Access for Veterans to Records Act
Bill: H.R.7337 | Sponsor: Rep. Maloney, Carolyn B. (D-NY)
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
Access for Veterans to Records Act of 2022
This bill directs the Office of the Archivist of the United States to submit to Congress a comprehensive plan for reducing the backlog of requests for records from, and improving the efficiency and responsiveness of operations at, the National Personnel Records Center.
Such plan must include
The office must submit updates of such plan at specified intervals.

To require the Archivist of the United States to submit a plan to 
  Congress to eliminate the records backlog at the National Personnel 
                Records Center, 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 ``Access for Veterans to Records Act 
of 2022''.

SEC. 2. PLAN TO ELIMINATE RECORDS BACKLOG AT THE NATIONAL PERSONNEL 
              RECORDS CENTER.

    (a) Plan Required.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Archivist of the United States shall submit 
to the appropriate congressional committees a comprehensive plan for 
reducing the backlog of requests for records from the National 
Personnel Records Center and improving the efficiency and 
responsiveness of operations at the National Personnel Records Center, 
that includes, at a minimum, the following:
            (1) An estimate of the number of backlogged record requests 
        for veterans.
            (2) Target timeframes to reduce the backlog.
            (3) A detailed plan for using existing funds to improve the 
        information technology infrastructure, including secure access 
        to appropriate agency Federal records, to prevent future 
        backlogs.
            (4) Actions to improve customer service for requesters.
            (5) Measurable goals with respect to the comprehensive plan 
        and metrics for tracking progress toward such goals.
            (6) Strategies to prevent future record request backlogs, 
        including backlogs caused by an event that prevents employees 
        of the Center from reporting to work in person.
    (b) Updates.--Not later than 90 days after the date on which the 
comprehensive plan is submitted under subsection (a), and biannually 
thereafter until the response rate by the National Personnel Records 
Center reaches 90 percent of all requests in 20 days or less, not 
including any request involving a record damaged or lost in the 
National Personnel Records Center fire of 1973 or any request that is 
subject to a fee that has not been paid in a timely manner by the 
requestor (provided the National Personnel Records Center issues an 
invoice within 20 days after the date on which the request is made), 
the Archivist of the United States shall submit to the appropriate 
congressional committees an update of such plan that--
            (1) describes progress made by the National Personnel 
        Records Center during the preceding 90-day period with respect 
        to record request backlog reduction and efficiency and 
        responsiveness improvement;
            (2) provides data on progress made toward the goals 
        identified in the comprehensive plan; and
            (3) describes any changes made to the comprehensive plan.
    (c) Consultation Requirement.--In carrying out subsections (a) and 
(b), the Archivist of the United States shall consult with the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
    (d) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Oversight and Reform and the Committee 
        on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives; and
            (2) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
        Affairs and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate.

SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO ADDRESS RECORDS BACKLOG.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--In addition to amounts 
otherwise available, there is authorized to be appropriated to the 
National Archives and Records Administration, $60,000,000 to address 
backlogs in responding to requests from veterans for military personnel 
records, improve cybersecurity, improve digital preservation and access 
to archival Federal records, and address backlogs in requests made 
under section 552 of title 5, United States Code (commonly referred to 
as the Freedom of Information Act). Such amounts may also be used for 
the Federal Records Center Program.
    (b) Requirement to Maintain In-person Staffing Levels.--Not later 
than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Archivist 
of the United States shall ensure that the National Personnel Records 
Center maintains staffing levels and telework arrangements that enable 
the maximum processing of records requests possible in order to achieve 
the performance goal of responding to 90 percent of all requests in 20 
days or less, not including any request involving a record damaged or 
lost in the National Personnel Records Center fire of 1973 or any 
request that is subject to a fee that has not been paid in a timely 
manner by the requestor (provided the National Personnel Records Center 
issues an invoice within 20 days after the date on which the request is 
made).
    (c) Inspector General Reporting.--The Inspector General for the 
National Archives and Records Administration shall, for two years 
following the date of the enactment of this Act, include in every 
semiannual report submitted to Congress pursuant to the Inspector 
General Act of 1978, a detailed summary of--
            (1) efforts taken by the National Archives and Records 
        Administration to address the backlog of records requests at 
        the National Personnel Records Center; and
            (2) any recommendations for action proposed by the 
        Inspector General related to reducing the backlog of records 
        requests at the National Personnel Records Center and the 
        status of compliance with those recommendations by the National 
        Archives and Records Administration.

            Passed the House of Representatives July 14, 2022.

            Attest:

                                             CHERYL L. JOHNSON,

                                                                 Clerk.