[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7342 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7342

 To establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 13, 2024

  Mr. Valadao (for himself and Mr. McGarvey) introduced the following 
     bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access, and for 
                            other purposes.

    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 ``Veterans Accessibility Advisory 
Committee Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. VETERANS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON EQUAL ACCESS.

    (a) Establishment.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
        shall establish within the Department of Veterans Affairs an 
        advisory committee on matters relating to accessibility of the 
        Department for individuals with disabilities.
            (2) Designation.--The advisory committee established by 
        paragraph (1) shall be known as the ``Veterans Advisory 
        Committee on Equal Access'' (in this section the ``Advisory 
        Committee'').
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) Voting members.--The Advisory Committee shall be 
        composed of 15 voting members, appointed by the Secretary of 
        Veterans Affairs. In appointing such members, the Secretary 
        shall ensure the following:
                    (A) Four are veterans with disabilities, including 
                mobility impairment, hearing, visual, and mental or 
                cognitive disabilities.
                    (B) Four are experts on issues described in 
                subsection (f)(1)(A) or the provisions of law set forth 
                under subsection (f)(1)(B).
                    (C) Two are employees of the Department, one from 
                the Section 508 Office and one from the Architectural 
                Accessibility Program, who oversee the compliance of 
                the Department with Federal accessibility laws.
                    (D) Five are representatives nominated by national 
                veterans service organizations that advocate for 
                veterans with physical, sensory, mental, or cognitive 
                disabilities.
            (2) Ex officio members.--The Advisory Committee shall also 
        include four ex officio members (or their designees):
                    (A) The Under Secretary for Health.
                    (B) The Under Secretary for Benefits.
                    (C) The Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs.
                    (D) The chairperson of the Architectural and 
                Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (known as the 
                ``Access Board'').
    (c) Terms; Vacancies.--
            (1) Terms.--A member of the Advisory Committee shall be 
        appointed for a term of two years. The Secretary may reappoint 
        members to the Advisory Committee for such additional two-year 
        terms as the Secretary determines appropriate.
            (2) Vacancies.--The Secretary shall fill a vacancy in the 
        Advisory Committee in the same manner as the original 
        appointment not later than 180 days after such vacancy occurs.
    (d) Meetings.--
            (1) Frequency.--The Advisory Committee shall meet not less 
        frequently than twice each year.
            (2) Subcommittees.--The Advisory Committee may form 
        subcommittees, which shall meet as often as required.
            (3) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Advisory 
        Committee shall constitute a quorum.
    (e) Chairperson.--Members of the Advisory Committee shall select a 
Chairperson from among the members of the Advisory Committee. If the 
position of Chairperson becomes vacant, the members of the Advisory 
Committee shall select a new Chairperson not later than 30 days after 
the date on which the position became vacant.
    (f) Duties.--
            (1) Requirement to consult and seek advice.--On a regular 
        basis, the Secretary shall consult with and seek the advice of 
        the Advisory Committee--
                    (A) on improving the accessibility of the 
                Department for individuals with disabilities, including 
                improving--
                            (i) the accessibility of information of the 
                        Department, including electronic information;
                            (ii) the accessibility of the services and 
                        benefits furnished by the Department;
                            (iii) the accessibility of the facilities 
                        of the Department;
                            (iv) the accessibility of facilities of 
                        health care providers furnishing care or 
                        services under the Veterans Community Care 
                        Program under section 1703 of title 38, United 
                        States Code; and
                            (v) the acquisition process of the 
                        Department to ensure that products and 
                        services, including information technology and 
                        information and communication technology (as 
                        defined in the standards issued by the 
                        Architectural and Transportation Barriers 
                        Compliance Board pursuant to section 508 of the 
                        Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d)), 
                        are accessible when purchased; and
                    (B) for ensuring the compliance of the Department 
                with provisions of law relating to disability and 
                accessibility, including--
                            (i) the Americans with Disabilities Act of 
                        1990 (42 U.S.C. 12184 et seq.);
                            (ii) sections 504 and 508 of the 
                        Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 791, 794, 
                        and 794d);
                            (iii) the Plain Writing Act of 2010 (5 
                        U.S.C. 301 note);
                            (iv) the 21st Century Integrated Digital 
                        Experience Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 note);
                            (v) the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 
                        (Public Law 90-480); and
                            (vi) such other provisions of Federal law 
                        as may be that ensure equal access to Federal 
                        facilities, benefits, or services for 
                        individuals with disabilities.
            (2) Provision of advice.--In providing advice to the 
        Secretary, the Advisory Committee shall, focusing on the areas 
