I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2704 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the equal employment 
opportunity functions of Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 20, 2021 
Mr. PAPPAS (for himself, Mrs. HINSON, and Ms. KUSTER) 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 
equal employment opportunity functions of 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 ‘‘Improving VA Ac-
countability To Prevent Sexual Harassment and Discrimi-
nation Act of 2021’’. 
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SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPOR-
TUNITY FUNCTIONS OF DEPARTMENT OF 
VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) ALIGNMENT OF EEO DIRECTOR.— 
(1) REPORTING AND DUTIES.—Subsection (h) 
of section 516 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘The provisions’’ and in-
serting ‘‘(1) The provisions’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(2) Beginning not later than 90 days after the date 
of the enactment of this paragraph, in carrying out para-
graph (1), the Secretary shall ensure that the official of 
the Department who serves as the Equal Employment Op-
portunity Director of the Department— 
‘‘(A) reports directly to the Deputy Secretary 
with respect to the functions under this section; and 
‘‘(B) does not also serve in a position that has 
responsibility over personnel functions of the De-
partment or other functions that conflict with the 
functions under this section.’’. 
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Such section 
is further amended— 
(A) in subsection (b)(1), by inserting ‘‘, in 
accordance with subsection (h)(2),’’ after ‘‘an 
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Assistant Secretary or a Deputy Assistant Sec-
retary’’; and 
(B) in subsection (e)(1)(A), by striking 
‘‘the Assistant Secretary for Human Resources 
and Administration’’ and inserting ‘‘the Sec-
retary’’. 
(b) ALIGNMENT OF EEO PROGRAM MANAGERS.— 
Such section is further amended by adding at the end the 
following new subsection: 
‘‘(i) In accordance with subsection (b), not later than 
December 31, 2021, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall ensure that each Equal Employment Opportunity 
program manager of the Department at the facility level 
reports to the head of the Office of Resolution Manage-
ment, or such successor office established pursuant to sub-
section (a), with respect to the equal employment func-
tions of the program manager.’’. 
(c) REPORTING HARASSMENT
AND EMPLOYMENT 
DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINTS.—Subsection (a) of such 
section 516 is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘The Secretary’’ and inserting 
‘‘(1) The Secretary’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
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‘‘(2) The Secretary shall ensure that the employment 
discrimination complaint resolution system established 
under paragraph (1) requires that any manager of the De-
partment who receives a sexual or other harassment or 
employment discrimination complaint reports such com-
plaint to the Office of Resolution Management, or such 
successor office, immediately, or if such immediate report-
ing is impracticable, not later than two business days after 
the date on which the manager receives the complaint.’’. 
(d) TRAINING.—Subsection (c) of such section 516 
is amended by adding at the end the following new sen-
tence: ‘‘Beginning not later than September 30, 2021, the 
Secretary shall provide to each employee of the Depart-
ment mandatory annual training on identifying and ad-
dressing sexual and other harassment and employment 
discrimination, including with respect to processes under 
the Harassment Prevention Program of the Department, 
or such successor program. An employee of the Depart-
ment who is hired on or after such date shall receive the 
first such mandatory annual training not later than 60 
days after being hired.’’. 
(e) HARASSMENT AND EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINA-
TION POLICIES AND DIRECTIVES.—The Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs shall— 
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(1) by not later than September 30, 2021, and 
on a regular basis thereafter, review the policies re-
lating to sexual and other harassment and employ-
ment discrimination of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs to ensure that such policies are complete and 
in accordance with the sexual and other harassment 
and employment discrimination policies established 
by the Office of Resolution Management of the De-
partment, or such successor office; and 
(2) by not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, issue a final directive 
and a handbook for the Harassment Prevention Pro-
gram of the Department. 
(f) REPORTS.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, and semiannually there-
after for one year, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the 
House of Representatives and the Senate a report on the 
progress the Secretary has made in carrying out this sec-
tion and section 516 of title 38, United States Code, as 
amended by this section, including with respect to report-
ing sexual and other harassment and employment dis-
crimination complaints pursuant to subsection (a)(2) of 
such section 516. 
Æ 
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