119-hr1823

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1823 Referred in Senate

    (RFS) ]

<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 1823

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 May 20, 2025

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

 AN ACT

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Comptroller General 
 of the United States to report on certain funding shortfalls in the 
 Department of Veterans Affairs.

 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 ``VA Budget Shortfall Accountability 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FUNDING SHORTFALLS IN CERTAIN ADMINISTRATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT 
 OF VETERANS AFFAIRS: REVIEWS; REPORTS.

    (a) First GAO Review.--

    (1) Review required.--Not later than 30 days after the date 
 of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the 
 United States shall begin a review regarding the circumstances 
 surrounding, and the causes of--
        (A) the shortfall in the funding of the Veterans 
 Benefits Administration for fiscal year 2024; and
        (B) the expected shortfall in the funding of the 
 Veterans Health Administration in fiscal year 2025.

    (2) Elements.--The review under this subsection shall 
 include the following elements:
        (A) A comparison of monthly obligations and 
 expenditures in relevant accounts against the spending 
 plan of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
        (B) Any transfers between accounts described in 
 subparagraph
        (A) .
            (C) The reasons for any significant diversions of 
 obligations or expenditures from such spending plan.
            (D) An analysis of the accuracy of any projections 
 or estimates relevant to diversions described in 
 subparagraph
            (C) .
        (E) Remedial actions the Secretary of Veterans 
 Affairs may take--
            (i) to improve the accuracy of supporting 
 information submitted under 

section 1105

    (a) of 
 title 31, United States Code, with respect to 
 the Department; and
            (ii) to prevent funding shortfalls for the 
 Department.

    (3) Report.--Not later than 30 days after completing such 
 review, the Comptroller General shall submit to the Secretary 
 of Veterans Affairs a written report containing the results and 
 findings of such review.

    (b) Subsequent GAO Reviews.--In each of the five calendar years 
following the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller 
General shall conduct a review including the elements described in 
subsection

    (a)

    (2) , and submit a report described in subsection

    (a)

    (3) , 
regarding the funding of the Department of Veterans Affairs for the 
most recent fiscal year to end before the date of such review.
            (c) Reports of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.--Not later than 
30 days after the Secretary of Veterans Affairs receives a report of 
the Comptroller General under subsection

    (a) or

    (b) , the Secretary 
shall submit such report to--

    (1) the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
 Representatives and the Senate; and

    (2) the Committees on Appropriations of the House of 
 Representatives and the Senate.

 Passed the House of Representatives May 19, 2025.

 Attest:

 KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,

 Clerk.