A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the Department of Veterans Affairs an Advisory Committee on United States Outlying Areas and Freely Associated States, and for other purposes.
Bill: S.4141 | Sponsor: Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. (D-HI)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish the Advisory Committee on United States Outlying Areas and Freely Associated States to provide advice and guidance to the VA on matters relating to veterans residing in American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. Among other duties, the committee must advise the VA on how to improve its programs and services to better serve veterans living in the listed areas.

To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the Department 
  of Veterans Affairs an Advisory Committee on United States Outlying 
      Areas and Freely Associated States, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON UNITED 
              STATES OUTLYING AREAS AND FREELY ASSOCIATED STATES.

    (a) Establishment of Advisory Committee.--
            (1) In general.--Subchapter III of chapter 5 of title 38, 
        United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
        following new section:
``Sec. 548. Advisory Committee on United States Outlying Areas and 
              Freely Associated States
    ``(a) Establishment.--(1) The Secretary shall establish an advisory 
committee to provide advice and guidance to the Secretary on matters 
relating to covered veterans.
    ``(2) The advisory committee established under paragraph (1) shall 
be known as the `Advisory Committee on United States Outlying Areas and 
Freely Associated States'.
    ``(b) Duties.--The duties of the Committee shall be the following:
            ``(1) To advise the Secretary on matters relating to 
        covered veterans, including how the Secretary can improve the 
        programs and services of the Department to better serve such 
        veterans.
            ``(2) To identify for the Secretary evolving issues of 
        relevance to covered veterans.
            ``(3) To propose clarifications, recommendations, and 
        solutions to address issues raised by covered veterans.
            ``(4) To provide a forum for covered veterans, veterans 
        service organizations serving covered veterans, and the 
        Department to discuss issues and proposals for changes to 
        regulations, policies, and procedures of the Department.
            ``(5) To identify priorities for and provide advice to the 
        Secretary on appropriate strategies for consultation with 
        veterans service organizations serving covered veterans.
            ``(6) To encourage the Secretary to work with other 
        departments and agencies of the Federal Government and Congress 
        to ensure covered veterans are provided the full benefits of 
        their status as covered veterans.
            ``(7) To highlight contributions of covered veterans in the 
        Armed Forces.
            ``(8) To conduct other duties as determined appropriate by 
        the Secretary.
    ``(c) Membership.--(1) The Committee shall be comprised of 15 
voting members appointed by the Secretary.
    ``(2) In appointing members pursuant to paragraph (1), the 
Secretary shall ensure the following:
            ``(A) At least one member is appointed to represent covered 
        veterans in each of the following areas:
                    ``(i) American Samoa.
                    ``(ii) Guam.
                    ``(iii) Puerto Rico.
                    ``(iv) The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
                Islands.
                    ``(v) The Virgin Islands of the United States.
                    ``(vi) The Federated States of Micronesia.
                    ``(vii) The Republic of the Marshall Islands.
                    ``(viii) The Republic of Palau.
            ``(B) Not fewer than half of the members appointed are 
        covered veterans, unless the Secretary determines that an 
        insufficient number of qualified covered veterans are 
        available.
            ``(C) Each member appointed resides in an area specified in 
        subparagraph (A).
    ``(3) In appointing members pursuant to paragraph (1), the 
Secretary may consult with any Member of Congress who represents an 
area specified in paragraph (2)(A).
    ``(d) Terms; Vacancies.--(1) A member of the Committee shall be 
appointed for a term of two years.
    ``(2) Not later than 180 days after receiving notice of a vacancy 
in the Committee, the Secretary shall fill the vacancy in the same 
manner as the original appointment.
    ``(e) Meeting Format and Frequency.--(1) Except as provided in 
paragraph (2), the Committee shall meet in-person with the Secretary 
not less frequently than twice each year and hold monthly conference 
calls as necessary.
    ``(2) Meetings held under paragraph (1) may be conducted virtually 
during a public health emergency declared by the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services pursuant to section 319 of the Public Health Service 
Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) or any renewal of such declaration.
    ``(f) Additional Representation.--(1) Representatives of relevant 
departments and agencies of the Federal Government may attend meetings 
of the Committee and provide information to the Committee.
    ``(2) One representative of the Department shall attend each 
meeting of the Committee.
    ``(3) Representatives attending meetings under this subsection--
            ``(A) shall not be considered voting members of the 
        Committee; and
            ``(B) may not receive additional compensation for services 
        performed with respect to the Committee.
    ``(g) Subcommittees.--(1) The Committee may establish 
subcommittees.
    ``(2) The Secretary may, in consultation with the Committee, 
appoint a member to a subcommittee established under paragraph (1) who 
is not a member of the Committee.
    ``(3) A subcommittee established under paragraph (1) may enhance 
the function of the Committee, but may not supersede the authority of 
the Committee or provide direct advice or work products to the 
Secretary.
    ``(h) Reports.--(1) Not less frequently than once each year, the 
Committee shall submit to the Secretary and the appropriate committees 
of Congress a report containing such recommendations as the Committee 
may have for legislative or administrative action.
    ``(2) Not later than 90 days after the date on which the Secretary 
receives a report under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit to 
the appropriate committees of Congress a written response to the report 
after--
            ``(A) giving the Committee an opportunity to review such 
        written response; and
            ``(B) including in such written response any comments the 
        Committee considers appropriate.
    ``(3) Not less frequently than once every two years, the Committee 
shall submit to the Secretary and the appropriate committees of 
Congress a report describing the activities of the Committee during the 
previous two years.
    ``(4) The Secretary shall make publicly available on an internet 
website of the Department--
            ``(A) each report the Secretary receives under paragraph 
        (1);
            ``(B) each written response the Secretary submits under 
        paragraph (2); and
            ``(C) each report the Secretary receives under paragraph 
        (3).
    ``(i) Committee Personnel Matters.--A member of the Committee shall 
be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, 
at rates authorized for an employee of an agency under subchapter I of 
chapter 57 of title 5 while away from the home or regular place of 
business of the member in the performance of the duties of the 
Committee.
    ``(j) Consultation.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary 
shall consult with veterans service organizations serving covered 
veterans.
    ``(k) Federal Advisory Committee Act Exemption.--Section 14 of the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the 
Committee.
    ``(l) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The term `appropriate committees of Congress' means--
                    ``(A) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
                Senate; and
                    ``(B) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
                House of Representatives.
            ``(2) The term `Committee' means the Advisory Committee on 
        United States Outlying Areas and Freely Associated States 
        established under subsection (a).
            ``(3) The term `covered veteran' means a veteran residing 
        in an area specified in subsection (c)(2)(A).
            ``(4) The term `veterans service organization serving 
        covered veterans' means any organization that--
                    ``(A) serves the interests of covered veterans;
                    ``(B) has covered veterans in substantive and 
                policymaking positions within the organization; and
                    ``(C) has demonstrated experience working with 
                covered veterans.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
        beginning of chapter 5 of such title is amended by inserting 
        after the item relating to section 547 the following new item:

``548. Advisory Committee on United States Outlying Areas and Freely 
                            Associated States.''.
    (b) Deadline for Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall establish the advisory committee required by section 548 of title 
38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a)(1) of this section.
    (c) Deadline for Initial Appointments.--Not later than 90 days 
after the date on which the Secretary establishes the advisory 
committee required by such section 548, the Secretary shall appoint the 
members of such advisory committee.
    (d) Initial Meeting.--Not later than 120 days after the date on 
which the Secretary establishes the advisory committee required by such 
section 548, such advisory committee shall hold its first meeting.
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