        of greatest need for the Department--
                    (A) assess the disability access needs of veterans, 
                the public, and Department employees for full access to 
                the Department's information, services, and benefits by 
                reviewing relevant information, such as filed 
                complaints by people with disabilities or physical 
                assessments of the Department's facilities;
                    (B) provide assessments of accessibility at the 
                Department and the compliance of the Department with 
                applicable provisions of law relating to disability and 
                accessibility; and
                    (C) provide advice on improving accessibility at 
                the Department, including the accessibility of all--
                            (i) communications, including internal and 
                        public facing;
                            (ii) services and benefits; and
                            (iii) facilities.
            (3) Reports.--
                    (A) Reports to the secretary.--Not later than two 
                years after the date of the first meeting of the 
                Advisory Committee, and not less frequently than once 
                every two years thereafter, the Advisory Committee 
                shall submit to the Secretary a report that, focusing 
                on areas of greatest need for the Department--
                            (i) identifies and assesses access barriers 
                        affecting veterans, the public, and employees 
                        of the Department;
                            (ii) determines the extent to which the 
                        programs and activities of the Department 
                        address the barriers identified in clause (i), 
                        including compliance of the Department with 
                        provisions of law relating to accessibility law 
                        and reporting;
                            (iii) provides recommendations and access 
                        priorities to improve the accessibility of the 
                        Department's services, benefits, information, 
                        technology, and facilities;
                            (iv) provides a description of access 
                        improvements and assesses the Department's 
                        implementation of recommendations from previous 
                        reports of the Advisory Committee, including 
                        any unmet recommendations that remain necessary 
                        for improving accessibility for the Department; 
                        and
                            (v) provides any recommendations for 
                        legislation, administrative action, or other 
                        actions that the Advisory Committee determines 
                        appropriate.
                    (B) Reports to congress and federal agencies.--
                            (i) In general.--Not later than 90 days 
                        after the receipt of a report required under 
                        subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall submit to 
                        the appropriate congressional committees a copy 
                        of such report and any comments and 
                        recommendations of the Secretary concerning 
                        such report that the Secretary determines 
                        appropriate.
                            (ii) Availability to the public.--The 
                        Secretary shall publish on a publicly 
                        accessible website of the Department such 
                        report and such comments and recommendations as 
                        may have been submitted along with such report.
                            (iii) Appropriate congressional 
                        committees.--In this subparagraph, the term 
                        ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
                        means--
                                    (I) the Committees on Veterans' 
                                Affairs of the Senate and House of 
                                Representatives
                                    (II) the Special Committee on Aging 
                                of the Senate; and
                                    (III) the Committee on Education 
                                and the Workforce of the House of 
                                Representatives.
    (g) Advisory Committee Personnel and Resource Matters.--
            (1) Compensation of members.--A member of the Commission 
        who is not an officer or employee of the Federal Government 
        shall not be compensated for the performance of the duties of 
        the Advisory Committee.
            (2) Travel expenses.--A member of the Advisory Committee 
        shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of 
        subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies 
        under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States 
        Code, while away from their homes or regular places of business 
        in the performance of services for the Advisory Committee.
            (3) Resources.--The Secretary shall ensure that such 
        personnel, funding, and other resources are made available to 
        the Advisory Committee as the Secretary determines appropriate 
        to carry out the duties of the Advisory Committee.
            (4) Information.--The Secretary shall furnish to the 
        Advisory Committee such information as the Advisory Committee 
        may request from the Secretary, subject to applicable 
        provisions of law.
    (h) Termination of Advisory Committee.--The Advisory Committee 
shall terminate on the date that is 10 years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.

SEC. 3. ABOLITION OF INACTIVE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act 
and before establishing the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access 
under section 2, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall--
            (1) abolish an advisory committee of the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs that--
                    (A) was not established by an Act of Congress; and
                    (B) is inactive;
            (2) consolidate two advisory committees described in 
        paragraph (1); or
            (3) submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the 
        Senate and House of Representatives a recommendation to abolish 
        an advisory committee of the Department that--
                    (A) was established by an Act of Congress; and
                    (B) is inactive.
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