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<bill bill-type="olc" bill-stage="Introduced-in-Senate" dms-id="A1" public-private="public" slc-id="S1-BAG21492-Y76-SG-H2N"><metadata xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">
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<dc:title>117 S1446 IS: To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress a plan for obligating and expending Coronavirus pandemic funding made available to the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.</dc:title>
<dc:publisher>U.S. Senate</dc:publisher>
<dc:date>2021-04-29</dc:date>
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<dc:language>EN</dc:language>
<dc:rights>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.</dc:rights>
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<distribution-code display="yes">II</distribution-code><congress>117th CONGRESS</congress><session>1st Session</session><legis-num>S. 1446</legis-num><current-chamber>IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES</current-chamber><action><action-date date="20210429">April 29, 2021</action-date><action-desc><sponsor name-id="S347">Mr. Moran</sponsor> (for himself and <cosponsor name-id="S314">Mr. Tester</cosponsor>) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the <committee-name committee-id="SSVA00">Committee on Veterans' Affairs</committee-name></action-desc></action><legis-type>A BILL</legis-type><official-title>To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress a plan for obligating and expending Coronavirus pandemic funding made available to the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.</official-title></form><legis-body style="OLC" display-enacting-clause="yes-display-enacting-clause" id="H7788FA2BDE5744A5A77F91EE23754760"><section id="ida2ec5b4475b2419ebf3489e3d05ee904" section-type="section-one"><enum>1.</enum><header>Congressional oversight of Coronavirus pandemic funding made available to Department of Veterans Affairs</header><subsection id="idb606b15463704a0a8ea940f31822d6b4"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Plan and expenditures by Secretary</header><paragraph id="id1d5c20bef4214ec08087f16994ad5a6d"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Plan</header><text>Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a detailed plan for obligating and expending covered funds, including a detailed justification for each type of obligation of such funds.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id10e479d3f71d443b8b5b9512d01e268a"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Biweekly reports</header><text>Not less frequently than once every 14 days during the period beginning on the date on which the plan under paragraph (1) is submitted and ending seven days after the date on which the Secretary has expended all covered funds, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report detailing the obligation and expenditure of, and the planned use for, such funds during the period covered by the report, including a written justification for any deviation in such obligations, expenditures, or planned uses from such plan.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idbbb2bd1dc1e546f893d01212487b8a08"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Inspector General audits</header><paragraph id="idde8414000799431bbca13032cbda4a0c"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and semiannually thereafter for three years or until the Secretary has expended all covered funds, whichever occurs first, the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report examining the obligations and expenditures made using covered funds during the period covered by the report.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idf0514f0c348c41d3a32fdab98d4eb5a2"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Contents</header><text>Each report submitted under paragraph (1) shall include the following:</text><subparagraph id="idaf766da5114142918867e5db5d60e0cb"><enum>(A)</enum><text>A comparison of how the funds are being obligated and expended to how the funds were planned to be obligated and expended in the plan under subsection (a)(1).</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id11a2f149862a41b48a1fe957fa29942c"><enum>(B)</enum><text>Areas of waste, fraud, and abuse, if any.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idC97CC66295434219A943741FABCEF4FC"><enum>(C)</enum><text>Such other matters as the Inspector General considers appropriate.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id5d47e5b4175a495ca127ec9619f357aa"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Comptroller General reviews</header><paragraph id="id8049815f534046df8e942ba4b09f35cc"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Interim report</header><text>Not later than September 30, 2022, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report containing a review of obligations and expenditures made using covered funds.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="ide584066c69424aa7aa45abf4737f815b"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Contents</header><text>The report submitted under paragraph (1) shall include the following:</text><subparagraph id="idd742f246b3e3453e81491b43d91c67ce"><enum>(A)</enum><text>A review of the process of the Department of Veterans Affairs for preparing the request for funds.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="ide2281a43003e413c9193e304653f1a29"><enum>(B)</enum><text>An explanation of how the expenditure of such funds met the goals of the Department during the public health emergency for which the funds were made available.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id21f410bf93d642d49655f991bb7cb77d"><enum>(C)</enum><text>Any recommendations to improve the process of identifying needs and expending funds during similar situations in the future.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id8a930c15408b48258cf98c7ab418f662"><enum>(D)</enum><text>A review of the plans of the Department to continue programs or investments that were begun with such funds but will continue after such funds are expended.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id5757c2583d844dbe952b844b472d34a9"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Final report</header><text>Not later than September 30, 2024, the Comptroller General shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a final report on the matters specified under paragraph (2).</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="ide3f5b9910fed438080d7a950f3739d92"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Covered funds defined</header><text>In this section, the term <term>covered funds</term> means funds that are made available to the Department of Veterans Affairs pursuant to—</text><paragraph id="id3e0cc1934cd04de89ff19e61f240c28a"><enum>(1)</enum><text>the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (<external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/116/127">Public Law 116–127</external-xref>);</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idd45f1cffc3fa415386b206c71c741c87"><enum>(2)</enum><text>the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (<external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/116/136">Public Law 116–136</external-xref>); or</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idad0466067fa14180a368b31653f1f1c7"><enum>(3)</enum><text>the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (<external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/117/2">Public Law 117–2</external-xref>).</text></paragraph></subsection></section></legis-body></bill> 

