[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2516 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2516

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 26, 2023

    Mr. Casey (for himself and Mr. Scott of Florida) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and 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 Act of 
2023''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) More than one-quarter of veterans in the United States 
        have a service-connected disability.
            (2) Common disabilities among veterans include traumatic 
        brain injury, hearing loss, blindness or vision loss, and 
        spinal cord injuries and disorders.
            (3) More than 60,000,000 adults in the United States have a 
        disability, including veterans, employees of the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs, and people who might seek information from 
        the Department for a veteran.
            (4) There were 125,763 veterans employed at the Department 
        of Veterans Affairs, including 70,209 veterans with a 
        disability, in fiscal year 2020, according to the Office of 
        Personnel Management.
            (5) There are projected to be at least 80,000,000 people 
        age 65 or older in the United States by 2040, twice the number 
        than in 2000. Older adults experience higher rates of 
        disability than younger adults.
            (6) More than 46 percent of veterans in the United States 
        are 65 years old or older.
            (7) Physical, electronic, information, and communications 
        technology must be accessible to ensure equal access to 
        information and services at the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
        Such accessibility will grow in importance as the population of 
        the United States ages and develops disabilities and new 
        technologies are deployed.
            (8) Congress has required accessibility of daily life by 
        passing laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 
        1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.), sections 501, 504, and 508 of 
        the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 791, 794, and 794d), 
        the Plain Writing Act of 2010 (5 U.S.C. 301 note), the 
        Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-480), and the 
        21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 
        note).
            (9) Recent oversight conducted by the Special Committee on 
        Aging of the Senate found that the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs has not consistently made its electronic information 
        technology accessible for people with disabilities, despite a 
        requirement to do so under section 508 of the Rehabilitation 
        Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d).
            (10) To ensure the Federal Government is meeting the needs 
        of veterans and employees with disabilities, as well as an 
        aging public, Congress must create mechanisms to assess and 
        gather information on Federal compliance with provisions of law 
        relating to accessibility for people with disabilities.

SEC. 3. 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 of Veterans Affairs 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) Composition.--The Advisory Committee shall be composed 
        of--
                    (A) 15 voting members appointed pursuant to 
                paragraph (2); and
                    (B) four nonvoting ex-officio members appointed 
                pursuant to paragraph (3).
            (2) 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 
                at least one veteran who is also employed in the 
                competitive service (as defined in section 2102 of 
                title 5, United States Code) or under Schedule A of the 
                excepted service (as defined in section 2103 of such 
                title) in the Veterans Health Administration, the 
                Veterans Benefits Administration, or the National 
                Cemetery Administration, who routinely receive benefits 
                from the Department of Veterans Affairs or use services 
                provided by the Department, including--
                            (i) one veteran with a mobility impairment;
                            (ii) one veteran with a hearing disability;
                            (iii) one veteran with a visual disability; 
                        and
                            (iv) one veteran with a mental or cognitive 
                        disability.
                    (B) Four are recognized authorities in disability 
                access and Federal disability discrimination law 
                compliance relating to physical and electronic 
                accessibility, including the provisions of law set 
                forth under subsection (f)(1)(B). These members shall 
                be selected from--
                            (i) academic institutions;
                            (ii) law firms or legal practices that 
                        specialize in Federal disability discrimination 
                        law; or
                            (iii) organizations that advocate for 
                        individuals with physical, sensory, mental, or 
                        cognitive disabilities, regardless of veteran 
                        status.
                    (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.
            (3) Nonvoting members.--The Advisory Committee shall also 
        include four nonvoting ex-officio members, or their 
        representatives, who directly work on access barriers for 
        people with disabilities, including--
                    (A) the Under Secretary for Health;
                    (B) the Under Secretary for Benefits;
                    (C) the Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs; and
                    (D) the chairperson of the Architectural and 
                Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (known as the 
                ``Access Board'').
            (4) Date.--The appointments of the members of the Advisory 
        Committee shall be made not later than 90 days after the 
        Advisory Committee is established.
    (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 considers appropriate.
            (2) Vacancies.--Not later than 30 days after receiving 
        notice of a vacancy in the Committee, the Secretary shall fill 
        the vacancy in the same manner as the original appointment.
    (d) Meetings.--
            (1) Initial meeting.--Not later than 30 days after the 
        Secretary has appointed all members, the Advisory Committee 
        shall hold the first meeting of the Advisory Committee.
            (2) Frequency.--The Advisory Committee shall meet at the 
        call of the Chairperson, and shall meet at least once every 6 
        months.
            (3) Subcommittees.--The Advisory Committee may form 
        subcommittees, which shall meet as often as required.
            (4) 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 buildings, 
                        facilities, and structures 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. 12101 et seq.);
                            (ii) sections 501, 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 
                        buildings, 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 and physical 
                assessments of the Department's buildings, facilities, 
                and structures;
                    (B) provide an ongoing assessment of accessibility 
                at the Department and the compliance of the Department 
                with applicable provisions of law relating to 
                disability and accessibility; and
                    (C) provide on-going advice on improving 
                accessibility at the Department, including the 
                accessibility of all--
                            (i) communications, internal and public 
                        facing;
                            (ii) services; and
                            (iii) buildings, facilities, and 
                        structures.
            (3) Reports.--
                    (A) Reports to the secretary.--Not later than 18 
                months after the date of the first meeting of the 
                Advisory Committee, and not less frequently than once 
                every 18 months 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 Federal 
                        workers;
                            (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, information, technology, 
                        and buildings, facilities, and structures;
                            (iv) provides a description of access 
                        improvements and assesses the Department's 
                        follow-through with recommendations from 
                        previous reports of the Advisory Committee, 
                        including any unmet recommendations that remain 
                        necessary for improving accessibility for the 
                        Department;
                            (v) provides any recommendations for 
                        legislation, administrative action, or other 
                        actions that the Advisory Committee considers 
                        appropriate; and
                            (vi) carries out such other activities that 
                        are necessary to make the assessments and 
                        recommendations referred to in subsection (a).
                    (B) Reports to congress and federal agencies.--
                            (i) In general.--Not later than 60 days 
                        after receiving a report under subparagraph 
                        (A), the Secretary shall submit to the 
                        appropriate committees of Congress, the 
                        Attorney General, the Director of the Office of 
                        Management and Budget, the Administrator of the 
                        General Services Administration, and the 
                        Inspector General of the Department of Veterans 
                        Affairs a copy of the report, along with such 
                        comments or recommendations concerning the 
                        report as the Secretary considers appropriate.
                            (ii) Availability to the public.--Not later 
                        than one day after submitting a report pursuant 
                        to clause (i), the Secretary shall make 
                        available to the public on an accessible 
                        website of the Department such report and such 
                        comments and recommendations as may have been 
                        submitted along with such report.
                            (iii) Definition of appropriate committees 
                        of congress.--In this subparagraph, the term 
                        ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
                                    (I) the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs, the Special Committee on 
                                Aging, and the Committee on 
                                Appropriations of the Senate; and
                                    (II) the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs and the Committee on 
                                Appropriations 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 Commission.
            (3) Resources.--The Secretary shall ensure that such 
        personnel, funding, and other resources are made available to 
        the Advisory Committee as the Secretary considers 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.
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