[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1313 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1313

To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a mission statement 
                 of the Department of Veterans Affairs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 22, 2021

  Mrs. Gillibrand (for herself, Ms. Murkowski, Ms. Klobuchar, and Ms. 
Smith) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 
                 to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a mission statement 
                 of 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 ``Honoring All Veterans Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. MISSION STATEMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) Required Mission Statement.--Section 301 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsection:
    ``(d) The mission statement of the Department shall be as follows: 
`To fulfill President Lincoln's promise to care for those ``who shall 
have borne the battle'' and for their families, caregivers, and 
survivors.'.''.
    (b) Notification.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall--
            (1) publish in the Federal Register and on the internet 
        website of the Department of Veterans Affairs a notification 
        explaining the mission statement of the Department as specified 
        in subsection (d) of section 301 of title 38, United States 
        Code, as added by subsection (a) of this section; and
            (2) update each internet website of the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs and other electronic references that use a 
        previous mission statement.
    (c) Guidance.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the date of 
        the enactment of the this Act, the Secretary shall develop and 
        issue guidance to all elements of the Department regarding the 
        mission statement of the Department as specified in subsection 
        (d) of section 301 of title 38, United States Code, as added by 
        subsection (a) of this section.
            (2) Contents.--The guidance required by paragraph (1) shall 
        include the following:
                    (A) A notification explaining the mission 
                statement.
                    (B) Instructions and a timeline for updating all 
                previous mission statement references at each such 
                element.
                    (C) A method to monitor and evaluate the compliance 
                by facilities of the Department with the guidance, 
                including a reporting mechanism for such facilities to 
                report back to the Secretary on the progress made in 
                updating all non-electronic mission statement 
                references.
                    (D) Any other information that the Secretary 
                determines necessary to ensure timely compliance with 
                the guidance.
    (d) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report 
containing a review and assessment of the progress of each element of 
the Department in complying with the guidance under subsection (c), 
including--
            (1) any reasons explaining why an element of the Department 
        has failed to implement the guidance; and
            (2) a plan to address any such failure to implement the 
        guidance and ensure that each element of the Department fully 
        implements and complies with the guidance.
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