Title: Phoenix VA Congressional Oversight Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Phoenix VA Congressional Oversight Act
This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a pilot program in Arizona, including at the VA's Phoenix health care system, to improve the ability of Members of Congress to assist constituents with VA medical benefits issues. The VA must establish a dedicated congressional relations team to assist congressional members and committees with casework issues at each VA health care system location in Arizona.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 80 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 H. R. 80

   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot 
    program to improve the ability of Members of Congress to assist 
          constituents with respect to benefits for veterans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 3, 2019

Mr. Biggs (for himself, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Gosar, Mrs. Kirkpatrick, and 
 Mrs. Lesko) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot 
    program to improve the ability of Members of Congress to assist 
          constituents with respect to benefits for veterans.

    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 ``Phoenix VA Congressional Oversight 
Act''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM TO IMPROVE CONSTITUENT SERVICES.

    (a) Pilot Program.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry 
out a pilot program to improve the ability of Members of Congress to 
assist constituents pursuant to subsections (b) and (c).
    (b) Congressional Relations Team.--In carrying out the pilot 
program under subsection (a), the Secretary shall establish a dedicated 
congressional relations team at the location specified in subsection 
(d). Such team shall consist of employees of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs whose only duties relate to assisting Members and committees of 
Congress with respect to casework issues at each health care system of 
the Department in such location.
    (c) Use of Space.--Upon request of any Member of Congress from the 
State of the location specified in subsection (d), the Secretary shall 
authorize the Member to use a facility of the Department at such 
location for the purposes of meeting with constituents of the Member.
    (d) Location.--The Secretary shall carry out the pilot program in 
Arizona, including at the Phoenix health care system of the Department.
    (e) Report.--Not later than two years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on 
Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a 
report on the pilot program under subsection (a), including whether the 
Secretary recommends expanding such pilot program.
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