[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 114 (Wednesday, July 10, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S4501]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2219. Mr. TESTER (for himself and Mr. Boozman) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4638, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2025 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. ___. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PERSONNEL 
                   TRANSPARENCY.

       (a) In General.--Section 505 of the John S. McCain III, 
     Daniel K. Akaka, and Samuel R. Johnson VA Maintaining 
     Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside 
     Networks Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-182; 38 U.S.C. 301 note) 
     is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)--
       (A) in paragraph (1)--
       (i) in the matter before subparagraph (A), by striking 
     ``information,'' and all that follows through ``facility:'' 
     and inserting ``information:'';
       (ii) in subparagraph (B)--

       (I) by inserting ``(i)'' before ``The number''; and
       (II) by adding at the end the following new clause:

       ``(ii) All historical data under this subparagraph shall be 
     updated at each quarterly reporting under paragraph (3) to 
     account for delays in data processing and to reflect the most 
     recently available data.'';
       (iii) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``vacancies, by 
     occupation.'' and inserting ``positions currently undergoing 
     a recruitment action, disaggregated by occupation and by 
     stage of recruitment, including Manager Request Initiation 
     Stage, recruitment stage, onboarding stage, and waiting to 
     start stage, or successor stages if modified.'';
       (iv) in subparagraph (E)(iii), by striking ``potential 
     hires or''; and
       (v) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
       ``(F) The number of positions vacated during the quarter 
     for which the Department has not initiated a recruitment 
     action, including the date the position was vacated, 
     disaggregated by occupation, with quarterly updates 
     reflecting the most recently available data to account for 
     delays in data processing.'';
       (B) by redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph (6);
       (C) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following new 
     paragraph (5):
       ``(5) Display of information.--The display of information 
     made publicly available on an Internet website of the 
     Department pursuant to paragraph (1), shall be 
     disaggregated--
       ``(A) by departmental component;
       ``(B) in the case of information relating to Veterans 
     Health Administration positions, by medical facility;
       ``(C) in the case of information relating to Veterans 
     Benefits Administration positions, by regional office;
       ``(D) in the case of information relating to the National 
     Cemetery Administration, by location; and
       ``(E) in the case of information relating to the Board of 
     Veterans Appeals, separately from data relating to the 
     Veterans Health Administration, the Veterans Benefits 
     Administration, and the National Cemetery Administration.''; 
     and
       (D) in paragraph (6), as redesignated by subparagraph (B), 
     by striking ``shall'' and all that follows and inserting 
     ``shall--
       ``(A) review the administration of the website required 
     under paragraph (1);
       ``(B) develop recommendations relating to the improvement 
     of such administration; and
       ``(C) submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
     Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives a report containing--
       ``(i) the findings of the Inspector General with respect to 
     the most recent review conducted under subparagraph (A); and
       ``(ii) the recommendations most recently developed under 
     subparagraph (B).''; and
       (2) by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:
       ``(b) Annual Report.--Each year, the Secretary shall submit 
     to Congress an annual report that includes the following:
       ``(1) A description of the steps the Department is taking 
     to achieve full staffing capacity.
       ``(2) A description of the actions the Department is taking 
     to improve the onboard timeline for facilities of the 
     Department, including--
       ``(A) in the case of facilities of the Veterans Health 
     Administration, for facilities for which the duration of the 
     onboarding process exceeds the metrics laid out in the Time 
     to Hire Model of the Veterans Health Administration, or 
     successor model; and
       ``(B) in the case of Veterans Benefits Administration, for 
     regional offices that exceed the time-to-hire target of the 
     Office of Personnel Management.
       ``(3) The amount of additional funds necessary to enable 
     the Department to reach full staffing capacity.
       ``(4) Such recommendations for legislative or 
     administrative action as the Secretary may have in order to 
     achieve full staffing capacity at the Department.''.
       (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) 
     shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act 
     and shall apply with respect to the first update under 
     section 505(a)(3) of such Act beginning after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act and each update thereafter.
                                 ______