The U.S. House passed 12 bills previously introduced by the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
As reported by the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, or HVAC, on Nov. 17, the U.S. House of Representatives passed 12 veterans bills. Most of the bills designated new names for VA medical facilities, including an outpatient clinic in French Camp, Calif. However, several of the bills aim to improve veterans’ quality of life.
First, the VA Infrastructure Powers Exceptional Research, or VIPER Act, among other minor clerical changes, is no longer required to follow parameters outlined in the Paperwork Reduction Act.
The VIPER Act was introduced by House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano, D-Calif., in Oct. 2021 before it was passed earlier this year. The act authorizes the VA to conduct research on a variety of care-related topics, including improving technologies used in the treatment of veterans.
It is currently unclear how the Paperwork Reduction Act affected the VA’s ability to carry out provisions outlined in the VIPER Act.
Next, the Improving Oversight of the Veterans Community Care Providers Act of 2022, which improves the VA’s ability to identify healthcare providers that do not meet the standards of the Veterans Community Care program, has been reworded to give the VA more time to create a plan once the act is made into law.
Originally, the act required the VA to submit a plan to Congress no later than Dec. 31, 2022.
The Veterans Community Care program has previously fallen under scrutiny for slow scheduling and poor quality of care in some U.S. counties, particularly in more rural areas.
Last, the Strengthening VA Cybersecurity Act of 2022 and Department of Veterans Affairs Information Technology Reform Act of 2021 have both been amended with minor clerical changes. Both acts address cybersecurity and aging technology concerns regarding IT systems employed by the VA Veterans Health Administration. The former has been sent back to the House for further changes while the latter is awaiting a vote in the Senate.
The VA has faced scrutiny in recent years for a number of data leaks that exposed veterans private information.
Author: Christian Southards
Coming from a family with a proud military background and wanting to contribute his writing skills to a worthy cause, Christian began writing for the California American Legion in August of 2020. His father is a 25-year Army Veteran and his grandfather served in the Navy during Vietnam.