[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 18, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H5111-H5112]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL TRAINING ACT
OF 2021
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 6052) to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to
require the employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs to receive
training developed by the Inspector General of the Department on
reporting wrongdoing to, responding to requests from, and cooperating
with the Office of Inspector General, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 6052
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 ``Department of Veterans
Affairs Office of Inspector General Training Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS EMPLOYEE TRAINING
REGARDING OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL.
(a) Training.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
require each employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs
to receive training that the Inspector General of the
Department shall develop on the reporting of
[[Page H5112]]
wrongdoing to, responding to requests from, and cooperating
with the Office of Inspector General.
(b) Employees.--In carrying out subsection (a), the
Secretary shall require--
(1) each employee of the Department who was employed by the
Department on the day before the date of the enactment of
this Act undergo the training required by subsection (a) not
later than one year after the date of the enactment of this
Act; and
(2) each employee of the Department who begins employment
with the Department on or after the date of the enactment of
this Act undergo the training required by subsection (a) not
later than one year after the date on which the employment
begins.
(c) Elements.--Training developed and required under
subsection (a) shall include the following:
(1) Definition of the role, responsibilities, and legal
authority of the Inspector General of the Department and the
duties of employees of the Department for engaging with the
Office of the Inspector General.
(2) Identification of the circumstances and mechanisms for
reporting fraud, waste, abuse, and other wrongdoing to the
Inspector General, including making confidential complaints
to the Inspector General.
(3) Identification of the prohibitions and remedies that
help to protect Department employees from retaliation when
reporting wrongdoing to the Inspector General.
(4) Recognition of opportunities to engage with staff of
the Office of the Inspector General to improve Department
programs, operations, and services.
(d) Design and Update.--The Inspector General of the
Department shall design, and update as the Inspector General
considers appropriate, the training developed and required by
subsection (a).
(e) System.--The Secretary shall provide, via the talent
management system of the Department, or successor system, the
training developed and required under subsection (a).
(f) Relation to Certain Training.--The Secretary shall
ensure that training developed and required under subsection
(a) is separate and distinct from training provided under
section 733 of title 38, United States Code.
(g) Notice to Employees.--The Secretary shall ensure that
the Inspector General is afforded the opportunity, not less
frequently than twice each year and as frequently as the
Inspector General considers appropriate under extraordinary
circumstances, to use the electronic mail system of the
Department to notify all authorized users of such system of
the following:
(1) The roles and responsibilities of the employees of the
Department when engaging with the Office of the Inspector
General.
(2) The availability of training provided under subsection
(a).
(3) How to access training provided under subsection (a).
(4) Information about how to contact the Office of the
Inspector General, including a link to any website-based
reporting form of the Office.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Takano) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
to insert extraneous material on H.R. 6052.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6052, the Department of
Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General Training Act of 2021.
The VA's Office of Inspector General performs important oversight and
investigations into a broad range of programs and spending by the
Department.
Its work informs our committee's own oversight and has often formed
the basis of our legislation. However, the Office of Inspector General
relies on VA employees as a key source of information.
The better employees are at communicating with the OIG, the more
effective the OIG is in carrying out oversight. That is why this
bipartisan legislation introduced by Representatives Underwood and
McKinley is so important.
Their bill requires all VA employees to undergo training developed by
the OIG relating to reporting wrongdoing, responding to OIG requests,
and cooperating with OIG investigations.
This legislation is supported by The American Legion and Veterans of
Foreign Wars, and I urge my colleagues to support it as well.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6052, which requires VA
employees to receive training on the work that the VA inspector general
does. This training will help VA employees understand how to recognize
and report instances of waste, fraud, and abuse, as well as their
responsibility to comply with the investigations.
VA's budget request for fiscal year 2023 is over $300 billion.
Oversight of this Department's massive budget is a major priority of
mine. This commonsense bill would lead to better oversight by informing
all VA employees of their responsibility to identify and report fraud,
waste, and abuse.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support the bill, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Illinois (Ms. Underwood), the brilliant gentlewoman, my good friend,
and author of H.R. 6052. She serves on the Veterans' Affairs
Subcommittee on Health.
Ms. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 6052, the
Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General Training Act
of 2021.
The bipartisan VA OIG training act, which I introduced with
Congressman David McKinley of West Virginia last fall, is a critical
step to promote accountability at VA and ensure our veterans are
receiving the world-class care and benefits that they have earned.
This bill requires every current and future VA employee to
participate in the VA's OIG training, which will ensure that staff are
prepared to report fraud, waste, and patient abuse, and are aware of
protections for employees who report wrongdoings.
An assessment of initiatives carried out by VA's OIG found that every
dollar spent on oversight yielded a $21 return on investment. Ensuring
the OIG can carry out its crucial oversight work will save taxpayer
dollars, while also improving care and ensuring that veterans receive
every dollar and benefit that they have earned.
My commonsense, bipartisan bill codifies OIG's training requirement,
which strengthens the Department's Office of the Inspector General,
protects VA employees who report wrongdoing, and most importantly,
honors the service and sacrifices of our veterans.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote
for the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General
Training Act today. I thank Chairman Takano and Ranking Member Bost for
their support to advance this legislation.
I also thank Representative McKinley for co-leading the bill with me
in the House, and Senators Hassan and Boozman for leading this
bipartisan bill in the Senate.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this
bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in
passing H.R. 6052, the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of
Inspector General Training Act, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 6052.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion
are postponed.
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