119-s1383

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1383 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 1383

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

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 April 9, 2025

Mr. Scott of Florida (for himself, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Moran, and Mr. 
 Blumenthal) 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 Advisory 
Committee Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. 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 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) 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 
 mobility impairment, hearing, visual, and mental or 
 cognitive disabilities.
        (B) Four are experts on issues described in 
 subsection

    (f)

    (1)
        (A) or the provisions of law set forth 
 under subsection

    (f)

    (1)
        (B) .
            (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.

    (2) Ex officio members.--The Advisory Committee shall also 
 include four ex officio members (or their designees):
        (A) The Under Secretary for Health.
        (B) The Under Secretary for Benefits.
            (C) The Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs.
            (D) The chairperson of the Architectural and 
 Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (known as the 
 ``Access Board'').
            (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 determines appropriate.

    (2) Vacancies.--The Secretary shall fill a vacancy in the 
 Advisory Committee in the same manner as the original 
 appointment not later than 180 days after such vacancy occurs.
            (d) Meetings.--

    (1) Frequency.--The Advisory Committee shall meet not less 
 frequently than twice each year.

    (2) Subcommittees.--The Advisory Committee may form 
 subcommittees, which shall meet as often as required.

    (3) 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 facilities 
 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. 12184 et seq.);
            (ii) sections 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 
 facilities, 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 or physical 
 assessments of the Department's facilities;
        (B) provide assessments of accessibility at the 
 Department and the compliance of the Department with 
 applicable provisions of law relating to disability and 
 accessibility; and
            (C) provide advice on improving accessibility at 
 the Department, including the accessibility of all--
            (i) communications, including internal and 
 public facing;
            (ii) services and benefits; and
            (iii) facilities.

    (3) Reports.--
        (A) Reports to the secretary.--Not later than two 
 years after the date of the first meeting of the 
 Advisory Committee, and not less frequently than once 
 every two years 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 employees 
 of the Department;
            (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, benefits, information, 
 technology, and facilities;
            (iv) provides a description of access 
 improvements and assesses the Department's 
 implementation of recommendations from previous 
 reports of the Advisory Committee, including 
 any unmet recommendations that remain necessary 
 for improving accessibility for the Department; 
 and
            (v) provides any recommendations for 
 legislation, administrative action, or other 
 actions that the Advisory Committee determines 
 appropriate.
        (B) Reports to congress and federal agencies.--
            (i) In general.--Not later than 90 days 
 after the receipt of a report required under 
 subparagraph
        (A) , the Secretary shall submit to 
 the appropriate congressional committees a copy 
 of such report and any comments and 
 recommendations of the Secretary concerning 
 such report that the Secretary determines 
 appropriate.
            (ii) Availability to the public.--The 
 Secretary shall publish on a publicly 
 accessible website of the Department such 
 report and such comments and recommendations as 
 may have been submitted along with such report.
            (iii) Appropriate congressional 
 committees.--In this subparagraph, the term 
 ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
 means--
            (I) the Committees on Veterans' 
 Affairs of the Senate and House of 
 Representatives;
            (II) the Special Committee on Aging 
 of the Senate; and
            (III) the Committee on Education 
 and Workforce 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 Advisory Committee.

    (3) Resources.--The Secretary shall ensure that such 
 personnel, funding, and other resources are made available to 
 the Advisory Committee as the Secretary determines 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.

SEC. 3. ABOLITION OF INACTIVE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

 Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act 
and before establishing the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access 
under 

section 2, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall--

    (1) abolish an advisory committee of the Department of 
 Veterans Affairs that--
        (A) was not established by an Act of Congress; and
        (B) is inactive;

    (2) consolidate two advisory committees described in 
 paragraph

    (1) ; or

    (3) submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the 
 Senate and House of Representatives a recommendation to abolish 
 an advisory committee of the Department that--
        (A) was established by an Act of Congress; and
        (B) is inactive.
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