[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 157 (Wednesday, September 28, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5495-S5496]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 6021. Mr. OSSOFF (for himself, Mr. Rounds, and Mrs. Shaheen) 
submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 5499 
submitted by Mr. Reed (for himself and Mr. Inhofe) and intended to be 
proposed to the bill H.R. 7900, to authorize appropriations for fiscal 
year 2023 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for 
military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of 
Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, 
and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as 
follows:

       At the appropriate place in title X, insert the following:

     SEC. ___. PLAN TO ELIMINATE RECORDS BACKLOG AT THE NATIONAL 
                   PERSONNEL RECORDS CENTER.

       (a) Plan Required.--Not later than 60 days after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act, the Archivist of the United 
     States shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
     committees a comprehensive plan to eliminate the backlog of 
     requests for records from the National Personnel Records 
     Center and to improve the efficiency and responsiveness of 
     operations at the National Personnel Records Center, that 
     includes, at a minimum, the following:
       (1) The number and percentage of unresolved veteran record 
     requests that have been pending for more than--
       (A) 20 days;
       (B) 90 days; and
       (C) one year.
       (2) Target timeframes to eliminate the backlog.
       (3) A detailed plan for using existing funds to improve 
     information technology infrastructure, including secure 
     access to appropriate agency Federal records, to prevent 
     future backlogs.
       (4) Actions to improve customer service for requesters.
       (5) Measurable goals with respect to the comprehensive plan 
     and metrics for tracking progress toward such goals.
       (6) Strategies to prevent future record request backlogs, 
     including backlogs caused by an event that prevents employees 
     of the Center from reporting to work in person.
       (b) Updates.--Not later than 90 days after the date on 
     which the comprehensive plan is submitted under subsection 
     (a), and semiannually thereafter until the National Personnel 
     Records Center resolves 90 percent of all requests for 
     separation documents (other than documents subject to fees or 
     involving records damaged or lost in the 1973 fire) in 20 
     days or less, the Archivist of the United States shall submit 
     to the appropriate congressional committees an update of such 
     plan that--
       (1) describes progress made by the National Personnel 
     Records Center during the preceding 180-day period with 
     respect to record request backlog reduction and efficiency 
     and responsiveness improvement;
       (2) provides data on progress made toward the goals 
     identified in the comprehensive plan; and

[[Page S5496]]

       (3) describes any changes made to the comprehensive plan.
       (c) Consultation Requirement.--In carrying out subsections 
     (a) and (b), the Archivist of the United States shall consult 
     with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
       (d) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this 
     section, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
     means--
       (1) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
     Affairs and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate; 
     and
       (2) the Committee on Oversight and Reform and the Committee 
     on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives.

     SEC. ___. ADDITIONAL FUNDING.

       In addition to amounts otherwise available, there is 
     authorized to be appropriated to the National Archives and 
     Records Administration, $60,000,000 to address backlogs in 
     responding to requests from veterans for military personnel 
     records, improve cybersecurity, improve digital preservation 
     and access to archival Federal records, and address backlogs 
     in requests made under section 552 of title 5, United States 
     Code (commonly referred to as the ``Freedom of Information 
     Act''). Such amounts may also be used for the Federal Records 
     Center Program.

     SEC. ___. ADDITIONAL STAFFING.

       Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, the Archivist of the United States shall ensure 
     that the National Personnel Records Center maintains staffing 
     levels that enable the maximum processing of records requests 
     possible in order to achieve the performance goal of 
     responding to 90 percent of all requests for separation 
     documents (other than documents subject to fees or involving 
     records damaged or lost in the 1973 fire) serviced in 20 days 
     or less.

     SEC. ___. ADDITIONAL REPORTING.

       The Inspector General for the National Archives and Records 
     Administration shall, for two years following the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, include in every semiannual report 
     submitted to Congress pursuant to the Inspector General Act 
     of 1978, a detailed summary of--
       (1) efforts taken by the National Archives and Records 
     Administration to address the backlog of records requests at 
     the National Personnel Records Center; and
       (2) any recommendations for action proposed by the 
     Inspector General related to reducing the backlog of records 
     requests at the National Personnel Records Center and the 
     status of compliance with those recommendations by the 
     National Archives and Records Administration.
                                 ______