Title: Missed Opportunities in Veterans Affairs Act of 2017
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Missed Opportunities in Veterans Affairs Act of 2017
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to include in its annual report to Congress any denial of funding for a VA construction project or program aimed at helping veterans access resources, including health care, career support, resources for homeless veterans, and related research.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4357 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4357

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to require certain additional 
budgetary information to be included in the annual report submitted to 
            Congress on the Department of Veterans Affairs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 9, 2017

Mr. Lewis of Georgia introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                 to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to require certain additional 
budgetary information to be included in the annual report submitted to 
            Congress on the Department of Veterans Affairs.

    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 ``Missed Opportunities in Veterans 
Affairs Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    (a) Finding.--Congress finds that the Department of Veterans 
Affairs was established to assists veterans and provide them with 
services, as necessary and as Congress sees fit.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) veterans should be provided ample access to the 
        necessary resources that will help them reintegrate as 
        civilians and continue to contribute positively to our society;
            (2) United States fiscal policy should ensure that there 
        are always adequate resources to provide quality and timely 
        support, services, and care for those who protect and serve the 
        country; and
            (3) the Department of Veterans Affairs should provide an 
        account of all denied funding that was requested to assist 
        veterans programs concerning health care, research, career 
        development, continued education, and for other purposes.

SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL BUDGETARY INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN ANNUAL 
              REPORT ON DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    Section 529 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4); and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following new 
        paragraph (3):
            ``(3) account for any denial of funding for the fiscal year 
        for any construction project of the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs or for any program aimed at helping veterans access 
        resources, including health care, career support, resources for 
        homeless veterans, and research on such issues; and''.
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