Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General Training Act of 2021
Bill: S.2431 | Sponsor: Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood (D-NH)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General Training Act of 2021
This bill requires employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to undergo training developed by the Inspector General of the VA regarding the reporting of wrongdoing to, responding to requests from, and cooperating with the Office of the Inspector General.

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to require the employees 
of the Department of Veterans Affairs to receive training developed by 
  the Inspector General of the Department on reporting wrongdoing to, 
    responding to requests from, and cooperating with the Office of 
               Inspector General, 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Department of Veterans Affairs 
Office of Inspector General Training Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS EMPLOYEE TRAINING REGARDING 
              OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL.

    (a) Training.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall require each 
employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs to receive training that 
the Inspector General of the Department shall develop on the reporting 
of wrongdoing to, responding to requests from, and cooperating with the 
Office of Inspector General.
    (b) Employees.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary shall 
require--
            (1) each employee of the Department who was employed by the 
        Department on the day before the date of the enactment of this 
        Act undergo the training required by subsection (a) not later 
        than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act; and
            (2) each employee of the Department who begins employment 
        with the Department on or after the date of the enactment of 
        this Act undergo the training required by subsection (a) not 
        later than one year after the date on which the employment 
        begins.
    (c) Elements.--Training developed and required under subsection (a) 
shall include the following:
            (1) Definition of the role, responsibilities, and legal 
        authority of the Inspector General of the Department and the 
        duties of employees of the Department for engaging with the 
        Office of the Inspector General.
            (2) Identification of the circumstances and mechanisms for 
        reporting fraud, waste, abuse, and other wrongdoing to the 
        Inspector General, including making confidential complaints to 
        the Inspector General.
            (3) Identification of the prohibitions and remedies that 
        help to protect Department employees from retaliation when 
        reporting wrongdoing to the Inspector General.
            (4) Recognition of opportunities to engage with staff of 
        the Office of the Inspector General to improve Department 
        programs, operations, and services.
    (d) Design and Update.--The Inspector General of the Department 
shall design, and update as the Inspector General considers 
appropriate, the training developed and required by subsection (a).
    (e) System.--The Secretary shall provide, via the talent management 
system of the Department, or successor system, the training developed 
and required under subsection (a).
    (f) Relation to Certain Training.--The Secretary shall ensure that 
training developed and required under subsection (a) is separate and 
distinct from training provided under section 733 of title 38, United 
States Code.
    (g) Notice to Employees.--The Secretary shall ensure that the 
Inspector General is afforded the opportunity, not less frequently than 
twice each year and as frequently as the Inspector General considers 
appropriate under extraordinary circumstances, to use the electronic 
mail system of the Department to notify all authorized users of such 
system of the following:
            (1) The roles and responsibilities of the employees of the 
        Department when engaging with the Office of the Inspector 
        General.
            (2) The availability of training provided under subsection 
        (a).
            (3) How to access training provided under subsection (a).
            (4) Information about how to contact the Office of the 
        Inspector General, including a link to any website-based 
        reporting form of the Office.
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