A bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress a plan for obligating and expending Coronavirus pandemic funding made available to the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
Bill: S.1446 | Sponsor: Sen. Moran, Jerry (R-KS)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to submit a plan for obligating and expending covered funds, which are funds made available to the VA for response to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic.
The bill requires the VA to submit biweekly reports regarding obligations, expenditures, and planned uses of the funds until seven days after the VA has expended all covered funds.
The Inspector General of the VA must submit reports examining the obligations and expenditures made using covered funds during the specified reporting period.
Finally, the Government Accountability Office must submit an interim report and final report containing a review of obligations and expenditures made using covered funds.

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress a 
  plan for obligating and expending Coronavirus pandemic funding made 
    available to the Department of Veterans Affairs, 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. CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT OF CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC FUNDING MADE 
              AVAILABLE TO DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) Plan and Expenditures by Secretary.--
            (1) Plan.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
        submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and 
        the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
        Representatives a detailed plan for obligating and expending 
        covered funds, including a detailed justification for each type 
        of obligation of such funds.
            (2) Biweekly reports.--Not less frequently than once every 
        14 days during the period beginning on the date on which the 
        plan under paragraph (1) is submitted and ending seven days 
        after the date on which the Secretary has expended all covered 
        funds, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' 
        Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of 
        the House of Representatives a report detailing the obligation 
        and expenditure of, and the planned use for, such funds during 
        the period covered by the report, including a written 
        justification for any deviation in such obligations, 
        expenditures, or planned uses from such plan.
    (b) Inspector General Audits.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, and semiannually thereafter for 
        three years or until the Secretary has expended all covered 
        funds, whichever occurs first, the Inspector General 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 Representatives a report examining the 
        obligations and expenditures made using covered funds during 
        the period covered by the report.
            (2) Contents.--Each report submitted under paragraph (1) 
        shall include the following:
                    (A) A comparison of how the funds are being 
                obligated and expended to how the funds were planned to 
                be obligated and expended in the plan under subsection 
                (a)(1).
                    (B) Areas of waste, fraud, and abuse, if any.
                    (C) Such other matters as the Inspector General 
                considers appropriate.
    (c) Comptroller General Reviews.--
            (1) Interim report.--Not later than September 30, 2022, the 
        Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the 
        Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee 
        on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a report 
        containing a review of obligations and expenditures made using 
        covered funds.
            (2) Contents.--The report submitted under paragraph (1) 
        shall include the following:
                    (A) A review of the process of the Department of 
                Veterans Affairs for preparing the request for funds.
                    (B) An explanation of how the expenditure of such 
                funds met the goals of the Department during the public 
                health emergency for which the funds were made 
                available.
                    (C) Any recommendations to improve the process of 
                identifying needs and expending funds during similar 
                situations in the future.
                    (D) A review of the plans of the Department to 
                continue programs or investments that were begun with 
                such funds but will continue after such funds are 
                expended.
            (3) Final report.--Not later than September 30, 2024, the 
        Comptroller General shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' 
        Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of 
        the House of Representatives a final report on the matters 
        specified under paragraph (2).
    (d) Covered Funds Defined.--In this section, the term ``covered 
funds'' means funds that are made available to the Department of 
Veterans Affairs pursuant to--
            (1) the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Public Law 
        116-127);
            (2) the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act 
        (Public Law 116-136); or
            (3) the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-
        2).
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