outages; and 
(iv) the Secretary has completed two 
training exercises involving all test installa-
tion sites. 
(3) FULL
IMPLEMENTATION.—Once the Sec-
retary has determined pursuant to paragraph (2) 
that the system required by subsection (a) is fully 
operational and submitted notice to Congress of 
such determination in accordance with such para-
graph, the Secretary shall implement the system at 
all medical facilities of the Department. 
(g) INITIAL REPORT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ 
Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Vet-
erans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a re-
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port on the plans of the Secretary to implement the 
system required by subsection (a). 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The report submitted pursu-
ant to paragraph (1) shall include the following: 
(A) A detailed timeline of the planned im-
plementation of the system required by sub-
section (a). 
(B) An identification of the three Veterans 
Integrated Service Networks selected under 
subsection (f)(1). 
(C) A description of the specific metrics 
and benchmarks the Secretary plans to use to 
make the determination under subsection (f)(2). 
(D) A description of the plans of the Sec-
retary for contracting under subsection (d)(1). 
(E) A description of the plans of the Sec-
retary for contracting under subsection (d)(2). 
(F) A spending plan for implementation of 
the system. 
(G) An identification of which office the 
Department has designated under subsection 
(e)(1). 
(H) An identification of the staffing struc-
ture of the office identified in subparagraph 
(G), including any plans to change the struc-
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ture of such office to more effectively imple-
ment the system. 
(I) Details on the roles and responsibilities 
of each of the following entities in implementing 
the system: 
(i) The office identified pursuant to 
subparagraph (G). 
(ii) Any other offices of the Depart-
ment involved at the Central Office of the 
Department. 
(iii) Veterans Integrated Service Net-
works. 
(iv) Medical facilities of the Depart-
ment. 
(J) A description of the staffing model re-
quired under subsection (e)(2). 
(K) Details on the training required under 
subsection (e)(4)(A), including— 
(i) the components of the training; 
(ii) the duration of the training; 
(iii) the frequency of the training; 
(iv) which employees will be required 
to take such training; 
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(v) whether the training will be con-
ducted by the Department or a contractor; 
and 
(vi) how the Secretary plans to over-
see and track completion of the training. 
(L) A description of the guidelines created 
and distributed under subsection (e)(5). 
(M) A description of how the Secretary 
plans to ensure medical facilities of the Depart-
ment include information on the system in each 
facility-specific Comprehensive Emergency Man-
agement Program, or successor program. 
(N) A description of how the Secretary 
plans to ensure medical facilities of the Depart-
ment regularly monitor the staffing levels for 
the system to ensure enough trained staff are 
available to monitor the system at all times. 
(O) A description of any updates the Sec-
retary plans to make to the directives of the 
Department on the topic of emergency commu-
nications. 
(P) An assessment of whether other facili-
ties of the Department, including facilities of 
the Veterans Benefits Administration and facili-
ties of the National Cemetery Administration, 
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require the implementation of a high-frequency 
emergency communications system, and if so— 
(i) the plan of the Secretary to imple-
ment a high-frequency emergency commu-
nications system throughout such facilities; 
and 
(ii) whether the Secretary requires ac-
tion by Congress to carry out such plan. 
(h) ANNUAL REPORTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date on which the Secretary completes imple-
mentation of the system under subsection (a), and 
not less frequently than once each year thereafter, 
the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Vet-
erans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on 
Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a 
report on the operations of such system. 
(2) CONTENTS.—Each report submitted pursu-
ant to paragraph (1) shall include, for the period 
covered by the report, the following: 
(A) Information on whether each site 
hosting the system required by subsection (a) is 
adequately staffed to monitor the system 24 
hours per day for seven days per week. 
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(B) Information on whether any outages 
have occurred with respect to such system since 
the previous report, or, for the first report, 
whether any outages have occurred since the 
full implementation of such system under sub-
section (f)(3). 
(C) The results of internal and external ex-
ercises conducted to demonstrate functionality 
of such system. 
(D) Whether any contract renegotiations 
or modifications or new contracts have occurred 
for either the procurement of high-frequency 
emergency communications equipment, mainte-
nance, or training. 
(E) Any updated guidance or trainings 
provided to employees tasked with overseeing 
such system. 
(i) OIG REPORT.—Not later than three years after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Inspector Gen-
eral of the Department of Veterans Affairs shall submit 
to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and 
the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep-
resentatives a report on the implementation by the De-
partment of the system required by subsection (a), which 
shall include an analysis of the following: 
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(1) The effectiveness and functionality of the 
system. 
(2) The staffing model required under sub-
section (e)(2). 
(3) The level of coordination by the Central Of-
fice of the Department with medical facilities of the 
Department in helping those facilities implement 
and maintain the system. 
(4) The effectiveness of the training and testing 
program required under subsection (e)(4). 
(5) Any difficulties with ensuring trained staff 
are available to monitor the system at all times. 
SEC. 3. REPORT ON EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ROLES 
FOR DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ 
Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Af-
fairs of the House of Representatives a report outlining 
the roles and responsibilities of all offices of the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs involved with emergency man-
agement. 
(b) CONSULTATION.—In preparing the report re-
quired by subsection (a), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall consult with the Comptroller General of the United 
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States, the Inspector General of the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and 
such other Federal agencies as the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs considers relevant, to obtain insights from their 
experience and trends that they have found, and such rec-
ommendations as they may have with respect to the man-
agement by the Department of Veterans Affairs of emer-
gency management functions. 
