VA Transparency & Trust Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.2911 | Sponsor: Rep. Bost, Mike (R-IL)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
VA Transparency & Trust Act of 2021
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 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.

[117th Congress Public Law 63]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 135 STAT. 1484]]

Public Law 117-63
117th Congress

                                 An Act


 
To direct 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. <<NOTE: Nov. 22, 2021 -  [H.R. 2911]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: VA Transparency 
& Trust Act of 2021.>> 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``VA Transparency & Trust Act of 
2021''.
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT OF CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC FUNDING 
                    MADE AVAILABLE TO DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
                    AFFAIRS.

    (a) Plan and Reports 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 Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
        Representatives and the Senate a detailed plan for obligating 
        and expending covered funds, including a detailed justification 
        for each type of obligation of such funds.
            (2) Biweekly reports.--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 Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
        Representatives and the Senate a report detailing the obligation 
        and expenditure of, and the planned uses 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) <<NOTE: Time period.>>  Inspector General Audits.--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 
Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives and the 
Senate a report examining the obligations and expenditures made using 
covered funds during the period covered by the report. Each such report 
shall include--
            (1) 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);
            (2) areas of waste, fraud, and abuse, if any; and

[[Page 135 STAT. 1485]]

            (3) any other matter the Inspector General determines 
        relevant.

    (c) Comptroller General Reviews.--
            (1) Interim report.--Not later than September 30, 2022, the 
        Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the 
        Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives 
        and the Senate an interim report containing a review of 
        obligations and expenditures made using covered funds. The 
        report shall include--
                    (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) <<NOTE: Recommenda- tions.>>  any 
                recommendations to improve the process of identifying 
                needs and expending funds during similar situations in 
                the future; and
                    (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.
            (2) Final report.--Not later than September 30, 2024, the 
        Comptroller General shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' 
        Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a final 
        report on the matters specified under paragraph (1).

    (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).

    Approved November 22, 2021.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 2911:
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 167 (2021):
            May 17, considered and passed House.
            Oct. 28, considered and passed Senate.

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