I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1658 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 17, 2023 Mr. Takano introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the Department of Veterans Affairs an Under Secretary for Management, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Manage VA Act . 2. Under Secretary of Management of Department of Veterans Affairs (a) In general Chapter 3 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 307 the following new section: 307A. Under Secretary for Management (a) In general There is in the Department an Under Secretary for Management, who is appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Under Secretary for Management shall report directly to the Deputy Secretary. (b) Responsibilities The Under Secretary for Management shall serve as the Chief Management Officer of the Department and principal advisor to the Secretary on matters related to the management of the Department, including management integration and transformation in support of Veterans Affairs operations and programs. The Secretary shall carry out the following responsibilities through the Under Secretary for Management: (1) The budget, appropriations, expenditures of funds, accounting, and finance. (2) Procurement, including infrastructure, property, equipment, and other material resources. (3) Human resources and personnel. (4) Information technology, including policies and directives to standardize information technology systems across the components of the Department. (5) Strategic management planning and annual performance planning and identification and tracking of performance measures relating to the responsibilities of the Department. (6) The management integration and transformation within each functional management discipline of the Department, including information technology, financial management, acquisition management, and human capital management, to ensure an efficient and orderly consolidation of functions and personnel in the Department, including— (A) the development of centralized data sources and connectivity of information systems, to the greatest extent practicable, to enhance program visibility, transparency, effectiveness and coordination; (B) the development of standardized and automated management information to manage and oversee programs and make informed decisions to improve the efficiency of the Department; (C) the development of effective program management and regular oversight mechanisms, including clear roles and processes for program governance, sharing of best practices, and access to timely, reliable, and evaluated data on all acquisitions and investments; and (D) the overall supervision, including the conduct of internal audits and management analyses, of the programs and activities of the Department, including establishment of oversight procedures to ensure a full and effective review of the efforts by components of the Department to implement policies and procedures of the Department for management integration and transformation. (7) The development of a transition and succession plan, before December 1 of each year in which a Presidential election is held, to guide the transition of Department functions to a new Presidential administration, and making such plan available to the next Secretary and Under Secretary for Management and to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives. (8) Reporting to the Government Accountability Office every six months to demonstrate measurable, sustainable progress made in implementing the corrective action plans of the Department to address the designation of acquisition management on the bi-annual high-risk list of the Government Accountability Office, until the Comptroller General of the United States submits to the appropriate congressional committees written notification of removal of the high-risk designation. (9) The management of the Office of Enterprise Integration. (10) The supervision of the Director of Construction and Facilities, who shall report directly to the Under Secretary for Management. (11) Any other management duties that the Secretary may designate. . (b) Clerical amendment The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 307 the following new item: 307A. Under Secretary for Management. . (c) Deadline for appointment The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall appoint an individual to serve as the Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Management by not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act.