Department of Veterans Affairs Chief Financial Officer Authority and Collaboration Act of 2020

Bill: 116-hr-6589
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Lee, Susie [D-NV-3]
Introduced: 2020-04-21
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Accounting and auditing

Congressional oversight

Department of Veterans Affairs

Executive agency funding and structure

Federal officials
Latest action: action_date: 2020-09-30
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-04-21
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>CFO Authority and Collaboration Act of 2020</b></p> <p>This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to develop a plan that includes steps and timelines to address the material weakness of the VA and the recommendations of the auditor related to entity level controls (including the organizational structure of the office of the VA's Chief Financial Officer).</p>

action_date: 2020-09-22
action_desc: Passed House
text: <p><b>Department of Veterans Affairs Chief Financial Officer Authority and Collaboration Act of 2020</b></p> <p>This bill addresses the authority and responsibilities of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).</p> <p>Specifically, the bill requires the VA to submit an action plan to address the material weaknesses of the VA discussed in the Management's Discussion and Analysis section of the VA's financial statements.</p> <p>Additionally, the VA must submit a plan outlining the steps planned to (1) address the recommendations of auditors related to entity-level controls, and (2) provide sufficient authority to carry out the CFO's duties.</p> <p>The CFO must submit a certification of the officer's responsibilities for internal financial controls of the VA and an attestation of sufficient collaboration with the subordinate chief financial officers to be confident in the financial projections included in the budget request and supporting materials.</p> <p>Finally, the CFO must participate in the interview and selection panels of all subordinate chief financial officers and give input into the performance plans and evaluations of all such officers.</p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6589 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 21, 2020 Mrs. Lee of Nevada introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs A BILL To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop and submit to Congress a plan to address the material weakness of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the CFO Authority and Collaboration Act of 2020 . 2. Plan to address material weakness of Department of Veterans Affairs Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall— (1) develop a plan, including steps and related timelines, for fully addressing— (A) the repeated material weakness of the Department of Veterans Affairs; and (B) the recommendations of the auditor related to entity level controls, including the organizational structure of the office of the Chief Financial Officer of the Department; and (2) submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report containing a description of— (A) the plan developed under paragraph (1); and (B) the steps the Secretary plans to take to provide sufficient authority to the Chief Financial Officer of the Department to carry out the requirements of section 902 of title 31, United States Code.

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6589 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AN ACT To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop and submit to Congress a plan to address the material weakness of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Department of Veterans Affairs Chief Financial Officer Authority and Collaboration Act of 2020 . 2. Plans for addressing material weaknesses and providing sufficient authority to Chief Financial Officer of Department of Veterans Affairs Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for each of the three subsequent years, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, acting through the Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Veterans Affairs, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees— (1) an action plan, including steps, related timelines, costs, progress, status of implementation, and any updates for fully addressing the material weaknesses of the Department discussed in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis section of the financial statements of the Department submitted to Congress under section 3515 of title 31, United States Code for the year preceding the year during which the report is submitted; and (2) a plan outlining the steps the Secretary plans to take to address the recommendations of auditors related to entity-level internal controls and to provide sufficient authority to the Chief Financial Officer of the Department to carry out the requirements of section 902 of title 31, United States Code. 3. Chief Financial Officer attestation Concurrent with the submittal to Congress of the President’s budget request under section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, for fiscal year 2022 and each of the next three subsequent fiscal years, the Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Veterans affairs shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees each of the following: (1) A certification of the responsibility of the Chief Financial Officer for internal financial controls of the Department. (2) An attestation that the Chief Financial Officer has collaborated sufficiently with the subordinate chief financial officers of the Department to be confident in the financial projections included the budget request and supporting materials. 4. Chief Financial Officer responsibility for subordinate chief financial officers (a) In general In accordance with the responsibilities of the Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Veterans Affairs for the recruitment, selection, and training of personnel to carry out agency financial management functions pursuant to section 902(a)(5)(C) of title 31, United States Code, the Chief Financial Officer or the designee of the Chief Financial Officer within the Office of Management of the Department shall— (1) participate in the interview and selection panels of all subordinate chief financial officers; and (2) give input into the performance plans and performance evaluations of all subordinate chief financial officers. (b) Termination The requirements under subsection (a) shall terminate on the date that is five years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 5. Definitions In this Act: (1) The term appropriate congressional committees means the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives and the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives. (2) The term subordinate chief financial officer — (A) includes— (i) the chief financial officer of the Veterans Health Administration, the chief financial officer of the Office of Community Care within the Veterans Health Administration, and all chief financial officers of Veterans Integrated Service Networks within the Veterans Health Administration; (ii) the chief financial officer of the Veterans Benefits Administration and all chief financial officers of organizational subdivisions representing business lines within the Veterans Benefits Administration; (iii) the chief financial officer of the National Cemetery Administration; and (iv) the chief financial officer of the Office of Information and Technology; and (B) does not include the Inspector General.

