113 HR 2072 IH: Demanding Accountability for Veterans Act of 2013 U.S. House of Representatives 2013-05-21 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

I 113th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2072 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 21, 2013 Mr. Benishek introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the accountability of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Demanding Accountability for Veterans Act of 2013.

2.

Accountability of Secretary of Veterans Affairs to Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs

(a)

In general

Chapter 7 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

712.

Accountability of Secretary to Inspector General.

(a)

List of managers

(1)If the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs determines that the Secretary has not appropriately responded with significant progress to a covered report by the date specified in the action plan of the Secretary developed in response to such covered report— (A)the Inspector General shall notify the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives and the Secretary of such failure to appropriately respond; and (B)not later than 15 days after such notification, the Secretary shall submit to the Inspector General a list of the names of each responsible manager and the matter in the action plan for which the manager is responsible. (2)The Inspector General may not make public the names of responsible managers submitted under paragraph (1)(B). (b)

Performance of responsible managers

(1)The Secretary shall— (A)promptly notify each responsible manager of a covered issue by not later than seven days after the date on which the Secretary submits to the Inspector General the name of the manager under subsection (a)(2); (B)direct such manager to resolve such issue; and (C)provide such manager with appropriate counseling and a mitigation plan with respect to resolving such issue. (2)The Secretary shall ensure that any performance review of a responsible manager includes an evaluation of whether the manager took appropriate actions during the period covered by the review to respond to the covered issue for which a request was made under subsection (a). (3)The Secretary may not pay to a responsible manager any bonus or award, including a performance award under section 5384 of title 5, United States Code, if the covered issue for which a request was made under subsection (a) is unresolved. (c)

Role of Inspector General

Any authority of the Inspector General provided under this section is in addition to any responsibility or authority provided to the Inspector General in the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App). (d)

Definitions

In this section: (1)The term covered issue means, with respect to a responsible manager, an issue described in a covered report for which the manager is or was responsible. (2)The term covered report means a report by the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs that recommends actions to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (or other official or employee of the Department) to address an issue in the Department with respect to public health or safety. (3)The term responsible manager means an individual who— (A)is an employee of the Department; (B)is or was responsible for an issue included in a covered report; and (C)in being so responsible, is or was employed in a management position, regardless of whether the employee is in the competitive civil service, Senior Executive Service, or other type of civil service.

. (b)

Clerical amendment

The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 711 the following new item: 712. Accountability of Secretary to Inspector General..