(c) CONTENTS.—The report submitted pursuant to 
subsection (a) shall include the following: 
(1) A description of the organizational structure 
of each office, both during normal operations and 
during emergency or disaster operations. 
(2) The roles and responsibilities of each office. 
(3) A detailed description of roles and respon-
sibilities that are shared by both the Office of Emer-
gency Management of the Department and the Of-
fice of Operations, Security, and Preparedness of the 
Department, including an analysis of how each office 
plays a part in emergency management functions. 
(4) Recommendations for improving the struc-
ture and alignment of relevant offices to better pre-
pare the Department for emergencies, remove 
redundancies, and improve accountability. 
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(5) An analysis of the feasibility and advis-
ability of consolidating relevant offices into one cen-
tralized emergency management office to improve 
communication and streamline emergency prepared-
ness and response efforts of the Department. 
SEC. 4. REPORT ON REGIONAL READINESS CENTERS OF 
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ 
Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Af-
fairs of the House of Representatives a report on the Re-
gional Readiness Centers of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs. 
(b) CONTENTS.—The report submitted pursuant to 
subsection (a) shall include the following: 
(1) The number of requests made by facilities 
of the Department to obtain supplies from a Re-
gional Readiness Center since the inception of the 
Regional Readiness Center program, disaggregated 
by Regional Readiness Center. 
(2) Information on types and amounts of mate-
rial distributed since the inception of the Regional 
Readiness Center program, disaggregated by Re-
gional Readiness Center. 
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(3) Current inventory, disaggregated by Re-
gional Readiness Center. 
(4) An overview of the change in inventory in 
each Regional Readiness Center during the two-year 
period ending on the date of the enactment of this 
Act. 
(5) The percentage of inventory that is expired 
or that will expire in the next month, disaggregated 
by Regional Readiness Center. 
(6) Operational costs since the inception of the 
Regional Readiness Center program, disaggregated 
by Regional Readiness Center. 
(7) An analysis of the types and sizes of emer-
gencies, including natural disasters, public health 
emergencies, or Fourth Mission activations of the 
Department, with respect to which each Regional 
Readiness Center would be able to provide sufficient 
resources to respond to, based on the current capac-
ity of the Regional Readiness Center. 
(8) Any plans of the Secretary to realign or 
change the number of Regional Readiness Centers. 
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SEC. 5. IMPROVEMENTS TO THE EMERGENCY CACHE PRO-
GRAM OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF-
FAIRS. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
carry out the following: 
(1) TRACKING
SYSTEM
AND
MINIMUM
TIME 
FRAMES.—Establish a tracking system and min-
imum time frames by which the Emergency Phar-
macy Service initiates resupply orders to make sure 
emergency caches and emergency pharmacy vehicles 
are fully stocked with unexpired inventory. Such 
time frames shall account for— 
(A) any extension of the shelf life of inven-
tory under the Shelf Life Extension Program; 
and 
(B) historical data of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs on the time it typically takes 
the Department to reorder, receive, and restock 
emergency caches or emergency pharmacy vehi-
cles, as the case may be. 
(2) ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM.—Create an 
accountability mechanism to ensure the Emergency 
Pharmacy Service and the Watch Office are main-
taining accurate and complete records of emergency 
cache activations. 
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(3) GUIDELINES
ON
AUTHORIZED
ACCESS.— 
Provide guidelines for facilities of the Department 
regarding which individuals are authorized to access 
the emergency caches. 
(4) GUIDELINES ON RESPONSIBILITY FOR DIS-
TRIBUTION.—Provide guidelines for facilities of the 
Department regarding which individuals are respon-
sible for distributing the contents of the emergency 
cache if activated. 
(5) TRAINING.—Provide all Department em-
ployees identified by the Secretary under paragraphs 
(3) and (4) with a training that includes information 
on— 
(A) the contents of the emergency cache; 
(B) circumstances for use of the emer-
gency cache; 
(C) the actions the employee should take if 
they believe activation of the cache is war-
ranted; and 
(D) procedures for distributing the con-
tents of the cache. 
(6) OVERSIGHT OF VETERANS HEALTH ADMIN-
ISTRATION
EMERGENCY
CACHES.—Designate one 
program office of the Department to have primary 
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responsibility for oversight of emergency caches of 
the Veterans Health Administration. 
SEC. 6. PLAN TO ALLOW FUEL SHARING AND INCREASED 
COORDINATION 
BETWEEN 
THE 
FEDERAL 
EMERGENCY 
MANAGEMENT 
AGENCY 
AND 
THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall, 
after consulting with the Administrator of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency, submit to the Com-
mittee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate, the Committee 
on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs 
of the Senate, and the Committee on Homeland Security 
of the House of Representatives a report regarding— 
(1) the current limitations preventing the Fed-
eral Emergency Management Agency from providing 
fuel or other resources to the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs during emergencies; 
(2) whether the Department requires action by 
Congress to allow such resource provision to occur; 
(3) whether the Secretary has been unable to 
coordinate with the Administrator during prior 
emergencies or Fourth Mission activations due to a 
lack of authority for such coordination; and 
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(4) whether the Secretary requires action by 
Congress to address any of the issues mentioned 
under paragraph (3). 
Æ 
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