Passed the House of Representatives September 22, 2020. Cheryl L. Johnson, Clerk.

tv_txt: IIB 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6589 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 23, 2020 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs AN ACT To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop and submit to Congress a plan to address the material weakness of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Department of Veterans Affairs Chief Financial Officer Authority and Collaboration Act of 2020 . 2. Plans for addressing material weaknesses and providing sufficient authority to Chief Financial Officer of Department of Veterans Affairs Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for each of the three subsequent years, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, acting through the Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Veterans Affairs, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees— (1) an action plan, including steps, related timelines, costs, progress, status of implementation, and any updates for fully addressing the material weaknesses of the Department discussed in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis section of the financial statements of the Department submitted to Congress under section 3515 of title 31, United States Code for the year preceding the year during which the report is submitted; and (2) a plan outlining the steps the Secretary plans to take to address the recommendations of auditors related to entity-level internal controls and to provide sufficient authority to the Chief Financial Officer of the Department to carry out the requirements of section 902 of title 31, United States Code. 3. Chief Financial Officer attestation Concurrent with the submittal to Congress of the President’s budget request under section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, for fiscal year 2022 and each of the next three subsequent fiscal years, the Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Veterans affairs shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees each of the following: (1) A certification of the responsibility of the Chief Financial Officer for internal financial controls of the Department. (2) An attestation that the Chief Financial Officer has collaborated sufficiently with the subordinate chief financial officers of the Department to be confident in the financial projections included the budget request and supporting materials. 4. Chief Financial Officer responsibility for subordinate chief financial officers (a) In general In accordance with the responsibilities of the Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Veterans Affairs for the recruitment, selection, and training of personnel to carry out agency financial management functions pursuant to section 902(a)(5)(C) of title 31, United States Code, the Chief Financial Officer or the designee of the Chief Financial Officer within the Office of Management of the Department shall— (1) participate in the interview and selection panels of all subordinate chief financial officers; and (2) give input into the performance plans and performance evaluations of all subordinate chief financial officers. (b) Termination The requirements under subsection (a) shall terminate on the date that is five years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 5. Definitions In this Act: (1) The term appropriate congressional committees means the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives and the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives. (2) The term subordinate chief financial officer — (A) includes— (i) the chief financial officer of the Veterans Health Administration, the chief financial officer of the Office of Community Care within the Veterans Health Administration, and all chief financial officers of Veterans Integrated Service Networks within the Veterans Health Administration; (ii) the chief financial officer of the Veterans Benefits Administration and all chief financial officers of organizational subdivisions representing business lines within the Veterans Benefits Administration; (iii) the chief financial officer of the National Cemetery Administration; and (iv) the chief financial officer of the Office of Information and Technology; and (B) does not include the Inspector General.

Passed the House of Representatives September 22, 2020. Cheryl L. Johnson, Clerk.